The Sporting Life

A mid-sized, luxury SUV that tows? Meet the new Mitsubishi Montero Sport Limited.

February 1, 2004

Let's face facts: If the only thing that you cared about was getting your boat to and from the launch ramp, that '72 International Harvester Scout that's rusting out back of Grandpa's barn would be the way to go. A little elbow grease, a couple of new tires, an old blanket over the seats, and you'd be in business. You'd also be miserable, and it wouldn't be long before you'd be coming up with excuses to NOT take the boat out. Next thing you know, the ol' Scout would be right back behind the barn, although it would have some company - your now-neglected boat.

In the real world, you want a tow vehicle that not only has the gumption to haul you and the boat and all the gear you feel like schlepping, but can also do it in comfort and style.

Of course, we don't all want the exact same thing. Some of us want monstrous vehicles that can carry entire football teams, and some want something more manageable on the road and on the budget. Mitsubishi's Montero Sport is designed for those who fall into the latter category.

The Montero Sport's had to overcome a certain stigma that Japanese-designed trucks just don't measure up to American expectations. Drivers who look to trucks for pure utility have never had a problem with the expectation thing. Those folks don't consider things like cup holders that can handle a 44-ounce Dr. Pepper, or leather seats that could give a Barcalounger a run for its money. The rest of us, however, care about such details, so the Mitsubishi design team (based in California) burned the midnight oil to give us what we want.

First and foremost, when you're talking about towing, you want muscle, and the Montero Sport has it. The test Montero is equipped with the Limited configuration, which comes in either two- (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). Both are powered by a 200-hp, 3.5L, single overhead cam (SOHC), 24-valve V6 that produces 228 pounds-feet at 3500 rpm, and has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, the same engine that's in the full-sized Montero SUV. In the mid-sized Montero Sport Limited Edition, with a curb weight of 4,260 pounds (the 2WD weighs in at 4,020 pounds), the V6 has low-end pep to spare, so there's no problem getting up a steep launch ramp. The engine is less impressive as it works up the powerband, though, with acceleration at highway speeds disappointing.

A four-speed automatic transmission is standard on all Montero Sport models, and it's a good one. One bonus is the "optimum shift control" that factors in the accelerator position, vehicle speed and brake appli-cation to customize the shift pattern to both road conditions and your driving style. Does optimum shift control work? It seems to, but then again, if it's working perfectly, you probably won't notice because it's so smooth and seamless. Under load, up and down hills, cruise control on and off, the transmission is flawless during our week of testing.

The second transmission bonus is one that you may not even notice. The transmission has a "winter safety mode" that can be engaged via a dashboard switch, which locks out first gear when you're going from a standing start. This forces the Montero Sport to start out in second gear for slower and gentler acceleration. This is great in icy conditions, but it's also good for towing purposes, especially on steeper launch ramps.

Further enhancing the Montero Sport's towing capability are the ventilated front and solid disc rear brakes with a four-sensor, three-channel Multi-Mode anti-lock system (ABS) that operates in both 2WD and 4WD. In 2WD, the ABS brakes the front wheels independently and the rear wheels as a unit. In 4WD, the system switches to brake the rear wheels and the front wheel on the side with the least traction simultaneously, while the front wheel with better traction is braked independently. Backing down a slippery ramp becomes a lot less hair-raising with the Montero's ABS on the job.

At first sight, the Montero Sport's interior seems awfully small. But after you've been behind the wheel for a few blocks, you start to realize that you have plenty of room. With the rear seats up, there's room for four adults, with 37.3 inches of headroom and 33.5 inches of legroom for the folks in the back seat. Up front, you get 37.6 inches of headroom and 42.8 inches of legroom. Fold down the rear seats, and the Montero Sport delivers 79.3 cubic feet of cargo space, big enough to hold all your gear, from wakeboards to ice chests.

On the road, the Montero Sport has a ride that compares favorably to a full-sized car. The entire vehicle floor, the front wheel housings and the inner firewall are all covered with a heat-treated, noise-reducing, melting-sheet insulation. Lateral braces running beneath the passenger compartment, crossmembers under the rear seat and additional supports under the cargo compartment add strength and rigidity, and are combined with one-piece body stampings for a ride that is rattle-free during the testing, even on rough backcountry roads.

One flaw does become apparent during the testing: The Montero Sport seems disconcertingly tippy. Just more than an inch wider than it is tall (width: 69.9 inches; height: 68.3 inches), the Montero Sport just does not feel as stable as it could if the Mitsubishi designers, who've done such a great job on the body lines and the interior layout, would just widen the vehicle's stance a few inches. This isn't a deal-breaker of a complaint, but it's something that should get attention during the next redesign.

Okay, it's not perfect. But the 2000 Montero Sport Limited is a serious improvement over its predecessors, and you can count on this: After a drive in the Mitsubishi, that ol' Scout's gonna be staying out by the barn.