scrubber3
Not really here
That being said, you should choose your tires wisely..
Shopping Gen 2.5 vs Gen 3 Monty
- Thread starter Mrknowitall
- Start date
That being said, you should choose your tires wisely..
My experience...
This is almost exactly the kind of use I have for my 4x4's.
I just did my first long-ish trip on my new-to-me 2003 Gen III last weekend. It was about 2000km (~1300mi) of highway from central Mexico towards the northern high plateaus, and about 180-200 km cobblestone road, desert trails and old mining roads so steep that even in 1st gear and 4Lo I had to ride the brakes. 4 adults + camping gear for 3 days. Elevation ranged from 2600m (~8500ft) down to 1600m (~5200ft) then back up to 2900m (~9500ft). My experience, FWIW:
- The good: comfortable, roomy, adequate power, doesn't draw much attention, fuel consumption is not scandalous. The ride afforded by the IRS is really great at speed on dirt. Decent clearance in stock form (about 9" I believe) means little worry about stray rocks, washouts, etc. Like agerb said, I also love the outward visibility in all directions thanks to large upright glass and low beltline. The big sunroof helps as well. Excellent control both on and off road. At one point I hit an unseen berm at ~50mph on dirt, hard enough to feel the rear end get briefly airborne. I lost my back glass mounted CB antenna, but the Monty tracked straight and didn't lose its composure at all. My passengers were not amused, but didn't even hit their heads in the roof
- The so-so: 4Lo does not seem that low, although the manumatic shifter gate allows great control. Off road mileage is maaaybe 14mpg, probably less. Highway mileage is extremely dependent on speed: up to 19mpg at 65mph, down to 15.5 at 80mph. I don't even want to know what the mileage was on the last stretch with my leadfoot girlfriend driving at 85+. A bit noisy compared to my DD (2011 Ford Explorer). "Adequate" power means struggling to pass 18 wheelers at speed (70mph+) even though the 5speed auto helps as much as it can.
- The bad: Flashy CDL!! Simple fix (I hope) but I had to drive most of the way in 4HI unlocked. If I drove in 2Hi, like clockwork the CDL would start flashing after 15-20 min.
For reference, my previous 4x4 was a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder with the sweet VQ35 engine. It was smaller but about the same MPG. Much more powerful, however. That one was part time 4x4 only, with clutch rear LSD and 4speed auto. Better highway cruiser, not as good off road. Ride was pretty bad when loaded, whereas the Monty does not seem to care. 4Lo seemed lower than the monty, but I think the Monty more than makes up for it with superior traction.
Mine is completely stock, and I am running 245/75 R16 Michelin LTX AT2's (30.5" OD), which probably help a bit in the mileage department. Quiet for an AT tire, still can hear some noise compared to highway tires. Decent off road grip, we'll see how they hold up. Mine does not have a rear LSD (I think most Gen III's don't, but they have traction control). I don't know about torsen type diffs, but I know there are OEM Mitsu LSD's (clutch type?) in other markets and there are air lockers for both axles available aftermarket.
Overall, for this kind of use I think it is pretty good, and quite robust. For me, it could be a wee bit smaller and more powerful, but otherwise it's near perfect. Drives great and the outside visibility just can't be beat, which to me adds significantly to the enjoyment of the trip. As always YMMV, but I would happily recommend it.
This is almost exactly the kind of use I have for my 4x4's.
I just did my first long-ish trip on my new-to-me 2003 Gen III last weekend. It was about 2000km (~1300mi) of highway from central Mexico towards the northern high plateaus, and about 180-200 km cobblestone road, desert trails and old mining roads so steep that even in 1st gear and 4Lo I had to ride the brakes. 4 adults + camping gear for 3 days. Elevation ranged from 2600m (~8500ft) down to 1600m (~5200ft) then back up to 2900m (~9500ft). My experience, FWIW:
- The good: comfortable, roomy, adequate power, doesn't draw much attention, fuel consumption is not scandalous. The ride afforded by the IRS is really great at speed on dirt. Decent clearance in stock form (about 9" I believe) means little worry about stray rocks, washouts, etc. Like agerb said, I also love the outward visibility in all directions thanks to large upright glass and low beltline. The big sunroof helps as well. Excellent control both on and off road. At one point I hit an unseen berm at ~50mph on dirt, hard enough to feel the rear end get briefly airborne. I lost my back glass mounted CB antenna, but the Monty tracked straight and didn't lose its composure at all. My passengers were not amused, but didn't even hit their heads in the roof
- The so-so: 4Lo does not seem that low, although the manumatic shifter gate allows great control. Off road mileage is maaaybe 14mpg, probably less. Highway mileage is extremely dependent on speed: up to 19mpg at 65mph, down to 15.5 at 80mph. I don't even want to know what the mileage was on the last stretch with my leadfoot girlfriend driving at 85+. A bit noisy compared to my DD (2011 Ford Explorer). "Adequate" power means struggling to pass 18 wheelers at speed (70mph+) even though the 5speed auto helps as much as it can.
- The bad: Flashy CDL!! Simple fix (I hope) but I had to drive most of the way in 4HI unlocked. If I drove in 2Hi, like clockwork the CDL would start flashing after 15-20 min.
For reference, my previous 4x4 was a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder with the sweet VQ35 engine. It was smaller but about the same MPG. Much more powerful, however. That one was part time 4x4 only, with clutch rear LSD and 4speed auto. Better highway cruiser, not as good off road. Ride was pretty bad when loaded, whereas the Monty does not seem to care. 4Lo seemed lower than the monty, but I think the Monty more than makes up for it with superior traction.
Mine is completely stock, and I am running 245/75 R16 Michelin LTX AT2's (30.5" OD), which probably help a bit in the mileage department. Quiet for an AT tire, still can hear some noise compared to highway tires. Decent off road grip, we'll see how they hold up. Mine does not have a rear LSD (I think most Gen III's don't, but they have traction control). I don't know about torsen type diffs, but I know there are OEM Mitsu LSD's (clutch type?) in other markets and there are air lockers for both axles available aftermarket.
Overall, for this kind of use I think it is pretty good, and quite robust. For me, it could be a wee bit smaller and more powerful, but otherwise it's near perfect. Drives great and the outside visibility just can't be beat, which to me adds significantly to the enjoyment of the trip. As always YMMV, but I would happily recommend it.
Last edited:
Monterorider
Adventurer
Stock 01-02 Limited and some of XLS (touring package) came with Hybrid LSD. Which is crossbreed of Torsen/VCU. One compliments another nicely. Probably best LSD on market today. Can be easily transplanted to later modes. Abroad Pajeros also came with torsen(open)/selectable full locker in rear.Mrknowitall said: