All I will say is a lot of so called car experts have coloured blinkers on and still think a manufacturer's reputation of the past is still somehow inherent in the new models. I am not loyal to any brand, but must admit I have a distinct dislike to one brand just because whenever I go away with owners of them, their advertising war cry does not live up to the reality and the bonnet is always up or they are under their cars fixing something. I have driven the Pajero and was pleasently surprised. But as a proper 4WD able to cover long distances etc it falls way below my requirements. The above link measures them slightly differently. According to someone who was there, the difference between the top two contenders was 1 point.
Vaughan said
04:53 PM Apr 18, 2016
I have had a Fortuner for nearly 5 months and couldn't be happier. Only short trips with the van but no issues at all. Doing a big one in mid June and very confident it will perform.Excellent fuel economy, very comfortable and plenty of dealers around Australia if required.
Hylife said
09:45 PM Apr 19, 2016
Thanks Dirvine & Vaughan.
Just ordered a Fortuna Crusade. The Mitsi value proposition is huge at nearly 10 grand cheaper for a far more luxurious vehicle in fit, finish and technology (Toyota take note: Fire your Thai interior designers, NOW!).
Everyone will have different needs and wants, but, my primary criteria in choosing which vehicle, in this category, were:-
a) towing ability (Pajero Sport 3100kg, Fortuna 2800kg (auto)) b) high clearance ability (PS 218mm, F 225mm) c) real 4x4 capability (no soft-roaders here) d) fuel economy (PS 8.0, F 8.6 (auto) ADR81/02) e) durability (Heritage:- PS = ex Triton, F = ex Hilux) servicing and parts should be no problems.
,,,,and finally the deal breakers that eliminated the Mitsi,,,,
f) reasonable grunt for town use g) good road handling on the black top as well as ability and stability in the dirt.
1. Test drive showed the Mitsi quite a bit under-powered in traffic, which was surprising with only 300cc difference in displacement and the spec sheets listing near identical weights, power and torque data. If I thought that now, how would I feel once I hooked up the van. 2. The Mitsi suspension is woeful. It gets extremely out of shape on bumps. Any bumps. Minor speed humps you would approach at 50kph in an ordinary sedan sent the Mitsi into a series of rebounds if over 20kph. Normal dips and deviations in the road of residential streets sapped your confidence at 30 to 40kph. It was like there was no shocks at all, just springs. Three or more rebounds before it settled, every time. Chicanes sent the Pajero Sport double wallowing left and right with each change of deviation from center. Turning into side streets over 20kph felt like the risk of a rollover. A minor off-road excursion up a floodway in outer metro Melbourne had the Pajero Sport bouncing all over the place. If this was a real outback track I'd be car sick in no time. The Fortuner on the other hand required only a modicum of reduced speed over speed bumps with a tell-tale clunk from the rear if you took them much too fast (60-70kph). Residential road imperfections meant nothing to the Fortuner, nor did the overgrown spoon drain in the floodway that I failed to notice the first time with the Mitsi that scared the bejesus out of me. I was worried that I might have broken something in the Mitsi test vehicle.
So concerned was I about the lack of power and poor handling of the Mitsi I actually went to another dealer altogether in a neighbouring suburb and test drive another Pajero Sport, thinking that perhaps the first one had been maltreated by previous testers or that there might be some unreported fault or lack of servicing on the demo vehicle. Nope. This second one only had 10km on the clock and I was the first to drive it, and it too was sluggish and its handling just awful.
So, Toyota it is. Terrible interior colour scheme but sh!tty colours don't really have an impact on performance and abilities.
Have ordered the OEM alloy bullbar, snorkel and towbar, and the Warn 9,000lb winch.
Doing another big one in July to the Gibb in the Kimberleys for a couple of months. Hope all goes well.
Vaughan said
11:09 AM Apr 21, 2016
Well done. agree with the internal seat colours , we went brown leather , which colour did you go for?
aussietraveller said
04:14 PM Apr 23, 2016
interestingly I have found the reverse "as they say its personal choice" and I already own a Pajero I took a mate with me who drives a 4x4 but not Mitsubishi and like me he found the Mitsi more comfortable by far much better appointed -creature comforts- and a much better price with a saving of $7000 and the Toyota steering was more vague than the Mitsi with a clumsy ride on the bitumen as well as considerable loss of storage space when the third row seats were not in use, I may be wrong but I very seldom see Grey nomads with passengers in third row seats.
Two reviewers gave Fortuner a rating of 5.5/10 i thought somewhat better than that but not as good to drive as the Pajero Sport.
I am honest enough to say that I am Biased but so must John Cadogan and most other motor writers who rate the Pajero Sport much higher.
BaupleNut said
08:44 AM Apr 24, 2016
So let me get this right Hylife, your taking an unfamiliar vehicle for a test drive in built up areas and taking it over speed humps at 60-70 kph, when speed humps are only in shared zones, 10-50 kph speed limits, I find this extraordinary behavior from a grown man, in areas where there maybe pedestrians and children, not real smart nor safe.
BaupleNut
aussietraveller said
03:49 PM Apr 24, 2016
Like BurpleNut I question the comments made by Hylife because the two things he identify's as the deal breaker in deciding not to go with the mitsi have not been identified as an issue by any motoring writer in fact they have been identified as strengths and indeed positives by all motoring writers who have done reports on the new Pajero Sport.
I admit to being biased right up front purely on the fact that I currently drive a Pajero that is coming up to 200,000 klm and at least half towing a 21 foot van I really wonder what the reason for Hylife's comments are.
rockylizard said
04:26 PM Apr 24, 2016
Gday...
wrong info
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 24th of April 2016 04:39:27 PM
Olley46 said
12:43 PM Apr 26, 2016
I took a Toyota Fortuner for a test drive before bought an Isuzu MU-X ,the Fortuner drove very stable for me nothing like a car ride, my daughter has a Pajero 3years old it drives better than the Fortuner, I will stick with the Isuzu its Magic.
