2009 Mitsubishi Pajero Reviews

Mitsubishi's long-lived Pajero off-roader is one of the last, true, off-road specialist vehicles.

When introduced to Australia in 1983, the Mitsubishi Pajero was arguably the first affordable 4WD that was a family wagon rather than a truck-based 4WD.However, this is a genuine SUV, not a passenger car with a tough looking body, Pajero is competent off-road, being able to handle most situations likely to be encountered by an adventurous family in the great Aussie countryside or on beaches.Though it began its life in downunder as a body-on-chassis 4WD, it became a monocoque for improved ride and comfort in 2000. Good engineering meant the post-2000 models retained similar strength to the chassis models. All have a low-range case for tough, slow conditions.While we are considering the monocoque models from the year 2000 in this feature you should be aware the older ones may be past their use-by date. Unless you can do a fair bit of your own mechanical work you're probably better off considering models from the new generation in December 2006.Mitsubishi’s sophisticated Super Select drivetrain permits the use of all-wheel-drive under any circumstance. For example, safe traction on wet sealed roads if you opt for AWD, or lower fuel consumption on dry dirt roads if you go for 2WD. AWD can be engaged or disengaged on the fly at any speed up to 100 km/h.Midway through 2013 Pajero was brought right up to date in its infotainment and safety equipment. These models are popular with buyers who can't come up with the dollars to buy a brand new one.Mitsubishi Pajero comes as a station wagon with either two or four passenger doors. The two-door was never particularly popular and imports stopped with the all-new model of 2000. They reappeared with the when the new model was launched at the start of end of 2006, then disappeared due to lack of buyer interest in 2010.All short-wheelbase Pajeros have five seats, the long-wheelbase models have either five or seven. The rearmost two seats in the seven-seat models are better suited to kids than adults but with a bit of squeezing up the Pajero can handle seven grown-ups.Though the first Pajeros had a petrol four-cylinder engine, all petrols under review here are V6s. This was a 3.5 twin-cam unit until September 2003 when it was uprated to a 3.8-litre.Diesel power is preferred by most buyers, the large four-cylinder units, 2.8 then 3.2 litres, have good torque and seem to enjoy hard work.Pajero is offered in manual and automatic transmissions, with the latter being almost universal in later years.The Australian Mitsubishi dealer network is long established and well-organised. Spare parts are generally available for all but the oldest models. Prices can be relatively high as 4WD bits are more rugged and can come as a surprise if you've only owned sedans in the past.Insurance premiums are about average for this class and there doesn’t seem to be much difference of opinion on the insurance risk amongst the major insurance companies.Note that the Pajero Sport launched at the end of 2015 is actually a replacement for the outgoing Challenger, not an additional version of the standard Pajero range.If you suspect a Pajero has been used off-road look for damage to door sills, door surfaces and bumper corners. Be very wary if the protection plates have been pushed up onto the mechanical items move them.Check out the interior carefully because carting bored kids about can be tough on any vehicle. Damage to the cargo area is another sign of hard use.Poor engine maintenance is hard on turbos and can lead to complete failure if the oil hasn't been changed on time. Check the service book.Be sure all gears in a manual box engage easily and that the clutch is light and quiet in its action.Automatic transmissions should go into Drive and Reverse promptly and easily.Listen for, and feel for, noises and roughness in the complete driveline.Make sure the brakes pull the Pajero up evenly, even on dirt.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Mitsubishi Pajero from 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 as a used buy.

