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Pajero.. Really?


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Friends, Just to give a clear background. I May put light on few issues which may not be right or as interesting as other post here. I started my driving journey with pre-owned 2010 Toyota Camry which i used it for almost 3 years. In December 2015 with heavy heart i had to let it to and was left with no means to drive around. Fortunately, i came across an offer which i failed to resist and ended up buying brand new fortuner(2015-Old Shape). Hardly i used it for only 6 months and the car was under 7K kms i had to let it go because of my back pain. My family doctor said pain may be due to the seating position, which turned out to be true. I had incurred huge loss selling Fortuner as it was only 6 months old. After selling it i had no other options than buying sedan which will fit my budget at least for couple of years. Ended up buying corolla 2012 nicely maintained car. Fast forward March 2019, From nowhere in mid of some discussion question popped in what if i sell my current sedan and upgrade myself to 7 seater again. This time seating shall be either same as sedan or atleast equivalent so that i dont have back pain issue again. Now im in a dilemma. My budget will be maxed at 50 K for decent 7 seater with possibilities desert/off-road drives. Request your expertise advise on the above considering my long prevailing issue with my back.

Syed   

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Pajero's make good family SUV with 7 comfy seating. If you are back pain sensitive, go with the full option that comes with nice leather seating and lumbar support. If you are thinking of an offroad then I highly suggest a 3.8-liter option.

In your 50K budget you can get 2013 - 2014 clean Pajero with 100 - 150 k kms driven with service history.

If you are more inclined on great offroading capability and comfier ride for 7, then look for Prado and 2012 - 2014 model should be around 70-90k Dhs.

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Many of us struggle with back pain, and the percentage of people is increasing every year. My career as DJ has also left me with worn discs on lower back so i understand your concern. Doing many commuter miles per day can be a real hassle.

Having a good lumbar support is important, and also to try to find that sweet spot where you feel comfortable and the pain is manageable. That indeed depends on car to car, but like a mattress it is a bit trial and error i am afraid. Maybe you could rent a car for a while and see which seems to give the best comfort for you.

Going Offroading is definitely demanding on your back, whatever car you have or use. And doing recovery work and running around in the sand is even making this worse.

What helped for me was the Johnny Walker method.... KEEP WALKING. I walk about 8-10kms every day at work and long walks in the evening with the dogs. It helps to keep the muscles strong and flexible. Some tiger balm can give some relief before going too bed. 

I hope you find some relief and a method that works for you. Don't be afraid to explore accupuncture, massages, physiotherapy, or others. Only you can find what works for you. And don't go for operation unless you really exhausted ALL possible options. Doctors here are far to keen on operating and earning money on your back. 

 

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"Go as far as you can see; once you get there, you'll be able to see further."

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As Salam O Alaikum @syedyaseer.

My wife has a Mitsubishi Pajero top of the range 2014 model, driven about 126000 kms. She wants to sell it now for AED 45000. It has been maintained by Al Habtoor Motors and she has the full service history. It's the 3.8 litre engine with Rockford Fosgate premium sound system and leather seats with lumbar support which is going to help your back trouble. Doctor told me my C2 to C7 have discs bulging inwards pressing on my spinal cord, but with the Pajero I've been on full day around the UAE drive with full comfort and no pain.

Let me know if you're interested.

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Walaikum Salaam,

Thank You Mr. Rahim for your input. Im looking at viable options available before i finalize on any SUV just to ensure all will be well. In case i decide upon Pajero, i will be in touch with you for further discussion. Jazakallah.

 

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Frankly I used to have a lot of respect for the Mitsubishi Pajero. I still do in some sort. The Pajero as a standard car I would say is bad for off-roading if you are going to look at the using it in the desert. The middle seat in the second row is hard and uncomfortable. So if you're a family person, you will get complaints from the person sitting there on long journeys.

If you want to know how the current shape Pajero is going to handle off roading and what you should look out for, here is a good video for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn10rNuMDi4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCXcKkUqAAU

Now this sounds like an old guy rambling on and on, but bear with it and listen all the way through.
Some Pajero owners will not agree with some of the things, but the test was real and well documented.
The guy is a well known off roading enthusiast who has been to Dubai many times for off roading as well. So he knows what he is talking about.

In my opinion, the Pajero is a great family wagon. However the interior needs to be addressed in that it feel of far cheaper quality these days compared with its other Japanese rivals. The likes of Toyota and Nissan are well far ahead of the game on that.
The Pajero also suffers from oil and gearbox issues. 2 - 3 users I know have had issues where the feel their engines are basically drinking oil and need regular top-ups and well gearboxes need replacing.
I would not worry if you do a proper break-in cycle and you do regular maintenance with all the checks.

If you are looking to do a far bit of off-roading, and you need a 7 seater in the Pajero's size scale, I would suggest a Toyota Prado or look at may a used 100 series Land Cruiser. These are excellent and well recommended vehicles.
My only gripe with buying a Toyota is dealing with the local Toyota dealer. Their work is subpar at best and all my dealings with them have been negative.
I always laugh every time the "toyota sponsored" radio ad comes on advising us to do maintenance only with the dealer. I've seen better maintained vehicles in these backstreet garages in Um Ramool. #RantOver

That's my take on it.

