My used Mitsubishi Pajero Sport with 1.20L km: Pros & Cons of ownership

Don't let the age of the car put you off. It's a tough car with premium quality components that are made to last. The mechanical stuff is built to take good abuse and still keep going.

BHPian sdubey23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I picked up a similar 2013 model with 115k on the ODO early this year. A few weeks back I completed the 120k km service as well. All the work you've outlined for the car has been carried out on my car. You may check my posts for more details in this thread.

My two cents on the car under question:

Pros:

1. Less driven. Very hard to find such examples.Excellent VFM car while buying used. It's a lot of cars for the money. Unmatched comfort and ride quality. Perhaps the best in its category from its time.
2. True blue 4x4 SUV. One of the greats in its category. Excellent performance by the 2.5 ltr mill. It's a gem of an engine. One of the smoothest and most refined diesel you'll find out there.
3. Built to last. Don't let the age of the car put you off. It's a tough car with premium quality components that are made to last. The mechanical stuff is built to take good abuse and still keep going. Even the interiors, knobs, stalks, latches, handles, switches, etc are thoughtfully designed and look like they can last for decades. If maintained well I'm pretty sure the car will outlive even you! Imagine passing down a Pajero Sport as a family heirloom to your child. That'll be something else!
4. Rugged looks with a hint of understated elegance. The thing just stands out in an ocean of cut-copy-paste cars and SUVs out there. At traffic signals, in a parking lot, at the toll booths, at petrol stations, when you tell someone what car you drive.
5. Pajero=Passion. Period. You're crazy, irrational, wild. That's who a Pajero owner is. It takes time to get used to the extra attention and follow-up questions from wide-eyed on-lookers, other car owners, gas station workers, security guards; even kids! One simply cannot put a price on this.

Cons:

1. Less driven: This is also a con as it is a big motor diesel. The reasons have been better explained by the more technically inclined and experienced members in the forum.
2. Spares and service: Regular maintenance and upkeep of the car are easy peasy if you live in a big city. Doing this diligently and sticking to the manufacturer's schedule should ensure you don't run into major issues with the car. However, in the unfortunate event where you do have to do major work (I'm talking blown head gaskets, failed fuel pumps, ground transmissions, etc) it will be tough but not impossible. More of a question of how much time and money are you willing to spend on it at this point. The silver lining is that there are success stories right here on our Team-BHP forum of even these being done at reasonable costs as well. Bottom line: any competent FNG who knows what he's doing and has good intentions (not trying to rip off customers) can maintain and fix this car.
3. Price: While it is not good to low-ball good car owners, I suggest you negotiate hard and get it down to a price which YOU think is fair. Pajero, at the end of the day, IS an expensive car to own and maintain in comparison to other options. So, take into account all the possible short and long-term expenses while quoting a price.

Parting notes:

I've seen a lot of irrational fear and 'whataboutery' associated with the Pajero Sport.

In my view, it's a bare basic old-school pick-up truck (Triton base) dressed up as a station wagon. Pop the hood and you'll see, not some alien technology that requires engineers from Space X to figure out! It's nothing more than a crude big motor diesel with a little fancy tech gadgetry to make it more planet-friendly and wallet-friendly. The same 2.5 coupled with the 4x4 transmission has been doing service in jungles, mountains, mines, and construction sites the world over for over a decade now. I've seen Pajeros and Tritons in Malaysia and Indonesia that have done 3,4 and 5 lakh km and going strong while requiring only regular oil changes and wear and tear part replacements.

Good luck and keep us posted here!

Here's what BHPian Sandy Damodaran had to say on the matter:

Congrats! I hadn't seen that thread. The car looks lovely. I had read somewhere that the vehicles till 2013 were CBU units and the assembly started post-2014.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.