Does anyone's wife DD a Gen 1?

geocrasher

Observer
My wife has driven my Raider and likes it. Then again, she would also prefer a late 80's Suburban over her car.
 

off-roader

Expedition Leader
I suspect you'll find it will be like any other thing. It's all based on the individual whether or not they'll enjoy it. Some of my ex GF's loved my gen I but most would have preferred a newer rig with nicer cabin amenities (heated seats, smooth ride, good gas mileage, etc.).
 

kuroi

Chief mud inspector
My wife loved her gen1swb while she had it. she used to commute between sacramento and san francisco in it
 
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Last year I had a gen I and my wife had no issue driving it. She never complained once. It was a great little vehicle. My biggest concern was safety when compared to a newer car.
 

fangars

Adventurer
My wife does not like it, especially compared to her 2005 Xterra. She does not like the bouncy seats, as she calls them, and the lack of power compared to the Xterra.
 

Senor Carey

Observer
Thanks for the replies. Among others, we've had a 2002 and 2006 Xterra. What the earlier Xterra lacked, the '06 handled with aplomb. It's hard to beat 270HP and a 6-speed. I don't want another Xterra, though. There are way too many of them roaming the streets.

I seem to be having a bit of a time finding a good example of any Gen 2-2.5. I've looked at a Gen 3 and actually think that she'd really like driving one, but she's not enamored with the styling.

I love the styling of the Gen 1s, but it is hard to sell a vehicle on reliability and styling alone.

I'll keep up my search...
 

lordtrunks

camp loser
well it sounds what your wife really needs is something she can jump in and just drive a 20+ year old truck doesn't fit that ideal in my mind unless you were to buy one and do a full on overhaul on the whole rig front to back top to bottom nothing like getting a phone call from her sitting on the side of the hiway. To elaborate on that a friend of mine just bought a 89 4dr for his girl we knew the owner and it was a solid truck but right after they got it home it got a small oil leak then over a few days it turned into a full on flow so he ended up having to pull the motor put new oil pan front and rear oil seals and also did cam seals then replaced the oil cooler lines along with crank bolt and some other seals along with the job btw she helped with the whole job. I hope you get the idea, i love gen 1's i don't love my old lady driving one as a DD.
 
Thanks for the replies. Among others, we've had a 2002 and 2006 Xterra. What the earlier Xterra lacked, the '06 handled with aplomb. It's hard to beat 270HP and a 6-speed. I don't want another Xterra, though. There are way too many of them roaming the streets.

I seem to be having a bit of a time finding a good example of any Gen 2-2.5. I've looked at a Gen 3 and actually think that she'd really like driving one, but she's not enamored with the styling.

I love the styling of the Gen 1s, but it is hard to sell a vehicle on reliability and styling alone.

I'll keep up my search...

I too loved the styling of my gen I Montero.

The Good:
The boxy style with the flat windows is just looks cool. I dig the safari look.
The dash or the lack there of is great.
I also appreciate the head room because I am 6'8".
The size of the vehicle was perfect for my needs. It was easy to park, and it had a good size on the trail.
Cheap and easy to maintain.
Fun to drive. I loved how nimble the vehicle was and how it handles.
Offroad capability was better than I expected, even with the IFS it was capable of tackling moderate trails with easy. I found that they are much more capable than a Toyota pickup because the don't spin tires, but it's no Jeep Rubicon.
The automatic transmission with the lockup torque converter is a great unit. It's as smooth as butter.
The IFS indestructible when compared to other manufactures.
While it may not seem like a big deal, the fact that the spare tire is mounted on the rear door is a big deal. It really helps departure angles, and it makes it much cheaper to mount oversized tires. It also comes in handy when you have to fix a flat.
The bodies are pretty rust resistant when compared to other vehicle from that period

The Bad:

While it is great for short distances, it was not a comfortable vehicle for long distance travel. It really made my shoulders and back sore.
There is no third row.
Safety was always a concern for me because it lacked all the newer safety features like crumple zones, ABS and airbags.
Poor fuel mileage. I would consistently get 14-15mpg with mixed driving and 17 mpg on the freeway.
I wish it had more power. I can live with 15 mpg if I have power. But when I have 140 hp and crappy mpg's something is wrong.
Aftermarket parts were limited and many companies stopped producing aftermarket parts.
Lack of dealer support for OEM parts (particularly interior trim pieces)
While very offroad capable, I wish it had a solid axle. If the Montero would have come with a solid axle it would have been even more capable. With major up
No factory front or rear lockers. While they can be had in the aftermarket, I wish they were available from the factory.
It lacked the AWD mode found on the second gen Monteros.
It was difficult to find a Montero that is over 20 years in great condition.

