Faults:

The usual wear and tear, because it was built in 2002 and now is a 12 year old car. The horn was already messed up; it was just improvised by my mechanic instead of buying a new one.

General Comments:

Underrated vehicle.

Very good on/off the road.

Very tough and slick look.

Fuel consumption is high (around 7-8Km/L), however we are here in Bahrain and the price of the petrol is like pennies. Your one gallon is not more than $1.2 (US dollars) :)

Faults:

Some play in the front wheel bearings.

Beginning minor corrosion spots on the edges of the doors.

Expected injectors replacement around 250000 km.

General Comments:

Despite the minor faults above, still running fine - this car was a very pleasing surprise when bought.

Very capable off road, and acceptable on regular roads.

Most of this car is built from solid "old school" mechanical components, far from modern cars full of electronic devices. The reliability of this Pajero Sport is very high; it's easy and cheap to repair.

You definitely need to look for beginning corrosion regularly, so it can be fixed before it becomes serious.

It was bought as car for yard / forest jobs, but it is so well made and performs so well, that it's now being used also for any other business travels as well.

Great job by Mitsubishi, considering it is a 12 year old car.

Faults:

Engine management light comes on at motorway speeds; the dealership have reset the turbo, but has not helped, I still have to pull onto the hard shoulder for 2 minutess to reset the engine. Have read that this may be caused by a CPU power upgrade which the brings horse power up to 138HP; now I have to find out if a previous owner has had this done.

Is burning 2 liters of oil (approx) every 4000 miles.

2nd and 3rd power outlets no longer work.

Replaced front fog lights switch at 76000 miles (75 euro!)

Spare alloy wheel has been badly scratched from being stored underneath cabin.

General Comments:

Crazy high running costs, 22mpg and needs a service every 5000 miles.

High insurance because of the ludicrous Mitsubishi Pajero Sport repair costs.

Slow steering and bad turning circle.

Electric mirrors very slow (Takes ages when trying to park in a tricky place).

On a happier note:

Tke it off road in low range 4x4 and see what it can do; it can dig its way out of anything.

Cruises very well at 60mph (no more) and feels like your barely moving (except for engine noise).

Have driven for hours and had no comfort issues.

It looks so good. Soon as I saw it I wanted it, looks very aggressive, which I want in a 4x4.I t may have its faults and eat my pay cheque, but every time I look out my house front door and see its chrome trim front grille shining back at me, I know it's worth it!

Faults:

Since I've owned this Pajero IO TR (Turbo Intercooler), the valve lifter hydraulic was knocking, but it's now disappeared after I put in some additive that's used by most Mitzi owners.

The other problem was the engine has a clicking noise when the car goes up hill. I brought it to my friend to check with computerized equipment, and it shows nothing going wrong with the engine. Finally I changed the spark plug with the Iridium type; the clicking noise almost disappeared, but still exists when the car goes uphill.

General Comments:

This SUV type car is absolutely not as comfortable as a sedan, but compared to its class competitors, the Pajero IO is a real 4WD SUV in its class, with its Super Select 4WD gear.

The turbo intercooler engine gives a big boost, and very powerful and excellent acceleration.

Rear seat cabin has less room compared to a RAV or CRV.

Faults:

Not much! One electrical fault related to after market tow-bar and a premature battery failure.

General Comments:

Underrated vehicle in my opinion. A great touring car - light and easy to drive on road and capable of coping with most off-road situations. Recently performed faultlessly on 20,000km tour of Australian outback both on and off road.

Complaints so far?

- Interior quality not fantastic - marks easily and is showing it's age.

- Dust sealing on this model is poor - very noticeable when surrounded by red dust for miles!

- Drivers seat not as supportive as it could be.

- Suffers what I would say is excessive road noise for a car costing this much (especially with A/T tyres fitted.

The biggest pluses for this vehicle are:

- The auto transmission is awesome - rarely caught out and is great both on and off road.

- The interior is well thought out and has loads of very useable storage space.

Fuel "economy" is not great, but then you don't buy a car like this expecting to run it for pennies. Overall I find it a lot more user friendly than Toyota Landcruiser/Nissan Patrol and if carefully driven it can probably take you most places they will get you. The petrol versions are excellent value on the second hand market right now...