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victroia21 · 3 years

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3rd Gen Mitsubishi Montero

VS.

3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner

There’s three days to go as I’m writing this blog article and its safe to say I’m starting to feel a little nervous. I decided to sell two of my SUV’s, no reserve, on two different auction sites, at the same time. Why you may ask? Well for one I have too many vehicles, seven to be exact. But mostly because I have financial goals. Owning seven cars as a single male with no kids isn’t quite pragmatic. Especially when you’re trying to purchase a condo in downtown San Diego that only comes with one parking spot. I chose two of the top auction sites on the internet. Bring a Trailer which has been a popular place for car enthusiasts to buy and sell collector cars. Cars and Bids has only been around for less than a year and already has closed some impressive auction results. So here we are, three days to go and my 4Runner on BaT has a $800 lead on my Montero on C&B.

Although both vehicles are 3rd Generation models of their kind, that’s pretty much all they have in common. The 2001 Toyota 4Runner is 2WD, the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero is 4WD with a center locking and limited slip differential. The 4Runner fits five passengers, the Montero fits seven. The 4Runner has 193K miles on the odometer, the Montero has 139K. The 4Runner has cloth seats you manually adjust, the Montero has power seats, leather, sunroof and a premium sound system. On paper its obvious that the Montero with all its features will fetch more money than its counterpart. But what the Montero boasts on paper doesn’t necessarily translate to value. I predict the 4Runner will sell for a lot more than the Montero. A lot more than $800 that’s for sure. And even though comments on the site for the 4Runner have mostly been about it lacking 4x4 capability. The 4Runner has something that the Montero doesn’t. Brand recognition. All 4Runners are known for their reliability and durability. Especially the 3rd Gen 4Runner, manufactured between 1996-2002. You will see more 3rd gen 4runners on the road than any General Motors product built between 2003-2010. Now that’s just an educated guess but I am confident enough to make that presumption knowing how terrible most GM cars were in the 2000’s. Most car enthusiasts know Toyota’s in general are reliable vehicles. There’s no question about it, their reputation is well known around the world. Mitsubishi may have a good reputation in parts of the world, perhaps in countries where they continued manufacturing reliable cars. However in the United States, Mitsubishi has been falling down a slippery slope of failed Japanese imports such as Suzuki, Daihatsu and Isuzu. As mentioned in my last article, the Montero left the US in 2006. And even though they were always known for being reliable and durable like the 4Runner. The Montero has been gone long enough, that an entire generation of enthusiasts have grown up and forgot about it. The Montero lost its luster and was never able to maintain a stronghold in the U.S. While the Montero was conquering rugged terrain in Southeast Asia the last 15 years, people in the U.S were buying 4runners and Land Cruisers.

As an owner of both vehicles, I believe my Montero is worth way more than my 4Runner. There’s no question about it, even if they both shared the same miles. The Montero boasts a fully capable 4WD system that can go up against the best off road vehicles manufactured today. We’ll see in three days if my prediction is correct. Until then I’ll nervously watch my two auctions go toe to toe with one another. At the end of the day one Japanese SUV will be victorious.

To be continued...

The results are in. And I was wrong.

The 2WD 4runner did not surpass the 4WD Montero. My Cars & Bids auction for the Montero ended at $5,700, three hundred dollars more than the $5,400 final bid for the 4runner on Bring a Trailer. However there’s a big asterisk next to that $5,700 figure. The winning bidder flaked. And the second to next bidder (@ $5,400) wasn’t interested anymore. So what happens next? Well according to Cars & Bids I had two options. I can either ask the third to next bidder if they’re still interested at $4,850 or take 50% of the winning bidders buyers fee as compensation. I wasn’t selling my Montero for under 5 grand, so I accepted the latter and posted my Montero for sale locally.

