Hello all. Im new here, not sure how long my stay is going to be. I suppose i should explain a little bit about my situation so people will know what im looking for out of a montero. At the time we had a custom 1995 DSM and a 2001 xterra. the DSM was the worst car id ever owned, but it was truly a love-hate relationship. I LOVE LOVE LOVED our xterra, i will not sell that thing for any price in the world. Best vehicle ever, swore thats all i would ever drive again. My husband and I had a six month old, when we realized that we were expecting another child. So, the DSM left for An Envoy. I hated that truck with a passion. Sloppy steering, poor ride quality, it was not my thing.

Well our new baby turned out to be twins and that Envoy was 1.5 inches too narrow for three carseats across. The Xterra fit all the seats across. The Envoy was sold, and now Im on a search for another SUV that offers third row seating. Ive known three people who have Mitsubishi eclipses, and they were all terrible cars, always broke like my DSM. On the other hand, i love the way the Montero looks, alot of them for sale have high mileage, and they have a third row. My husband is supposed to drive two hours to get one for us within the next couple days, but im wondering if this is the right choice. Do they have alot of problems or are they generally a fairly good Suv to own? Im looking into a 2001 Montero Sport.

 

Not sure what your budget is, but if you like the Montero Sport, you ought to give the full size Montero a look. They are not much more expensive and you won't find more SUV for the $$ than a full size Montero. Some of the most solid, best-built SUV's ever made. CarMax currently has five at various mileages and prices. I bought my 2001 Montero Limited from them at 75K miles in 2008 and it now has 113K with no problems at all, other than regular maintenance. And in my opinion, they are still better looking than any modern SUV on the road.

Get a Limited (more bells and whistles). Just my suggestion. I don't know that much about the Montero Sport because I have never owned one.

Good luck with whatever you get and enjoy it!

 

Personally, I am not fond of any domestic brand vehicle.
I currently drive a 1998 Montero Sport with 230K plus miles with no issues whatsoever. Having done the normal maintenance it drives like it was made yesterday. If I change up it will be same brand or BMW X5.

So, as many will agree; This is an absolutely reliable and trouble-free SUV.

 

I would suggest looking at the Mitsubishi Montero Limited editions 2003-2006. For the money you get so much more and less mechanical issues.

 

We cant afford a limited right now, they are ALOT more expensive, even used. Ive been reading alot of reviews on them today, since hes supposed to be making the drive to look at the truck this afternoon. People complain that the montero has no power at all, someone compared it to riding an atv on the road. I know its only a 3.0L, which is the same as my ranger, but is it EXTREMELY sluggish? Im not looking for a sportscar, but id like to be able to merge onto the highway without flooring it.

This is the only limited thats anywhere near our price range

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/3637793470.html

 

I sell cars for a living, been selling for 8 years now. My very first vehicle I got a loan on was a 1997 mitsubishi montero It was a starter car, it was cheap and it had plenty of room. Overall it was a nice fit, the wife loved it and so did I, 2 years later we had our first child, we took our first born home in that montero. Never had a problem with the car, it had just a little over 100k on it. 1 year later the place where I worked got in a newer Montero, it was a 2001 mitsu montero xls, I quickly traded in the 97 and went home happy with our new monty, it had 60k on it when I purchased it.

Now 8 years later I still have and drive the same montero, it has 123k and over the years I have not had one major problem with it, we had our second child in 2010 and the fit is perfect. Its a great fit for a family of four. I love the car and I plan to keep it for as long as I can. I only wish I had the cash to import a 2012 montero to the US.

I will say if you buy a full size montero over a sport you will love it, my advice is to save a little more cash because you will be happy over a full size montero compared to a sport. Trust me!

 

What are you going to be using the car for? Off-roading? Towing? If not then why even care about how much horsepower it has? The Montero sports have about 175 horspower, While the full size 3.8L V6 '03-06 Montero Limited have 215 horsepower. If you're just using it to drive your family around and ocasinal trips to the mountains then 215 horsepower is more than enough. Yes the acceleration might be an issue for some because it is a heavy truck, but you barely notice it.

The money you think you're saving by buying a Montero Sport is just an illusion. Think about the money you'll need to spend to fix up all the issues. Maybe perhaps you should wait until you do have the cash to buy a use 2003-2006 3.8L V6 Limited full size Montero. Dont rush into buying a car because that's the worst thing you can do.

Here are some nice listings in the chicago area:
2003 Mitsubishi Montero For Sale Chicago, IL - CarGurus

 

Just using it for a daily driver. How about a Montero sport xls? We passed on the plain Montero sport. The xls has a 3.5l

 

If you absolutely must have the Montero Sport, then 3.5L would be the one to get. There are quite a few for sale under $5k. Keep in mind there is a reason that there are a ton of them being sold.

Used Mitsubishi Montero Sport - Chicago, IL - For sale on Cars.com

 

The 3.5L is a good engine, but underpowered if you're looking for high end
get-up-and-go. In my experience, the low end torque with the gearing in the full sized Monty Limited is where the power is found. However, you'll never get to feel this power if you are only using the vehicle as a daily driver in 2wd.

Why are you so set on a 4x4 vehicle when you are only going to use it as a daily driver? You could save a lot of money by getting a two wheel drive rig to haul your family around on the pavement.

The Montero is a great platform for an off-road vehicle. Our rig has taken us thousands of off-road miles with out a hitch.

Good Luck