1997 Mitsubishi Montero Sport XLS | Retro Review
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
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In the 90's Mitsubishi was far ahead of its time in multiple segments of the market. Who thinks it's time for the Montero to make a dramatic comeback?
Show 1648 | Original Airdate 4.5.1997
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Sensacional parabéns 👏👏👏
Do you think Mitsubishi is going to bring back the Montero Sport in North America? I really miss them.
@@brandongant618 I worked for them. The answer is no. They are only made in Thailand and Japan which means they’d be subject to the chicken tax and they need to be widened 6 inches for federal roll over standards which is a multi million dollar requirement. That would make it way too expensive to import and to sell as it would Jack the msrp up. Same reason why we won’t get the triton in the states. If Mitsu and Nissan come up with something and manufacture it in Tennessee on nissans truck line, then you might see that!
That design has aged very well.
I agree
Dodge Durango looks similar!
Lol no
Back when Mitsubishi was the vehicle to own!
Better than anything they are selling today.
Wasnt this the period when they systematically covered up vehicle defects companywide
@Allen Tokyo lol you said that with a straight face
@Allen Tokyo hell no
@@ETYPEJaguar38 nah they actually addressed mass complaints before they were even forced to around this era. Mid to late 2000’s was the downfall of Mitsubishi
I was obsessed with this SUV in the 90’s. My family had a 4Runner but I loved the Montero.
The 4Runner is the most reliable SUV of that era. Hands down.
@@a.person7825 I have a mitsubishi challenger 1996 2.8l diesel (Japanese montero sport) has over half a million kms and everything still works, the clear coats peeled and faded in the sun, that's about it.
@@0KiwiStyles0 Well, the JDMs are always more reliable. Good job! It being a diesel makes a HUGE difference.
I love Mitsubishi Montero 1997
That looks better than most of the new SUV's on the market.
Yeah. I agree
need to bring back 2 box shapes. I see that the rav4, rogue, pathfinder, tiguan kinda bringing that for the current gens
Back when Mitsubishi was cool
With cool commercials!!
Gotta love these retro clips in 2021
Facts! 97' was a great year
My sister used to pick me up from elementary school in a Montero in 97’
Bring this back. Real Mitsubishi
Always loved the Montero and the sport! Great rigs on & off the road!
One of the best offroaders
Meanwhile, the second and third/current gen of this car is practically ubiquitous here in Indonesia, sold as Pajero Sport
These used to be so popular. Mitsubishi at its prime.
@Allen Tokyo I just don't see them anymore. Pretty rare these days, but I'm happy when I see one driving.
It's pretty popular in ASEAN and Australia since Montero Sport continued to be marketed there.
I see Mitsubishis just not many Dealers
Yes around 2003 my best friends mom had one when I was in 4th grade She had the late model of this generation, these things were everywhere
Back when Mitsubishi was a household name in the US. This and the Diamante were 🔥🔥🔥
Loooved my ‘93 Diamante LS ❤
As a Land Cruiser , Grand Wagoneer , Patrol ,International scout . fanboy I always had a soft spot for this Montero I love the design.
Yeah. Me too
A friend of mine had one, green and silver. It was very nice. He drove it over 200k miles.
That truck still looks great today! 👌😎👍
My mom had a 2002 LS model for 17 years. Rarely did it ever let us down.
These are common and still running in Puerto Rico.
True I went on vacation there and seen a bunch of them!
I had a 2001 of these as my 1st car what a blast just enough power to slide it and drift it around what fun !
In Puerto Rico those suv were called mitsubishi nativa. Very popular model and back in the day those sold like hot cakes, very reliable and even today they are still on the road.
True
Some Nativas I've seen in Puerto Rico has the Montero decal on the quarter panel :3
@@SataniaMcDowel Those were probably imported from the States because the Nativa name was Puerto Rico only.
So many are still around. And people know about the valve seals and the no reverse when cold quirks
The valve seals are a common issue. The transmission issue is because ppl don't service their transmission. I had a 2000 Nativa with the 3.0 engine and drove it to 200k with no issues on the original transmission and it was serviced regularly with synthetic fluid. Now I own a 2004 Mitsubishi Nativa (Montero Sport) here in Puerto Rico with the 3.5 engine. I bought it with 50k original miles 9 months ago. Now it has 66k miles and I love it so much because of the bigger and powerful engine! I changed all fluids, timing belt, tensioner, water pump, front cam seals and valve covers gaskets with valve seals and spark plug groomets. The previous owner was an old guy who took excellent care of it and I love taking extreme care of my cars.
