The Pragmatist's 4x4

MANILA, Philippines - Mitsubishi’s Montero Sport is the problem other manufacturers probably wish would just go away. It seats seven, has a choice of two CRDi engines, uses a tough ladder-frame chassis but rides almost as well as a unibody, and the prices are competitive. The “base” GLS model only costs a little more than a compact SUV, and the high-end GLS SE packs a lot of bang-for-the-buck against the likes of its immediate competitors both truck-based and car-based. AND in between it has this: the GLS 4x4 with the thrifty 2.5-liter CRDi, part-time four-wheel drive, and a stick shift. Yes, a 5-speed manual transmission just like what the driving schools and our dads taught us to master years ago. If you must have an automatic with the 2.5, you’ll have to make do with just rear-wheel drive. If you still want the four-wheel drive and an automatic, you’ll then have to go whole hog with the 3.2-liter GLS SE.

For those who seriously anticipate the need for a 4WD system over the course of ownership, the midlevel GLS 4x4 makes sense. The 2.5-liter, 134-HP CRDi unit only makes 29 less horsepower and 2.9 less kg-m of torque compared to the 3.2-liter, 164-HP of the SE. It weighs 60 kilos less (almost as much as a lightweight passenger), and has nearly the same level of modcons. You miss out on the leather upholstery, the automatic climate control, the power-adjustable driver’s seat, and the stereo doesn’t sound as nice as the SE’s because the latter gets 6-speakers versus the GLS’ 4.

It also lacks the SE’s expensive Limited Slip Differential, so if you are planning to take the GLS for some very technical off-roading you’ll have a bit of a handicap. Then again, the GLS costs P1.480M versus the SE’s P1.720M, for a substantial savings of P240k. For that amount of cash you could easily upgrade the stereo, get a flashier set of wheels and a decent home theater system. Plus, the GLS still comes with reverse sensors, power-folding mirrors, foglamps, ABS, and dual airbags.

So how does it compare on the road (and off) to the SE? Very favorably, actually. As soon as you get used to the chore of rowing the gears – a bit of a challenge if your “clutch” leg muscles have atrophied over the years – it’s not that big a deal. The clutch is not overly heavy, and while the shifter has the typical wide gates of a truck transmission, it doesn’t feel medieval. Even my wife, who’s been driving an automatic for years, got used to the setup after a few minutes coming to terms with the clutch take-up and notchy feel of the shifter.

The GLS 4x4 is obviously not meant for city dwellers, because if they want the convenience of an automatic, they can go for the simpler, cheaper 4x2. What the GLS 4x4 should appeal to are the frequent road warriors and provincial customers, the type who can get the most out of the 2.5-liter with the 5-speed while having the added security of 4WD.

Compared to the SE’s burly 3.2, the 2.5 of the GLS seems a bit flat below 2,000rpm before the turbo kicks in. The power is most useful between 2,500 and 3,500 rpm, and here the 5-speed makes sense. An experienced driver can keep the engine “on the boil” without having to rely on fancy electronics or be limited by just four gears. The 2.5 also sounds better than the 3.2 which tends to sound industrial. The 2.5 still sounds like a diesel, of course, but the smaller displacement doesn’t create quite the racket of the 3.2. At full throttle it’s mostly the whine of the turbo and a discreet clatter that you’ll hear through the firewall. Speed freaks will still go for the more powerful SE which has the power to effortlessly cruise at 160kph and gobble up hills even in a high gear thanks to its torquier engine. The GLS is no laggard but has to work harder to keep the speed up on open roads and uphill courses. That’s why it’s got a manual, right? In city/highway driving and with a light load, the 2.5 delivers anywhere from 8 to 12 kilometers per liter depending on how heavy the driver’s right foot is.

Manipulating the “Super Select 4WD” is relatively easy; just pull up or down on the lever beside the regular shifter to shift into 4WD-High or 4WD-Low. The system allows you to shift into 4WD-High from 2WD at speeds up to 100kph; very convenient if the available traction turns screwy. The GLS, by the way, comes with Bridgestone Desert Dueller tires which provide a good ride and ample traction with negligible tread noise.

Ride-wise, the Montero Sport has the most civilized suspension among all the truck-based SUVs. Credit for this must go to the rear coil springs which do a much better job of soaking up bumps and jitters than more traditional leaf springs. Even so, it still offers 8.46 inches of ground clearance and respectable approach, departure, and break-over angles (unless you’re the type that likes to bash trucks over and against boulders)

I once took a stock unit up to the Bab-a-Dak Ranger Station on Mount Pulag with its hair-rising terrain and the suspension was perfectly capable of handling the abuse. Other mechanical subtleties are appreciated: the rack-and-pinion steering feels precise and gives good feedback even at high speed, the brakes deliver strong stopping power, and the overall chassis is very predictable at the limit. At its media introduction in Thailand Mitsubishi was perfectly confident to have us test drive the Montero Sport at the highly technical Bira Racing Circuit. Coming down Baguio’s Marcos Highway I once had to induce the ABS in a curve. Even though it’s a bad idea to brake while turning, that emergency manouver only made the tail rotate gently outwards but went back in line with a little bit of countersteer. Overall, the Montero Sport drives pretty much like any other recent Mitsubishi: machine-like, predictable, fairly nimble, and communicative about what’s going on underneath you.

Functionally, the rest of the truck works very well. There are no interior packaging gimmicks with the cabin, but instead uses tried-and-true techniques. The 2nd and 3rd row bench seats split, fold, and tumble forward, creating cargo space that will swallow everything from tall plants to bicycles, strollers, and balikbayan boxes. With just the 3rd row seatback folded flat, you can fit a large cooler, four large backpacks, and all the other camping gear you’d need for a weekend climb.

Fit and finish is good, but not really luxurious. The cabin is mostly gray-and-black plastic and fabric, creating a somber mood that’s all grown-up but mostly forgettable. The only highlights are the blue-faced instrument panel and that nice, multi-info LCD panel on the dash.

But who are we to complain? For the price, the Montero Sport GLS is a well-rounded vehicle that is equally at home in a posh subdivision as it does on a rural farm road. It’s competent, comfortable, and it’s sized and priced just right for the buyer who needs an all-around family vehicle that can be taken where car-based SUVs fear to tread.

THE GOOD

• Capable, comfortable drivetrain and chassis.

• Plenty of value-added features.

• Nondescript but attractive styling.

THE BAD

• Underwhelming stereo.

• Cold interior styling.

THE VERDICT

• GLS might be short for “GoLdilockS”; Just Right in most everything that matters.