[gameonrwind]

Originally Posted by ijeet

it just does not make "economical" sense to buy a vehicle for once in a blue moon use. Keep that money in an investment instrument and hire different vehicles every time.

So that was a "mind" advice but if your heart tugs at the look of a Montero then nothing else will do. Even if you are sitting in a Merc, your heart will skip a beat at one look of Montero. If you are in that condition pick up one because happiness is way more important than mind decisions.
-Ijeet

Absolutely Correct , your first point makes a lot of sense , say 10 % cost of capital on 15 Lakh would be 1.5 Lakh / year . With that money a premium self driver car @ 6000/Day can be hired for almost 25 Days in a year, i.e. 4 week vacation in a year. Plus you are not locking in the money in a depreciating asset. if i factor the depreciation cost it would add some more days of hire.
The magic number 25 somehow also tallies with the number of holidays a person can take in a year. if i look at my overall usage in number of days i think i will be at least three times of that. i.e. close to 90 day.

as of now it is still a good option to consider and hire till you get a good choice and not lock yourself in a bad investment.

[gameonrwind]

Originally Posted by RedOne

He should definitely be able to check the general health of the car and give a report.

Do let me know.

Red-One.

would like it if he can, I have PM ed my contact details , you can give his contact details.

[gameonrwind]

Update : never really went about completing the deal, the dealer called me back after a couple of days. Nice guy I must say, not pushy like other guys and understands well. Said some guy from national geographic is really interested in the car and is going to inspect the car soon. Going by the profile he says that the car is going to be sold.
Since I had taken the majority decision to stay away from this I was a little reluctant to proceed, since then the car has vanished from all sites, so I am happy that she found a caretaker .

The reason for the update was, I just spotted a dark blue, brand new montero with temporary number plates being driven on the highway close to sriperumbudur, chennai.

Hehe, thinking about it again. The search continues.

[Cooleo]

Hello good folks,

After a long search I have zeroed down on a 2012 make Silver Mitsubishi Montero Automatic 3.2Di-D in the Delhi NCR Region.

The car is registered in Haryana, used in Rajasthan and up for sale in Delhi NCR.

The dealer, a typical Delhi Car Dealer has little/minimum knowledge/info about the car but loaded with nonsense, like the car has 12 Air Bags and God knows what not.

The Test Drive of the car has left me with more questions than answers. I can't put a finger on what exactly is wrong with the Car but neither the dealer, nor the car exudes confidence/ a positive vibe. The Dealer claims the car has 82,000 odd clicks/kms on the Odo, however, the Service Centre says the car was last serviced at 1,82,000 kms/clicks.

Upon closer inspection I found the front bonnet has paint coming/peeling off in small places. The Front and rear bumpers have some scratches and did not seem to be perfectly aligned the way they ought to be. The seats were scruffy and worn out in some places but what came as a shock/surprise to me was that the metal pedals of the Car had worn out as well. This was something that was new to me and I think the car may have been abused rather than used.

The reason I am keen on this vehicle is because It's the last of it's kind available in India but at the same time I would not like to buy a lemon/burn my fingers with an uninformed decision. If the vehicle is mechanically sound, I will take it.

I will be in Delhi NCR for the Auto Expo from 7th-9th February, weekend and would humbly request T-BHPians, especially in the Delhi NCR region to accompany me with the test drive and inspection of the car and help me make an informed decision.

Regards,

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by Cooleo

I will be in Delhi NCR for the Auto Expo from 7th-9th February, weekend and would humbly request T-BHPians, especially in the Delhi NCR region to accompany me with the test drive and inspection of the car and help me make an informed decision.
Regards,

Why on earth do you still want to buy this car when you are sure that the odo is tampered with?
Avoid it at all costs. No point going for it as you never what might go wrong with it.

[Cooleo]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Why on earth do you still want to buy this car when you are sure that the odo is tampered with?
Avoid it at all costs. No point going for it as you never what might go wrong with it.

I appreciate your prompt reply & guess you may be right. It's just a case of heart over head. Still I would appreciate if someone would accompany me and check the vehicle.

[krish69]

Originally Posted by RedOne

Okay, so I will be the guy who'll say go for it.

Hi Redone,
I saw you own a Montero and I've come across one I am contemplating buying (I am based in Mumbai).
I think you have up for sale as well.

This one is a 2011 model (facelift), 1 owner (hopefully) company maintained but run 115k (hope genuine) and company maintained.

A. What should be the realistic price for a car like this? Any expenses I should be budgeting. I will inspect the car but it has a new battery and relatively new tires and some other work being done up (mounts I believe).

B. How reliable is it? I intend to use it as my second/third car for weekend trips to the nearby hills or highway runs. I don't tend to use the cars much but I do need reliability for the mild off-roading. I can source a garage and spares (hopefully). Any usual "trouble" areas I should locate?

C. Why are you selling yours? any issues or just had it for long enough?


Thanks !
Cheers
Krish

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by krish69

I am contemplating buying company maintained but run 115k (hope genuine) and company maintained.

Haven't owned a Montero but bought a brand new Pajero SFX, many Years ago. I will always take the car for service to the local dealer but got so angry when I found that the dealer itself was using FAKE parts. This was in 2010-12 if I am not mistaken. So even if the owner is getting the car serviced from the dealers, there is no guarantee that everything will be OE.

If you have a hands-on experience with repairs or are a DIY guy and have extra time, you should consider else dont even bother. Spares will be hard to get, mostly reconditioned via so called importers and mechanics will be even harder to find. If you have a knack for such vehicles, instead find a LC Prado.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by krish69

B. How reliable is it? I intend to use it as my second/third car for weekend trips to the nearby hills or highway runs. I don't tend to use the cars much but I do need reliability for the mild off-roading.

Hi Krish, I own a 2010 Montero (as its known in India) for more than 5 years now, and its nearing the 190,000kms mark. However, the car is in Australia, so that might slightly change the equation when compared to the examples you are looking at.

As part of my ownership experience, the car has covered over 107,000 kms where I have had it as my primary vehicle. It's done innumerous highway trips, local short trips, and it's been super reliable. I have even taken it on trips to the Australian outback, as well as off-roading.

Outback Trip 1 (Our venture at exploring the Australian Outback)
Outback Trip 2 (Our second venture at exploring the Australian Outback)
Beach Offroading (Exploring new frontiers : Trip to the Bribie Sand Island, off Brisbane)

This car is built to last, and being a model which has been around this long, as well as sold in various global markets, any issues that have come up are documented with resolutions. There is a forum called the Pajero Club of Victoria where the members are quite technical and hands-on, and serves as my go-to site for any Pajero related queries.

If you can source the spares from the UAE, for example plus a good mechanic, this is an option you can consider. However, evaluate your situation before you proceed.

Two pics from my trips :

[krish69]

thanks a lot !

I think a lot will depend on the condition and drive of the car. I am still waiting for the seller to fix a time.
This is more a project car if you will so I can take a few chances (depending on what he agrees to sell at).

Your car looks gorgeous and I've seen the ones in Australia
have done very well. Indian conditions (and drivers) are another beast !

Cheers

[RedOne]

Originally Posted by krish69

Hi Redone,
I saw you own a Montero and I've come across one I am contemplating buying (I am based in Mumbai).
I think you have up for sale as well.

Krish

Hi Krish
Sorry, didn't see your post earlier.

First off, I am not selling mine; you must have mistaken some other seller.

I am quite happy with mine and will not be replacing it anytime soon. Very few SUV's come close to Montero in what it does (well spec-ed, good on-road behavior without compromising too much on off-road capabilities).

Service and parts is an issue but not a major one, provided you have a reliable source for parts and a reliable FNG. I use Mitsubishi service (Bangalore) only for the periodic service so that the maintenance record is updated. They are not good for other work or troubleshooting.

My Montero (13 years old) have crossed 1.3L of which 50K was my contribution. I've had couple of issues like left rear bearing noise and clutch slipping. Both were while on long trips and were in very early stages, not causing any impact to the trip. The bearing was replaced in 2 days, the part arriving from Dubai overnight. The clutch required replacing the flywheel as well and I got stuck with a fraudulent seller who sent wrong part and then refused to refund the money. Waited 6-7 months for him to deliver before going to another parts seller who got the OE flywheel to me in 3 days!

Given the mileage of the Montero you have identified, in case it has not already been done, you should budget a suspension overhaul and if it's a manual, then a clutch/flywheel replacement.

Please feel free to reach out for any further information.

[blissoftorque]

Hi RedOne,

Could you please help me with the contact details of a reliable mechanic / workshop who can take care of a 2007 Montero?

Thanks,

[Itszii]

Originally Posted by RedOne

Hi Krish
Sorry, didn't see your post earlier.

First off, I am not selling mine; you must have mistaken some other seller.

I am quite happy with mine and will not be replacing it anytime soon. Very few SUV's come close to Montero in what it does (well spec-ed, good on-road behavior without compromising too much on off-road capabilities).

Service and parts is an issue but not a major one, provided you have a reliable source for parts and a reliable FNG. I use Mitsubishi service (Bangalore) only for the periodic service so that the maintenance record is updated. They are not good for other work or troubleshooting.

My Montero (13 years old) have crossed 1.3L of which 50K was my contribution. I've had couple of issues like left rear bearing noise and clutch slipping. Both were while on long trips and were in very early stages, not causing any impact to the trip. The bearing was replaced in 2 days, the part arriving from Dubai overnight. The clutch required replacing the flywheel as well and I got stuck with a fraudulent seller who sent wrong part and then refused to refund the money. Waited 6-7 months for him to deliver before going to another parts seller who got the OE flywheel to me in 3 days!

Given the mileage of the Montero you have identified, in case it has not already been done, you should budget a suspension overhaul and if it's a manual, then a clutch/flywheel replacement.

Please feel free to reach out for any further information.

Hi @Redone,

Good to see you holding on to your Montero. I am searching for one for over a couple of months now my initial choice was MUX but after driving a friends Montero (2007 Manual with a ironman suspension upgrade) loved the drive and comfort n changed my mind to pick a Montero, while there are hardly any found in Bangalore I found one in TN Auto 2007 model done about 1L kms any reco on what should be checked and current market price.

Looking forward to hear back

[RedOne]

Originally Posted by Itszii

Hi @Redone,

Good to see you holding on to your Montero. I am searching for one for over a couple of months now my initial choice was MUX but after driving a friends Montero (2007 Manual with a ironman suspension upgrade) loved the drive and comfort n changed my mind to pick a Montero, while there are hardly any found in Bangalore I found one in TN Auto 2007 model done about 1L kms any reco on what should be checked and current market price.

Looking forward to hear back

Hi, 2007 in India had 2 models, the pre and post facelift/upgrade. The pre facelift models (old shape) can be had for much cheaper. You can check the usual things like suspension, brakes, rust, accident damage, service history. 1 Lakh KM means it's due for timing belt replacement. Not sure of price but a good TN reg one with that mileage should be in the range of 7-9L.

All the best in your search.