here

I think the only reason the seller calls it rare is because it is a short wheelbase. Quite a big Pajero owners club with an internet forum, might be worth looking for that.

My company used to run the LWB version as a company car for one member of staff who towed a lot. MPG was low 20’s at best, high teens at worst. Felt like you were driving a sky scraper with the body roll (we had big vans that cornered better). Steering was a lottery as to what actually happened at the wheels after you’d turned the steering wheel. Performance was lower than the vans we were running at the time. But the biggest problem was only the guy who’s car it was could get comfortable in it, the rest of us would have back ache after 90 mins – it was simply the most uncomfortable vehicle I’ve been in! (and I’m comparing this to making journeys like Yorkshire to Inverness in a Ka, or Yorkshire to Germany in a van). Oh, the turning circle made multi storey car parks a joke too!

I can only assume that they must be awesome offroad ‘cos apart from the towing capacity I can’t see why anyone would ever buy them.

We refused to get the guy another when it came to replacing it as we couldn’t justify the fuel costs.

One plus point, it covered nearly 300000 miles and never had any major issues, so I spose longevity is good.

Don’t let me put you off though!

The mpg is a worry, I want something just like that but with a good mpg…

About 3k to spend.

I had a long wheel base Pajero (1994), same engine as that, for nearly 4 years.

They are very reliable, and 2.8 diesel is probably the best engine, all things considered.

On the down side the short wheel base isn’t anything like as practical – the LWB is a great load lugger and most have seven seats – the rear 2 are okay for shorter adults. 3rd row seats are easy to remove and fold the 2nd row down and you’ll get 2 fully assembled bikes in. 2nd row up and you can get 4 bikes in the boot with just the wheels out. SWB. the boot is very small by comparison.

I’d also question the reality of that particular example being 2002 – check Wikipedia, the Mark 2 finished in 1999, it had a facelift around 1997, and that’s a pre-facelift model (the wheel arches give it away).

The one real problem with the 2.8 is that any problems in the cooling system tend to lead to a cracked head – get them checked by someone who really knows before buying! On the plus side it’s a cam chain not belt, so no routine replacement required.

Should give about 20-25 mpg. Quality tyres will last for around 60,000 miles!

Service parts are cheap and (sometimes with a little bullying) Mitsubishi UK will provide support for non-UK models.

http://www.pocuk.co.uk provides a wealth of information…

Being a Pajero, rather than a Shogun, doesn’t that mark it out as an import, and therefore maybe a genuine 2002 vehicle? Or did it arrive in the UK in 2002?
Feel free to prove me completley wrong!

I want something just like that but with a good mpg…

define good – even dinky 4x4s like the Kangoo 4×4 thingys have shocking fuel consumption. If the point is to drive off road then you won’t actually drive very far, if it isn’t and you plan to cover distances then fuel bills are something you have to accept you’ll pay for vanity

you’ll pay for vanity

I don’t think someone buying an 8 year old, £2.5k car is buying it for vanity. Fair enough if he was asking after a brand new Range Rover Kahn

ricochet_rob – Member
The mpg is a worry, I want something just like that but with a good mpg…

About 3k to spend.

I ran a Nissan Terrano for a few years, comparable to the Shogun in terms of weight etc. Fuel consumption wasn’t as bad as quoted above, on a long run it might even achieve 26 or 28 mpg, towing on a windy day would see this down to 18 or even 16mpg though. I had the 2.7 TDI version, there is a 3.0 that ended the Terrano’s production run, they were smoother, more powerful and could return better fuel consumption if driven sensibly.

For a 4×4 of a Shogun size & weight, you can’t have sensible fuel consumption really, they’re too brick like and agricultural in terms of drivetrain. Capable off road though & more comfortable that an equivalent Land Rover Defender.

We live in the sticks, terrible single lane roads is about 90% of our driving. I cycle to work so its only for dropping the nippers at school, biking trips and taking it into the local woods for getting logs etc.

Our past three cars have all ended up with damage from the roads and when it snowed we could not get out the driveway for 3 days…

Having just got rid of two cars which only did about 20mpg, fuel consumption is an issue but not a show stopper. I suppose something nearer 30 mpg would be OK.

I’ve had a SWB 2.8 Pajero (N plate)…. and LWB 2.8 Shogun (M plate) – a few years ago

Paj was auto – and overheated the gearbox towing….. issues with alternator mount (£££ at Mitsibushi) – and very thirsty.

I have one of those for the business, it is a Japanese import – the silly little mirror on the near side wing is the giveaway, also as mentioned it is unlikely to be 2002, it will be 1999 at the best. They are not the best on road cars, very vague steering, awful fuel efficiency, takes an eternity to accelerate – hardly surprising as it weighs almost 3 tonnes, but brilliant at towing and great off road, again as mentioned the engine seems to be bomb proof. The SWB has NO boot space and for some odd reason the wiring for the glow plugs keeps corroding on mine.

I used to have a Daihatsu Fourtrak. It was a totally brilliant car. It towed like a tug, went anywhere you cared to point it (Welsh and Northumbrian farmers love them), and didn’t use a lot of fuel (high 20s). 2.8 diesel. I got rid sadly because they only come in short wheelbase and it just wasn’t big enough. I think the last ones were made on a V plate. I would have a look at that.

if your milage is as low as you’re suggesting then mpg is no issue at all. But then being stuck for 3 days during the snowiest winter for around 20 years shouldn’t tie you down as to what you drive the rest of the year. (I was stuck for a lot longer than that). Even if you can get going in those conditions you’ll often find the way blocked by people that can’t (me)

Big holes hit at road speeds are still going to damage a 4×4 though (or even throw you in a ditch)

Ran a 98 swb for a couple of years great car but no boot space ,kids meant upgrading to new lwb. Not to bad on juice if driven carefully. Would say that looks around a 1996 model and a bit over priced IMO, have a good look underneath , body can look fine underneath hammered, good luck in yiur search.

