1997 Mitsubishi Montero Review
1997 Mitsubishi Montero Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Wonderful off-road agility, seven passenger seating, and powerful new engine.
Cons
- Price makes this truck more expensive than the larger, more powerful GMC Suburban and Ford Expedition.
What’s new
The Montero is unchanged for this year.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero LS 4dr SUV 4WD and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.64 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$278/mo for Montero LS
Montero LS
vs
$207/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
Vehicle overview
Mitsubishi was in the vanguard at the beginning of the sport-utility boom. Way back in 1989, when the Explorer had yet to be introduced, and the Grand Cherokee was little more than scribblings in a designer's notebook, the Montero had already evolved into a wonderfully practical four-door design that offered excellent utility and go-anywhere capability. As the years passed, however, the Montero moved further and further up-market as Mitsubishi lavished their only sport-ute with additional equipment and expensive gee-whiz components. Today the price of the Montero starts at just under $30,000 and doesn't include options such as a roof rack, air conditioning, antilock brakes, or floor mats.
Realizing that they were losing sales as a result of this steep price, Mitsubishi penned a new shape, placed it on a proven platform, and came up with a not-very-original name for a smaller, less-expensive SUV. The Montero Sport shares a frame with the larger Montero, which is a good thing for those seaking off-road capability, but is shorter overall due to decreased front and rear overhangs. The Montero Sport's cabin holds five passengers instead of the Montero's seven-passenger capability. Interestingly, however, is the fact that the Montero Sport's cargo space actually surpasses that of the full-size Montero.
The Montero Sport is available in three trim levels (we currently only have information on two of them), the ES, LS, and XLS. The Es is powered by a four-cylinder 134-horsepower engine. We doubt that many people will opt for this value leader, and think that it is the lineup to act merely as a customer-grabber in the Sunday new car ads. The most popular model will probably be the LS 4WD automatic. The base price of this truck is $24,415 (including destination charges), and includes a powerful V6 engine. Add preferred packages #3 and #4 and the price climbs to $26,207. If you want power door locks, windows, and mirrors, you'll need to drop an additional $829; the Montero's alleged value is diminishing quickly.
Nevertheless, it is possible to get a well-optioned Montero Sport for less than $30,000. We think that by staying under that magic number, people will flock to Mitsubishi dealerships to check out the this new SUV. Be sure to check out the Montero Sport's rear seat, however, we were disappointed by the short seat cushion and lack of leg room. If you've got lanky teenagers to cart around, this may not be the right truck.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1997 Mitsubishi Montero.
5 star(60%)
4 star(33%)
3 star(7%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(0%)
30 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.13 out of 5 stars
Great SUV for under $5K
az66bug, 10/25/2013
1997 Mitsubishi Montero LS 4dr SUV 4WD
Bought this Montero 2 years ago after doing allot of research for a reliable SUV for under $5K; this was one of 5 suggested.
I didn't want something big like a Expedition or small like a Escape and this fit the bill.
It had 141,000 miles and I knew it would need some money for maintenance items like timing belt, etc.
I only paid $3800.00 so had room to do these repairs.
Although I did … have a cooling issue that turned out to be the radiator, overall I am happy with this Montero.
It's a 3rd vehicle that I bought for hauling around the dogs and Home Depot runs that I drive allot more just because it's pretty fun to drive and simplistic in nature, which I like.
4.13 out of 5 stars
Good used rig
monteroguy, 09/05/2005
1997 Mitsubishi Montero SR 4dr SUV 4WD
Bought my '97 Montero used with 98,000 miles on odometer. Spent some money to replace timing belt, leaking waterpump and new muffler. Needed a 4WD SUV to explore backwoods and unpaved roads. The Montero meets all the requirements very, very well. It is well built, tough and I still get 20 MPG on the highway! Reliability is still unknown to me as I have only owned it for two months. Did a … 1,100 mile drive with no problems what so ever. It took us every where and never complained. I am very happy with my decision to buy a Montero.
3.5 out of 5 stars
SUV for under $5K
az66bug, 08/05/2013
1997 Mitsubishi Montero LS 4dr SUV 4WD
Bought this 1997 Montero (full-size) LS 2 years ago after a ton of research on a GOOD SUV under $5K.
I never heard of this SUV until I was researching and overall I'm impressed keeping in mind this is a 16yr old SUV.
I knew my requirements and knew I had to get the Montero under $5K if the timing belt wasn't replaced recently.
I found one locally with under 150,000 mile (141,236 to be … exact).
I had quite a bit of Maintenance work done, timing belt/water pump first, then within 6 months all the fluids and filters replaced.
This is my 3rd car and is only driven about 5k miles annually.
Although I've put some work into this Montero it's a rough tough SUV; truck like feel.
3.88 out of 5 stars
Great, until you need parts
Coffee, 01/18/2010
1997 Mitsubishi Montero LS 4dr SUV 4WD
Love the truck in winter! Looks good and is holding up well except for a bolt walking out and bending out from the crank shaft to the harmonic balance. I almost had to replace the entire engine if they couldn't get the bolt out. Wish it were better on gas. It's a six, but sucks gas like an 8.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, so we've included reviews for other years of the Montero since its last redesign.
1997 Montero Highlights
LS
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 16 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $278/month |
Drivetrain | four wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalAcceptable
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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