So here it is. I have had 4 mitsu's since 2001. My current and last one is my DD 2001 GT Spyder. Well needless to say its ****ty quality has driven me up the wall lately. THe car runs strong but it is falling apart everywhere else as of late and it doesnt even have 100K on it yet. 93,xxx miles and it seems like I am tossing $500 at a time into upkeep for random stuff. The GF and I decided the trade it in for a mid sized SUV, something with luxory.

So far we are set on getting a mountaineer since they are pretty cheap in price and come with everything we are looking for. We tested out a 04 lux model with 43k on it and the v6 motor and it was def a GREAT step from the spyder. Tomorrow we are going to test out a few more two of which have the v8 motors and are fully stacked as well. We do no have kids or anything but she has a Kiyak that doesnt get used much since the spyder cant drag it around lol. The mountaineer we tested had heated power seats with mem, Heated mirrors, backup warning sys, factory alarm, AWD, 6disc in dash ect ect. Wish they came with Navi but they didnt between the years we are looking. We might test out a couple Escalades but I think they are too much for the purpose we want lol.

Either way when the spyder is gone I do not plan to purchase another mitsu for a long time. At least not an eclipse since 2 of the 3 I have owned have not met my reliablity expectations the one that did cant really count as I only owned it 6 months and it only had 45k when I traded it. Obviously I take care of my cars and to have to dump big chunks on change into it every other week its just discouraging. I mean come on its not like I have been modding the car like the Evo or supra, Atleast I can see why they might have gotten unreliable. The supra is 15 years old and the Evo was getting alot faster than stock. Its sad when my 15 year old car runs a million times better than my 2001. Adding to it this morning we go out to clean up the 3G and go to leave and guess what, she doesnt start. WTF so $80 for a brand new battery now for a car I planned on trading this weekend damn it.

 

If you get a mountaineer make sure you get an extended ford warranty.

 

They arent that un reliable. I have been looking into them alot and researching. There are no recalls on the years we are looking were as every mitsu has like 50 of them. They average out to make it around well over 140k from what I have seen with no issues again on the years we are looking. Just because it is a ford brand does not scare me at this point because I am willing to put money on it that it will be far more reliable than any of my mitsu's ever were. I used to knock ford and GM in the past but now I realize that is stupid. Hell atleast if something breaks I can go to e junk yard and be sure to find what I need without spending an arm and a leg to get it. In mitsu defence the interiors of their cars are usually nicer looking and feeling than any ford/GM and the gas milage is the 3G was of course better than a SUV. So far after driving a few of them and seeing how they run I can say it already feels better than any mitsu I have ever owned. the mountaineers drive a million times nicer than a 3g. They are smoother (by far) quieter (by far) more sturdy (surprisingly) but then again the biggest down fall the 3G has is suspension and turning radius. Basically the mountaineer felt like a 4 door luxory car. Set up nicely enough that I can see myself falling asleep at the wheel hahaha.

All I know is a mountaineer with 40-50k on it is better than keeping my 3G with 93k on it that needs prob like $1500 or in random junk and labor to fix , not to mention the time needed to get the smell out of the carpet from the roof leaking

 

I'm know they are reliable cars but they do have issues w/ the ring and pinion in the rear get noisyand the bands/servos in the trans break whick yo'll loose 2nd and overdrive. They're tsbs for this stuff, my sister got an 02 mount w/ 30k miles and I told her to get the ford esp and in a year it has already paid for itself. I'm not trying to scare away from the mount but to help inform you.

 

well they did have an issue with the Trans oil used in them early on. Which I know of. And it did cause trans damage. I am going to have to assume that it has been long taken care of with the cars we are looking at though. Also 2002 was the first year of this gen which had the most issues from what I have been seeing most of which involve the drivetrain and the rear hatch plastic panels that crack alot. The issue is the plastic panel they have no fix for I guess.

 

Assume NOTHING! Remember, Ford has been faltering lately. The area I live in had one of the Ford plants shut down in the past 2 years (I don't remember if it was this last year or the year before). Not tryin to knock the choice just sayin you can't assume they managed to bother fixing anything.

Truthfully I'd like to get into one of those Smart cars. The higher end models are VERY decently priced, the engine was a joint effort and I know one of the designers was Mercedes for the engine. They get the highest ranks for fuel economy for a non hybrid, and they are actually alot more roomy inside than they look. Anyways enough of my ramblings about them.

Just remember "Buyer Beware".

 

Well im not looking at buying new here. I am in the 04-06 range this was prior to Ford and GM flopping big time. All of the known regular issues with these do have fords backing asside from the cracking hatch panel at least from what I have seen that is. Its not like I am going to a ford dealer to purchase obviously since they are all used. MPG is not a huge consern with us. We are looking for something with comfort room options and good in winter mess. The GF wants and SUV and we are looking to stay under the $12k price range. So that doesnt leave to much room since we do not want a small SUV like a Rav4 or anything because we will need some of the space of a mid sized

 

Why an SUV dude?

 

Actually since car sales have been down in the past year, Fords quality and value is actually been one of the best, better then toyota.

 

dont be a homo

get an escalade with 22s....