And after a month or so of dealing with flaky Californians, I sold it, for $5,500. One hundred dollars more than the 4runner (which sold very smoothly). So again, I was wrong. The Montero sold for more than the 4runner. And even though it was only for a measly $100, it still proved me wrong. And in hindsight maybe I should’ve sold the 4runner locally as well. Very few people on Bring a Trailer were excited to see a “2runner” as they called it on the website. Some even went as far as to say that I must have been a relative of the website’s owner for them to allow a 2WD 4runner on the site. Nevertheless, I still believe a local Californian would’ve paid more than $5,400 for such a clean 3rd gen 4runner. I could’ve probably waited it out and got more, but time is money and I can’t deal with flaky people. At the end of the day I’m glad the Montero sold for more. It shows that the market on all 4WD capable Japanese SUV’s are on the rise. And followers of Cars & Bids were excited to see a Montero featured on the site. I am sad to see it go, and down the road I’ll probably regret selling it for just $5,500. As for the 4runner, even though I am bummed that it sold for less than I expected. I still have another one, and it’s 4WD so those trolls on Bring a Trailer can’t say anything. And this one I’m going to keep for a little bit. I mean, money comes and goes, but collector cars that make you feel a certain way. They don’t come around so often.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1998-toyota-4runner-29/

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9XDb5XmO/2002-mitsubishi-montero-limited-4wd?c=all?utm_source=transactional&utm_medium=email

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victroia21 · 3 years

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The Most Fun You Can Have For Under $5,000; Why the Mitsubishi Montero is the most underrated overlander.

Finally, 2020 is coming to an end. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say it was a year we are all glad to put behind us. However, there is one silver lining that came out of this year. It’s that it gave us an opportunity to break out of our normal routines. Like working a 9 to 5 and then going home to binge watch your favorite TV show. Some of us got laid off, others furloughed from work, creating an uncertain future. When our backs are against the wall, it forces us to make a choice. Do we operate with a scarcity mindset, or an abundant one? Meaning, do we choose to live in a world fearful of scarce resources? Or in contrary, choose a mindset of abundance, where even when the chips are down, we feel secure that there is plenty for everyone; everything except toilet paper of course. One thing that is certain in the U.S, is that there is plenty to explore. While most of the world was locked up indoors with no place to go, Americans somehow always find creative ways to seek adventure. This year may have forced us to social distance, and we could have chose to stay cooped up in our homes. Instead, a lot of us decided to hit the trails.

Overlanding has boomed over the last year and as a result 4x4 Sport Utility Vehicles have jumped in prices. Auction sites have seen increased sale prices for capable off road SUV’s. Vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, FJ Cruiser, Jeep Wagoneer and early Ford Bronco’s all have reached unattainable prices. So what’s left at an entry level price for the overlanding enthusiast looking to begin their newly acquired hobby? Well there’s a few affordable options; but none that combine reliability, practicality and capability as the Mitsubishi Montero. Also known as the Pajero in most parts of the world, the 4x4 Mitsubishi has everything you want in an overlander. It has an active-trac gear selector to manage the transfer case. You can quickly equip yourself with off road capability by switching to four wheel drive on the fly. The Limited trim model comes with a limited slip differential along with four driving options. You can select 2H to send power just to the rear wheels. There’s 4H for all wheel drive, typically used for more traction on normal pavement when roads become slick. Then most importantly there is 4H and 4L with locking center differential. When the center differential is locked it allows power to be sent to each axle equally. So your tires can rotate simultaneously for maximum traction. Yes I know, most hardcore off roaders prefer a solid rear axle with a locking rear differential and a body on frame chassis. However this 3rd generation Montero featured in this article opted more for comfort along with its off-road prowess. Its monocoque, unibody frame paired with its independent four wheel suspension gives the car an extremely comfortable ride even over the toughest terrain. Sure, there are some great affordable 4x4 options out there besides the Montero. There is the Isuzu Trooper, XJ Jeep Cherokee, Ford Ranger, Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra. Heck, there’s even a Montero Sport that is certainly an affordable alternative to the Toyota 4Runner. These models usually all tend to make the most affordable 4x4 list. However the Montero encompasses everything you want in an overlander. So what exactly is an overlander you ask? Think of it as a capable vehicle that has no problems driving over rugged landscape while maintaining a comfortable ride over normal pavement. Not only is it fun but overlanding provides us with a sense of freedom by allowing us to escape into the wilderness.

