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1998 Mitsubishi Diamante ES: Affordable Luxury
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
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 55 ( -10 -18.18% ) | | Author | Bruce Caldwell |
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Description:
The luxury sedan market is a busy place these days, with so many domestic and foreign models vying for a piece of this lucrative segment. The obvious players like Mercedes, BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus are joined by countless others who aspire to be perceived as luxury or "near-luxury" sedans. The Mitsubishi Diamante ES is a strong contender in the near-luxury segment. It's affordably priced at retail, and since the Diamante isn't as popular as many of its competitors, there is ample room to improve on the out-the-door price.
We felt the original Diamante (1991-96) was grossly underrated; it was a tremendous car and a great value. Our two main complaints then were bland styling and unspectacular acceleration. The '98 Diamante, however, is a handsome, far sleeker car with noticeably more horsepower. Performance and handling are above average, but not strong enough to run with sport/luxury sedans like the BMW 540i and Lexus GS400. Diamante's sole engine, a 3.5L SOHC 24-valve V6 produces 210 horsepower and 231 lbs-ft of torque. That power is smoothly transmitted to the front driving wheels via a very sophisticated "adaptive" 4-speed automatic which "learns" the operator's driving style and adjusts shifting patterns accordingly.
The Diamante's ride is smooth as a luxury sedan should be. The spacious interior realistically carries five passengers. Front seat room is excellent. Most controls are well placed, but the stereo controls are too small. Other interior detractions: dim lighting, cheap sun visors with a parakeet-sized driver's side mirror, and minuscule door bins ( two candy bars, max). Trunk capacity is excellent with a low lip. The Diamante is well suited for weekend golfing excursions.
We enjoyed our time in the Diamante ES. Overall, it's a spacious, comfortable, solidly built, stylish sedan that is competitively priced. Unfortunately, the'near-luxury' field is crowded with fine cars, many of which do better in the status department (an important factor in this image conscious market segment). |
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