I'm about to do these services on mine, next weekend. I love them so much. I've owned 2 of them. Now I also have a limited, it's rock solid
Still have mine from this model year. Over 200,000 miles and still running great!
I can honestly say that I've never seen one of these in person. What a shame. Its a nice truck.
They were everywhere when they were new but they weren’t taken care of by owners. This is a vehicle that needed its maintenance and on time or else it would break.
@@foxtrot685 yeah true ppl never would change the timing belt and it break and it total the engine
@@redthunderfox this is true even to this day. When buying a car, most owners have no idea what a timing belt is.
I had a 2003 Montero Sport XLS with the 3.5 V6 but I sold it just a couple weeks ago! It's was a great truck. Well built and surprisingly well engineered and thought out, clearly a completely different era for Mitsubishi, one of their last hurrahs before they went down the drain. I miss that truck, I only sold it because gas prices are hitting close to $4 a gallon and I traded it in for a car that gets way better gas mileage
You shoulda kept it !
Glad to hear that, my brother is buying a 2006 Pajero SWB 3.2 Di-D
Yes 2005 was probably Mitsubishis final Goodyear and the beginning of their demise in the US
Nice! It’s still not a 94 Galant, but also very cool!
Love this Montero Sport. But that XLS is $53K in today's dollars.... whoa!
I have the 2000 Limited. MSRP is a little higher. Definitely worth the price still if it was brand new. Companies don't make today's trucks this solid unless you spend $100,000 on a Ford Raptor or equivalent. Mitsubishi was doing it for half the price.. If it wasn't for the late 90's Japan recession. Mitsubishi would be ahead of Tesla..
Your have to compare it to the 4runner of it's day or the pathfinder. All very very capable off road and similarly priced.
@@josiaevans But the Montero Sport is no 4Runner.
@@joec1774 yeah the Montero was way better looking 🙌
@joec1774 but it looked just as good.
It's the first time I see a Pajero Sport with a swing-out spare wheel. All Pajero Sport examples I've seen are of the full-width reflector variety!
In my market (Dominican Republic) there were two versions: Montero Sport (Gasoline) with full width reflector and Nativa (normally diesel) with spare wheel carrier. I really like Nativas because of the 5 tail lights 😁 2 in the bumper + regular 3. I'm wondering if the spare wheel carrier was an option with the US Montero Sport 😕
In the US at least, the exterior tire carrier was only available as an option for a couple years (1997-1999 model years). In 2000, it appears they had a mild styling update (one noticeable change is the black strips added to the taillight lenses) and dropped the carrier from the US market. As with many SUVs around the early 2000s, less people cared for the rear mounted spare tire and so they started dropping the option on many vehicles. I want to say the Chevy S10 Blazer was the last SUV to offer a swingaway version in 2005.
We need a Montero comeback here in the USA
These were essentially a Mitsubishi Triton station wagon
One of my cousins bought one of these new. It was one of my favorites.
I owned one for several years. NOTHING ever broke!
Good era for Mistu , I had a 94 Mighty Max pickup as a second vehicle for years, very dependable but used a qt. of oil every 900 miles :)
2:00 John: BUT ONCE AGAIN MITSUBISHI STEREOS SUFFERS FROM TOO MANY TINY BUTTONS! LOL
even had an oil pressure gauge and said nothing lol
Oh yeah! In the Philippines we have our own Montero Sport.
My aunt used to have a 1997-99 Mitsubishi Montero Sport ES 2WD with the 5speed manual transmission as a daily driver since I was a kid.
I own this exact configuration and color as this. I also have a 2003 galant gtz. I love this SUV more than anything now. It's amazing!!!
This were soooo Popular down here in Miami but I can't remember the last time I saw one. My neighbor owned one but traded it for the mitsubishi Endeavor In complained at how troublesome it was compared to the montero sport.
Forgotten 4x4 gem
This was a respectable effort from Mitsubishi. Back then, I would have said it's better than the S-10 Blazer or Jimmy.
That's a really low bar to clear, those were junk.
@@sleeksilver Yes, they were, but I chose them because which ones are still on the roads today? I live in an area that loves these 4x4 SUVs, and nobody's rockin' a Mitsubishi anything. These Sports rusted away or failed mechanically, then were crushed. They were better than the Blazer/Jimmy at the beginning, but not for long after the sale.
The Mitsubishi Montero Sport is sold as the Mitsubishi Challenger in Japan.