Life - human and automotive - is so unpredictable. When my 75-year-old father went looking for a car to retire with, he sought reliability, durability, comfort and a long warranty.  He bought a Hyundai, thinking that with a five-year warranty it should ‘see me out’.In fact, he saw it out. The Hyundai Lantra is still ultra-reliable in the hands of a mate of mine while my now 84-year-old father has moved himself and my active mother into the latest Corolla.  I would have expected my parents to drive a Mercedes-Benz in later life as a reward for their tenacity through economic depressions and wars.In fact, they chose economy in reverence to their working-class lives and have come out with only minor financial scars from their post-retirement car purchases.  You can as well. Carsguide readers with retirement looming all want new cars. Most of them want a 4WD or something powerful to tow a caravan or boat because ‘we're not dead yet’.It doesn't have to be expensive, but if you are retired or just on the point of pulling the pin on a working career, you want the least possible hassles.  We'll start this week with 4WDs and SUVs. These are some choices. They clearly aren't all that is available and personal choice will play its role. At the very least, this should get you thinking.4WD is for the adventurer who actually wants to go off the beaten track. These have excellent towing ability, diesel engine options (the better choice), a versatile cabin with seven seats that can be removed when not wanted, good safety levels and a comprehensive feature list. On the downside, they are big, less comfortable than a sedan, require more expensive servicing and repair (especially tyre replacement) and for aged limbs can be difficult to get in and out.Toyota Prado (from $55,990)Solid, high resale (and high initial purchase), great off the road and in the latest model, comfortable on the road.Engine: 127kW/410Nm 3-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselTransmission: 6-speed manual/5-speed auto/2-speed transferEconomy: 8.3 l/100kmSafety: 7 airbags, ESC, traction controlLand Rover Discovery-4 (from $81,990)Exceptionally competent and fitted out with excellent comfort. Fourth generation aims to rid Land Rover of quality bugs.Engine: 180kW/600Nm 3-litre V6 biturbo-dieselTransmission: 6-speed auto/2-speed transferEconomy: 9.3 l/100kmSafety: 8 airbags, ESC, traction controlMitsubishi Pajero(from $49,290)Great all-rounder on and off road at an affordable price. Better cabin package than Prado.Engine: 147kW/441Nm 3.2-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselTransmission: 5-speed auto/2-speed transferEconomy: 8.4 l/100kmSafety: 2 airbags, ESC, traction controlSUV: Don't want to go to the Outback but like the practicality of a tall wagon? The SUV usually has all-wheel drive but less rugged construction and no low-range gearbox. Some are even only front-wheel drive so save on purchase price and fuel consumption.Hyundai Santa Fe (from $37,990)Practical, versatile and reliable with a long five-year warranty. A good allrounder. Only available as a diesel and with all-wheel drive.Engine: 145kW/421Nm 2.1-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselTransmission: 5-speed manual/5-speed auto/AWDEconomy: 6.7 l/100kmSafety: 6 airbags, ESC, traction controlPeugeot 4007 (from $45,490)Culturally diverse Peugeot made by Mitsubishi (it's basically an Outlander shell) in Japan with an aggressive grille and very desirable turbo-diesel engine and optional six-speed auto.Engine: 115kW/380Nm 2.2-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselTransmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed auto/AWDEconomy: 7.0 l/100kmSafety: 7 airbags, ESC, traction controlSubaru Outback diesel (from $40,490)Long-awaited diesel expands Subaru's out-of-town ability in a very desirable package. New style isn't the prettiest but is functional and roomy.Engine: 110kW/350Nm 2-litre 4-cyl turbo-dieselTransmission: 6-speed manual/AWDEconomy: 6.4 l/100kmSafety: 7 airbags, ESC, traction control

