Mitsubishi - Carisma

1999-04

The outdated Carisma medium range is obsolete and is even more forgettable than the old-generation Volvo S40 that it shared Dutch factory space with. It's cheap, though, well-equipped and pretty reliable.

	A very cheap used family choice
	Good equipment for the money
	Mitsubishi reliability, reasonable running costs
	Little image and an ageing design
	Most rivals are roomier and more refined
	Indifferent handling and a poor ride

The Carisma has sold in small numbers to people who prioritise reliability and durability over any form of entertaining driving experience. Ironically, the European-built Carisma has never been a paragon of dependability, with some shoddy interiors and cheap components, and its ageing underpinnings (shared with the 1996-2004 Volvo S40/V40) meant that it was dynamically inferior to much of its opposition as well. A floppy body structure, crude old engines (apart from the direct-injection petrol 1.8 GDI, which is lively but noisy) and notchy gearboxes meant that it was outclassed even when relatively new. It just doesn't compete with the likes of the Mondeo.
Offered in five-door hatchback and four-door saloon form, Carisma is larger than Golf/Focus-class cars but smaller than the Mondeo and Vectra. As it slid towards obsolesence, it got cheaper and better-equipped, but it continues to value fast. It's hard to justify buying one, unless it's very cheap.