In my neck of the woods of Southern California, there are plenty of trails to explore. I recently took my 2002 Mitsubishi Montero to Otay Truck Trail, here in San Diego. I wanted to test the Montero’s off roading potential with a few buddies of mine who brought their Jeep Wranglers. Neither of them were sold on the Montero because they had limited knowledge of what it was. After we hit a few trails I quickly changed their impression of the Montero. It simply chewed up everything in its path. Even in 2WD the Montero was quick and maintained its traction over the uneven terrain. Half the time I found myself having to wait up for them as I left the Jeeps in my dust.

The Montero is largely unknown in the United States because it has been discontinued here since 2006. The SUV featured in this article was one of four generations offered to the American people. The Montero was never considered a failure, it just lost its luster in the mid 2000’s when Mitsubishi began struggling with sales. The Montero also has rally racing victories under its belt. Enthusiasts who know it as the Pajero, recognize the SUV as a twelve time world champion at the Paris-Dakar Rally. The Pajero has the record for the most Dakar victories including a stretch of seven in a row from 2001 to 2007. Its victory run spans over three decades with its first championship coming in 1985. Mitsubishi even created a road legal version during its 2nd generation (1997-1999) called the Pajero Evolution. This vehicle was produced in order to homologate the Pajero for entry into the Dakar Rally’s T2 group, where it dominated its class. Unfortunately, it never made it to the U.S, but good news, its approaching 25 years old. Which means it can soon be legally imported to the States. So with its racing background, championship pedigree and well known capability, why is the Montero so unknown? Well I think it’s simple. As I mentioned before it’s been 14 years since the Montero left the United States. That’s an entire generation of car enthusiasts who have never heard of the this world rally champion.

Montero’s can be found in decent shape for under $5,000 in the States. That’s a bargain when you consider what features you get for that price. The Limited trim comes standard with leather, dual power seats, and an enormous sunroof. Not to mention a digital compass for when you get lost on the trails. An Infinity premium sound system, full size spare, and of course an incredible four wheel drive system. Even the lower priced XLS trim comes with a standard two speed transfer case sporting both 2H and 4H capability.

As a full size SUV with a stow away third row, the Montero can be compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser of its time. With similar capability at a fraction of the cost, the word bargain becomes an understatement. The 3rd generation Montero was redesigned in 2001 to be more of a highway cruiser that can comfortably seat seven. With that being said Mitsubishi still managed to maintain the Montero‘s rugged, brawny, boxy shape. This Montero pays its respects to the generations that came before it. While also allowing you to go from the grocery store one minute, to where pavement is optional the next.

Now that 2021 is here, Mitsubishi has decided to completely discontinue the Montero. Along with the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Montero will no longer be sold in other parts of the world. Mitsubishi Pajero’s as they call it, have largely remained the same since the 2006 redesign, when they left the U.S. In an ever changing auto industry, Mitsubishi decided to shift their focus to the growing crossover SUV market. So what’s left to be said about the underrated Mitsubishi Montero? It is arguably the most well rounded overlander. It’s designed to be a daily driver, it’s comfortable and has great visibility; perfect for taking a family of seven to the great outdoors. Or you can be like me, a single male who uses it to tear up trails in Southern California. Whichever way you use it, its versatility is a relic of a dying breed of SUV’s. Overlanding gives us the freedom to overcome boundaries. It provides us with a path to escape, both physically and mentally. It allows us to become one with nature and also happens to be a great way to socially distance. Thanks to Covid-19 for opening up my mind to a new hobby. Through everything we endured this past year, remember there is always a silver lining. Mine just happened to be my Mitsubishi Montero.

#mitsubishi #montero #overlanding #off-road #4x4

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victroia21 · 3 years

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The Resilient Roadster: Why the Miata continues to reign for over 30 years.

The Mazda MX-5, known in the States as the Miata, was first introduced in 1989. Since then, Mazda has blessed us with four generations of the MX-5. I remember the first time I ever began to appreciate this roadster. It was in the late 90’s as a kid playing the video game Gran Turismo. The Miata was one of the first cars you got to choose. It wasn’t flashy, but it was cool that it was in one of the most prestigious video games at the time. Fast forward over 20 years later and the Miata continues to be the best affordable sports car on the market.