So I too was at a cross roads. I wanted the boxy styling, more offroad capability, updated safety, more luxury and more aftermarket support. Over the years I have really liked the first gen I Troopers because of there boxy look, but they are inferior to Gen I Montero in almost every way. The Gen I Trooper is also a 20 year vehicle that is hard to come by in great condition. The only other vehicle on the US market with the high roof and boxy styling is the Mercedes G wagon. The Mercedes has it all, except it comes with a heavy price tag. A 10 year old G Wagon will cost over $20K where a Gen I Montero or Trooper can be had for a fraction of that cost. The G Wagon is everything the Montero or Trooper could have and should have been. The G Wagon is hand made in Austria with solid axles, 300-650hp, lockers, extreme luxury, seating for up to 9, and unbelievable safety. The G Wagon may just be the best offroad vehicle ever made. They are that amazing, but reality is they are out of most peoples price range. If you can't afford the G Wagon, then I would recommend getting the Gen II.5 Montero because it is probably the most underrated offroad vehicle ever made. It is a huge upgrade over the Gen I Montero. Yeah you lose the boxy body, but it is superior in every way and your body will thank you after a long drive. Did I mention I saw 24 mpg several out of my 2000 Montero with the 3.5L and 4 speed auto. They are beautiful vehicles.
 
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rxinhed

Dirt Guy
...but she's not enamored with the styling...

If the vehicle, no matter what it is, doesn't pass the wife's muster, then she will not drive it and you'll have wasted your money. Spence has down-talked the Gen I for a long time on many boards, and I can understand some of his points because of his height. However, comparing the G-wagon to a Montero is not apples...they are different segments of the market. If Mitsubishi built something that was 4 - 5 times the price, we'd have a Super Montero, not just the Super Exceed. The G-wagon is built on a different platform and was not meant to be a $20K vehicle.

I liked my Gen I Raider, and have had a total of 14 now. I wore out the Raider and she's scheduled for repairs/upgrades/return to driver when my budget allows. However, I prefer a bare bones type vehicle for simplicity.

Spence, come on. He's asking about a Daily driver...not long haul overlanding. Montero Gen I is a great puddle jumper. My daughter always like taking flight in the Raider.
 
If the vehicle, no matter what it is, doesn't pass the wife's muster, then she will not drive it and you'll have wasted your money. Spence has down-talked the Gen I for a long time on many boards, and I can understand some of his points because of his height. However, comparing the G-wagon to a Montero is not apples...they are different segments of the market. If Mitsubishi built something that was 4 - 5 times the price, we'd have a Super Montero, not just the Super Exceed. The G-wagon is built on a different platform and was not meant to be a $20K vehicle.

I liked my Gen I Raider, and have had a total of 14 now. I wore out the Raider and she's scheduled for repairs/upgrades/return to driver when my budget allows. However, I prefer a bare bones type vehicle for simplicity.

Spence, come on. He's asking about a Daily driver...not long haul overlanding. Montero Gen I is a great puddle jumper. My daughter always like taking flight in the Raider.

It is not my intent to hurt your feeling or make you feel bad about your 14 Gen I Montero's. My goal is to provide the original poster with my experience, good and bad, and other viable alternatives to a Gen I Montero. Please understand that the major draw to the Gen I for people who have never owned a Montero is the look itself. They love the boxy and African safari look.

I do believe the G Wagon is a very viable alternative to the Gen I Montero and I probably should have explained why. Please understand this is only my opinion. The main reason it is a viable alternative is I believe the value on 2002-2004 models has bottomed out. I know it sounds odd that a 10 year old vehicle will only increase in value, but I truly believe that is the case. For example I had a 1996 LX450 with Lockers that I sold in 2009 for $8500. Larry drove it for 3 years and did not make one repair or mod to the vehicle. Larry recently sold it for $12000 and he had people lining up to buy it, me included cause I really loved that Cruiser, I was just too late.:mad: I believe the G Wagon will also increase in value because the offroad community is driving up the demand as they become more affordable and as the economy recovers. While it is a high buy in point, the vehicle stands to be a very solid investment and you actually stand to make money on the vehicle if you own it for a few years and properly maintain it. My insurance is only $3 more per month than what I was paying on my 2000 Montero and I only have to change the oil every 10K miles. IMHO at the end of the day, it costs the same whether you own a first gen Montero or a Gwagon. Both will retain there value but the Gwagon will probably increase in value, both get identical fuel mileage and maintenance is very similar because the G wagon is built on a 30 year old platform and can be repaired in the driveway. The Gwagon is easier to work on than you think.

Is the Gen I a bad vehicle? No, but I do believe there are other viable alternatives and it is okay to inform people of those alternatives.
 

rxinhed

Dirt Guy
Spence,

I do agree that there are viable alternatives. The OP has not discussed budget range, and this alone could flavor advice on various vehicles. However, your observations about Mitsubishi not stocking interior trim pieces for the Gen I is applicable to a multitude of vehicles. I've had Dodge trucks, a Chevy, lots of LUVs, Austin Healey Sprites and had variabl.e luck finding things I needed outside the wrecking yards. In the interim time, aftermarket for the Chevy and Sprites had some new pop up businesses.

I watched UPS delivery a brand new galvanized frame for a 1962/3 LR DormMobile to a friend's house, and therefore know that different manufacturers have support long after the original production. Back to the OP, he only mentions a Gen I but doesn't provide many other details about his wife's desires or transportation needs.

I respect some of the vehicle choices you've made, really. I was only trying to ground the thread where comparing a G-wagon to a Montero.

Cheers,
Russell
 

gusmorfin

New member
Amen to that

I am with you 100 % base on price range there's anything like Monty , no other SUV has won so many acalades like the Montero.
 

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