Black diamond. We ride a stylish minivan Mitsubishi Grandis / Mitsubishi test drives

To be honest, this car doesn't really look like a minivan. Yes, it's a one-box design, but it's low and, most importantly, truly beautiful. By the way, I recall a case: my friend came to the showroom for an Outlander, but almost drove away in a Grandis — he was so impressed by both the exterior and the interior. What stopped him from buying it then was only the realization that it was a "bus," and he didn't need a minivan.

Six seats... But why? Every time I get behind the wheel of a test car, I involuntarily try on the role of its owner. And now the same thing is happening. Could I buy a minivan? Under what circumstances would I choose a family car? How can one even end up living such a life? I think my logbook as the owner of a "bus" would look something like this.

Day one
Today I went to pick up the car. My new iron horse is called Mitsubishi Grandis. It's a big and very handsome one-box wagon. Seeing it in the showroom, especially the vertical LED "garlands" of the taillights, I immediately lost my head and bought it without a second thought. It looks very stylish, expensive, and noble.

The gorgeous LED taillights make the Grandis look visually much more expensive than its actual price.

The interior also pleased me. The plastic is, of course, a bit simple, but the design is like something from a sci-fi movie about UFOs, and the equipment is quite generous: dual-zone climate control, where the zones are divided not between driver and passenger, but between front and rear parts, two sunroofs on the roof, and a rearview camera. In the headrests of the front seats are hidden TVs, another screen is on the central panel. There's a subwoofer. For an extra charge, you can order electric seat adjustments, but I'll manage without them.

The interior fully matches the exterior. The design is pleasant, and the color scheme is pleasing. Functionality is also in perfect order.

My car is black (more solid), with tinted rear windows, wind deflectors on the windows, and a bug deflector on the hood. Under the hood is a 2.4-liter gasoline engine with 165 horsepower, paired with an automatic transmission. Okay, I definitely won't sleep tonight — I'll be driving around.

Day two
Overnight, I managed to complete the "break-in." The car drives wonderfully: there's enough dynamics, and the handling pleasantly surprised me — I didn't expect that from such a tall car. The INVECS-II transmission is just a song. There are no sport modes here, only manual, and it's quite "honest," but they're not needed. If you want to drive smoothly so as not to wake a child sleeping in the back seat, the transmission won't jerk unnecessarily. If you want to accelerate sharply, press the pedal, and in a moment you'll get what you want. I like it! Only the appetite upsets me: with calm driving, it comes out to about 15 liters, and if you drive in my usual style, then 20 liters is not the limit. And I also desperately want to sleep.

The pleasure of driving requires payment, and in the literal sense — the Grandis doesn't complain about a lack of appetite.

Day three
I went to the dacha, and it's, by the way, quite far. Complete delight! On the highway, the Grandis is simply magnificent: speed is not felt, the car doesn't deviate from its course, and you can drive it almost effortlessly. My passengers also didn't get tired: each seat has its own armrests, you sit like in a living room. The music is good, and noise doesn't bother. Plus TVs — the kids in the back watch cartoons and don't act up.

You can't call these "wood" inserts. Rather, they're just brown plastic overlays.

Day nine
Having enjoyed the excellent handling and spacious interior, I decided to study the purchase in more detail. I opened the trunk — and it's simply huge here, you could carry an elephant. And what are these handles in the floor? Let me take a look. I pull them, and...

Oh no, it's the third row of seats! There are two more seats there! So, I bought a "bus"?! Yes, I bought a "bus"! And what do I do now?! I have an ordinary average family, I don't have that many kids to fill the whole cabin! A-a-a!!! Looks like I'm in trouble...

Day ten
When my wife found out we have a minivan, she immediately got happy. She says, now you'll drive less recklessly. Ha-ha! Let her think what she wants — I know the Grandis handles great. But right now, something else worries me — what am I going to carry in it?!

Our family car expert doesn't complain about cabin space at all. Of course, he has as many as four seats at his disposal.

So, I need to come up with something. Let's count. According to Rosgosstat data, in Russia there are on average 1.2 children per woman. So, I'll put my wife in the front, 1.2 children in the back. I can also take my mother-in-law and father-in-law — that's two more seats occupied. But even then, there's still a whole 0.8 seats left! Pick up random hitchhikers along the way? And that's considering I have the more expensive version for $38,750 with two separate rear seats — in the base trim, the second row of the Grandis is equipped with a three-seat sofa!

Although no, better I'll just take our friends to the dacha — we'll all fit in the Grandis without any trouble.

The Grandis is ideal for long trips. The seats of the first two rows have their own armrests, and there are enough cupholders for everyone.

Day twelve
Maybe I should fold the rear seats and use them only for joint trips to the dacha with family and friends? Then I'll just have a big four-seat car. Great idea!

It's a great idea, but what to do with this huge trunk? I could, of course, moonlight delivering furniture, but that's not my thing. Okay, I'll go to the store, maybe I'll come up with something there.

The first two attempts were unsuccessful — I couldn't fill more than a third of the trunk. What a nuisance! The third attempt was more successful — 985 of its 1545 liters were occupied (I measured it specially). But still not enough.

