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The manumatic transmission that Brill mentioned is standard on the ltd only, unless the XLS was changed this year.
I rented the Montero Limited from Dollar rent a car at the Tampa International Airport location, $38.99 per day
What is the difference between "hybrid" and standard LSD? Anyone -- ?
That brings up another point --
I would have preferred an electric "locking" rear differential, activated by a switch on the console as shown in the glove box manual that came with the vehicle. I believe, however, this is only offered in Montes sold in other parts of the world. The Montes offered in the U.S. prior to the 2001 Model had the rear locker as an option, which made it a "true" serious off-road vehicle.
That said, various reviews of the Monte LSD have indicated it is one of the best performing of those tested on vehicles which offer rear LSD. That is, when needed, it reacts very rapidly and transfers power to the rear wheel with the most traction.
I wonder if the clunking sound mentioned above has anything to do with the LSD? Dodge trucks with LSDs always used to make a terrible clunking and/or griding noise that was considered normal, especially when in a tight turn at low speed.
I would imagine that there is going to be some tolerance in the driveline where you could generate a little noise if flipping between N and D or R and D but it should not be excessive.
1) What kind of fuel economy are you getting, city and highway. Please, be honest. Give me an average, not the best you done once.
2) LTD owners with the five speed. How does it act when going up a steep hill? Does it shift a lot? How far down does it shift? Into 4th or 3rd? Is there a torque converter lock and unlock in 4th and 5th gears like the 4-speed auto? Those who tow, do you use 5th gear and how does it tow the weight you are pulling.
3) Those who have done modifications for performance. Did it help power and/or fuel economy.
Any info would be greatly appreciated on your thoughts of how this vehicle runs with the V-6. Thinking about upgrading to the LTD Montero. Wife loves her Sport, though. And has had nary a problem.
Thanks, Big Brothers!
5 speed is great all the way around and I am picking up a trailer next week so will update you on towing issues. There is NOT enough power for the sports minded but there is more than adequate power for normal-slightly sporty driving on road and more than enough for off road. Towing....I'm a little concerned here but then I should be driving slower with a trailer anyway.
Going up a hill I dont think it ever had to shift down below 4th due to "lugging" effect. Obviously you can push the tranny to do just about anything you want it to.
I will say in support of the Sport. I drove it 2200 miles and loved it. It feels lighter, drives lighter, and gets better mileage than the full sized Montero. You give up on some things as well but that's for you to judge based on your preferences.
Good luck
Thanks in advance
Air filter was $22, expensive.
I asked them to check out my vibration that I was experiencing. They said it was my uneven tire wear. I need new tires already! *sigh*
The only other problems I have had are the door lock getting stuck and rear wiper not working. Each of them fixed themselves.
Great vehicle and so nice off road. Now if only I have about 50 more hp and a lift kit!
You can order stiffer Pedders' Springs from Australia which will give about a 2" (50 cm) lift and for even more off road/towing capability, an Air Bag Kit from:
Richard Oliver
Motorcare Four Wheel Drive
roliver@motorcare.com.au
http://motorcare.com.au
Tel: 61 + 7 3252 4039
Fax: 61 + 7 3852 1808
163, Abbotsford Rd.
Bowen Hills,
Queensland 4006
Australia
On their above website you can check out their 2000 NM Pajero (same as 2001 Montero) project.
As soon as I get around to it I'm going to order this stuff.
Phonos
I was thinking about adding the springs as well but was worried that with a standard sized garage that another 2+ inches is going to be close.
Keep us posted if you add these guys. I would be interested on how it affects handling as well.
That lift looks delicious. Now I wonder if I can find someone in the U.S. to install cheaply?
I may can take the project on but I so rarely have the time.
About the vibration. I am going to another dealer and have it checked out. I want to be sure it is not the tires.
Carmax. Drives great, how is the power and handling with 5 people on board.
My observations and recommendations
The Montero rode/handled just fine with the hitch set up this way.
The Montero needs a V8 or turbo option if you are going to tow. Forget about the 5000lb towing limit. The Montero limits out at my trailers weight as far as I am concerned.
I could not do 65 without being in 4th gear at about 3100 RPM. Could be in 5th at about 60MPH. Its a shame becasue this is where I think the Montero is weakest. Then again I didnt expect much here and figured with my Motorcycle and trailer a good sized 3/4 ton 4wd pickup is in my future (Just cant beat the American Truck makers here).
