[gameonrwind]

Hello ,
I really do not drive a much, Primarily because I Travel a lot because of my job and am never at home (Bangalore). Hence my knowledge about cars is limited to reading a lot. That being said I do appreciate a good drive and plan for it when ever i get a change and never hesitate to jump behind the wheel.
Lately I have been yearning to buy a car (although i would not be using it a lot) , the primary objective would be to take it out for vacation drives.

The SUV's are top of the list because of the space and ability to handle our inconsistent road quality. Off course the pride factor and road presence is also playing on the back of my mind (Should i say Heart?) .

I was not planning to spend a lot of money on a new vehicle , given that i will not be using it a lot and the depreciation per KM of usage would kill me. so i started search for Quality SUV's in the range of 10 to 15 lakhs.

what came up on my list after a few searches were.
1. Grand Vitara
2. Captiva
3. CRV
4. Outlander
5. Pajero
6. Montero

What really interested me was the Montero , and the 2007-8 facelift looks pretty decent. Plus it is a true SUV and not a soft roader . Has loads of space and safety features.

as of now have only checked out one Montero,

https://www.olx.in/item/mitsubishi-m...tml#2975793f28

I went to the dealer and he was pretty cooperative. I took it to SVR for inspection and they said that the vehicle has been regularly serviced at their shop and the owner of the car is a nice guy too and is willing to negotiate a bit on the price.

However since I am a reader more than a driver , there are some nightmares which wake me up.
1. Montero although reliable , a car which has run for a Lack plus Kms is likely to expect work in the very near future for Suspensions , Clutch , Brakes and May be electrical. I am told that if this happens the maintenance cost are likely to burn a big hole.
2. Spares are not only expensive they have very long lead times.
3. It is unlikely that i would be able to sell this car . I dont feel that there would be many takers like me for this in the future.
4. Plus i felt that the car was a little funny to drive i.e. the suspensions and the brakes did not feel that great ( however I may not be a good judge considering my limited experience ) .
5. Anybody I speak to about this car, want me to run away from it citing future mental trauma of maintaining this car

if all my fears are to come true I estimate at least a 3 lakh additional.

Other options do exist, but somehow the Montero just feels good.

so
Q1. Would it still make sense to go for it ?
Q2. What would be the ideal price to aim for ?

Thanks in advance for pitching in.

[Turbanator]

Montero although reliable , a car which has run for a Lack plus Kms is likely to expect work in the very near future for Suspensions , Clutch , Brakes and May be electrical. I am told that if this happens the maintenance cost are likely to burn a big hole.

Most of the issues that you have listed are correct & if you are not a guy with hands on with regular works on automobiles, better stay away. Instead find something else, list your requirements and priorities and budget. You might get a used Fortuner around same or little higher price.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by gameonrwind

Hello ,

2. Spares are not only expensive they have very long lead times.
3. It is unlikely that i would be able to sell this car . I dont feel that there would be many takers like me for this in the future.
4. Plus i felt that the car was a little funny to drive i.e. the suspensions and the brakes did not feel that great ( ho.

Well, I would avoid for the above reasons and the fact that you did not seem to vibe well with the car. Dont force yourself to like the car. Again, maybe you are moving from a car to a hard core SUV and realise the difference.

Additionally, you need to develop sources for parts and a good mechanic. The cars are simple and not an issue.

If you have the bandwidth to maintain it - go ahead, if you want normal service of a regular car, consider a Hexa (but tata service is an unknown!)

[sudev]

Used Fortuner or Duster AWD, depending on price budget, is what you should be looking at. Great fan of the Grand Vitara but spares are becoming a problem.

[swami69]

Originally Posted by gameonrwind

the primary objective would be to take it out for vacation drives.

The SUV's are top of the list because of the space and ability to handle our inconsistent road quality. Off course the pride factor and road presence is also playing on the back of my mind (Should i say Heart?) .