The contents of three huge supermarket carts filled the Grandis's cargo area almost completely. But you can fold the second row of seats...

Day seventeen
Hurray! Today I finally filled the trunk by loading the contents of three giant supermarket carts into it! True, I spent so much money that with those funds I could have installed another TV in the headrests of the second row of seats. And I now have enough groceries for six months. Besides, I didn't even fold the second row... What kind of massive shopping is it designed for? Even my wife doesn't buy that much...

I transported a large leather armchair from the apartment to the dacha — it, of course, almost completely filled the trunk, but I'm not going to carry it every day (although that's also an option!). Good thing it fit in the Grandis (it wouldn't have fit in a regular wagon, I checked), but people don't buy a minivan for a couple of such transports, do they?

Day thirty
Damn, I think I'm depressed...

But my colleagues encourage me — they say, what difference does it make, "bus" or not "bus," especially since the car looks stylish, expensive, and solid?

Day forty-six
Today, in the parking lot near the office, I saw another Grandis. I immediately approached the owner and started asking how many children he has and how they all manage to eat so much and go shopping. It turns out they have the same number of kids and appetites as we do. But he bought the minivan for a completely different reason.

The Grandis can be bought just for its looks. Many would have done so if it weren't a family "bus."

That's it! I think I understand the essence. A minivan is not created to carry a crowd of people every day or go grocery shopping. It's much simpler. Some people (like me) often have situations where they need to go somewhere with friends or transport something. Yes, I don't use all the space and volume of the minivan constantly. But on the other hand, in a regular car, I also drive to work and back alone — so should I buy a single-seat car? And having the Grandis, I'm not limited in anything — if the need arises, its capabilities will be enough for me. And as a daily car, it completely suits me — it handles nothing like a bus, and it accelerates briskly.

And it's also very beautiful — that's actually why I bought it. And I don't regret it one bit!

Year three
Well, three years have flown by unnoticed, the warranty has expired — it's time to change the car. Oh, it's a good one! And at first, its "minivan-ness" bothered me. Or did it not? I don't even remember. But I need to replace it with something. So, what beautiful "driver's" minivans are currently on sale?

Here is the revised test-drive text in Russian:

Mitsubishi Grandis: a family wagon with an athlete's character

When I was offered to test the Mitsubishi Grandis minivan, honestly, I didn't expect anything extraordinary. Usually, such cars are made to carry family and cargo, not to provide driving pleasure. But this Japanese car managed to surprise me.

From the outside, the Grandis looks quite dynamic for its class. The designers managed to find that fine line where a practical family car doesn't look like a bus. The car sits on 16-inch wheels with 215/60 R16 tires, and this combination provides decent handling without compromising comfort.

Interior world

The cabin greets you with black leather seats and faux leather inserts on the doors. The driver's seating position is comfortable, the seat adjusts in height, and there is heated front seats — a small thing, but nice. The front and rear climate control work separately, which is very convenient when rear passengers need a different temperature. The car has two sunroofs: the front one opens manually and has a tilt function, while the rear one slides with an electric drive.

The center console is equipped with a multifunction display and a CD receiver with MP3 support. Around it, there are many niches and compartments for small items. There are armrests both in the front and for second-row passengers. Even the sun visors are thought out to the smallest detail: with mirrors, lighting, and a card holder for the driver.

In motion

Under the hood of this Grandis is a 2.4-liter gasoline MIVEC engine with 165 horsepower. The variable valve timing and lift system makes the engine flexible across a wide range of revs. Maximum torque of 217 Nm is available at 4000 rpm, so acceleration doesn't feel sluggish. The claimed 11.7 seconds to 100 km/h is not a record, but quite enough for a minivan.

The gearbox is a sequential automatic INVECS-II Sports Mode. It allows the driver to intervene in the shifting process when more dynamic driving is desired. In city traffic, the car feels confident, and on the highway, it can reach up to 190 km/h.

The suspension is classic MacPherson at the front, and independent with trailing arms and an anti-roll bar at the rear. The settings are firm but not harsh. At speed, the car holds steady, with moderate body roll in corners. Brakes are disc all around, ventilated at the front, and this is enough to quickly stop almost one and a half tons of curb weight.

Fuel consumption, as expected for a car of this class: in the city — 13.2 liters per 100 km, on the highway — 8.0. The tank holds 65 liters, so the range is decent without stops.

Safety and electronics

The set of safety systems inspires respect. In addition to ABS with brake force distribution and emergency brake assist, there is dynamic stability control MASC and traction control MATC. Front airbags are dual-stage, with side and curtain airbags for the driver and front passenger. An electronic immobilizer is standard, and the system will remind you if someone hasn't buckled up.

The mirrors fold automatically, have electric drive and heating, and the built-in turn signals consist of six LEDs. Fog lights are both front and rear. Headlight washers are of the extending type — a small thing, but it saves in long trips.

The price of the tested car is $38,750. For this money, you get not just a minivan, but a well-equipped family car with character that won't let you get bored behind the wheel.

The car for the test was provided by "Rolf Holding", the distributor of Mitsubishi Motors in Russia.