[veyron1]

The quality of the mechanicals is proven. No doubt. But as everybody says, it is overpriced for 20...

If I didn't know better, there would be one in my parking lot right about now. But, let's wait and watch...maybe the onslaught of the new SUV's will force HM to reduce the prices. The Endy is old school too. Let's see if the 2.5/3.0 TDCi manages to haul the throne. The only chinks in the Endy's armour are it's rear suspension, rear seats, and 4x4. The Pajero betters the Endy in these areas....and hopefully, the new Endy will address those issues.

And if per chance the Fortuner 3.0 D4D decides to come out by mid-07'......

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by veyron1

the onslaught of the new SUV's will force HM to reduce the prices. ......

I dont think the issue here is the price......the prime reason most people wouldnt or are not picking it up is coz of poor safety features. Even the Swift Zxi has airbags and ABS! You sell an SUV which has snob value even though its outdated...justified....you sell it at a premium since the premium SUV market is empty.....justified......You put safety behind all of the above is just not done! If HM is selling an outdated model it must add a few features to keep it alive!

[suman]

Originally Posted by veyron1

The only chinks in the Endy's armour are it's rear suspension, rear seats, and 4x4. The Pajero betters the Endy in these areas....and hopefully, the new Endy will address those issues.

What is the issue with the Endy's 4X4? Wasn't aware of this chink in the armour....

[rangaraj]

I sent a mail on their website asking for information on the pajero a few months ago and of course - no reply. I then called their dealer in bangalore and asked for a brochure and prices, which he said he would courier to me.. Couple of months passed and then the sales man calls up again and says he was on vacation and he would send a demo vehicle. I told him i would like to see the brochure and prices first and the promise to courier it was repeated and the story continues!!! Still waiting. The attitude of these dealers is still in the Ambassador days.. They dont seem to know how to handle customers in this bracket and god knows how they will do with the montero!!

I suddenly notice a lot more of the "new" old pajeros in bangalore. I hate the sticker across the sides of the car though. Makes it look a little "dubai'ish"..

[veyron1]

@suman: Sumanji, the Endy's 4x4 is more or less like that of the Safari's. Part-time with no centre diff. Which means that you cannot engage 4x4 in tarmac, unlike the Pajero. Besides, the lever is slightly more of a hassle to use...

@rangaraj: True. HM guys' marketing sucks. I know what lengths I had to go to, to get that drive. If this's how they treat potential customers, well...And yeah, the graphics on the red-and-white CRZ isn't my cup of tea either.

[hondadude]

Bumping up this thread. Now that this beast comes with Airbags and ABS, what do people think about it ?

I am waiting for new Endy and when that comes I will test drive both of these and will in all probability buy one of these unless I find a showstopper issue with both of them.

[rangaraj]

Originally Posted by hondadude

Bumping up this thread. Now that this beast comes with Airbags and ABS, what do people think about it ?
.

I am beginning to see a lot more of the new ones on the roads of bangalore if that's any indication - it still is overpriced for an outdated model. But if you want a genuine 4x4 that has solidity, that will degrade gracefully this is it..

[hondadude]

Originally Posted by rangaraj

I am beginning to see a lot more of the new ones on the roads of bangalore if that's any indication - it still is overpriced for an outdated model. But if you want a genuine 4x4 that has solidity, that will degrade gracefully this is it..

Thanks rangaraj. From your previous post (long back in Aug 2006), I see that you were trying to get more info or TD this. Did you get a chance to do that ?

[rangaraj]

Originally Posted by hondadude

Thanks rangaraj. From your previous post (long back in Aug 2006), I see that you were trying to get more info or TD this. Did you get a chance to do that ?

Not yet, have not gone to their showroom.. A friend of mine recently bought one.. will check with him on his experience with the vehicle..

[hondadude]

Did a detailed (hour long) TD of Pajero today with my family. Following are my impressions.

Exterior

Very old school and dated and doesn't look stylish at all. However it definitely looks macho. The two paint scheme looks pathetic in contrasting colors and looks good only in warm silver. Looks are subjective so sorry if I offended Pajero lovers on the forum.