Not sure what your budget is - but based on your two statements above, i.e., for vacation drives, space, pride factor, road presence, i would say, have a look at a good used XUV5OO. While it is a soft roader, if you do not have much off-road desires, then, i think this is a good car with all those attributes with reasonable ASS.

Even, I was looking for a Ford Endeavour 4X4 (used) and then i thought about various things and settled for an used XUV and I really like it.

Just a thought from my side.

Swami

[GTO]

My personal limit when buying a used car is 40,000 km, maybe 50,000 if it's immaculate. I'll keep my own cars till 2 lakh km (my Jeep has crossed that), but I'm not comfortable buying someone else's 6-digit odometer car as there's a lot that could have gone wrong.

With reference to this particular example, even if it has been maintained well, do keep in mind that a car is built of thousands of wear & tear parts. At 1.3 lakh km, the suspension, clutch, rubber components, air-con compressor, evaporator, some electricals etc. are going to need replacement...sooner or later. The Montero was a 50 lakh SUV and hence, it's repair costs will be in line with that price. A premium 12 lakh SUV can quickly become a 16 lakh one after workshop visits. Not to mention, the time wasted.

The safest buys on your list are low mileage CRVs & Pajeros. For 12 odd lakhs, I'd strongly recommend a late model XUV500 (with most bugs sorted). It is one heck of an SUV. Get one, add on an extended warranty pack and you'll be smiling.

Plus i felt that the car was a little funny to drive i.e. the suspensions and the brakes did not feel that great ( however I may not be a good judge considering my limited experience ) .

The Montero was softened over the years. And yes, it's brake pedal can feel spongy. Both of these factors will amplify on a high mileage car.

[Ace F355]

Most of the things for you are already covered in the replies above.

My personal suggestion for you would be to look more for well maintained XUVs or Fortuners. I was in this dilemma earlier this year and my experience is cited here LINK.

Hope my post from my ownership thread can help you a bit on this.

[gameonrwind]

Thank you All for pitching in with your feedback , it is invaluable.

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Hope my post from my ownership thread can help you a bit on this.

you were very lucky to get a good car at that price, i guess i should also be considering to be patient approach like you to find one rather than buying now between the options available

Originally Posted by GTO

With reference to this particular example, even if it has been maintained well, do keep in mind that a car is built of thousands of wear & tear parts. At 1.3 lakh km, the suspension, clutch, rubber components, air-con compressor, evaporator, some electricals etc. are going to need replacement...sooner or later. The Montero was a 50 lakh SUV and hence, it's repair costs will be in line with that price. A premium 12 lakh SUV can quickly become a 16 lakh one after workshop visits. Not to mention, the time wasted.

This is exactly what is concerning me , if there are spikes like this. it would still make sense to buy any other trouble free vehicle at a higher cost

Originally Posted by sudev

Used Fortuner or Duster AWD, depending on price budget, is what you should be looking at. Great fan of the Grand Vitara but spares are becoming a problem.

Grand Vitara also is a very good option considering my low usage the Petrol would not make a big difference to me. However the feature list of the Grand Vitara is basic.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Dont force yourself to like the car.

Additionally, you need to develop sources for parts and a good mechanic. The cars are simple and not an issue.

If you have the bandwidth to maintain it - go ahead, if you want normal service of a regular car, consider a Hexa (but tata service is an unknown!)

I do appear to be inclined to the Monetro, more of an emotional appeal.
I would probably just stick to the autorised shops for maintenance ( to save time) and even if the maintenance lead times are high it would not impact me much as this car would not be a daily driver. its just that the timing of the workshop visit and the vacation plan should not clash.


From all the feedback received most recommendations are for the XUV and Fortuner.
Albeit everyone is impressed with the XUV's performance and could be available in the price range. I am not really impressed by the XUV's looks ( it still has to grow on me) and it has become very common now ( it is almost the innnova phenomenon repeating itself)
The furtuner looks ok , performs well and is reliable but i could not find many options for the same in the Bangalore market for my price range.
I can still consider waiting and watching the market for some more time.


finally before I let go of the Montero , a last ditch consideration where i want your opinion is that would it still make sense for me to buy it at a lower price (Assuming that i can get it down to that level) .

