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2002
Mitsubishi Diamante

Starts at:
$25,687
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 4dr Sdn ES 3.5L Auto
    Starts at
    $25,687
    18 City / 25 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn VR-X 3.5L Auto
    Starts at
    $26,997
    18 City / 25 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn LS 3.5L Auto
    Starts at
    $28,447
    18 City / 25 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs

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Expert 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By Cars.com editors
Full article
our expert's take

Vehicle Overview
Modest restyling for the 2002 model year gives Mitsubishi’s slow-selling near-luxury sedan a fresh grille and hood, a new trunk lid and redesigned taillights. New 16-inch alloy wheels go on both the ES and upscale LS versions, and electronic brake-force distribution is another new feature for 2002.

Although most Mitsubishi vehicles are manufactured in either Japan or Illinois, the Diamante hails from Australia. The front-drive sedan uses a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a four-speed-automatic transmission. The Diamante debuted in its current form in the 1997 model year as a lower-priced alternative to other models such as the Lexus ES 300 and Infiniti I30 (now called the I35). Only 9,219 Diamantes were sold during 2000, down from 9,921 units in the previous year.

Exterior
On a 107.1-inch wheelbase and measuring 194.1 inches long overall, the Diamante is 6 inches longer than Mitsubishi’s own compact Galant sedan. In profile and roof styling, the two show a family resemblance, but the Diamante has a bigger grille and four enclosed headlights for a unique front-end appearance. Fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels are installed on the LS sedan, while the ES rolls on 15-inch rubber.

Interior
Cloth upholstery is used for the base ES sedan, while the more costly LS gets leather and a standard power sunroof. The Diamante seats five passengers. Front bucket seats on the ES have manual adjustments, but the LS buckets are power-adjustable. Standard ES equipment includes air conditioning, a six-speaker stereo with a CD player, keyless entry, and power windows, locks and mirrors. The LS sedan adds a power sunroof, steering-wheel audio controls, a 210-watt premium sound system and power front seats with leather-faced seating surfaces. An engine immobilizer requires the properly coded key to start the car.

Under the Hood
A 205-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that teams with a four-speed-automatic transmission are available on both versions of the Diamante.

Safety
Antilock brakes are standard. Traction control is optional and is available in the All-Weather Package that also includes heated mirrors and front seats.

 

Reported by Jim Flammang  for cars.com
From the cars.com 2002 Buying Guide

2002 Mitsubishi Diamante review: Our expert's take

Vehicle Overview
Modest restyling for the 2002 model year gives Mitsubishi’s slow-selling near-luxury sedan a fresh grille and hood, a new trunk lid and redesigned taillights. New 16-inch alloy wheels go on both the ES and upscale LS versions, and electronic brake-force distribution is another new feature for 2002.

Although most Mitsubishi vehicles are manufactured in either Japan or Illinois, the Diamante hails from Australia. The front-drive sedan uses a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a four-speed-automatic transmission. The Diamante debuted in its current form in the 1997 model year as a lower-priced alternative to other models such as the Lexus ES 300 and Infiniti I30 (now called the I35). Only 9,219 Diamantes were sold during 2000, down from 9,921 units in the previous year.

Exterior
On a 107.1-inch wheelbase and measuring 194.1 inches long overall, the Diamante is 6 inches longer than Mitsubishi’s own compact Galant sedan. In profile and roof styling, the two show a family resemblance, but the Diamante has a bigger grille and four enclosed headlights for a unique front-end appearance. Fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels are installed on the LS sedan, while the ES rolls on 15-inch rubber.

Interior
Cloth upholstery is used for the base ES sedan, while the more costly LS gets leather and a standard power sunroof. The Diamante seats five passengers. Front bucket seats on the ES have manual adjustments, but the LS buckets are power-adjustable. Standard ES equipment includes air conditioning, a six-speaker stereo with a CD player, keyless entry, and power windows, locks and mirrors. The LS sedan adds a power sunroof, steering-wheel audio controls, a 210-watt premium sound system and power front seats with leather-faced seating surfaces. An engine immobilizer requires the properly coded key to start the car.

Under the Hood
A 205-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that teams with a four-speed-automatic transmission are available on both versions of the Diamante.