On a good note I dont have to travel more than 2.5 hours in any direction to do 99% of the camping I am considering and the Montero will handle this fine. I just would not tow longer distances and definitely not heavier trailers.
My conclusion, the Montero doesnt tow well (no suprise here). The next vehicle near this class would probably do no better (ie the Sequoia) and you would have to go American like the Yukon/Tahoe with thier much bigger motors to be happy. The Sequoia does have a V8 but it is too under powered from a weight/power, peak HP and more importantly max torque. Not to pick on the Sequoia but do to its size and towing rating it would easy to assume that you could tow much better.
I think the ultimate would be a large diesel engine but that adds cost.
This last statement is more for those of you thinking about a new SUV and know they will be towing regularly.
Did you remember to put the transfer case lever in 4WD per the instruction manual for towing? You don't want to overly stress some drive line component.
In my opinion the only real use for a trailer hitch on the Montero is for rear end protection when on the trail. You're right about a 3/4 ton truck. Have you looked at those with turbocharged diesels?
A friend just bought a GMC that tows really nice, he says.
Dodge are also supposed to be good.
Yes, I will be looking into a 1/2 ton with cubic inches. Nothing beats cubic inches....not nothing. The Ford 150 4wd, Chevy 1500 and perhaps the Dodge. I need to look around and see if these three really can be separated by any quality, price, feature measures. Seems they all get good ratings and they all have motors with 285-300hp. That should solve all of my motorcycling and trailer hauling. Since I only have a wife and 2 year old in addition I think the crew cab like models would work nice for the next 10 years.
Are there any suspension or other differences between the LTD and XLS which may make the LTD less stable in turns than the XLS?
Such a difference would seem unlikely.
In other 4wd web sites they even give people advise on how to disconnect them for better 4wding.
This most certainly would degrade road performance and increase roll.
It just goes to show that you should pick your SUV for what you intend to be doing with it. I dont think there is a single SUV out there that can do everything well.
Personally, if you want better off roading then you will give up on high speed manuvers.
Removing them from the rear solid axle type suspension will increase wheel travel, which is what you want for four wheeling (at the expense of increased body roll).
Higher rate springs will decrease body roll on independent suspension vehicles (at the cost of harder riding) and increase off road ability.
Anybody want to correct this, please do so.
I have not heard that increased spring rate is a better way to control roll vs a larger or stiffer sway bar.
Removing the sway bar will definitely increase off road ability/travel.
I am experiencing a vibration in my steering wheel at speeds greater than say 73 mph to 80 mph. I have not exceeded these speeds yet. I only feel the vibration in the steering wheel, not the entire vehicle. It is like a repetitive left-to-right motion. I read a posting here about vibrations being attributed to an imbalance propeller shaft. I was wondering if this was that type of vibration that Regala had experienced? My truck has less than 1k miles on it, currently, and the dealer has re-balanced the tires already. We are going to try a tire rotation next. Any comments?
I brought mine to the dealership a couple of weeks ago to fix that intermitent humming noise and vibration on the steering wheel when the SUV reaches 73-80 MPH speed. They did a complete wheel balance/alignment and the problem is still there. I also did tire rotation and got the same result.
I told the dealership that the problem is on the differential shaft but the issue here is they don't have a tool to test the shaft for vibration besides replacement. But I will insist on replacement next week or else I'll file for lemon law if they will not be able to fix it.
Anyone experienced the same?
Also take note that the 2001 propeller drive shaft is not steel nor aluminum. It is made of CARBON FIBER.
I found a few problems during a short test drive (taking a more extensive one tomorrow): 1) the switch that controls shock stiffness is a little touchy -- the dash lights don't respond unless you tap the switch just right; 2) R/D lock button (which I assume means "rear door") doesn't do anything when pushed; 3) the 3rd row seat brackets are completely BROKEN! Seat lifts halfway off the floor with minimal pressure.
Obviously we'll be checking into that stuff when/if we get to negotiations -- anyone else have any problems with anything like this or any of the other electronic gizmos on their "loaded to the gills" Monteros?
I'm also curious if those 3rd row seats are easily removable or if they have to stay in the truck. That one might even be a deal-breaker for me since they take up quite a bit of room & to me, one of the best qualities of the Montero is the cargo space.
