Test drive Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero, Shogun) LWB 2000 - 2003 SUV

Under a friendly growl ...

Everyone or almost everyone likes jeeps. There are not just a lot of people who want to purchase these cars, but a lot. But, unlike a foreign buyer, ours, as a rule, selects a car with a gasoline engine. Although the diesel, as it seems to us, is much more naturally associated with a heavy and sedate SUV, rather than a frivolous low -profile.
The main argument of the supporters of the tractors of gasoline today can be taken into account only partly. The difference in the cost of the 95th and diesel fuel is a maximum of 20 percent. The addiction to the diesel engine is explained, rather, not by considerations of fuel efficiency, but by the fact that the behavior of the car becomes completely different: confident overclocking at low speeds and uniform, overcoming all traction barriers. At the same time, collecting three SUVs in the same class with diesel engines was not so easy. But who wants to be able to ...
All three of our good ones (almost said old ones, and the models are just quite fresh) acquaintances. We represented Mitsubishi Pajero III in May of this year. The long version with a diesel engine seemed to us then one of the most successful. Isuzu Trooper, in an updated body and with a new engine, has been actively sold in the Russian market since last year. And the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which produced a splash for both us and abroad, earlier (in the old body) was known to most consumers only with gasoline motors. The entire trinity is equipped with turbodiesels of close volume (3-3.2 l), but if the Japanese are mechanical, with the front bridges disconnected, then an American machine gun with constant all-wheel drive. Pajero also distinguished himself. From others. In a third life, he lost his characteristic jeep line of the frame.
Purely outwardly, two ultramodern fashionistas Jeep and Mitsubishi contrast with Isuzu. The ten -year -old veteran, although it was restored, but ... it is the largest and largest of the three. Trooper is generally courageous and strict in appearance, but you still can’t call it a 100%ascetic. The end load here is not through the lifting door, but through the asymmetric swing feature of the cargo -passenger function of the body. On the rug in the trunk is hard longitudinal stripes, the load glides along them, like along the rails. But the pretty plastic covering the spare, seemed fragile and soft.
Pajero is unusually cute, friendly and at the same time some kind of collected, concentrated. In front, the protection of the crankcase is striking, almost from wheel to the wheel, and the absence of the front history. However, parts of the bumper, replacing this overhang, could be five centimeters away from the road then and the front wheels could enter almost onto the steep wall. But the plastic linings on the lower edge of the body are potential candidates for victims of off -road troubles. In the guise of Grand, undisguised aggression, but without malice and irritation. He became swollen and became even more impressive than his predecessor. The fact that the stock in the trunk is undoubtedly good. The shape of the body is visually more integral, and washing the car is easier. The glass of the fifth door, by the way, opens separately from the entire structure. Well, just walk around the bush, it's time to climb the salons. We can start starting the motors, but there is no time to get off the place. Therefore, in order.
Inside Isuzu is unexpectedly noisy. It seems as if the engine is tapping very close, without any noise insulation. Of course, it is possible to survive, but I note that almost nothing can be heard from the outside. When you get behind the wheel and you begin to inspect, there is a feeling of spaciousness and quality. The instrument panel, however, is quite archaic, especially this applies to control of the stove and ventilation. Relief pens and fuzzy fixation were the characteristic features of Japanese women about fifteen to twenty years ago. The review in front and sides is quite acceptable, but back you can not even look around only a piece of the sky. It is better to navigate the side mirrors. By the way, they fold the button. A giant hatch two times more traditional further enhances this feeling of community with nature. The location behind the wheel cannot be called ideal somewhat slippery chair without lateral support and the steering wheel without longitudinal adjustment does not give proper freedom. But the concern for the front passenger between the seats for him (or her) is attached to the tunnel is attached to a comfortable handle. In addition, there is a Door Lock button on the door that blocks the door locks and duplicate the driver’s: the passenger can be urgently overwhelmed and, in the absence of the driver, you never know.