I must admit, during my entire life I never thought about owning a Miata. It’s tiny, it’s not that fast and most of their owners are going through a mid life crisis. I found myself always desiring something practical yet fun to drive. The Miata is defined by the latter, however it is far from practical. I never had money to blow on a weekend driver; two seater sports car. So I always resorted to purchasing Sport Utility Vehicles, or four door sport sedans. After I sold my Acura TL type S, I was in desperate need of a vehicle. I visited an Alfa Romeo dealer with my heart set on purchasing a Giulia. I’ve always wanted an Alfa Romeo ever since I was a kid. My dad owned a late 80’s Alfa Romeo Milano and that was the family car throughout my childhood. When my dad drove by, I would brag to my friends that the Alfa would one day be mine. They would all laugh and clown on me because it was old and weird looking. But I loved it because it was Italian and different. I guess I felt like it represented me welI. I love having things that nobody knows about. Since I was a kid I always had to buy Nike’s that no one in school had. I mean it would seriously ruin my day if I saw someone else wearing my sneakers. I didn’t care if someone else liked what I had. I just preferred to stand out and I’ve carried that mentality into my adulthood. As far as the Alfa Romeo goes, I never got a chance to call it my own. My dad sold it to his mechanic a few years before I got my license. Bummer.

Back at the dealership, I couldn’t score a decent deal on a Giulia. Instead, I noticed an automatic Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. I remember when the 124 Abarth came out, it was only offered with a manual transmission. Rightfully so, a car like that should only be offered with a standard 6 speed. However, I didn’t want my daily driver to have a manual gearbox. At the time I lived in Los Angeles, and I’m sure you all heard about LA’s traffic. So a stick shift wasn’t going to cut it in bumper to bumper. So here I am in front of the next best thing, an Italian sports car with a scorpion for a badge. It checked all the right boxes. It was different, sporty, fun, and most importantly Italian. It could fill that void of always wanting to own a unique, Italian automobile. But there was a problem, it wasn’t practical. I’ve never owned a two seater sports car with enough cargo capacity to squeeze in my toiletry bag. So I passed on the Spider and ended up leasing a crossover; how original. Recently, I had the luxury of temporarily owning both the 124 Abarth and Mazda Miata. After driving both cars for a few weeks, I could definitively say the Miata is the better sports car. Although I’ve grown to be biased towards Italian manufacturing, I must admit the Japanese roadster is without question the better option.

The Miata featured in this article is a 2019 base model with 181 horsepower, an increase from 155 in the previous year. The 2.0 naturally aspirated inline 4 engine boasts 151 pound feet of torque with a curb weight less than 2400 pounds. It comes standard with a 6 speed manual gearbox and redlines at 7500 RPM’s. Combine this with the Miata’s fantastic handling and it’s enough to make you feel like you’re in a Formula 1 race car. The naturally aspirated engine makes the throttle feel extremely responsive. The gearbox shifts like butter and urges you to rev it all the way up to its redline. This Miata was by far the most fun I’ve ever had in a modern day roadster. It’s so light that you can just throw it into turns and still trust that it will remain in control. There is nothing in this world that is more fun than going through the gears in this car. The dual overhead cam engine is refined and appeals to many car enthusiasts for its simplistic design. The engine doesn’t have any plastic covers over it, rather it appears to look simple and easily accessible under the hood. This is something that is becoming more and more rare to find in the auto industry. Nowadays, engines come completely covered and require special tools to access. Automakers are discouraging people to work on their own cars. Not Mazda, just look at that engine, it looks like something straight from the past. As clichè as it may sound, Mazda knows if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Unlike Toyota with their Supra, Mazda will never offer their Miata without a standard transmission. They understand that the car is designed to operate with a manual. Going through the gears and hitting the perfect shift is what brings out the fun in a sports car. When BMW introduced the new Z4 last year, it did not offer a manual transmission. Same goes for Porsche with their latest 911. Dedicated fans were appalled when they found out a manual was not an option. BMW and Porsche listened to their supporters and released a manual transmission for both those models. These automakers paid attention to the feedback and understood that there is still a large enough market for manual transmission owners. Now automakers don’t want to make the same mistake. Look at Ford with their new Bronco, they offer a stick shift for the 4 cylinder model with a crawling gear! These stories are a true testament to the value us car enthusiasts bring to the table. Car companies are beginning to listen. Mazda however has been listening for decades and this latest Miata is the perfect example. A new and improved engine, handling that you can trust and of course the buttery smooth 6 speed transmission. Everything you want in a high revving sports car.

