It's cool, it's good looking, it's advanced... and it flopped. Better than I remember in almost every way, the Diamante was cool, but for the pricing you could get "better" names like Acura or Lexus that carried some cache.
@forward876 Жыл бұрын
You commented on the bumper over hang, yes, The US version is huge but the Japanese version is much more tasteful and flush. Im actually trying to get one soon.
@johnnymason246011 ай бұрын
The Diamante was never a challenger for the Lexus LS400 or the Infiniti Q45 at the time. The Acura Legend was more of a competitor.
@bestpilot982 жыл бұрын
Mitsubishi's Diamante had really handsome and somewhat timeless exterior styling, much like Acura Legend.
@donaldwilson26202 жыл бұрын
True Fact: the Mitsubishi Diamante was named Japan's Car of The Year in 1991.
@KensN2History5 ай бұрын
In 2000 I bought a 93 Diamante. I was 19/20 years old at the time. And I loved luxury sedans and this was the best I could afford at the time. I have many great memories of those years. I would get up early every Saturday get something to eat and sometimes I'd spend a few hours cleaning that car. It had the best power steering and AC of any vehicle I've owed or driven since. I was living and working in and around Atlanta ga at the time and it would get extremely hot in the summer. The AC would blow air so cold it would condense into a cold wet stream. I got a lot of compliments on that car and most people didn't know what kind of car it was. Unfortunately I parked it in front of a friends house and some drunk guy hit it so hard, driving 70 mph in a subdivision, that it was literally bent like a can.
@radudeATL Жыл бұрын
I remember we had this as a rental as a kid (a sedan and the wagon), and I absolutely adored this car. Particularly for its interior. There was nothing else like it to me. Only the swoopy 929 had that kind of flair inside.
@reallyrandomrides12962 жыл бұрын
The test car that was $30,117 in 1991 would be $61,460 in late 2021 dollars (or the $19,995 base car would be $40,700). Quite a sizeable dollar figure. I know it's supposed to be a near luxury car, but I think many buyers felt that if they were going to spend that kind of money, they wanted to flaunt it with known European luxury brand, or if Japanese, Acura or Lexus which was making serious inroads by then. I never did see many Mitsubishi Diamantes on the road.
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
Unlike Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and (briefly) Mazda, it's like Mitsubishi never saw themselves as aspiring to be a Luxury-Car company. While I'm not fully involved with their products world-wide, my opinion is they still don't. Almost like they don't want to beat Nissan or Toyota, but just keep up with Suzuki! :)
@reallyrandomrides12962 жыл бұрын
@@AllCarswithJon Good point, it sure seems like that.
@350zlover22 жыл бұрын
Back in the 90's I remember the hip hop community glamorized owning a Diamante along with the Legend, Millennia, Lexus, Infiniti and Mazda 929.
@johnnymason24607 ай бұрын
The Mitsubishi Diamante and the Mazda Millennia were serious rivals. Both cars were offered by brands not known for luxury. Both were more premium cars than actual luxury cars.
@reallyrandomrides12962 жыл бұрын
Mitsubishi did well back then with their economy cars. I never drove a Diamante, but I did drive a 1993 Dodge Colt quite extensively as a company car (which was a badge engineered version of the Mitsubishi Mirage and Lancer). It seemed like a dull, boring car. I felt like it was a generic Honda Civic. But I have to say, the Colt was very well built, reliable and fuel efficient. As you said, maybe not as smooth and refined as some of the other Japanese marques, but it was priced lower to make up for it. And I think this is the image people had of Mitsubishi and would not shell out big money for a near luxury car from Mitsubishi, as good of a car as it may have been. If Mitsubishi had a luxury car division, it may have done better and could have sold more expensive cars after it established a separate division, like GM has with Cadillac, Toyota has with Lexus, Honda has with Acura, etc.
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
You nailed it, but that wouldn't have filled up 10 minutes of video! :) They built cheap reliable cars, and I agree the buying pubic didn't warmly receive their expensive top-of-the-line car. Other brands made the leap more successfully (say Mazda with the 929 or the Millennia, Nissan with the Maxima), at least somewhat.
@reallyrandomrides12962 жыл бұрын
@@AllCarswithJon Yes, Nissan did well with the Maxima back then, and I feel they have moderate success with the Infiniti brand too. I heard Mazda was supposed to launch a luxury brand too, but didn't, and the 929 (and later the Millenia) which were supposed to be for the luxury brand, ended up being badged as Mazdas and did ok. But people didn't seem to respond as favorably to the near-luxury Mitsubishi Diamante even though it seems like a fine car.
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
@@reallyrandomrides1296 Yep, dead on. I did a video on the Amati brand that Mazda bailed on. That's a really big "what could have been" for me because the Millenia was amazing!
