I'll chime in, since I just bought my 2002 Limited. Kbb proved useless for my search. Their private party pricing seemed no where close to the market. If I recall correctly, the majority of their data comes from dealer sales reporting and with Monteros not having a large public following, and not available in America the last several years, data is probably weak. My original plan was to sell the family van, add a $ 1,000 or so to the proceeds, and find a gently used older Montero. Based on KBB data, this should have been a cinch plan. Reality showed what you have seen, nice condition low miles vehicles commanding high prices, ones with decent or attractive prices were pretty rough. Edmunds proved useful to me only for owner reviews. As far as popularity, among enthusiasts, or those "in the know" regarding overall capability and reliability, they seem to be made of gold. With the rest of the SUV buying public, maybe not. The Australians seem to worship them. After spending time getting to know mine and the off-road capabilities, feel as if I'm the cat that just ate the canary, having joined the club of realization that few vehicles on the road are as well equipped, and generally off-road capable for the price as is the Montero Limited. I searched all over the Southeast US and from time to time looked for fly and drive options as well. A few that were in range of my (reality adjusted) budget literally disappeared the same day they posted. ~ 2004/2005 Limited one owner St. Augustine $ 4,500, also a XLS Atlanta, check engine light, good pictures $ 1,999, gone within hours. Another factor seems to be what part of the country you are looking. If there were good dealers in the area, there seemed to be more Montero's for sale, if not, then really slim pickings. Before I picked up mine, I spent time looking at a 40th anniversary Land Cruiser at one of my customer locations, other than the bigger engine, and the Toyota name, and the famous "Toyota Tax" of incredible resale prices, I just didn't think I would be missing much going with the Montero for a fraction of the price. With all that said, if you have decided a Montero is for you...great, set your budget, and be prepared to buy when the right one becomes available, I think you'll get much more vehicle for your dollar than most anything else out there, and the savings can be spent outfitting your new Montero. At the end of the day, you are the one to live with your purchase not me or KBB/Edmunds. As I posted before, I can't believe I wasted so much time considering other vehicles and worrying about paying too much vs the market reports. Soap box, going back to storage now...Good Luck with your search.
