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| 1992 Mitsubishi Montero Review, Callan
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Montero SR
| | Model of the car: | Montero SR | | | General comments: | Great vehicle, it is turning out to be everything I hoped it would be. Better legroom for the back seat passengers than my previous '94 Range Rover [SWB though].
I like the side-swinging tailgate as it's easier to work large loads or bulky items than the split tailgate of my previous Rover. Lots of tucked away storage places, good visibilty all-around with the exception of the rear mounted spare tire. BUT, since Mitsubishi elected to put the tire here and not inside the vehicle, you don't lose interior room nor do you have to struggle with an under-vehicle mounted spare tire like so many other SUVs have. Those models tend to get neglected since they're not usually seen unless up on a service lift.
With the high-line SR package, you get leather seat coverings and more items standard, instead of optional only. I do wish the first owner had sprung for the air-locker rear diff package as I off-road with the Montero and having a rear locker would be nice. Still, I can add one when I elect to. The versatile rear seat is also very nice, it folds up better and WITH a locking catch to KEEP it up once folded over, unlike my previous RR which relies on the seat being past the pivot point to stay up. This meant you had to move the front seats up a bit, not fun when you have long legs!. ALl the controls still work, even after 156,xxx miles. I've done some work to bring the vehicle back up to spec, but nothing huge in costs, and the major items underneath appear to be all still original like the engine, trans, the diffs, drivesaxles and shocks. That means they were well-built to begin with, an the previous owner[s] took care of them too. Not many people seem to know of the hydraulic assist cylinders under the front seats. You usually only see these on Semi's or VERY large trucks. Mitsubishi has had them for years on either just the drivers seat or the passenger seat too. They are for a smooth ride over bumps, and are very adjustable, or you can lock them down if you don't want that "office chair" movement up and down while driving. Neat touch on a SUV for very bad roads or potholed city driving. The Part=time 4 wheel drive system still works well after all these miles, no excessive back-lash in the drivetrain with it engaged, very well made. Getting used to the system indicator lights in the cluster took some time as the Range Rover was a full-time system, with the center-diff locking automatically as needed when one axle spun too fast from loss of traction. All in all, a great SUV for someone who needs a rugged cargo hauler with a true box frame for pull a trailer or surviving the rigors of driving off-road, while still getting great handling when compared to a SUV that has a solid front axle and not the IFS of the Montero.
Sevice for me is not an issue since I'm a Land Rover dealer Technician,but I hear lots of complaints about finding reliable people to service the Montero's, esp. bad comments about service work from a Mitsubishi Dealer[ouch!,wish I could help improve their customer perceptions] | | | What things have gone wrong with the car: | The 3.0 liter engine IS known for burning oil with age, it usually requires some valve guide work or at least new valve stem seals to stop this. Mine is NOT burning oil, so no worries about this yet. The 3.0 liter is also a bit underpowered for a vehicle of this size, so you have to plan your moves in traffic sooner, since the acceleration isn't stellar. You must remember to have the timing belt changed at the scheduled intervals, as you don't get the more carefree motoring of an engine with a timing chain that has a longer service life[usually!] Almost all my parts are bought from a local dealer, and true to what people say, almost nothing is ever in stock for this older model Montero, plus Mitsubishi has started to phase out certain parts even though the older Monteros are STILL on the road. So, find out what parts are still available amd plan on ordering ahead for any work you want to do to your Montero. | | | Previous car: | 1994 Range Rover |
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