At $3,450, Is This 1994 Mitsubishi Diamante A Dimond In The Rough?

An extremely rare car, even when new, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Diamante wagon would currently be a hit at any Japanese Car show or Radwood meet. Could we justify paying its asking price to do so?

Does your home center display dinged and dented kitchen appliances near the exit, as mine does, tantalizing those leaving with “damaged goods” prices? Walking by them, swinging a bag of bolts or a can of paint, I’m always struck with a sense of confusion as to what sort of person would want something with such aesthetic issues in their home. The prices of these damaged units aren’t even all that great of a deal.

A similar conundrum faced us with the 1996 Ford Mustang Cobra we looked at yesterday. Painted in a rare and unique color-shifting “Mystic” top coat, and rocking the Mustang’s most potent engine of the era under its hood, it was a compelling package. Unfortunately, the seller noted that the hot engine had a substantial and as-yet-unconfirmed evaporative emissions leak and that paint was fading and failing on both bumpers. Those issues cast a cloud over the car’s prospects, and the $14,500 asking price wasn’t doing it any favors either. Ultimately, that combo conspired to kill our interest, culminating in a whopping 73% No Dice loss.

There are a few flaws on today’s 1994 Mitsubishi Diamante, too, but as we’ll get to, those might justifiably be ameliorated by its price. Few of us likely remember Mitsubishi’s “big” car of the 1990s and early 2000s, much less that a wagon version of it was ever sold. The Diamante was introduced in America for the 1992 model year, slotting in above the Galant in the lineup. It shared its chassis as well as its drivetrain and numerous features with the 3000GT sport coupe. Here in the U.S., the model competed against the likes of Nissan’s Maxima, the Acura Legend, and Toyota’s Cressida—all cars that most of us would likely struggle to picture today. With the Diamante, Mitsubishi adhered to the tried-and-true formula of a transverse engine and front-wheel drive, or in the case of some models, all-wheel drive with an add-on prop shaft and independent rear suspension. Engines for the North American market were limited to the SOHC 6G72 3.0-liter V6, an engine that, when new, produced 175 horsepower, and for upper-scale models, a 202-horsepower DOHC edition of the same mill.

While Mitsubishi sold both sedans and wagons in the U.S., the company sourced those body styles from entirely different factories. It built the sedan at the Nagoya, Japan plant, while the wagon was exclusive to the company’s facility in Adelaide, Australia.

This ex-pat Aussie looks to be an LS model, at least based on its alloy wheels and cruise control. It also sports the options of leather upholstery and a sunroof. The styling of the first-generation Diamante (there would be a second-generation and then no more) is handsome and not totally un-reminiscent of BMW’s 5 Series of the era. This one is painted in appliance white and suffers from scrapes on all four corners of the bumpers and a sizable crease across the rear door on the passenger side. Aside from those visual flaws, the body seems solid and not to be missing any trim. As a plus, the radio aerial popping out of the rear flank is a fun old-school detail.

Things are similarly worn in the cabin, showing the car’s 180,258 miles of use, mainly in the driver’s seat and steering wheel cover. The seller claims that they had planned to reupholster the patchwork leather on the driver’s squab but would rather negotiate the car’s overall price than go to the trouble. Being the top of the line model, the Diamante is loaded with features, including power windows and locks, the aforementioned cruise control, and automatic climate control. In this car, the factory stereo has been replaced with an aftermarket JVC single-DIN unit, which has been paired with a multi-disc CD changer. Unfortunately, the CD changer is comically ill-positioned at the far end of the load area, taking up space and being difficult to reach simultaneously.

Under the hood, the engine bay looks like it’s seen some miles as well. At least it all looks to be stock and without any major monkeying on either the V6 or its four-speed automatic roommate. The ad claims the car “Runs real good engine is super smooth. New starter. Old school reliability. Cold air con.”

It also features a clean title and has been in the hands of a single owner since 1998. The asking price is $3,450, which, as we noted at the outset, is a lot lower than yesterday’s also-flawed Mustang. And I’d wager that this wagon is perhaps an even more interesting car than that pony, even if it lacks its performance. 

Is that price low enough, however? The seller says they might go even lower due to the wear and tear on the driver’s seat, but how far would that need to be? What do you say? Is $3,450 a fair price for this rare wagon in its present state? Or is that just the opening salvo in the negotiation?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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