Say 10 lakhs and then keep a 4 lakh buffer for the expected/unexpected costs ?

[sudev]

Even at that I'd say do not be tempted. Just too many negatives in owning and maintaining.

[gameonrwind]

Originally Posted by sudev

Even at that I'd say do not be tempted. Just too many negatives in owning and maintaining.

Wow , I did not imagine that this was so risky to even consider even if the deal was sweeter.

I guess the owner would have a tough time selling it.

[arnabchak]

One of the most important decisions for a used car buying is the state of teh car in the market when it was being sold in the fist phase. Any car that has flopped miserably does not make a great buying sense for more reasons than one.
No doubt you get a huge depreciation benefit. but then, this hounds you when you look at selling the car. Secondly, the spares are hard to come by. Also, even mechanics may not be very apt at handling these low volume cars.

In your case, a Monteiro with over a 1 lac kms on the odo is a strict no. One, because Mitsubishi, the parent company is extinct. Secondly. it sold in minuscule nos. to warrant any support from mechanics on FNGs. Thirdly, spares will be extremely pricey and long lead times.
If you are hell bent on a Mitsu, Pajero makes a better sense. Else, please stick to Fortuner and smile while crunching miles in a reliable Toyota

[RedOne]

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

I am a big fan of the Montero and had been searching for a clean one for ages. It IS difficult to get a good one, given the lack of sales when new. I bought one finally, last year, for quite a bit more than what you are being quoted, but mine had done about 75K. It was a heart decision, so the general rationale and logic didn't hold me back. If you want one, you'll know.

Maintenance is more expensive compared to typical Japanese vehicles, compounded by the lackluster service at SVR, who are also on the expensive side. A good independent mechanic is crucial to the upkeep of the vehicle (let me know if you need one ). Getting parts was not a problem; the wait time was 2 days to a week.

The only thing I do not like, so far, is the noisy engine and some rattling inside the SUV: seats and stuff. I have chipped it and is so much more an enjoyable drive now. I've done ~20K now and have had to change suspension bushes and rebuild the brakes.

In the case of the one you have found, definitely budget 3-4 lakhs to rebuild the suspension/brakes/clutch. I'd get the work done anyway for peace of mind and it then should be good for another 100k or so. I am assuming there are no other issues like bodywork or bad interiors but it looks all good in the pictures.

Couple of pics of mine below:

[gameonrwind]

just when I thought I had it settled Redone stirs the pot .
your car looks neat !!

yes you are correct, there is a lot of dialogue happening between the heart and the head.

the shear number of people who voted against the choice outweighs a buy decision. But since you are an owner of a pre worshipped Montero does add a lot of weight to your call.

the car is as in the pictures , clean , dent free and the interior is neat consider the KMs it has run. The indicators and hazard lights were not working when I drove it , it probably is some loose connection as the dealer /owner recently fitted new side view mirrors . they are now chrome mirrors instead of the white ones we see in the pictures . the original mirrors were still in the back seat ( they apparently cost 25k for a set).

RedOne;
1. do still own the Montero ?
2. is it possible for your "independent mechanic" to have a look at his car and give an credible opinion on buy or avoid ?

[ijeet]

Okay, so let me be the first one to say just don't buy any car. Yeah

If I am in your condition (Always travelling, never at home) I will not buy any car. In this day and age when self drive rental companies got almost all the vehicles for pittance rental (as compared to the buying cost). 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.

just my 2 paisa

-Ijeet

[RedOne]

Originally Posted by gameonrwind

RedOne;
1. do still own the Montero ?
2. is it possible for your "independent mechanic" to have a look at his car and give an credible opinion on buy or avoid ?

Yup, I still have the Montero and do not plan to sell it for a long time.
I can check with my garage guy. He is not a Montero specialist, but a sound automobile engineer, and a perfectionist. He should definitely be able to check the general health of the car and give a report.

Do let me know.

Gears,
Red-One.