TIA for the info --
I've been reading all of your posts and doing A LOT of research on the new Montero - I test drove one at the dealer and liked it - well, this weekend I rented one and now I LOVE it. I also realize what a piece of garbage that 94 Ford Explorer really was - WHY did I keep dumping money in that thing??
I had the vehicle for the past two days and was able to test both on and off road capabilities. I took my wife to dinner last night in the car and she liked riding in it. After she drove it home from dinner she's threatening to saddle me with the Volvo and take the Montero - we'll see about that...
Today I took the rental on a mini-road trip. I drove from Long Beach CA to Big Bear Lake, a distance of about 100 miles each way, with a rise in elevation from sea level to about 7000 feet. The ride on the freeway - awesome.
When I reached the grade, I was worried about the lack of power I've read so much about. But, truth be told, it was keeping up quite well with the other cars. Now, one has to keep in mind that Hwy 330 up the mountain is pretty darn twisty-turvy, and you aren't able to open it up and see how fast it'll go uphill. I did find that it was able to pass on a fairly decent grade, but it was laboring pretty hard. I also found that it was shifting back and forth a bit more than I liked - but I imagine that the LTD will help to stop that a bit. If you're looking to tow something - you might want to consider another vehicle.
Once I got up to the lake, I hit the backroads. Here's where I saw another difference from the old explorer. Washboard road - NO PROBLEM. No rear-end fishtailing, and the thing wasn't shaking my teeth out of my jaw. As a matter of fact I found the ride to be quite nice - to the point I was looking for the big ruts, bumps, and deep washboard to see when the ride would get uncomfortable - it finally did when I was getting the wheels off of the ground...but it still was not bad!!
Also, 4x4 low kicks a** up the steep fireroads. The Montero dug in and ate the fireroads alive - something that will come in quite handy for me as I'm a search and rescue volunteer.
Big ugly mud puddles - FUN! We found a few deep ones, and the Montero slammed right on through. What I also found great was that when I opened the hood the engine wasn't covered in mud. Only a few small spatterings here and there. Again, compared to the mudcaked Explorer engine after similar activities this was a nice bonus.
All around the vehicle was quiet, comfortable, and powerful enough for my needs. Gas milage was an acceptable 18-19 miles per gallon (about 140 miles fwy 95 miles going up the hill, down the hill, and 4x4'ing). I'm looking forward to a nice, silver Montero Limited. I probably won't drive it as hard as the rental company's XLS, but it will be nice to know that I CAN if I need to!!
With the Limited, you can just switch to manual shift mode and down shift to improve performance. On route 30 to Big Bear, I was able to leave a Land cruiser in the water mist (the road was wet, and I think the live axel limits the LC handling).
The leather really refines the interior, add the wood grain and the other neat bells and whistles (like that digital compass/climate control screen) and I found myself wishing that my year end bonus came earlier than December!
The manual shift mechanism is pretty cool. Using it might take some getting used to (shifting without a clutch?). I've NEVER owned a vehicle that was an automatic for the very reason that **I** want to have control over the transmission shifting when I deem it to be necessary - but as I get older and the LA traffic gets heavier an automatic sounds more and more appealing - the LTD's setup will totally fit my needs.
The sunroof's size almost rates the vehicle as a convertible! That hole in the roof is HUGE. It almost makes you wonder if there was a plan to mount anti-aircraft cannons up there like on the humvees!
I'm hoping that there's someone else out there that lives in the Orange County, CA area. I need to know where there's a **GOOD** Mitsu dealer for service. I've heard some not-so-good stuff about Mitsu's service departments lately, so any feedback would be appreciated - although after owning a Ford I can't imagine there's any service that worse than what I've already experienced!!
Also - does that rear air conditioner really rate the extra expense??
Thanks!
Calif5150
Also, I put in a post a while back about the lack of the Monteros towing ability. Sure, it can do medium towing but I found that my 3300LB trailer is too much for my likes. I feel good about shoter trips but long highway hauls are out. This is with a weight distributing hitch and sway control. No handling problems just not enough power. Boy, a turbo option would be nice and probably would not even drop the gas mileage in this rig. OK, back to reality now.
Bottom line, the only limit for this rig in this class in my view is the towing ability. If your not planning on towing anything >2000lbs dont worry.
Steering wheel shakes back and forth should be tire out of balence and have nothing to due with driveline vibration which is generally exacerbated by acceleration and improved as you take your foot off the gas.
