Almost everything, roomy, comfortable, great interior quality, good stering

Goes through windshield wipers, changing the oil is very hard to do. C'mon Mitsubishi - you've got to do something about this. Would not let anyone but the dealer do it. The quick car people run an hide when they see one of these - as far as an oil change.

Overall, very good. Good quality, good ride, the interior design is much better than the 4runner. Could use a little more power - low end. In a year - no problems other than the fact that it will go through wiper blades very quickly. I would buy one again.

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Toyota 4runner

I think this is the best looking mid-sized SUV on the road for the money. The interior looks much better than a comparably equipped ForeRunner. I have a buddy with an SR5 ForeRunner that stickered right around $27K. The interior looks like it belongs in a much cheaper vehicle. Come on Toyota, $27K is a good chunk of cash. Give 'em what they're paying for. It's got a very smooth ride when compared to other ladder frame SUV's (like a ForeRunner, or the current Explorer, or the Rodeo, or the Pathfinder). You can't compare it to many of the newly introduced SUV's out there because they're car-based, with unibody construction. Unibody constructed vehicles will almost always provide a better ride than a ladder frame. If all you're interested in is ride, buy an Acura, or a CRV, or a Rav 4. The vehicle is very comfortable to ride in, if you're 6ft or under. If you're over 6ft, buy something larger. You get lots of features for the money. The 2001 XLS is the best Montero Sport currently available. Too bad they weren't on the market when I bought mine in June of 1999. Did I mention good looking? I really like this truck, for the most part.

Very few factory accessories. Front brakes needed replacing at 20,000 miles. Vibration/shimmy between 5-65 mph. I've had the vehicle aligned by the dealer once, and had the tires balanced 3 times, and still the vibration exists. It virtually disappears immediately after a balance/alignment, but it returns within a month. I've run across more people who have experienced this problem than I would have expected, but that number is still fewer than those who have NOT ever experienced this problem. I'm not real fond of the built-in engine warm up feature either. On cold days the transmission takes longer to shift from 1st to 2nd, allowing the engine to rev higher, and warm up quicker. Kind of annoying. The steering could be a little heavier and firmer.

I really like this vehicle. I love the looks, and I know that it has some serious off-road capabilities. The Montero Sport is built on the same fram as it's full-sized sibling, the Montero, used until 2000. In 2001, the full-sized Monty got a new frame. Take a look under this vehicle. It's built to handle more off-roading than most people will do. Not that most of us would take a $30,000 rock crawling, but it can get you through some serious muck if you need it to. I think Mitsubishi has a great vehicle here, with a few minor flaws that they really need to fix (brakes, and the 60 mph slight vibration problem). If those 2 items could be ironed out, I would whole-heartedly recommend this vehicle to anyone looking to purchase a mid-sized SUV. Like I said, I have encountered fewer people with the vibration problem than those with it. It's really a great little truck. Just don't expect it to ride, drive, or handle like a car, and you'll love it too. If you want a car, buy a car, not an SUV.

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Explorer: Loved these until I rode in one. Crappy ride. Cramped back eat. Rear door handles are impossible for adults to use. Squeaks and rattles abound at 1 year old. ForeRunner: Great vehicle. Cheap interior. Choppy ride. Options are EXPENSIVE. Pathfinder: I just don't like the way these look, inside or out. Rodeo: Cheap looking interior. Chevy Blazer: Not even in the same class. Cherokee: Horrid ride. Pitiful acceleration, even compared to the Montero Sport. Crappy interior. Grand Cherokee: Friend has one, with the 4.0l 6cyl. The acceleration is bad. The ride is choppy, and they fall apart afer a few years. I have driven all of these vehicles at least once, in the last 19 months, and I can say with 100% certainty, when comparing comparably equipped vehicles, the Montero Sport outshines them all. The ForeRunner is a very close second, only losing because of ride and the cheap interior.

- Exterior
- Equipment
-

- Lack of Power
- Crash test
- small 2nd row of seats

The Montero sport is a pretty good vehicle overall. It can be expected more for this car but probably in the near future. I can say it is better than other SUV.

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None

Comfortable, Higher visual pattern for driving awarness. The room I need.

Braking System...Within the first two weeks of driving my vehicle. I was hearing a loud noise coming from the front drivers wheel area as well as feeling the vehicle pull to the left. When taking it into the dealership. I was told that there was a piece of "Packing Material" still stuck to the wheel area. I was told that it was removed and I was "Good to go".
When getting home I discovered that a fluid had been sprayed around the wheel area. I thought that maybe they needed to spray the wheel to remove the "Packing Material". The noise came back after a week.
I was then told that the brakes needed to "Seat". That this was expected.
The noise never went away it was just less obvious......While waiting for the brakes to seat. I then heard a louder and more serious noise.
Only to discover that the brake pads on the front left wheel have been completely worn away on the inside and the outside remaining normal.
I'm now being told that this will be considered normal wear and is not covered by my warranty. I was also told that I am to expect to replace brakes every 8-12,000 miles. I never expected to spend 30.000 on a vehicle and then spend more money every 8-12.ooo miles for brake work. I bought the extended warranty so that I would be protected...With my last vehicle I was treated like the "Dumb Female Consumer" this time I bought for reliability, responsibility, and protection.........And once again I'm in the "Female Consumer Catagory" (packing material....Who do they think their kidding)....But, by no means the "DUMB FEMALE CATAGORY"
And, never did I think that my second education would be car repairs......