What you pay, what you get The GLS Pajero Di-D is the least expensive of our three contenders and in auto guise lists at $59,790. And for that money you get electronic traction and stability control and side and curtain airbags as standard. At $61,040 the Prado GXL D-4D automatic also has the latter mentioned items but misses out on the electronic driving aids and extra airbags although both are available as an option pack.The Discovery TDV6 S is a $67,590 ask. While the TDV6 S misses out on third-row seating that's standard on both Prado and Pajero it does come with the aforementioned height-adjustable air suspension, a 6-speed auto (the others both have 5-speeders), electronic traction and stability control, front, side and curtain airbags, cruise and climate control, and 17-inch alloys.Horses or ponies? All three contenders are common-rail turbo diesels but where the Prado and Pajero have 4-cylinder engines of 3.0 and 3.2-litres respectively, the Discovery is powered by a 2.7-litre V6. And, as mentioned above, the Disco has a 6-speed auto while the other two have 5-speeders. Both Disco and Pajero have 'manual' control via tip-shift functions whereas the Toyota's box has a dogleg-gated shift (no shift release) that gives good manual control once you learn the layout of the gate.For its part, the Pajero's winning performance is tarnished by the fact that the engine is noisier and less refined than the other two and its gearbox is not as decisive as it could be. In between is the Prado. For noise control and general running refinement it's a far better prospect than the Pajero but it's still not up to the high standard set by the Land Rover.A dynamic argument There are three different schools of thought on chassis design here. The Pajero is a monocoque design with fully independent suspension and, as such, is the most 'car' like. The Discovery also has fully independent suspension but is a separate-chassis design (admittedly a very sophisticated one) while the Prado is the most traditional vehicle here with live rear axle/independent front suspension, and a conventional separate chassis.And, on the road the Prado doesn't feel as sharp as the other two, but this is not just the fact that it lacks independent rear suspension. Toyota has deliberately opted for a soft suspension tune that puts comfort ahead of sharp dynamics. What's more, and perhaps this is deliberate as well, the Toyota will more readily understeer when pushed. Combine all this with the least accurate and direct steering of the three and the Toyota is far from a 'driver's' car although there is nothing actually 'wrong' with its handing.The other two are harder to separate with the Discovery having the advantage of height-adjustable suspension and slightly sharper steering than the Pajero. But ultimately, the Disco's weight plays against it and it lacks of agility of the Pajero, a fine handling 4WD by any standards.The downside of this is that the Pajero has the harshest and noisiest ride.The Discovery's ride is between the two. Interestingly, despite the fact that we have driven more Discovery 3s then we can remember, this must be one of the very few that we've driven on the standard-spec 235/70R17 tyres. And we are impressed. They are far more forgiving and comfortable than the lower profile hoops on the 18s more commonly fitted to the Discovery 3s driven previously.A muddy story All three vehicles here are more than handy off road and all are capable of performing off road feats.There's also an important question here of off road ability verses off road comfort, as the two don't necessarily go hand in hand.The most comfortable of the three off road (although not by a great margin) is the Toyota. Thanks to its soft springing and decent suspension travel it soaks up the bumps better than the other two. But, despite the on-paper advantage of its live rear axle, its lack of traction control sees it trail the field in terms of off road ability.Next up the ladder in terms of off road ability, but the poorest in terms of off road comfort by a good margin is the Pajero.Comfortably ahead of the Pajero, let alone the Prado in off road ability is the Discovery. Mind you, the Disco was fitted with the optional rear locker that we know from previous experience makes a considerable difference. But at just $1050, it hardly makes a difference to the overall cost of the vehicle and, unlike the Pajero where (manual) activation of the optional rear locker negates the traction control, with the Discovery the rear locker engages automatically and leaves the traction control active so it can take care of front axle control.Summing up Picking an absolute winner between Pajero and Prado is difficult to say the least although the Pajero does have more points in its favour. Compared to the Prado it's less expensive but still better equipped. It's also a stronger performer and handles better on road. It's also more capable off road, at least at this spec level where traction and stability control isn't standard. It also has a higher towing capacity.Taken alone you would think all that would be enough to seal the deal. But the Toyota is strong in some very important areas. Most significantly it's far more refined, quieter and more comfortable on road. It's also more comfortable off road. It also has a monster touring range, seats eight not seven and has a higher payload. The choice between Prado and Pajero can only come down to your personal priorities.As for the Discovery, in many ways it feels twice the vehicle the other two are, and not just something that's $8000 more expensive than the Pajero and only $4000 more expensive than a Prado optioned with the safety gear that's standard on the other two. The real killer with the Discovery is the cost of the third-row seats although this may not matter to you.What's not diminished however is the huge gap in technology between Discovery, and Prado and Pajero ... and what that technology advantage delivers.Read the full article, plus more great 4WD and off-roading news in the latest edition of Overlander magazine or visit overlander.com.au

Unlike the magazine's 4WD Of The Year award, which only looks at vehicles that are new or significantly revised in that year, these annual accolades look at all the 4WDs on the market. In fact long-time champions dominate these awards but sometimes even long-time champs are forced to step aside. Best Value for Money