I dont seem to have either at this time but with tires this size I think a balence job is going to be needed soon.
Also, what are you all finding to be the "correct way" to balence these rigs. Tire off or on the vehicle?
Thanks
My wife took our 2001 Montero XLS into the shop for the recent recall work, brakes, radiator, wipers. They did not tighten the radiator hoses on the engine properly and on the way home, on the freeway in a heavy rainstorm, the engine lost coolant, overheated and quit. Luckily for the dealer my wife wasn't involved in an accident when the vehicle suddenly slowed.
Dealer is now rebuilding the engine. Everything except the block was scrapped. They did not admit fault, at least at first, we finally got the service manager to admit they screwed up. Took two days though. The tech had been there three months and is certified to work on Mitsu "as far as I know," says the service manager.
I'm not happy with this at all but feel like my options are being limited. I've complained to Mitsu, dealer, state dept. of auto repair, etc. No satisfaction so far.
Dealer said they weren't interested in trading. "If I need a used 2001 I can get all I want at auction for 18K." I asked Mitsu for an extended warranty on the rebuilt motor, they said they'd consider it. I asked Mitsu to give me full bluebook value on a trade in, they said they'd consider it. Haven't heard back yet.
Any ideas? Vehicle has 14,100 miles. Is an engine rebuilt at 14K miles really better than the factory build one with 14K miles as the service manager told me?
Since they're the ones who broke it, I don't trust them to rebuild it properly.
Help with handling dealer/Mitsu appreciated. I suppose we could sue, but proving damages is the tough part. I suppose it hinges on value of rebuilt vs. original.
Thx,
Lenny
I am in orange county. Costamesa and Anaheim Mits is ok. Do not bring your car to Huntington Beach. But with any dealer, it is always hits or miss.
Hardin Honda down the street used to be great service, but they aren't very good either any more. I guess there are no really good service departments for any vehicle under $40,000 any more.
So, we would like to find independent Mitsubishi and Honda mechanics in central O.C.
Anyone with suggestions?
Took the Monte over to Laughlin, Nevada last weekend to visit our money (and to leave some more to keep it company). Loved the Monte on I-40 at 75-85 mph.
Went looking for a dark place to see the Leonids meteor shower Saturday night and drove over Christmas Tree Pass Trail, west of Laughlin off Nevada 163. This added 15 more miles to the approximately 400 already on the dirt. Love the manual shift mode and LSD on the Limited on dirt. (Got to order those high rate springs that give 50 cm lift from Australia).
3500.00 Down + Lisence fees
470.00 Per month for 42 months.
I am having problems justifying this payment and need some feedback. Thanks, Southern California
I have a 2001 Montero XLS and love it. I'd also like to take good care of it. I can't find anyone who sells a dash cover. Has anyone out there found one? Also, I've been in contact with Dashguard out of Yuma, AZ (I've purchased covers from them before and love them) and they don't have a pattern yet for the 2000 - 2002 Montero. They are just waiting for someone to stop by and order one so they can use their vehicle to make the pattern. Is there any volunteers out there in Yuma????? I don't know actually where they are located in Yuma other than they are just around the corner from the Marine base.
Thanks for any assistant.
$1300 for Sequoia. Did anyone get good deal in CA?and which insurance company?
I have AAA in North Carolina for my 2001 Montero and it is $775/year. I moved here from CA two years ago. I guess for insurance reasons I'm glad I'm not in CA anymore. Miss the state but not the expenses of living there.
Good luck finding something cheaper.
Modern vehilces have so many different systems and connections that the chances of the installer not getting everything just right when putting a new engine in is very high IMO.
I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear. I'd consider one of the other options for trade or selling back if it's a decent offer.
I had a similar experience on my 30K service. I found a huge amount of tranny fluid in my drive the next morning. Dealer had my truck picked up and they said the plug was in and it was just that the tech had allowed the fluid to drain onto the bottom plate without cleaning it out. They claimed that none of my new fluid was drained out. Now 10K later, my tranny is making weird whining noises on occassion. I may have been screwed!
Good Luck to you.
Drew
Your shocks are only covered in the Initial 36K warranty. Of coure, I'm out of warranty but it probably went bad within the warranty. My replacements are on order. I'm going with Monroe NOT OEM. Mitsu wants $150 per.
I replaced the OEM Bridgestone HT's with HL's. I think I'm going to like this improved tread design better. Too early to know for sure though.
Drew