Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Montero

Mitsubishi shocked everyone when they transformed this Pajero/Montero to a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-on-frame, traditionally seen as the cornerstone of off-road ability. Why was one of the world's great off-roaders going all, er, soft? But it's worked out well, with surprisingly improved on-road handling with decent quality ride, though off-road ability has suffered a bit.
The 3.2-litre direct injection diesel unit has more power now, making 165bhp. Put pedal-tometal and the elephant charges like it's spotted a peanut. The massive dimensions of the Montero implies handling isn't exactly sharp. There's a fair amount of body-roll around tight corners. Ride is quite plush. It works as a sevenseater, with ample legroom; the rearmost kid seats fold perfectly into the floor leaving a flat loading bay with enough space for a week-long break.
Build quality is not up to usual Mitsubishi standards: the cabin is strewn generously with leather and wood, but the quality could definitely be better. The main benefit of going from Pajero 3.2 to Montero was that equipment levels have risen. There are now electric seats, a CD/ mp3 player, altimeter, barometer and a compass. What? No electronic 4WD selector? Darn!
There are airbags and ABS too, now. The big Montero is generally hassle-free (useful in the wild) and since this one is a diesel you don't have to worry much about burning your pockets. Value feels damn good now with the present tag although residuals aren't brilliant