Considering a Gen III, a few questions

[drewdub]

Greetings,

I am looking for a DD for my wife which will see light overland/off road duty. Basically, I want to get her a DD that I can have a bit of fun with. Vehicle will see only minor mods, if any.

She loves Land Rovers, and a good condition 2004 DII or a 2005/2006 LR3 is currently what she has her heart set on. Their "reliability" is concerning, however the LR forums are all fantastic and the DII is quite easy to work on. Needless to say, I do want to see what else is out there in the 10-12k range.

Led me to a Gen III Montero. She likes the styling, I do to. Based on some searches it appears they are pretty stout and certainly more reliable than a Landie. What am I getting into with a 2003/2004?

2003+ has the 3.8, correct? Is this superior to a pre 2003? Do these have CDLs? What are they like off road? What should I be looking for? Are some trim levels better than others? Any known issues? I will say, the biggest issue with a Montero is that they are quite rare in my area (Metro Detroit). If things go wrong, are parts accessible?

Thanks for any info. These cars certainly seem like the under-the-radar upscale SUV.

 

[grandpa]

My wife has driven her 2001 Montero Limited for over 120,000 miles without any major problems. It has never left us stranded. I have offered to buy her something new, but she loves the Montero. She likes the fact that we rarely see another one. You should be able to find a good well maintained model for a low cost. I just bought a 2000 model for myself. Good luck with your search.

 

[4D55 Performance]

The gen III Montero is a fantastic vehicle. The 3.8 has more power than to 3.5 engine but some of the 2001-2002 Monteros came with a 4.9 ring gear which made them feel more powerful. If it were me I would go with a 2003+ Limited model because the 3.8L engine and the leather/wood interior. Make sure you drive many different Montero's because from my experience only about 1 in 10 are in great condition and have been well maintained. These vehicles are 10 years old and they have seen some abuse. When you drive one that is in great shape you will know it.

The Montero has a CDL as well as 2wd, AWD, 4hi and 4lo, expect to get 5-6 mpg better than the Disco II. The interior has finer build quality. Some people may try to tell you the Gen III Montero is not an true offroader because it is uni-body construction and independent suspension, but the Gen III Montero is the real deal. It's suspension and body are more set up for rally raid and overlanding rather than rock crawling. So if you plan to do a lot of rock crawling you may want to look at a vehicle with solid axles, but if you want to ride on wash board roads all day in comfort while being able to tackle some difficult trails, then the Gen III Montero would be a great fit.

 

[Inyo_man]

For what you're looking for, a Gen. III would be a great fit.
We've driven ours for over 100k miles with no 'major' repairs- very reliable.
The rig has never left us stranded, and has done everything we've asked it to...whether overlanding, back country exploring, or daily driving.
When taking long trips, driver fatigue can be an issue- the Monty is the one rig that I've owned that I can drive all day, in any weather or road condition, and feel great when we get to camp. I can't say that about any of the solid axle rigs that I've owned.
My wife uses it as a DD, and loves the visibility, drivability, safety, and comfort. We have the 'Limited" Montero- huge sun/moon roof, heated seats (wife loves these in the winter when we're snow wheelin'/camping), nice trim package, etc.
The super select drive train is great.

One issue with these rigs is that companion shaft will pull out after towing heavy loads for a few years.
Parts shouldn't be an issue with the availability of parts on the web. (Not a lot of after market support for these vehicles.) Many parts can only be replaced with OEM, but they are very stout, and last many, many miles.
The NP models with the 3.8 is a nice up grade from the NM's 3.5. High-end power is lacking in general with these rigs, but the 3.8 gives it a bit more.

Overall, this is a great family rig, and very competent off road.
Good Luck

 

[Sabre]

My Gen III is a wonderful car. It's Mitsubishi-reliable, and has no known "issues" that plague so many other vehicles. My 2001 Limited is a bona fide luxury vehicle, all-day comfortable for cross-country trips, and yet is more competent off-road than many other stock SUVs. The Monteros have always had a reputation for being built "hell for stout" as my late father-in-law would have said. The one thing that I wish for is a bit more power, although for daily driving and even hauling a pretty heavy trailer, it's perfectly adequate. Only when it's fully loaded and climbing a grade at 8,000 feet or something like that do I really feel this lack of oomph. Yes, those later Gen IIIs have a bit larger engine.

It was wonderful to have a luxurious, comfy rig for the long haul back and forth to Utah this summer, then to have the same truck be highly competent and a LOT of fun on some of the moderately technical trails (including the Eye of the Whale in Arches, shown here).

 

[alfio]

how are the transmissions in these? i'm looking for a 7 seater and really like these trucks but i'm anti-slushbox. i am going to track one down and see if i can get a test drive (not too many around these parts) but in poking around the mitsu forum it seems obvious the pajero has its share of former manual transmission converts

 

[off-roader]

how are the transmissions in these? i'm looking for a 7 seater and really like these trucks but i'm anti-slushbox. i am going to track one down and see if i can get a test drive (not too many around these parts) but in poking around the mitsu forum it seems obvious the pajero has its share of former manual transmission converts

If you treat the transmission right, do the maintenance on schedule and use it properly, it'll be tough to break. Mitsu really incorporated a strong and reliable automatic transmission into the Montero.

 

[Mudrunner]

I have a question regarding the Gen III, I was reading on www.fueleconomy.gov that the Gen III runs only Premium gas, is this true? Have any of you Gen III owners played with lower octane ratings or using octane boosters? Just wondering what your experiences are.

 

[grandpa]

We always use regular with no problems.

 

[drewdub]

Thanks for the info!

As I stated before, these are tough to find in my parts. What do you think about this one?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=78133902&listingRecNum=0&criteria=sf1Dir%3DDESC%26mkId%3D20030%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D21676%26rd%3D100%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId%26zc%3D48009%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national&listType=1

Are there any good Montero/Pajero specific forums to check out?

 

[off-roader]

Are there any good Montero/Pajero specific forums to check out?

4x4wire's Mitsu 4WD forum and this one are the two I frequent.
A lot of info can also be found on the Victoria (Australia) Pajero Club forum (occassionally visit) as well as another from S. Africa (rarely visit).

 

[grandpa]

Thanks for the info!

As I stated before, these are tough to find in my parts. What do you think about this one?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=78133902&listingRecNum=0&criteria=sf1Dir%3DDESC%26mkId%3D20030%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D21676%26rd%3D100%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId%26zc%3D48009%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national&listType=1

Are there any good Montero/Pajero specific forums to check out?

Price seems a bit too high. I've seen better deals. Best to take your time to find the right one. If you have time.

 

[Sabre]

I never use anything but the cheapest grade (87 at sea level, less in the mountains), and the thing runs just fine.

 

[Sabre]

Price seems a bit too high. I've seen better deals. Best to take your time to find the right one. If you have time.

Agree. I scoured the internet and, cash in hand, was ready to pounce when I found the one I wanted. I found mine in Las Vegas, and did a fly-n-drive.

 

[Inyo_man]

I also have not have any problem running the low octane fuel.

The rig that's for sale looks very clean, one owner, and it looks like it's never been taken off road. Does it have a record of the service schedule?
Has it had the timing belt replaced?

As others have said, the price seems a bit steep, you may fine a better deal down the road.
It's worth it to fine "a good one" if you have the time to look. Especially if you intend on taking it into the back country at all. Knowing the how well a rig is serviced is key to a successful overland adventure.
Good Luck in your search.