Hello, I'm considering purchasing an '03 Montero Sport with 210,000 miles on it for $2100. I test drove it today and checked everything out in the engine compartment and on the undercarriage, and the vehicle seemed to be in great shape. I checked the VIN history and it looks like it's had a few owners, but the previous owner put 100,000 miles on the truck in the past two years (he must have been overlanding with it or something).

I currently own an '88 Ford Bronco that I use for my daily driver, but it has around 300,000 miles on it. It's been a headache to keep running, especially since I drive a total of 100 miles a day for my job. I'm used to doing my own fixes on the Bronco, but how easy is the Montero in comparison?

Is it worth buying as a daily driver/back country rig if it already has 210,000 miles on it? I just want to know how reliable these vehicles tend to be. I've always liked the way they look so I wouldn't mind owning one.

Thanks for the input.

 

In general Monteros are very reliable and long lasting vehicles. As with any high mileage used vehicle you need to realize that you will need to put some money into it - fluids, belts, tires(?), etc. If you are willing to be patient and have realistic expectations, you'll get many years of use out of it. The engines and transmissions on them are very solid. they do have minor glitches (Valve Lash Adjuster noise, etc.) but all manageable.

 

Awesome, thank you for the advice. I'm definitely strongly considering this vehicle. I've already been doing all of my mechanical fixes on my Bronco (radiator, starter, battery, starter relay, steering gearbox, fuel pressure regulator, EGR valve, etc lol). So, I'm not too concerned about doing a few things here and there. The shop I'm thinking of purchasing from has already replaced the timing belt (apparently) so that won't be an issue for awhile.

In terms of working on them, are they fairly easy vehicles to fix and source parts for on my own? Or would I need to find a Mitsubishi mechanic most likely?

 

Sounds like you have a fairly good grip of vehicle maintenance/repair. I think you'll be just fine working on it yourself. One thing I'm pretty sure - the engine compartment is a lot more cramped than one in the Bronco
Word of advice on these vehicles - do not throw parts at them. The approach of "swap them till the check engine light goes out" does not work here. Make sure you test components (sensors and such) to confirm that they need to be replaced. This way you will not be wasting money on unnecessary parts. To me, less $$ spent unnecessary, increases the pleasure of owning these vehicles.

 

you'd be surprised they're actually dependable they can run up to 300k with nothing but regular maintenance and are pretty powerful even for the smaller v6 they sound like the 3.8 motor that the mitsubishi endeavor has.

I owned two of them, a white 03 ls with 170k thats needed nothing but ignition control module for 40$ she runs like new.
And a black 04 xls awd I got it with 130k in 09 and did nothing but oil changes, I sold her with 260k last year to a friend that still drives it today.