Pajero is almost the exact opposite of Isuzu. Extremely comfortable landing, a steering wheel, cold hands with wooden overlays. Between the seats, the armrest driven with intermediate fixation back and forth. Ergonomic forms of the shield, including the control of the stereo system, the readings of which, along with ventilation and heating, are displayed on a luminous display. The ceiling here is very high, and before it you must almost reach out with your hand. The review is also acceptable in all directions, except the rear. Three full -fledged rear head restraints and the reserve overlapping half a glass are forced to use outer mirrors. True, under the floor of the luggage compartment lurks ... the third row of seats organically leaving from there and located in the direction of movement. This causes a long and low rear overhang. Mitsubishi at the height, despite the spinelessness, despite the spinelessness.
In the interior, the new Grand is a solid mixture of American and European styles. High -quality plastic is adjacent to not always logical switching and the location of the handles. For example, in order to turn on the fog, we had to break our heads, well, nowhere is there a lever or a button. It turned out that this was done with stretching out, along the axis, a cap of the left steering wheel switch. And on the plane of the steering wheel right under the thumbs, two buttons. At first glance, the sound signal, and in turn to turn on the cruise control. And when I wanted to buzz, I was wrong. The profile of the seats could also be deeper on the convex pillow at every turn.
But, right, all these minor disadvantages are compensated by the truly chic sound of the CD stereo system (although the management is again illogical). Jeep is perhaps the quietest of the whole Trinity, and his review is more likely. The next stage is from the place to the quarry. To the quarry? Exactly! Where the off -road qualities will appear even better, if not in a sandy career near Lyubertsy, where there is a stone granite plateau with broken pieces of two meters, and a lake, in the jacket of which we almost drowned Hummer ... (see this number. ) Even on the road there, on even asphalt, leaders and outsiders were revealed.
Trooper, as we expected, proved himself to be a middle peasant, although not a complete dumbass. The Pajero III with the modern DID motor of the greatest power, although it was dispersed normally only in the range of three to four thousand revolutions, but did it quite acceptable. By the way, both machines and allowed to move in II-IV mode instead of I-III-IV-V. It is very convenient, this is the peculiarity of diesel engines. I don’t even know why in their boxes there are so many gears perhaps to carry a load? On yourself or behind yourself.
But Jeep was slightly disappointed. You sit down, start, drive went. Drinking, drowning the gashter in the floor and to the point of zilch. The car does not want to accelerate. No, do not think in absolute numbers the dynamics is quite on top, but there are still not enough sensations. Especially in comparison with the V8 gasoline grand. He is already painfully frisky. In addition, Jeep is pretty rolling, catching on the road his heavily hydraulic power prayer is excessively prayed. But when they got out on the stones, I’ll say: he swallows unevenness, as if they were not at all. Blow yourself directly only swaying, and no sharp blows. In this regard, Isuzu is noticeably tougher. Again, the two sides of the medal on the off-road shocks, and you better feel the trajectory along the highway. Mitsubishi is somewhere in the middle. (One can only hope that this is a golden mean.) This is about the smoothness of the course. Management, as a rule, is inversely proportional to it. But in this case, the clear leader of Pajero, despite the soft suspension. He just has such an amplifier of the steering wheel that you feel the reverse reaction from the road.
As for patency, perhaps each of the subjects has its own virtues. So, Jeep perfectly rakes sand with all four. Where we lightly put Pajero on the belly and dug up wet and cold sand for a long time, Grand passed on the third attempt, only rolling the track. Just on the machine, the stupid Yankee did not have time, butter, digging pits under the wheels. And on the rocky shore, which there wasn’t even thought to force on anything, Trooper, like a real rogue, climbed along terrible wilds and did not catch on anything. With this explanation, a hard body on a strong frame and the colossal passages of pendants. By the way, ISUZU all -wheel drive turns on conveniently, button on the panel. If, however, to forget to turn it off, at first you do not understand on the hard coating why the car does not steer at all. Until you know how to restore Status quo.
It has long been known that everyone chooses a thing for himself, therefore, we believe that each of the above SUVs will have its own hot adherents. Pigzon and fashionable Pajero III is very impressive, Grand Cherokee is aggressive and cool, and Trooper is simply indispensable for off -road. Their prices are close, and in a more advantageous position in the ratio, quality is perhaps ISUZU. Although the loud names of competitors are worth money on their own.
 
Vladimir Smirnov
Photo by Alexander Nozdrin
 

Source: Cars