Interior

Very dull, grey and very nineties (very geometric and no smooth curves). Leather seats are good and provide ample support. The middle row is meant for two and that's the biggest bummer. Because of the armrests provided at the ends, it is extremely uncomfortable for three people to sit on the middle seat. Not sure about the thinking behind this weird design of middle row. Has enough headroom and a six footer can sit comfortably on the middle row without worrying about hitting the roof (no pun intended).

A/C was quite efficient and cool but then that is to be expected. One irritating feature was that the horn has to be pressed right in the middle for it to work. It is irritating because I have to almost take hand off the steering wheel to honk.


Safety

Has ABS and (single stage) Airbags, front brakes are discs and rear brakes are drum-in-disc. Had to google to figure out that drum-in-disc are basically disc brakes where drum is used for parking brake. Bottomline, all four discs (it better be for vehicles more than 20L . Overall full marks to Pajero for Safety.


Engine & Transmission

Good engine and quite responsive. The clutch is very light and gear shifts are easy. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which I could drive around in traffic. Almost felt like a car. The third gear can pull from very low speed. I couldn't see exact speed because odo and speedo were not connected in the vehicle I drove. On the NICE road, I floored the pedal and kept it floored all the way for quite some time. Again, don't know how fast I was going but I believe (and Mitsu guys in the back seat confirmed) it was definitely above 120.

At that speed, engine was quite noisy and felt strained . Around 100 (I wish the speedo was working), Pajero cruises quite nicely and I guess that is the way it should be driven. One irritating factor was wind noise. At high speeds, it is quite pronounced. I am not sure if other SUVs suffer with the same problem (will know tomorrow when I take Endy for a spin again).


Ride and Handling

Didn't throw the beast around the corners so can't comment on handling but the ride is amazing. From NICE road to bannerghatta road, the stretch is ridden with potholes and very uneven surfaces and here Pajero showed its true character. At that instant, I forgot the dull interiors and other shortcomings and reveled in its amazing abilities to gobble potholes. I had so much fun, I felt like driving on that stretch a couple of times just to enjoy the feeling of ignoring bad road surfaces.


Overall

Loved driving it, in traffic and on open stretches, on smooth tarmac and on pothole ridden roads. The engine is a tad underpowered but not a problem that can't be ignored. What stands out like a sore thumb is its horrible interior. They just don't belong in a car which costs a lot more than 20L. If one can overlook the car's interiors, it is definitely worth buying it.

As far as I am concerned, I wish Pajero had new Endy's interiors (dash, beige leather etc) and then it would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately it doesn't, and its very hard for me to get over those interiors for now.

[sam_78]

Nice report there hondadude . bt y dont you wait for the Outlander .. the int are fantastic and there are hosts of other features too .

[manson]

To add, time and again people on and off this forum justify the pajero's price by giving undue importance to its off-roading capabilities, but how often are these capabilities made use of? Like one in a hundred drives, or maybe even less than as far as the urban population is concerned.

I doubt one would spend 20L to go off-roading in our country, if someone is really serious about off-roading, a gypdy king or a CJ would prove to be far more cost effective options.

Since the last few months i have been seeing quite a few of these on the road with some hideous paint schemes, white and red (and we talk about the pajero's character lol) makes me wonder how HM has started to finally push these out of their warehouse.

Make no mistake about it, i love the pajero, but what HM is selling at 20L here is a generation older than even the mid 90's pajero imports we have here, atleast i would think a zillion times before taking the plunge.

manson.

[hondadude]

Originally Posted by sam_78

Nice report there hondadude . bt y dont you wait for the Outlander .. the int are fantastic and there are hosts of other features too .

If I wanted a softroader, I would buy CRV with my eyes closed.

[Guderian]

Hi Veyron, Nice review. Read it now.
Since the current Pajaros being sold are the ones with common rail (CR in CRZ?) and would have certain amount of electronic gadgetry...would that mean that older TDs would be more rock solid and worth a second hand purchase ?

[4x4addict]

Just checked their web-site and it seems like there is only one model now at $19 lakhs. It now comes with ABS and Driver/Passenger airbags. If only they would HM would fire the dork who came up with the *unique* dual paint scheme I would buy one.

One thing I like about the Pajero is that it has a center differential that means that I can drive it in all-wheel drive mode on tarmac under heavy rains or slippery conditions.