Safety
Antilock brakes are standard. Traction control is optional and is available in the All-Weather Package that also includes heated mirrors and front seats.

 

Reported by Jim Flammang  for cars.com
From the cars.com 2002 Buying Guide

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
7 years / 100,000 miles
Powertrain
5 years / 60,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
Less than 5 years / less than 60,000 miles
Basic
Remainder of original 5 years / 60,000 miles
Dealer certification
123-point inspection

Consumer reviews

3.8 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.0
Interior 4.3
Performance 4.0
Value 3.8
Exterior 4.0
Reliability 4.1

Most recent

  • Happy to own this one

    Have owned this car for 15 years and am very happy with it, comfortable to drive and tows the caravan easy despite being front wheel drive. No issues with maintenance and have just replaced its second cambelt due to kms travelled
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • One of my favorite cars yet to drive!

    It needed some work but was overall an amazing car. Got me to point A to point to B safely. Looks, sounds, and drives great!!! If your into the sportyish cars this is the one.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Outdated idea of a lower-end luxury sedan

    This was my first car. I found it had a lot of technical problems and there was not a lot of support to get it repaired as it was already discontinued when I owned it.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 2.0
    1 person out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Comfort, versitel Town Car .

    This town car is of a simulation ,of Lexus and Jaguar ,Smooth ,great on gas .ok ,as like Burick Country Car .
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 2.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • good rig

    had this 02 dia for 6 yrs 81000 had no problems untill i got to the 143000 mark the trans went out cant complain i know a lot of people with diff cars whith trans problems alot sooner on the ticker the trick is to keep up on the maint its been a good car and for its period dont know of a better lux car in its class with better quality record
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Excellent Car!

    I have owned one for over 4 years and have NEVER had an issue with it, but I have also kept up with my car's maintenance on a regular basis. Have already gotten 127k miles on it and plan to run it until it breaks down. This is higher mileage than I have seen on many other car models!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Great Used Car.

    I bought my 2002 Diamante about 2 years ago and fell in love, I was a solid GM man but after having this car for the past 2 years I will never go back. True the resale is bad but you can get a great price on them now. I have had great luck with mine and would not trade it in for anything on the road right now..... Maybe a Lancer in a few more years ... I will drive this one til the end and have no plans on selling it.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Worst car I've owned

    looked at the Diamante in 1992, bought an Acura instead. 2002 decided to go with the Diamante, worst decision I made. Ride is rough, lots of road noise, tires changed out, no differnce. no resale value. I would not recommend this car.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 1.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 1.0
    Value 1.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Comfortable Highway Cruiser

    Refined and unique is one way to describe this car. No other car in this class looks quite like a Diamante. From its frameless door glass, quad headlamps and sneaky look, this is a nice looking vehical. The interior is very spacious, with more than enough room to carry four 6 footers in comfort. Controls are placed in the proper area's and the electro-luminescent gauges provide excellent illumination at nighttime and in direct sunlight. Noise levels are kept to a minimum, as is shift shock. Performance is pretty good for a car of this size and weight. Off the line response and merging are done quickly and smoothly. The engine has a deep authoritive exhaust note, sounding great and smooth all the way up to the redline. About 7.8 seconds gets you to 60mph. Improvements should've been done to the transmission. The tranny sometimes wont downshift into a lower gear when you need sudden bursts of power and the interior could use 8 airbags instead of four. The engine could use another 40 horses and navigation system would be nice as well as auto up/down on all four windows. Again ,this is a great car to own, if cruising around the highway or around town is your thing.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 3.0
    1 person out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Mitsubishi Diamante LS

    The Mitsubishi Diamante LS is a smooth ride. No problems, great gas mileage, luxury, performance, reliability, what more can you ask for?
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    3 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No

Mitsubishi dealers near you

FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante?

The 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante is available in 3 trim levels:

  • ES (1 style)
  • LS (1 style)
  • VR-X (1 style)

What is the MPG of the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante?

The 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante offers up to 18 MPG in city driving and 25 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante reliable?

The 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante has an average reliability rating of 4.1 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante owners.

Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante a good Sedan?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante. 80.0% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

3.8 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.0
  • Interior: 4.3
  • Performance: 4.0
  • Value: 3.8
  • Exterior: 4.0
  • Reliability: 4.1
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