2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport - Great First Car
My Mitsubishi Montero Sport was a great starting car after getting my license. It was forgivable with all the stress I gave it, and the gas mileage was not all that awful. It took me from point A to B in a reasonable time frame and most of all, it was able to lug me and all my gear to the mountains for camping with no problem. It did have its mechanical problems, as all cars have as it aged, however, they were cheap fixes and never made a huge dent on my wallet.
My Mitsubishi Montero Sport was a great starting car after getting my license. It was forgivable with all the stress I gave it, and the gas mileage was not all that awful. It took me from point A to B in a reasonable time frame and most of all, it was able to lug me and all my gear to the mountains for camping with no problem. It did have its mechanical problems, as all cars have as it aged, however, they were cheap fixes and never made a huge dent on my wallet.
One trip up into the Sierra Nevada mountains for backpacking was very fun with this vehicle, getting us up there and back down in one piece.
One trip up into the Sierra Nevada mountains for backpacking was very fun with this vehicle, getting us up there and back down in one piece.
It's rugged nature and ability to keep on driving after the abuse of the mountainous roads. Also, It was able to carry all of my gear and more. In fact, I was able to fit a couple of friends plus all of our gear without a problem. The gas mileage was good compared to other SUVs from the early 2000s, which makes me happy, given the price at which I purchased the vehicle.
It's rugged nature and ability to keep on driving after the abuse of the mountainous roads. Also, It was able to carry all of my gear and more. In fact, I was able to fit a couple of friends plus all of our gear without a problem. The gas mileage was good compared to other SUVs from the early 2000s, which makes me happy, given the price at which I purchased the vehicle.
Aesthetically, the car needed much work, and that definitely showed later on with the plastic components having warped and cracked over the years. Overall the design could have been more fully optimized to provide a bit more space for gear. Plus, the relatively tall and streamlined design made the vehicle prone to tilting during high speed turns.
Aesthetically, the car needed much work, and that definitely showed later on with the plastic components having warped and cracked over the years. Overall the design could have been more fully optimized to provide a bit more space for gear. Plus, the relatively tall and streamlined design made the vehicle prone to tilting during high speed turns.
2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport - Good Bang for Your Buck
I own a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport and I love having it. It has been a very useful vehicle for driving to and from work, and has a reasonable crash safety rating compared to my 93' Subaru. I enjoy being able to easily fit all of my groceries and sporting equipment in the back - it's quite roomy! It's also powerful enough to go up the steep Utah hills when it's carrying at least 1000 lbs. worth of stuff - something that my other vehicle struggles with.
When this vehicle was in Houston, it could drive through some moderately flooded roads with ease. The tires are tall enough to keep the undercarriage away from moderately high floodwaters. It was great for picking up people from school during a flash flood, especially when the other vehicles are not as tall.
I'm also 6'1 and sometim... (more)
I own a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport and I love having it. It has been a very useful vehicle for driving to and from work, and has a reasonable crash safety rating compared to my 93' Subaru. I enjoy being able to easily fit all of my groceries and sporting equipment in the back - it's quite roomy! It's also powerful enough to go up the steep Utah hills when it's carrying at least 1000 lbs. worth of stuff - something that my other vehicle struggles with.
When this vehicle was in Houston, it could drive through some moderately flooded roads with ease. The tires are tall enough to keep the undercarriage away from moderately high floodwaters. It was great for picking up people from school during a flash flood, especially when the other vehicles are not as tall.
I'm also 6'1 and sometimes have difficulty feeling comfortable in the driver's seat, but this vehicle doesn't give me that claustrophobic feeling that other vehicles do.
This is not a race car though. It doesn't give that "umph" when you mash down on the accelerator. If you try drag-racing inside of it, you will not feel as cool as the cast of the Fast and the Furious. If you're waiting for this vehicle to debut in that series, don't hold your breath.
The first day that I put snow tires on this vehicle, there was a huge blizzard and I had to travel on the highway. Other cars skidded out to the sides and crashed into each other, but I drove past them and managed to keep a great grip of the road. Moreover, I could carry the cargo I needed to, all the way to my destination. Don't try doing this without snow tires, though.
The first day that I put snow tires on this vehicle, there was a huge blizzard and I had to travel on the highway. Other cars skidded out to the sides and crashed into each other, but I drove past them and managed to keep a great grip of the road. Moreover, I could carry the cargo I needed to, all the way to my destination. Don't try doing this without snow tires, though.
One thing that makes the vehicle very valuable to me is its space. The interior of it is large enough to even fit an entire loveseat. It's been great to us during long road trips when getting crammed in with other people can be an issue.
Another thing that I particularly enjoyed was its cruise control. The cruise control is pretty intuitive to use, and it has saved me much headache in terms of driving long distances.
I enjoy the height of the vehicle, it's just high enough to allow you to see over most vehicles as you're driving. It really enhances your vision of the road and what people... (more)
One thing that makes the vehicle very valuable to me is its space. The interior of it is large enough to even fit an entire loveseat. It's been great to us during long road trips when getting crammed in with other people can be an issue.