@johnnymason2460 Жыл бұрын
The Mitsubishi Sigma was a car that I also wanted. The Diamante was okay but the wagon was more to my liking.
@new2000car2 жыл бұрын
Great video, spot on comments. This car is greater than I realized at the time. Its styling incorporates the best elements from other makes. The trace function was very advanced. But for the price of the high end model, I’d rather have a lower end legend for the same money. The panache of the Legend (plus its slightly better durability) would have wowed my friends and neighbors way more, thus clinching the deal. The Mitsubishi engineers really came up with a home run with the diamanté but it got eclipsed (LOL) by Acura, etc. it must have sucked to have worked on developing this car only to have it fizzle out at the dealers. Maybe (hindsight) if they put in the bigger engine and antilock brakes on the base model, and kept it stripped otherwise, and sold it for that $19,999 price (easy for me to say) it could have been a lower priced alternative that was awesome. I think you’re right peoples’ mindset was that Mitsubishi was, and had to be, a low priced alternative.
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
well said!
@varcade85 ай бұрын
I see 90-93 Accords on the road more than the same year Camrys. Actually, never see those box Camrys that were up until 91. But I do see more 92-96 Camrys. The 90-93 Accords were the best.
@johnnymason2460 Жыл бұрын
Remember, Mitsubishi said no to the idea of a luxury division like Lexus or Infiniti. This was the best they could do as far as an upscale car is concerned. I do like the car, though. I simply saw the Diamante as the Toyota Avalon of Mitsubishi.
@forward876 Жыл бұрын
The ride was smooth as butter. Never forgot the ride
@trancross70407 ай бұрын
I wonder why they only compared the Diamante to the Maxima? Back in '91, Toyota still had the Cressida, which was a direct competitor, as was the Mazda 929. Motorweek should have done a near luxo comparison with those four sedans.
@johnnymason2460Ай бұрын
This Diamante is actually a 1992 model introduced in early 1991. The Cressida would have been a contender but most people seemed to ignore it by then.
@runoflife872 жыл бұрын
Actually the front end looks like BMW 5-series.
@forward876 Жыл бұрын
I also love the dash in the Diamante. I drove a 91 many years ago and wish to own one one day soon
@leonardgordon17482 жыл бұрын
Another interesting car from the past. Definitely appeared to be a well designed and engineered car but the Mitsubishi name probably doomed it. I don’t remember any dealer network and most of the Mitsubishi’s you saw were from the Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge dealerships. Thank you again for an interesting look back.
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome and thanks for the view/comment!
@petersargeant1555 Жыл бұрын
The station wagon version was built in Australia as were all second generation Diamantes outside of Japan.
@johnnymason24609 ай бұрын
And I definitely would love to have the Diamante wagon. It would make a great family car.
@bestpilot982 жыл бұрын
From the front 3/4 view, I see Acura Vigor. Remember that car??!! Rear 3/4 view favors 1st gen Lexus ES300
@johnnymason2460 Жыл бұрын
I'm sorry. The Maxima was never, in my opinion, a so-called 4-door sports car. It was front wheel drive. A BMW M5 was more like a 4-door sports car than the Maxima.
@hotelworker8122 жыл бұрын
Mitsubishi was fairly reliable. I would have gotten one just because nobody else was getting them. But then again, what else would you expect from me?
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
I agree and I think that's what I wrestled with in the video. Buyng something 'different' really draws me... but the price was a big number and I could have gotten more desirable brands too.....
@hotelworker8122 жыл бұрын
@@AllCarswithJon Isn't it interesting how we struggle so much with car purchases?
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
@@hotelworker812 And it's getting worse. :) took me 10 years to decide how to replace my last car!
@350zlover22 жыл бұрын
@Dave M My dad gave me the choice to own a Diamante, Vigor or Maxima when I was in college. I decided to go with the Diamante because it was different but I would have been better off with the other 2 options.
@350zlover22 жыл бұрын
I owned this car in college and I enjoyed the vehicle until it hit 100k miles, it started blowing out dark smoke as I drove it. Apparently the rings in the engine would go bad on this engine as it aged. It was my least reliable Japanese vehicle compared to the others I have owned.
@stevenswan36422 жыл бұрын
same. Parents bought a demo LS version but with cloth seats for 21k in 1992. My dad's fear was all the technology would break so he had them through in the extended warranty. It was mechanicals that broke not electronics. Got free oil changes with how much oil it burnt and transmission slipped, none which the warranty covered. He's been Toyota Honda since
@Moparornocar19892 жыл бұрын
Side view looks like a 1994 Lexus ES300
@AllCarswithJon2 жыл бұрын
I see influences from several different cars in different angles. :)