If it’s an import, beware insurance – it will probably be gruesome.

Similar cars I’d look at are:

Isuzu Trooper
Daihatsu Fourtrak (bit old now though)
Oldish Discovery
Oldish Defender with bull bars and checker plate to counter those dings!

All decent off road, all cheapish to buy, all a bit thirsty. The Japs will need less TLC than the LRs though but LR parts will be easier to find and fit.

If fuel is an issue you will be able to run that on veg oil which is cheaper to buy but returns less mpg. Its the same engine as in my Delica and baring a chuffed up turbo (which could have happened to any turbod motor) its been pretty reliable for the last 5 years.

Yes its slow to get up to speed but once there they run very nicely. The ride on my Delica is fine so I cannot imagine how the Pajero could be worse. They do lean in the corners but they are tall so you just drive accordingly. The Pajero should come with more toys that a UK spec Shogun as the Japanese love optional extras.

Mine was a Godsend last winter, I work rurally but live in town and it didnt miss a beat getting through the snow to work.

Insurancewise it wont be a killer, I pay around £350 a year fully comp in Blackpool parked on the street, which isnt bad as my Mrs pays about the same for a Scienic.

Parts are a piece of cake as a lot of bits for that will be standard shogun and any additional stuff you can get through places like Milners 4×4.

Space wise internally the SWB is crap in comparison to the LWB and doubly crap compared to mine which seats 7 properly with bags or 4 with full family camping kit.

I would recomend going on POCUK for the low down if you dont know what to look for when viewing.

But the biggest problem was only the guy who’s car it was could get comfortable in it, the rest of us would have back ache after 90 mins – it was simply the most uncomfortable vehicle I’ve been in! (and I’m comparing this to making journeys like Yorkshire to Inverness in a Ka, or Yorkshire to Germany in a van).

You’ve obviously never driven a Vectra 1.8, bottom of the range. Truly God-awful car, the worse seats it’s ever been my misfortune to have to sit in. A wooden bench was more comfortable, as I’d only start to fidget after ten or fifteen minutes, not the time it took to drive the misbegotten heap of crap out of the carpark. The only car I’ve ever driven that was worse was a Yugo. And that had better seats.

When repping, I had to hire a Vectra. I drove 2500 miles in it in a week. I think my back nearly broke. Worst car I have ever driven by a LONG way.

I drove my Pajero to Greece and back twice, didn’t notice uncomfortable seats….

For that sort of money you could get a V6 petrol Vauxhall Frontera. Basically the same thing as an Isuzu Rodeo, but usually full leather, A/C and a huge boot. Also has low range 4×4 and is 2wd (rear) in normal driving.

The mpg on the V6 is usually about 26 to the gallon, but if you want something a little more economical, go for the 2.2dti version. I have one and it manages about 35 mpg on the commute.

Very comfy car on long drives too.

I bought my N reg Shogun at auction four years ago for £1600.

I use it for towing the trailer and work around the estate. Its been great as a workhorse. I did have a waterpump leak which led to a cylinder head failure. I got a new head complete with valves and cam for around £200 on ebay. Fitted it myself. Dead easy to work on. Parts as cheap as Land Rover parts. That one incident apart its been totally reliable.

Mine came with four new Continental Tyres, after four years of heavy on and off road use they are perhaps half worn.

Everything works on it. The Discovery it replaced was perhaps quicker, more frugal on fuel. But nothing worked on it, it leaked and rusted.

Old enough not to suffer huge road tax that newer 4x4s pay.

I’ll run this one into the ground and look for another one.

The forum mentioned above is great for DIY advice.

Never found it uncomfortable to drive. My other car is a Citroen C5 and it’s ride is magic carpet smooth.

Wife’s grandad had a V6 Frontera from new and really rated it. Hated by the press but it served him very well and he REALLY pushes his 4x4s hard.

Had a slight altercation with a wall/mud bank last night in the new 110 (misjudged a very sharp turn into our driveway!) – “damage” was a slightly nudged bumper end cap and not a single mark. Just stuck it back on again!

Laugh at Jezza
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNv1k5WFlyM&feature=related[/video]

You simply wouldn’t catch me driving a Pajero for the name alone, sniggers…. 😆

Pop quizz… do you know why they are called Monteros in Spain 8)

Yes.

Because Frontera means “border?!”

Surf-Mat – Member

Because Frontera means “border?!”

That’s very good Mat, you can now bring your desk closer to the front of the class, unfortunately the question was about why drivers of large 4X4s want to proclaim that they are Pajeros… 😆

Ahh – I see. Sort of.

Explanation numero uno.
Explanation numero dos.

Por los pajeros, para los pajeros!

😆 😆 😆

Bit like the MR2 in France then!

And the Nova in Spain…

And the Nova in Spain…

Except the Spanish don’t really see it, I often have to explain to them, as with the Pajero. They don’t really look at names in the same (juvenile) way that we do. It takes a little imagination to get from Nova to “no va”. You still see quite a few Pajeros (the car) on the road here and a whole load of pajeros (the person). 😆

Don’t forget, of course, the Cortina was called the Taunus here, cortina = curtain!