Yes it isn’t practical and maybe it shouldn’t be your daily driver. But the Mazda Miata is still around because Mazda continues to put love into manufacturing their beloved roadster. What do I mean by putting love into it? Well think about your mom or grandma’s cooking. You know when they make your favorite comfort food with love. You can tell when you get the same dish at a restaurant and it’s not made with love. Mazda does the same with their Miata. They are consistent and refrain from cutting corners to save money. And if they do find themselves not pleasing their hardcore followers, they make adjustments with the following model. The improvements Mazda continues to make on the Miata is a testament to the roadster’s longevity. It still continues to thrive in an automobile market that finds companies reinventing new crossover SUV’s. Mazda in particular wasn’t satisfied with their lineup of crossovers. The CX-7 was one of the early pioneers of the vehicle class. Now Mazda offers four options, including the new CX-30. Like the CX-3 wasn’t enough, they had to confuse us with a slightly larger CX-30? Mazda could easily shift all their attention towards their SUV lineup and stop focusing on their tiny sports car. The Miata has never been Mazda’s bread and butter or volume vehicle; but it will always define their brand. In a world full of crossovers, props to Mazda for not neglecting their pride and joy, their roadster, the Mazda MX-5.

#mazda miata #sports cars

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victroia21 · 3 years

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The End of a Legacy: Why the FIATA Failed.

The Fiat 124 Spider also known as the FIATA (because it shares its underpinnings with the Mazda Miata) officially stopped production. Yes, I know, I hate to break it to you but there is now one less sports car on the market with a manual transmission. A car that once existed for twenty years from 1966 to 1985, failed to last more than four years this time around. The Fiat Spider shared its class with the Alfa Romeo Spider (pictured above) which lasted from 1966 to 1994. So why did the 124 Spider with such strong pedigree fail to continue the legacy of its Italian ancestors ? The fact of the matter is, the 124 Spider never had a fighting chance.

The Alfa Romeo and Fiat 124 Spider debuted in the mid 60’s with innovative design and technology. Both were rear wheel drive roadsters designed by Italian carrozzeria Pininfarina. They were ahead of their time with standard Double Overhead Cam (DOHC) engines. The combination of performance and styling made the Spiders standout as an affordable alternative to gas guzzling American muscle cars. The production run lasted so long because improvements were made with every generation. The engine size continued to grow resulting in more power while remaining efficient. By the mid 80’s, Fiat decided to discontinue the Spider. Shortly after purchasing Alfa Romeo, Fiat began to focus solely on its roadster from their newly acquired company. Once the 90’s hit, Alfa Romeo redesigned the Spider’s body for the fourth time in its twenty-eight years of existence. While the new and improved 4th generation design helped with sales of the Spider, it was no match for the new kid on the block. The (NA) Mazda MX-5, aka the Miata. The Japanese roadster was more efficient, reliable and cheaper than the Alfa Romeo. Sales began to slow down for the Spider and eventually Alfa Romeo stopped production in the U.S after 1994.