They were called a Mitsubishi Challenger in Australia too.
It's called Mitsubishi Nativa out here
My parents had a 2000, good times :D
Couldn't imagine how gutless this thing would be with the 4 cylinder :P
Four-cylinder models came with a five speed so they weren’t bad plus they get much better gas mileage.
@@rickmerring2148 138hp though in a midsize SUV.
@@palebeachbum loaded with people and gear definitely was a snail
@@palebeachbum at 181 inches, it wasn't a midsize SUV.
@@trent7080 I'm not 100% certain of its classified size, but I do know vehicle size is measured by interior volume, not length or wheelbase.
Still have mine! 2000 xls. 3.0 v6 with 223k miles. Best damn family vehicle I’ve ever owned. Trying to track down a possible vacuum leak right now but other than that she is solid as a rock.
That's so cool I had a 99 xls 3.0 with 208k miles sold it 3 months ago
LOVE MINE 97 JUST HAD REBUILD ON THE HEAD 162000 RUNS LIKE NEW 4X4
Loved these when they came out. Look at that front approach angle, great for off roading. The deal killer was the extremely limited headroom for anyone over 6'.
Agreed 💯
Had a 97 that looked identical to the red/silver one, then a 2002 limited in champagne that still runs like a top to this day. May even be my son's first vehicle in a year or two.
The Montero Sport from 1997 almost seems quaint now.
I don't think it seems any more quaint than a 2021 Toyota 4Runner. Those too are body on frame with very plain and cheap looking interiors. I think you're just accustomed to seeing so many car-based CUVs on the road now.
@@palebeachbum actually I was considering the horsepower numbers even on the V6, the four speed automatic transmission, the optional ABS, and general lack of safety features which are now required by law. The interior or the body on frame design were not
what caused my statement.
@@tkewrestler2662 gotcha. Makes sense.
Was sold as the Mitsubishi challenger here in Australia
Thank you motorweek
My mom had one of these and she loved it a lot.
Heavy duty truck , I’ve always wanted to own one
Back when Mitsubishi deserve the 3 Diamond logo in thier lineup.
Love this Mitsubishi Montero, comfortable, durable and excellent engone 3.0 V6 173hp, 188 LB-Ft torque
This is one I wish we still had. All they need to sell is this and the EVO.
My grandma still has a Nativa. Its in olive green and barely used.
TheZProtocol I see you say "Nativa" so you're from Puerto Rico. Let me tell you something, I own one and I love it! Mines a 2004 Mitsubishi Nativa (Montero Sport) with the 3.5 liter engine and it currently has 66 thousand miles here in Puerto Rico.
@@eastcoast9549 casi no tiene millas para 17 años, en el 2016 compré una año 2000 con 153k y ahora tiene 166k, claro, desde agosto la tengo parada pues se le dañó algo en la transmisión, pero ya la voy a reparar y le espera un viajesito para Cabo Rojo
@@JanMichael1997 la mía me ha bregado súper. Le doy mantenimiento de rutina al motor con aceite sintético y le cambié el aceite de transmisión hace 1 mes pero al cambiarlo me percaté que ya le habían dado servicio. También cambié la grasa de diferencial y fue igual, le habían dado servicio antes y salió todo limpio. Anyway lo hice para prevenir y que me dure más la guagua. El dueño anterior era una persona mayor y le daba mantenimiento extremo. Era su vehículo favorito y actualmente es mi vehículo favorito. Vivo en área metro.
@@eastcoast9549 Súper, mi caso ha sido un poco derrochador, se le mandó a hacer el trabajo de las gomitas de las válvulas, juntas, retenedores y correa de tiempo, ahí se me fueron $1,300 y fue en el verano pasado justo antes de que se me dañara la transmisión, este año fue que la pude reparar y fueron unos $2120. Lo bueno es que ahora tengo una que tal vez cosméticamente no será la más linda, pero mecánicamente está al 100% con su aceite 5W30 sintético high millage (tiene 165k, yo la compré con 153k) y sus filtros al día, de casi 5 años, nunca me ha dado problemas (gracias a Dios) y solo queda disfrutarla.
Saludos 🤗
@@JanMichael1997 hace 2 meses le cambié a la mía la correa de tiempo, los sellos de aceite, bomba de agua, tensores, las juntas del valve cover con los sellitos de espares, cablería, espares, termostato y el fan clutch nuevo. Le ajusté las válvulas también. Me paso corriendo la isla en ella.
Fun fact: you can actually recline the back seats just a little bit for extra room.
