Used Mitsubishi Grandis MPV 2004 - 2010 review

The Mitsubishi Grandis is a seven-seater sized somewhere between compact MPVs like Vauxhall's Zafira and traditional MPVs like the Renault Espace. It features a sliding three-person bench in the middle row, while the two seats behind can be folded into the floor or flipped back to make picnic chairs.

Unlike many rivals, the Grandis gives you a decent amount of luggage space when all seven seats are occupied. There's enough legroom, too, but six-footers will find headroom tight in the third row.

Further forward, the driver sits high up and forward visibility is good. It's easy to make yourself comfortable, even though the steering wheel only moves up and down, and the smart dashboard is logically laid out.

Still, the Grandis is no driver's car. The steering is light and easy in town but feels over-assisted at higher speeds, and there's body lean around corners. The ride is generally smooth, although noise and vibrations from big bumps can intrude.

Opt for our favoured 2.4-litre petrol model and fuel bills will be high. Officially, the manual returns 30.1mpg on the official combined cycle and the auto just 28.1mpg, but you're unlikely to match those figures. When we ran a Grandis on our long-term fleet, it fell short of the official figure. Unsurprisingly the diesel performs much better, with a 42.8mpg average.

Residual values are reasonable for the class, though not exceptional, so a used Grandis shouldn't be more expensive to buy than its main rivals, and it's a similar story when it comes to insurance.

When it's time to service your car, official Mitsubishi dealers typically undercut their Toyota counterparts but charge more per hour than the likes of Nissan. You can save big money by shopping around, however. According to data from Warranty Direct, independent Mitsubishi specialists are among the cheapest out there.

Two engines are available - a 162bhp 2.4-litre petrol and a 134bhp 2.0-litre diesel. Both provide good acceleration, even when you've got the whole family aboard, but the diesel isn't refined enough. Just a dab on the throttle causes it to bark and grumble.

We'd go for the much quieter petrol then, despite it being rather thirsty. There's a choice of five-speed manual and smooth-shifting four-speed automatic gearboxes for the petrol, while the diesel is only available with the manual.

Even the entry-level Classic trim has climate control, a CD player, keyless entry, alloy wheels and eight airbags - enough to make the more expensive trims redundant. But, for the record, Equippe versions add stability control and luxuries like twin sunroofs, a CD changer and cruise control, while Elegance features leather upholstery as well.

Topping off the range is the 'bling' Warrior model. This is distinguished by its deep mesh front grille and mammoth 18-inch alloys, and it comes with a DVD player so you can keep the kids entertained on long trips.

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