NM Pajero info

I have a 2000NM petrol which I have had since new.
The mileage around town is around 15-17L100k, the highway is aroud 12L/100k doing 110k. I think the best was between 10-11 on the highway with a tailwind.
Servicing with the dealer is about $200 and up to about $500 when they change everything, not the timing belt.
Ive had a couple of minor things fixed under warranty. The front seat was loose and was replaced, the problem has just recently surfaced again.
The most annoying thing is the dash rattle, right in the middle. Its one of those irritating little noises that wont go away. I believe its a common problem.
Other than that its a great car, excellent on road and more than adquate for my camping and offroad trips.
If I was buying again I reckon I would go for another Paj, only the diesel next time simply for its longer fuel range.
If youre after a manual the 2.8 D is apparently a good reliable and economical motor.
Dean

I have a 2001 NM Petrol Pajero with 102,000K and have put all my fuel records into a spreadsheet apart from 7 months in 2003 when I got a bit sick of it.
Since I purchased the vehicle new in 2001 the trend has increased from 16L/100K to 18L/100K.
Worst consumption is on the blacktop at over 100KPH with a load on the roof punching a headwind.
Best consumption is an unladen vehicle on the blacktop with a tailwind.
Tracks and hard sand at low speed are also pretty good.
Ran PULP for a while and got better fuel consumption but the additional price was not worth it. In addition on outback trips PULP is often not available.

David,

Very nice vehicle for driving around town.

If you are going to be loading the beast up and doing any great distance you should get:

- 5cm lift - so you can least stand on the tyres to pack the roof rack
- 2nd fuel tank - so you can travel more than 1 day without filling up
- cargo barrier - to protect your passengers and to keep the roof up
- a roof console for that little bit extra of internal storage

also
- keep an eye on the flimsy rear bumper when sand driving
- don't overload the roofrack
- dust seals can be suspect, if thats the case they can be replaced under warranty

David,

Similar to Dean, have had my 2002NM (petrol) since new. Stock standard, it did 13-14L/100km around town. Long driving on bitumen, 12-13L/100km. These figures were achieved using premium ULP.

Since changing the suspension system (Tough Dogs and coils) and going one size up with the tyres, I'm lucky if I get 610km on the 90L tank (15L/100km) around town. The mods made it better off-road though. I do a fair bit of mountain trail driving, and the extra clearance and tougher coils helps heaps.

Just had the 75000km which cost $520 including fuel injection and air-con clean. With a service interval of 15000km and average of $300, it's not too bad. I still remember paying more for my old sedan which needed service every 7500km!!

I planned for around 10% offroad in the beginning, but when the 4wd bug bit, it bit hard. Around 40% of kms done so far is offroad; plenty of trails, sand and more sand, water crossing, dirt and corrugations. Highly recommend the change of tyre tread from standard H/T to more aggressive A/T. The original H/T set lasted 22000km! The second set (A/T) around 45000 but still had 25% of the tread when replaced. I was not comfortable running it down completely. Running on Yoko Geolandar A/T's again. Rotate them every 5000km and it will give you trouble free running. The suspension change also helps with corrugations. Stock standard, it felt like the Paj was going to be shaken to pieces.

Some squeaks just started to appear around the dashboard, although not loud enough to be annoying.

Driven correctly and sensibly, the Paj can take you to places most people won't even think they could. Some of the places I've been to are more suited to mountain goats, but the Paj came through with not too much fuss. Watch out for the air intake during water crossings!. It is in a stupid place just above the radiator right in front. I don't believe a snorkel is available for the petrol engine yet, but I could be wrong.

Have fun!...

I would be more concerned about rust than fuel economy. Our 2002 Exceed has rust in all underbody seams and fuel tank is blistering. Only been to beach twice and has electronic rust proofing device fitted as well. My opinion would be to stear clear of Mitsubishi Pajero's even though we have unfortunately owned them since 1996. 1996 model was good, but we had it chemically rust proofed. Corrosion warranty not worth the paper it's written on.