What does Oppo think of the 3rd/4th gen. Mitsubishi Montero?

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg) 08/01/2014 at 21:10 • Filed to: None

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The Mitsubishi Montero/Shogun/Pajero, as far as I can work out, was reasonably popular in everywhere that wasn't North America. It was the same fate that befell the smaller Isuzu Trooper; Americans, it would seem, wanted their Japanes semi-luxury off-roader to say "Land Cruiser" across the back. Or maybe not. Certianly, Consumer Reports never tried to flip a Montero. Who knows? It might be because the final Pajtergun did suffer from a lack of power, with a somewhat inadequate 200hp, and later 215hp V6 here in the U.S., although other markets got a wide range of diesels as a reward for buying so many of them.

I like the Montero. I like the styling, which is modern , yet still totally utilitarian. A lot of people say it looks like someone who got their nose bashed in during a bar fight. I also like the size, which is bigger than a Trooper or Explorer, but smaller than a Suburban. And I like the fact that, apart from being a little down on power, it is apparently very good off road. I don't like the ride, which is very bouncy. But I want to know what Oppo thinks. Is the Shogun, now in its fourth generation everywhere else in the world, a rarity; a proper SUV in a world full of soft-roaders and crossovers? Or is it too big, too slow, and too unrefined to be worth yearning for over here?

My citroen won't start > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 21:13

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It's a great car, we have a lot of them over here (often armored and driven by soccer moms). Almost unquestionable reliability yet quite refined even in its 3rd/4th gen.

Alfalfa > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 21:23

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I don't know much, but what little I've heard is good. I like the styling, as well.

Textured Soy Protein > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 21:24

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I like them, and almost bought one last fall when I was looking for something to drive in winter.

The '01-'02 Limited has full time 4wd plus a rear lsd. For '03 it bumped the V6 from 3.5 to 3.8 liters, added traction control, but lost the rear lsd. I was focused on the lsd-equipped ones.

I ended up with a Grand Cherokee instead, because I found a V8 Limited for a couple grand less than the cheapest decent Montero I could find.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > My citroen won't start 08/01/2014 at 22:10

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Armored? Where is this?

My citroen won't start > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 22:15

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Brazil. Most old armor plated cars can't handle the extra weight for long, those are one of the few that show no signs even after many years.

HammerheadFistpunch > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 22:29

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from an overlanding perspective, the Gen 3 was the top of the heap, the 4 got a little soft but can still be quite capable. The engines are high strung but they will get you along. I only have 212 in my much heavier cruiser and I do fine.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > HammerheadFistpunch 08/01/2014 at 22:32

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Were they really that good off-road?

HammerheadFistpunch > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 22:34

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They were plenty capable, but somewhere in between an explorer and land cruiser, not quite in the same ballpark. That being said, people wail on them and do just fine. search the tubes for pajero old telegraph or pajero cape york and be blown away.

Opposite Locksmith > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 23:14

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I got a 97 for $875 that i got at 182k and I took it to 224k before trading it in for $3600

Loved. Loved. Loved that car. Drove reigntastic, an opponaut, around in it for 2 great years. Nothing but good times. Took abuse like a boss. 4k rpm neutral to drive drops

Opposite Locksmith > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 23:22

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xKRnMn…

Did this regularly in my older one. Reigntastic can vouch.

Mine had adjustable shocks that worked till I sold at 18X,XXX

Opposite Locksmith > Opposite Locksmith 08/01/2014 at 23:23

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bought it at 180k sold at 224k sorry

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Opposite Locksmith 08/01/2014 at 23:25

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That seems...perilous.

Opposite Locksmith > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/01/2014 at 23:28

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never had issues besides a horn with Tourette's and a cracked header that only required hastily(mediocre) "welding"

Sorry for blowing up with comments. I ADORED mine and they're so underrated in America. . Only reason I got rid of it was because the dealership bought it for 3k more than I bought it which went towards my baby subie

Monteros don't break down and put you on the side of the road. They just make you adjust to new quirks. Like topping of the oil it's burning with 2 stroke mix for a few months cuz I was a broke highschool idiot. Basically any viscous hydrocarbon I could find I used as oil. Never changed it for 30k and change miles. Never skipped a beat

Vicente Esteve > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/02/2014 at 01:26

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I quite like it as a weird alternative:

I would always think I am some sot of third world police car or a dictator.

RW53104 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/02/2014 at 14:18

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I've owned a 2002 for about 6 months now. Got it from a relative who owned it since 55k miles (now at 145k). They are really impressive vehicles, but you absolutely have to maintain them. I've talked to a lot of people who say they can beat the hell out of them, not change the oil, and never do any maintenance, and I simply don't understand how that's possible. I got mine in relatively rough condition, because it was driven by people who had no regard for vehicle maintenance, but putting 4k into a vehicle is noteworthy regardless.

It had new shocks and timing belt put on before I got it. No biggie. My girlfriend picked it up (I had not driven it yet) and as soon as I got it we considered returning it. Unfortunately, we needed a tow vehicle badly (more on that) and the relative offered to pay for most of the repairs (unfortunate because that's just not a fun situation) that were absolutely necessary.

New tires were needed because there was an ungodly vibration at any speed above 40. No an unusual problem, but it was caused by uneven wear due to misalignment. These trucks HAVE to be aligned every 12k (according to the manual) and I can see why. It will absolutely destroy your tires if not aligned. We also had the brakes redone, a coolant line replaced, and some bushings here and there. I later also had to have the AC fixed- a busted line in the rear (front and rear AC; and you can't cap off the back) cost $500 to repair.

Which leads to the biggest problem: cost and scarcity of parts. The drivers side power seat stopped working due to a faulty switch. Since I couldn't find a replacement switch panel ANYWHERE, I had to completely disassemble the driver's switch and swap in parts from the passenger switch. Now the driver's works fine, but the passenger won't go backwards. Obviously, the driver's was the necessity.

That all being said, it's a decent vehicle. We towed a camper coming in at almost the tow rating of 5k lbs from Chicago to Phoenix with zero issues. It really is a tank. Obviously it was slow-going and the mileage never broke 10mpg, but that's to be expected. Now that we sold the camper, we really don't need it. It's a gas hog (15mpg consistently), but it is mighty comfortable and can kick ass off-road if you so desire. Definitely underpowered, though.

Long story short: just make sure you;re prepared for fuel and repair costs; keep on top of maintenance; and hope nothing breaks. You'll be golden.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RW53104 08/02/2014 at 14:25

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You are indeed the first person to say that this is a car which requires attention. Every other comment I've had says "You can beat and neglect it and it will just keep going". I guess it depends on the individual car. And I, for one, would never neglect a car.

RW53104 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/02/2014 at 16:14

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You're exactly right. That's essentially why I bought it without driving it. I have a lot of confidence in it after towing that heavy ass camper across the country, though. If there are no glaring issues when test driving, I would say go for it. Definitely spacious, well put-together, and sturdy, once it's sorted.

BTW, if the stereo sounds like shit, it's probably a blown subwoofer in the rear. It's a pain in the ass to replace, so I simply sliced the surface connections with a screwdriver so I wouldn't hear the rattling. Sounds much better.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RW53104 08/02/2014 at 16:28

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LOL not looking for one at the moment, but I always love to pick Oppo's brain on cars that don't get much attention.