Another thing that I particularly enjoyed was its cruise control. The cruise control is pretty intuitive to use, and it has saved me much headache in terms of driving long distances.
I enjoy the height of the vehicle, it's just high enough to allow you to see over most vehicles as you're driving. It really enhances your vision of the road and what people in front of you are doing.
The electronic components of the car have held up well over time. I haven't had to replace my radio since it has always consistently worked for me.
The vehicle has some reasonable anti-theft features: it has a computer chip inside of its key to prevent hot-wiring and it also has a car alarm.
The height of the vehicle also comes in handy during floods and blizzards, but if you're in a blizzard make sure that you have snow tires handy.
This doesn't give you a lot of "UMPH" when you hit the accelerator, as I mentioned before. Sometimes when I try to merge into traffic, I have difficulty due to the vehicle not accelerating quickly enough. This may be due to the occasional piston misfire code that I read from my sensors.
It also doesn't have the greatest gas mileage. The gas tank runs out of gas at about the same rate as my '93 Subaru, and my '93 Subaru has a gas tank that is 60% the size. Also expect to drop about $40 on each fill up from the bottom, depending on the cost of gas. It's always a pain to see that much money ... (more)
This doesn't give you a lot of "UMPH" when you hit the accelerator, as I mentioned before. Sometimes when I try to merge into traffic, I have difficulty due to the vehicle not accelerating quickly enough. This may be due to the occasional piston misfire code that I read from my sensors.
It also doesn't have the greatest gas mileage. The gas tank runs out of gas at about the same rate as my '93 Subaru, and my '93 Subaru has a gas tank that is 60% the size. Also expect to drop about $40 on each fill up from the bottom, depending on the cost of gas. It's always a pain to see that much money drain into the gas tank. The gas mileage gets even worse if you go around in a very mountainous area like I do.
For a car its size, I would prefer that it had a third car seat in the back, but it doesn't. Instead, it only seats five people.
Although I'm no stickler for aesthetics, I don't really like its blocky styling. It looks as if it could stack up with other cars of its kind and make a jenga tower. This "blocky" design also becomes an issue when you're driving more than 90 MPH and the wind is trying to carry you off of the road like a bird of prey seeking fresh meat. A more aerodynamic design, like the 2006+ Toyota Rav 4s would have been much welcome in this department.
1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport - Great, reliable, and fun
This vehicle has been well worth the money. It is reasonable on gas and has lots of room. The ability to lay down the seats for more cargo area is a great plus. I treat it basically like a truck. I've hauled lumber, building materials, soccer gear, a tiller, and many individuals in my car. It has been incredible in the snow. Put it in 4 wheel drive and there's no stopping it. I can't say enough good things about it. It has been an awesome vehicle.
This vehicle has been well worth the money. It is reasonable on gas and has lots of room. The ability to lay down the seats for more cargo area is a great plus. I treat it basically like a truck. I've hauled lumber, building materials, soccer gear, a tiller, and many individuals in my car. It has been incredible in the snow. Put it in 4 wheel drive and there's no stopping it. I can't say enough good things about it. It has been an awesome vehicle.
I have driven my family in this vehicle 5 times from the mountains of North Carolina to Ocean City New Jersey packed full of beach gear and luggage.
It's a great family car.
I have driven my family in this vehicle 5 times from the mountains of North Carolina to Ocean City New Jersey packed full of beach gear and luggage.
It's a great family car.
I love the 4 wheel drive. During times of inclement weather, you basically put this thing in 4 wheel drive and it goes wherever you want to take it. The powered sunroof and windows are great during the summer. There is so much space in this vehicle, especially when you lay down the seats. There are many times when we take our family on hikes with an added friend or two. We easily fit 7 individuals in this vehicle (at least two of them have to sit in the cargo area.) It is sporty looking and I always get compliments on how good it looks.
I love the 4 wheel drive. During times of inclement weather, you basically put this thing in 4 wheel drive and it goes wherever you want to take it. The powered sunroof and windows are great during the summer. There is so much space in this vehicle, especially when you lay down the seats. There are many times when we take our family on hikes with an added friend or two. We easily fit 7 individuals in this vehicle (at least two of them have to sit in the cargo area.) It is sporty looking and I always get compliments on how good it looks.
I have had to replace the alternator 3 times. I'm not sure if there is something wrong with the amount of wiring in this vehicle that causes it to burn up the alternator, but it sure does eat them. I keep getting told my mechanic that I am going to have to eventually replace the catalytic converters on them and I'm told there are 3 of them on the vehicle and they are $1100 each. I'm not looking forward to this. The rear seal on the engine is leaking oil at 180,000 miles and I'm also burning some through. I have to put a quart of oil in every 500 miles.
I have had to replace the alternator 3 times. I'm not sure if there is something wrong with the amount of wiring in this vehicle that causes it to burn up the alternator, but it sure does eat them. I keep getting told my mechanic that I am going to have to eventually replace the catalytic converters on them and I'm told there are 3 of them on the vehicle and they are $1100 each. I'm not looking forward to this. The rear seal on the engine is leaking oil at 180,000 miles and I'm also burning some through. I have to put a quart of oil in every 500 miles.
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