200000 miles and still a rolling

This is about our 1997 Mitsubishi Montero.... there is no current posting for our year.

After several years and many miles I feel qualified to state that our 1997 Montero is a dream come true.

I have previously written about my Montero on this fabulous site. Lets just say that I love my beastie.....

Every car has some faults, and many fail to please even the smallest percentage of the populace. The Montero falls into this category for a few reasons. Mainly the lack of oooomph... get up and go.... horsepower. However, I have friends that can attest to the capabilities of my Montereo as it has hurtled through brush, congested traffic and highways at above average (and even hair raising) speeds.

Some say that the large frame, boxiness and poor aerodynamics lead to lousy gas mileage. Well....it does.

I can't argue with that. But I love the feeling of driving a M1A Abrahms down the road. I have little to fear... even from the Peterbuilts and Macks.

We purchased our (used) with a few miles on it. Since then I have managed to travel to both coasts and survive winters in the Northeast on many occasions.

Even after 200000 plus miles the ride is smooth and enjoyable. I use this as my work vehicle and the cavernous storage capacity allows me to transport all the needed items....clothes, cooking gear, furniture and my bat table (inversion table). All this while allowing me to transport two to three passengers at high speed comfort and a sense of security that I just don't find in an American built car.

I hate to say this, but I wish Ford, GM or Dodge built this, because I really try to buy American products exclusively.

The Tale of the Tape
Ticker tape or expense report that is. After the usual expenses (oil, lubes, tires, windshield wipers, etc) I have found that the only costly replacement I have endured are the two rear brake rotors and the water pump. I do have to be honest, I replaced all the belts with the water pump.... two birds - one stone....tada....

So, for our initial investment, we have managed to traverse gullys during raging storms; snow, sleet and ice while others floundered; Richmond to Hartford potholes whiles Merceded and Beemers lost wheels; several tens of thousand miles of razor sharp gravel roads.... all with room for seven, and in comfort.

I do need to replace the shocks - 200k miles is a bit much. And these will set me back a penny or two (about 1500 - 1750 dollars for all four corners) since I have the adjustable electronic shocks.

I believe the engine is just now beginning to show some wear. I notice that on long hauls (more than 15 hours straight driving) it lags a bit, and there is some slight usage of the oil (about 1 qt every other month). But no smoke, and I can still make the big tires squawk when I want to anger the local high school bullies. Additionally, I notice no lack of power when hauling large loads (just recently a Bobcat 873) up and down hills.

Some might say so what.... your car / truck / SUV has more miles. And to that I salute you. We live out in Da Boonies.... over 2 miles of clay / gravel / rock roads. My Montero has supported us every time we have asked it to while providing a massive sense of security.

That covers dependability.... as to the ruggedness....wellllllll they don't call me cow catcher for nothing. Six cows, four deer and no telling how many other critters have caused me to try and go into the ditch. Each time the Montero managed to survive without any damage, well almost evey time. I do need a new antenna and a new drivers side headlight housing. But the many beef barbeques made up for the damage.

I also went for a wild ride down into a ravine in Pennsylvania. While heading to Mass, I managed t loose traction ( I was not in 4WD) on I80 eastbound. Somehow I managed to keep the beastie from rolling as we (my daughter kept yelling "Its okay Paule, Its okay Paule") slid sideways down into the abyssal median. After a 1000 feet I managed to regain control and we "popped" back onto the interstate. Yeah... I was nervous and thankful, so was my daughter. She immediately got on the cellphone and said "Mommy, I love you" I slowed down, shifted into 4WD (on the fly) and went on down the road.

I performed a detailed inspection at the next gas stop and me Beastie was still in top shape.

So what am I saying....... I have a 1997 Montero that gets about 18 mpg hwy/15 mpg city, can hual 7 people or a bulldozer. It has managed to survive several incidents with little or no cosmetic damage. And I have had to perform some corrective maintenance that I expected I needed to do.

All in all, WE ARE IN LOVE WITH OUR MONTERO.