Lance C
davey said
06:50 PM Apr 26, 2016
So far i have done 4000ks 3000ks towing , and found it to be a top tow tug! better than our last car ML350CDI mind you our van is only 2 ton and off road its epic.
I am tossing up between a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or a Toyota Fortuner.
My test drives have provided me with too many pluses and minuses for each one to be sure which one to choose.
Would welcome any comments from those that have one of them.
-- Edited by Hylife on Saturday 16th of April 2016 09:12:28 PM
www.caradvice.com.au/431436/family-4x4-suv-comparison-ford-everest-v-isuzu-mu-x-v-mitsubishi-pajero-sport-v-toyota-fortuner-v-nissan-patrol/
All I will say is a lot of so called car experts have coloured blinkers on and still think a manufacturer's reputation of the past is still somehow inherent in the new models. I am not loyal to any brand, but must admit I have a distinct dislike to one brand just because whenever I go away with owners of them, their advertising war cry does not live up to the reality and the bonnet is always up or they are under their cars fixing something. I have driven the Pajero and was pleasently surprised. But as a proper 4WD able to cover long distances etc it falls way below my requirements. The above link measures them slightly differently. According to someone who was there, the difference between the top two contenders was 1 point.
I have had a Fortuner for nearly 5 months and couldn't be happier. Only short trips with the van but no issues at all. Doing a big one in mid June and very confident it will perform.Excellent fuel economy, very comfortable and plenty of dealers around Australia if required.
Thanks Dirvine & Vaughan.
Just ordered a Fortuna Crusade.
The Mitsi value proposition is huge at nearly 10 grand cheaper for a far more luxurious vehicle in fit, finish and technology (Toyota take note: Fire your Thai interior designers, NOW!).
Everyone will have different needs and wants, but, my primary criteria in choosing which vehicle, in this category, were:-
a) towing ability (Pajero Sport 3100kg, Fortuna 2800kg (auto))
b) high clearance ability (PS 218mm, F 225mm)
c) real 4x4 capability (no soft-roaders here)
d) fuel economy (PS 8.0, F 8.6 (auto) ADR81/02)
e) durability (Heritage:- PS = ex Triton, F = ex Hilux) servicing and parts should be no problems.
,,,,and finally the deal breakers that eliminated the Mitsi,,,,
f) reasonable grunt for town use
g) good road handling on the black top as well as ability and stability in the dirt.
1. Test drive showed the Mitsi quite a bit under-powered in traffic, which was surprising with only 300cc difference in displacement and the spec sheets listing near identical weights, power and torque data. If I thought that now, how would I feel once I hooked up the van.
2. The Mitsi suspension is woeful. It gets extremely out of shape on bumps. Any bumps.
Minor speed humps you would approach at 50kph in an ordinary sedan sent the Mitsi into a series of rebounds if over 20kph. Normal dips and deviations in the road of residential streets sapped your confidence at 30 to 40kph.
It was like there was no shocks at all, just springs. Three or more rebounds before it settled, every time.
Chicanes sent the Pajero Sport double wallowing left and right with each change of deviation from center. Turning into side streets over 20kph felt like the risk of a rollover.
A minor off-road excursion up a floodway in outer metro Melbourne had the Pajero Sport bouncing all over the place. If this was a real outback track I'd be car sick in no time.
The Fortuner on the other hand required only a modicum of reduced speed over speed bumps with a tell-tale clunk from the rear if you took them much too fast (60-70kph). Residential road imperfections meant nothing to the Fortuner, nor did the overgrown spoon drain in the floodway that I failed to notice the first time with the Mitsi that scared the bejesus out of me. I was worried that I might have broken something in the Mitsi test vehicle.
So concerned was I about the lack of power and poor handling of the Mitsi I actually went to another dealer altogether in a neighbouring suburb and test drive another Pajero Sport, thinking that perhaps the first one had been maltreated by previous testers or that there might be some unreported fault or lack of servicing on the demo vehicle.
Nope. This second one only had 10km on the clock and I was the first to drive it, and it too was sluggish and its handling just awful.
So, Toyota it is. Terrible interior colour scheme but sh!tty colours don't really have an impact on performance and abilities.
Have ordered the OEM alloy bullbar, snorkel and towbar, and the Warn 9,000lb winch.
Doing another big one in July to the Gibb in the Kimberleys for a couple of months. Hope all goes well.
Well done. agree with the internal seat colours , we went brown leather , which colour did you go for?
Two reviewers gave Fortuner a rating of 5.5/10 i thought somewhat better than that but not as good to drive as the Pajero Sport.
I am honest enough to say that I am Biased but so must John Cadogan and most other motor writers who rate the Pajero Sport much higher.
BaupleNut
Like BurpleNut I question the comments made by Hylife because the two things he identify's as the deal breaker in deciding not to go with the mitsi have not been identified as an issue by any motoring writer in fact they have been identified as strengths and indeed positives by all motoring writers who have done reports on the new Pajero Sport.
I admit to being biased right up front purely on the fact that I currently drive a Pajero that is coming up to 200,000 klm and at least half towing a 21 foot van I really wonder what the reason for Hylife's comments are.
Gday...
wrong info
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 24th of April 2016 04:39:27 PM
I took a Toyota Fortuner for a test drive before bought an Isuzu MU-X ,the Fortuner drove very stable for me nothing like a car ride, my daughter has a Pajero 3years old it drives better than the Fortuner, I will stick with the Isuzu its Magic.
Lance C
https://youtu.be/Qmjjpz9T6zg