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29 minutes ago, knightjp said:

Frankly I used to have a lot of respect for the Mitsubishi Pajero. I still do in some sort. The Pajero as a standard car I would say is bad for off-roading if you are going to look at the using it in the desert. The middle seat in the second row is hard and uncomfortable. So if you're a family person, you will get complaints from the person sitting there on long journeys.

If you want to know how the current shape Pajero is going to handle off roading and what you should look out for, here is a good video for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn10rNuMDi4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCXcKkUqAAU

Now this sounds like an old guy rambling on and on, but bear with it and listen all the way through.
Some Pajero owners will not agree with some of the things, but the test was real and well documented.
The guy is a well known off roading enthusiast who has been to Dubai many times for off roading as well. So he knows what he is talking about.

In my opinion, the Pajero is a great family wagon. However the interior needs to be addressed in that it feel of far cheaper quality these days compared with its other Japanese rivals. The likes of Toyota and Nissan are well far ahead of the game on that.
The Pajero also suffers from oil and gearbox issues. 2 - 3 users I know have had issues where the feel their engines are basically drinking oil and need regular top-ups and well gearboxes need replacing.
I would not worry if you do a proper break-in cycle and you do regular maintenance with all the checks.

If you are looking to do a far bit of off-roading, and you need a 7 seater in the Pajero's size scale, I would suggest a Toyota Prado or look at may a used 100 series Land Cruiser. These are excellent and well recommended vehicles.
My only gripe with buying a Toyota is dealing with the local Toyota dealer. Their work is subpar at best and all my dealings with them have been negative.
I always laugh every time the "toyota sponsored" radio ad comes on advising us to do maintenance only with the dealer. I've seen better maintained vehicles in these backstreet garages in Um Ramool. #RantOver

That's my take on it.

I am a bit dissapointed to see that "your" take on it is exactly the same as the old grumpy guy 🤐

There are indeed only very few standard 4x4's that are good for the desert in stock form, and that is no different for the Pajero. I fully agree that for proper off-roading the current generation Pajero could benefit from some tweaks and mods.

What i honestly think about this guy is that he is indeed an old rambling has-been, and i know that he has lots of off-roading experience but moaning about the middle seat of the second row ? Come on, if that is the only thing you can find.... 

Yes.... The Pajero's interior is a bit dated in comparison with its Japanese rivals,but it has been around since 2008 and we all know Mitsubishi is not bringing out new models every 2-3 year.

Of course the Prado and 100 Land cruiser are more capable vehicles, but that translates into much higher purchase price also. 

Bang for the Buck the Gen4 Pajero is unbeatable. I've paid peanuts for my wife's 2008 full option 3.8. No Prado or LC came close to my budget :)

The oil and gearbox issues are unknown to me, but there are a myriad of reasons why people suffer from these things. 

I am probably biased towards Mitsubishi as i currently have two in my garage, but having owned at least 15-20 other brands in my life, my fair opinion is that Mitsubishi is a pretty good brand with proven reliability, no frills, and the Pajero has proven itself through the years as an affordable 7-seater with decent off-road capability to the likes of what most people expect from it.

 

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"Go as far as you can see; once you get there, you'll be able to see further."

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Very well said points @knightjp, however, I like to add a bit more transparency from diff angles.

  • The video seems a perfect rant when a manufacturer stops giving cars for review and he admitted the same in the second video. We have seen such bad bad bad cars from famous car reviews sites here in Dubai too when they end up with a sour relation by being a critic for paid reviews. In the end, their car reviews sound like three liners of the pros and cons.
     
  • Using diesel Pajero with loaded roof rack and 7 passengers expecting it to fly off on every dune, then his experience of "SAND" offroad is in the different field probably. No comments.
     
  • What I seriously believe is what I see from my eyes and not through the paid reviews or advertorials of so-called legends, celebrities, influencers, champions etc. as those are most of the time is biased and motivated either by money or by the competitors.
     
  • I won't even start about my model Pajero, as it's a different species altogether but keeping it specific to Gen4 Pajero, we have tons in our offroad club and almost all of them have driven through a fewbie level drive ------- Faaaaaaaar more than what this guy claiming to be challenging and getting stuck or refusal. Off course 3.8 (275 hp and 393 Nm torque) is much better than 3.5 (190 hp and 306 Nm torque) by great value and we have seen @WiLfY and @hossein driving there 3.8 almost everywhere without even a refusal.
     
  • Petrol + remove abs and traction fuse + bumper trim + 3.8 Pajero = Great value for money offroader
  • Petrol + remove abs and traction fuse + bumper trim + 3.5 Pajero = Good value for money offroader
  • @Julien V even managed Sweihan fewbie drive with his 3.5 Pajero two week back - totally commendable, but of course, he didn't have 200 kgs stuff on the roof rack, nor he had 500 kgs as a passenger.
  • https://carnity.com/gallery/category/112-afternoon-fewbie-desert-drive-sweihan-1st-march-2019

P.S. I'm not saying the Pajero's are the greatest offroader, but instead I'm saying they aren't as bad as it sounds in this video.

image.png

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