Mitsubishi sold a ton of these around the Baltimore area back then. You saw these trucks everywhere.
I remember in my auto shop class one of these sat on the side of the building for 4 years, I never thought it ran, and no one really mentioned it. Out of nowhere in senior year I come in during lunch and see the other students putting big tires on it, so they can wheel it around the parking lot.
Never realized how nice these are
These have aged well see one in my neighborhood it's a maroon with rims on it still looks good. I remember when they came out when was 8 years old around that time my beloved grandmother wanted one two years after this came out. Love them as well not that long ago started see them again on the roads just see one in my neighborhood more often.
Best looking in class too
🎶CALL ME BY YOUR NAME 🎶
That’s hilarious 😂
We have this car until now ❤️
Loved this design ever since I saw the first Challenger in the late 90's in the UK.A 'Real' 4x4
always loved these, want one with a diesel
This was always a pretty truck. They took their cues from the Toyota 4runner of the time. 4runner Limited sticker price was roughly $37,000, Montero was a more affordable option.
What was with that music? Sounded like a soundtrack to a movie that aired at midnight on Cinemax. 😆
I used to see a lot of these SUVs as a kid.
In the Philippines, the Montero Sport of this generation was sold as surplus/pre-owned import from Japan.
Did MotorWeek ever review the third-gen Montero (1999-2006)?
i think im going to throw a 2 inch lift on mine with biger tires and use it again. its been sitting for ages
This has a lot in common with my 14 Nissan Xterra. I believe they even came with a dana 44 rear axle.
Still looks good today
I'min Israel.owned a GLS model(fully 'loaded'2003(new)up to 2011.3 litre petrol V6,2tone metalic paint,leather seats(5),climate controlled AC,electric windows/mirrors.After sale Kenwood cd chager(12cd's)+radio disc/popout(1din)touch screen with rearvew camera and gps... agood offroader,about 30% cheaper(in Israel)than the 'big' monterro/Pajero.When i noticed it in the show room i thought-this looks like an evolution of 90' Toyota4Runner.Pajero Sport was sold here 1998-2003
They look awesome
$39,000 in today’s dollars
The loaded model is over $50,000 in 2021 money.
Beautiful
All the hip hop kids wanted one back in high school
Hey! Could you upload the first gen Volvo V40?
Back when Mitsubishi had class & style, and hadn't yet become the TJ Maxx of Japanese car brands
I like to buy one of this in decent condition.
Mechanically I know they were bulletproof but hard to find nowadays due to sheetmetal and frame rot. Too bad they are awesome looking.
Yo Stinkum was blasting thru the Baltimore streets in this rig
Called a Mitsubishi challenger in the rest of the world. Amazing offroad stock
Still quite a few in Australia and although they weren't the toughest they look great
It was called the Pajero in europe and still Montero in south america, so i'd hardly call that the rest of the world.
In middle east it was called Nativa. Lots of these on the road still running, they look worn out though.
In Japan it was called the Challenger. The rest was called the Pajero Sport.
one of my mom's friends owned one back in the day. in la so she hated the gas mileage
*Mitsubishi in its prime.*
Background music as 90s as it gets
The montero sport. The poor mans 4 RUNNER.
Ual car sensacional top demais 👏👏👏👍
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🇧🇷🇧🇷
Cruising in a 6 cab I’m Montero deep- Nas
Still around
Cool cars but most of the ones I see on the road smoke oil pretty bad!
Looks better than the current generation montero sport
А до сих пор Паджеро спорт ездит и ездит
Bring back the pajeros!
In us montero sport ans pr nativa
R.I.P Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes 😔❤💔
I really liked these back in the day. Very attractive design. Not sure about reliability. A lady I worked with owned one and she said when she took it in for a tune up, the dealership told her it would cost $1,200, so she traded it in on a new Kia.
That's what you get for using a main dealer. Support your independent specialist shops! :)
Dealership screw her over. The only "bad" things were valve stem seals and when cold start, reverse wouldnt do anything.
I got this car, except it's a 1996 2.8 diesel,stil going
Lol, inflation aside, this was priced the way subcompact crossovers are today.
nice class
Mitsubishi Challenger aka Pajero/Montero Sport. The 2.8 Diesel 4M40 is the best
Andrew Camarata has entered the chat
Honestly any vehicle Andrew keeps is one tough mfer lol
I’ve always liked these as well
Neighbor had one for many years
Only replaced it bc it rusted out (as does most things in Pennsylvania)
Dependable reliable $31k?