Mitsubishi Grandis

*** Ownership: *** 

I've owned this car since July 2025. I have since put ~30000 km on it, almost entirely highway miles. It served as a weekly cross-country family hauler for a good portion of that time. But as of earlier this year, those trips are no longer necessary. I currently still use it for the occasional long trip, but I don’t much enjoy driving a manual in town.

That being said, I personally think that out of all the variants of this car sold in Sweden, the manual gasoline is the one to go for. I wouldn’t rely on the 4-speed Automatic for heavy highway use (or any heavy use). And the diesel comes with a Volkswagen engine, infamous for multiple reliability issues. 

***  Service: *** 

Under the “Repairs” section below there is a laundry list of items I’ve serviced on the car. Some of them were necessary maintenance. But many were preventive maintenance. Meaning that they were done as a precaution, and not because the car actually demanded them.

I worked on the car myself using the official Mitsubishi service manual. Every step was followed, every measurement exacted, and every bolt torqued to spec. I also either bought original parts or premium aftermarket ones. I still have the receipts, and some of the old parts.

***  Fuel Economy: *** 

In the city it is 10-14 L / 100 km. On the highway, however, it was a surprise! My research suggested 9 L/100 km on a good day. But what I actually got on a good day was 6.8 L / 100 km on summer tires, And 7.2 L / 100 km on all-season tires! With a solid average of 7.7 throughout the year (on all-season tires).

To put that in perspective. I once owned a tiny 3-door, 1.0 L Toyota from the same era (early 2000’s), which gave me 6 L/100 km on the highway. So I did not expect a 2.4 L, 3-row minivan, that’s easily twice the size and payload of that tiny Toyota, to be anywhere near those numbers. But it actually cracked 6.8 L/100 km on summer tires.

*** Comfort: *** 

Since we spent long hours in this car, I’ve treated myself and my family to a few creature comforts:  Touch display with CarPlay/AndroidAuto and media playback, Backup camera, Sound insulation under front carpets and inside doors (reduces road noise at high speeds, huge difference especially for kids ears), Wireless charging, and LED headlights (High beams only, Inspection forced me to switch the low beams back to Halogen).

If you keep the recommended tire pressure, then the ride is quite plush. But since I used it mostly on the highway, I kept a considerably higher tire pressure than standard. It gave me the fuel economy I described earlier, but at the cost of ride comfort when I’m back in town. One could of course alternate the tire pressure back and forth depending on highway/town use. But personally I didn’t bother.

*** Practicality: ***

The car has decent interior space. It's amazing how many people and things you can fit inside. I don’t remember a time when I had to leave something behind because there was no room for it. Combine that with the fuel economy and you have the perfect family hauler.

We’ve also come to appreciate the pilot-seats in the second row. In the beginning we didn’t think we would. But they turned out to be far more comfortable than a bench seat, especially for adults. And they offer a really convenient space in between for road trips. There you could have a cooler, a thermos, a diaper bag, snacks, take out, or anything that you would like to access without stopping the car.

The practicality also extends to maintenance. It’s a Japanese engine from the early 2000s, and these are hard to beat in terms of simplicity and reliability. It was deployed in a range of Mitsubishi models from that era, so it's well known to mechanics and to the internet. The parts are plentiful and cheap. Service manuals are online. And if you're mechanically inclined, like myself, you could very easily do your own light and medium maintenance. Keep it on the road for only the very affordable cost of parts.

If I ever need another family hauler in the future, this one will be a no-brainer for me. The only trick is to find a good one to start with. But if you do, then it’s a whole lot of car for the price of an average e-bike!

*** Tires: ***

It currently has only a set of all-season tires. They’re good for this summer and probably one more, but not another winter.

*** Inspection: *** 

Passed without remarks on 30/05/2026. Valid until 31/07/2027.