Fast forward twenty-two years and Fiat introduces an all new 124 Spider at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto show. Looking to capitalize on the Spider’s previous success, Fiat completely reinvented the vehicle. It was originally planned to be an Alfa Romeo, but because Alfa is Fiat’s luxury brand they decided to brand the affordable Spider as a Fiat. It shared the same assembly line in Japan with the car that drove it out of business two decades earlier. The only key differences between the 124 Spider and the Mazda Miata was it’s styling, suspension and engine. The FIATA had a 1.4 liter turbo motor rated at 160 Horsepower and the Miata a naturally aspirated 2.0 rated at 155 HP. After three years of production, the Miata improved its engine in 2019 by increasing performance to produce 181 HP. The FIATA on the other hand was always equipped with its laggy, turbo 1.4 liter engine. A motor that may meet efficiency standards in Italy but doesn’t provide the thrill you expect from a rear wheel drive, two seater roadster. The 124 Spider Abarth is just as underwhelming. The Abarth featured in this article comes with some badging differences, a quad exhaust and four more horsepower. The Fiat 500 Abarth was a real difference compared to the standard 500. The exhaust note sounded like it came out of a Ferrari. On the 124 Abarth it sounds decent, but not nearly as tuned as the 500.

The FIATA had remained the same for all four years, while the more reliable Miata improved. The Mazda has once again terminated its roadster rival. But it didn’t do it by just creating a better performing engine during its shared production run. The Miata brand remains champion of the roadsters because of its history. The Miata’s production run is now going on thirty plus years, surpassing that of the Spider. It’s forever been known for being the only reliable and affordable sports car on the market. It has evolved in this space and has remained relevant due to its positive consumer reports. Fiat on the other hand has had terrible consumer reviews since it returned to the U.S in 2011. The brand had already been tarnished prior to the resurrection of the 124. I mean if people recognize your brand with an acronym like; Fix It Again Tony, you’re going to have a tough time selling cars. More and more people going through a mid life crisis are choosing sporty SUV’s and electric vehicles over sports cars. So how could the FIATA have stayed relevant in a space that’s been dominated by one car for the last thirty years? Well, it would have had to evolve, which Fiat just simply failed to do. It should have looked back on its past and modeled its Pininfarina designed predecessors. It could have achieved this by evolving with the times, adopting new technologies and competing with modern standards. Do you think Amazon got to where they are by selling books the entire time? Or would Netflix still be around if they continued to just deliver DVD’s to your home? The twin cam, fuel injected engine found in the previous Spiders was revolutionary back in the day. The Spider was a pioneer in the car industry, with mechanical innovations still used til this day. This most recent Spider was never anything special. It just proved to us that Fiat’s days are numbered in the United States. With just the 500L and 500X left in production. Fiat is hanging on to a small thread with what’s left of its so called Small SUV lineup.

In retrospect, maybe it’s time for the Spider to become an Alfa Romeo after all. Maybe it was meant to be a luxury roadster, appealing to buyers looking for an upgrade to the Miata. What if Alfa Romeo designed an all electric Spider with a 0-60 time that can compete with Tesla’s 1.9 second Roadster? A sleek, modern electric roadster designed by a famous Italian coach builder. It makes perfect sense since Alfa Romeo already plans to bring its first hybrid/electric vehicle to production with the Tonale next year. These are ways you can remain relevant, especially in a market where certain brands already hold a strong footprint. How do you grab some of that market share? Well, you learn from history and you innovovate. Automakers are adapting to changing times, pivoting to hybrid and electric powered motors. This is clearly the future as emission restrictions continue to be implemented across the globe. But how do you standout in a competitive and saturated market? You build upon your brand’s strengths. For example, take a look at the vehicle featured above. It’s a concept car, nothing officially released from Alfa Romeo. However the car embodies everything that Alfa Romeo represents. It pays homage to the GTV, one of the best homologated cars Alfa Romeo has ever built. This concept vehicle induces emotion by paying respect to Alfa Romeo’s racing days, while remaining contemporary for today’s roads.

Look at the all new Ford Bronco, a modern rendition of its 60’s predecessor. People are beyond excited for the Bronco’s release because everyone agrees that Ford got it right. It’s fully capable off road and its styling is reminiscent of a time when everyone wished they had a Bronco in their driveway. Automakers need to stop designing with cookie cutters and begin creating vehicles that evokes the passion in the driver. Hopefully Fiat or Alfa Romeo catches on and can restore the Spider for a third time. And just maybe this time it will be more charming.

#fiat #alfa romeo #spider #italian

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