4d55, do you recommend the 95-99 because only those years came with a factory rear locker or is there something else about those years? And is it the basic Montero or the Montero Sport as well? Are you getting 19mpg mixed with a stick or auto?
I didn't know that Montys had a 3rd row, is it all Monteros or certain trim levels...? Haven't done much research into them but it sounds like they might be a viable replacement.
@Patman... as I said earlier, my wife isn't a fan of Suburbans or Excursions etc. That's what makes this more difficult is finding something big enough, but still appealing to my wife and myself.
I recommend the 1995-1999 Montero because they have the larger 3.5 engine, larger axles, rear locker, updated tranny and the 4 mode tcase (2hi, AWD, 4hi, 4Lo) . The fullsize Montero which seats 7 is much different than the Montero Sport which seat 5 passengers. The Fullsize Montero rides on it's own platform, the Montero Sport shares a platform with Mitsubishi's pickup. The tricky part about selecting a 1995-1999 Montero is there were big changes almost every year. The 2000 Montero did not have a rear locker option but upgrading to a rear locker is not a big deal. I currently get 19mpg with an automatic. A manual trans was never offered with the 3.5L engine here in the states. You can get a 1992-1996 with 3.0L (177hp) and a manual trans, but you get the smaller axles, no rear locker and 3 mode tcase (2Hi, 4Hi, 4lo). My 2000 with 3.5 gets 4-5 MPG better fuel economy than my 3.0 did. I typically hate automatic trannies but these trannies are great. All fullsize Montero's came with 3 rows of seating. The nicest part is all 3 rows recline and can even fold into a bed like the VW buses. It's pretty cool.
An important thing to note about Montero's are there are no weak spots or design flaws with vehicle, which is rare. Most failures are due to poor maintenance and abuse. Some owners have reported issues with the valve guide seals which cause the vehicle to burn oil at start up. But what do you expect from a 15-20 year old vehicle. Some report failures with the butterfly valves on the 3.5 DOHC, but failures are not common and the intake can be modified.
1995-1996 Montero SR came with a 3.5L DOHC 215hp and 225ft lb torque. They had 4.63 gears, Rear Locker, adjustable suspension, and a 4 speed automatic transmission. They also had plastic fender flares and can fit 31" tires with out any mods. Because the 95-96 Montero had more horsepower and a lower gear ratio, the vehicle has more get up and go, but fuel mileage is slightly lower.
1997 Montero retained the same body but was upgraded to 3.5L SOHC 200hp and 228ft lb torque. The SOHC engine is less powerful but has a tiny bit more torque. It is believed to be more reliable because there are no butterfly valves, which some owners reported issues with on the 1995-1996 model years. The axle ratio was changed to 4.27 and fuel mileage was slightly improved. Because the same body was retained 31" tires will fit without any modifications. The rear locker was available on vehicles with the winter package.
1998-1999 Montero marked a change in body and they are referred to as a Gen II.5 Montero. The changes to the body were to the fenders and headlights. No longer did the Montero have plastic fender flares, but it had steel blister fenders. The headlights were upgrades to clear glass units that never haze and look great. The Montero retained to SOHC 3.5L engine and the 4.27 gear ratio. The rear locker was still available on the winter package. Because the wheel openings were larger with the new body style, 33" tires can be fitted with little or no modifications. Here is a picture of RogerH Gen II.5 Montero.
Click Photo for fullsize
2000 Montero retained the same Gen II.5 body, the 3.5 SOHC engine, and 4.27 gearing , but it was not available with a rear locker. It did offer an Endeavor Package which included premium sound, heated seats, etc. For the most part all the Endeavor features were available on previous model years except the security system and premium sound system.