Discouraged, the sale was all positive, after the sale.....It all became my problem.....even with the extended warranty.....

Read the warranty guide lines carefully..... Were not really taken care of.

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None

Looks, well built, performance.

Gas mileage could be better, cup holder placement is the worst.

I have had no major problems at all with this SUV. Other than oil changes and brake pads,these are the only times it has gone to the shop.
Headroom is tight, but I'm 6'1" and fit with no problem. Great cargo area.
Comfortable highway riding with very little noise.

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Had a Toyota 4 Runner, but the price got way too high.

Visual appeal, roominess, smooth quiet drive, doesn't drive like a truck. Get alot for the money.

It is a little lacking in hp, takes a few minutes to get up to speed, but its not a sports car. Its it fine for an SUV. The roof is a little low, may not be good for really tall individuals.

Excellent. It has a nice smooth ride, its so quiet that you can hardly tell the engine is on. It is roomy, the back seats fold and tilt, and has under carpet storage in the back behind the seats. It has an extra plug behind the back seats and two in front for charging cell phones, going camping, etc.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee-more expensive and not as stylish

Good Looks, but looks arn't everything.

The car tends to spin out when it is raining. Very Light and top heavy.

The biggest mistake I ever made was buying this car. This car feels very light and shakey once on the highway. I noticed that when you make a turn you can almost feel the car tipping over. Six weeks after I bought the car, the 1999 Montero Sport was rated as the worst SUV on the road. This did not make me feel safe at all. I will never buy another Mitsubishi.

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None

Solid brakes and a competant V6 engine(limited only). Sharp looks and pleasant interior. Not too overstated. Still truck tough. Pretty good off road capabilities. Good ground clearance. Pretty nimble handelling

Headroom.Engine noise get's louder with A/C or heater turned on.The V6 needs to be updated for more HP &/or torque. Ride is still much like a truck.Don't buy it if you're looking for the ride or handelling of a car.

At first, I was thoroughly impressed with this vehicle. The 197hp V6 is the engine of choice,and there's plenty of power at all speeds. Don't expect sports car acceleration though. It's a very good alternative to a minivan if you have 1 or 2 children. The safety ratings on this vehicle have improved since its conception in 1997. This includes stronger structural metal to the safety cage which improved prior offset frontal crash test results. Other safety devices for 2001 include dualairbags,side-impact doorbeams,pretensioner seatbelts, child seat latches in the rearseat area, and ABS disk brakes on Limited models. The novelty has worn off, but I'd still take the MS over the '01 Ford Explorer or Chevy Blazer.

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Handles better than a 01'Ford Explorer. Better ground clearance than most midsize SUV's out there.(8in.)Competitive pricing for midsize SUV market.

Lots of room, height, appearance.

acceleration, paint.

I own an ES with a V6 3000 24 valve engine, 2WD, automatic transmission.

I have had almost no problems with this vehicle in the year I have driven it. I say almost. The day I bought it, the center seat belt broke while trying to install a carseat. Definitely not reassuring. Since getting that replaced, I have had no complaints with reliability.

The engine is fine unless you want to accelerate quickly, such as an expressway on-ramp. It tends to have a hang-time of a couple of seconds before the power kicks in and the car takes off. My husband isn't patient enough to wait that 2 seconds.

Mine is painted "Seattle Silver". I don't know if this problem is just with the chemical makeup of this color, or if it is inherent in all Mitsubishi paint, but the tiniest rubbing takes off the paint. I have several dime-sized places where paint has scratched off.

A complaint that several of my passengers have is that the radio and environmental controls are oddly arranged. They appear to be arranged for the Japaneses market. This doesn't bother me so much until I try to reach for the controls in someone else's car, and they aren't where I am used to.

The cargo area is wonderful. It greatly exceeds that in my husband's Jeep Cherokee. Also, when the rear seats are folded down, an adult can lay stretched out comfortably with the hatch closed. Handy for those camping trips that turn rainy. The rear seats have fully adjustable head rests that come off and store conveniently when the seats are folded. Lowering the rear seats is easy and can be done by a small woman.

I also like the height of the car. You can see over cars blocking your way and around pick-up trucks. The only draw-back is the increased risk of rollover when turning. For shorter people, Mitsubishi installed numerous (like 7) hand grips to maneuver entering and exiting the car because it is so tall.

The backseat is roomy enough for my 6'6" father to ride comfortably. (Well, as comfortably as he can expect to ride in a vehicle that isn't a limousine.) Also, the height makes it easy to put things in the backseat without braining yourself on the top of the doorway.

The gas mileage is decent considering the size of the vehicle. It is comparable to other midsize SUV's at 17/19. However, in this day-and-age of $2.00/gallon gas prices, it doesn't always seem that great.

Overall, this is a great around town, hauling lots of domestic items (including a 50-pound boxer-lab mix with carrier, toys, food/water bowls, and leash), but still allows for the youthful indulgence of riding around in a cool-looking automobile.

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Jeep Cherokee - Definitely quieter, and larger passenger and cargo spaces.

None

Brakes & Tires

Tires had to be replaced at 13,000 miles
Front Brakes replaced at 11,000 miles
Front Brakes replaced again at 21,000 miles along with rotors
Back Brakes replaced at 22,000 miles
Very dissatisfied with maintenance, dealer & Mitsubishi headquarters
Never had these problems with Toyota 4 Runner or Nissan Pathfinder

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Toyota 4 Runner & Nissan Pathfinder - No comparison - Never had any problems with these vehicles