Mitsubishi Colt (2004 - To Date)
5 Di-D diesel [Red, Attivo. Mirage, Equippe, CZT, Black, Classic])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
You used to know where you stood with a Mitsubishi Colt. It would be reliable, fairly spacious and utterly boring. In 2004, Mitsubishi broke that particular mould and introduced a Colt with far more widespread appeal. Suddenly, here was a car that put the frighteners on the established supermini class leaders.
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Built in Holland at Volvos former Nedcar plant, this Colt is the sixth generation car to bear the moniker. If you think the proportions look vaguely familiar, you may well be onto something. Smarts ultra trendy forfour is based on the same chassis and running gear and shares several of the Colts body panels, albeit smartened up to fit the corporate look and feel. If youre looking to cut a dash outside the gym, the smart is a no brainer.
If youre sufficiently mature to dispense with the gimmickry, youll save a pot on the Colt and end up with arguably the better car. The Colt shares 60% of its parts with the smart forfour but youd be hard pressed to guess this when seated behind the wheel. Everything is neat but sensibly styled with no dials sprouting from the fascia top. Its certainly a major leap forward from the uninspiring Colt interiors weve been accustomed to.
If you expect supermini dashboards to be fussy, cheap and cluttered, the elegantly minimalist Colt fascia will be a very pleasant revelation. Mitsubishi can claim the crown for most interior space in this market sector and theres little doubt that for a supermini at least, this car has been generously cut. Even with a six footer at the wheel, theres enough room in the back for all but the rangiest adults and the boot is a prodigious size. A long wheelbase and compact suspension set up Macpherson struts up front and a low volume torsion beam arrangement at the rear help to maximise available space, the 2,500mm wheelbase being a good deal longer than a Renault Clio or a Fiat Punto.
Youll need at least £5,750 to land the first of the five-door 1.1-litre Colt Black models with an Equippe with the same engine tacking another £200 onto that price tag. The 1.3-litre models are a bit rarer but a typical 54-plated Elegance would fetch around £8,200.
Shop around and you should be able to pick up a three-door 1.5-litre Sport from around £8,800. Insurance ranges from Group 3 for the entry-level 1.1-litre models to Group 6 for the 1.
5-litre Sport, with the turbocharged CZT being the only anomaly, pitched out there at Group 14.
Reliability is excellent and parts not as pricey as you might fear; the car is much cheaper than most to maintain. Make sure the exhaust is in good condition and that the tyres have plenty of wear left in them. Corrosion protection is good as well. Shop around for dealer special editions and you may be able to land yourself some extra equipment for no additional outlay.
The CZT is a little more specialist than the other models and will require a more careful inspection to ensure it hasnt been mercilessly thrashed. Most of the evidence should be obvious, however, with a clutch test and a check for crash damage being the two key checks. Otherwise its hard to come across a misbehaving Colt.
(based on a 2004 Colt 1.5 Sport) Consumables are reasonably priced for the Colt and Mitsubishi have been part of a committed drive to reduce spares prices across the board. A fuel filter works out at around £8 and an oil filter about £11. Original equipment spark plugs are £6 each.
The Colt feels a good deal more assured on the road than that high rise styling might suggest. The suspension is fairly firm but on rutted city streets, only the worst that local government negligence can throw at it will upset its uncanny composure. The flipside of this is that the Colt offers a surprisingly generous dose of entertainment with decently weighted steering and better than adequate body control. The brakes are discs up front and drums at the back, except for the range-topping 1.
5-litre petrol model which gets discs all round. Anti-lock and electronic brakeforce distribution are standard on all models, as is electrically assisted power steering. The 1.3-litre engine is presently the best compromise between economy and performance, the 1.
5-litre unit being a little sibilant in the upper reaches of the rev range. If you want real performance, it has to be the CZT, Mitsubishis three-door hot hatchback, which is based on a turbocharged version of the 1.5-litre engine good for 150bhp. A baby Evo? That could be about the size of it, especially if it could be breathed upon to liberate a few extra horsepower.
The Mitsubishi Colt is probably a better car than most buyers realise. Now that it has the personality and styling to go with its mechanical integrity, it becomes one of the best used supermini buys around. The diesel models are well worth tracking down but theres not a bad car in the entire line up. The only sticking point may be persuading an owner to part with one first.
