Hey gang…saw an 01 montero sport 2WD 3.0L with under 100K miles, supposedly one owner…is it even worth considering a vehicle this size/weight/shape in 2WD? I really don’t plan to off-road, just looking for a daily driver. My commute is so short MPG isn’t much of a factor either. Thank you so much. It’s great to have the collective wisdom of this community help out.
Not likely a future classic…
Sure a 2WD version of this truck-based SUV is just fine and dandy. South of the snow belt, 2WD SUV’s are more common than 4WD because they are driven as cars that see pavement, not trucks that bash around in the boonies. The size/weight/shape doesn’t matter at all. The high center of gravity will help the RWD traction if that ever becomes an issue. I daily drove a 2WD Suburban for a few years in the snow belt and traction was just fine.
Ask at this Montero Sport club:
Not going to be a classic, so don’t pay extra for it.
Oddbird. It’s chances of being a classic are almost nil. It does look like a nice SUV though. It would make a great second vehicle if you get it thoroughly inspected by a good independent mechanic.
It may not be a classic, but i love seeing old non classic cars at at a car show. General idea if you like it make yourself happy.
Definitely never be a classic. just another in a long line of midrange SUVs. Nothing exceptional about it whatsoever. Just an Explorer with a bit different trim.
Whether it’s worth considering as a purchase depends on the condition of the vehicle, the price, your needs (pulling a semi-V?), your tastes, your lifestyle, and how long you plan to use it. If you might change jobs and need decent gas mileage you might regret the purchase… especially if the depreciation is as bad as I’d expect.
A good independent shop can tell you its condition. It’s life expectancy can be gotten from Consumer Reports. As can its expected depreciation. For all the other answers, you’re on your own.
And remember… this slightly dressed up Explorer is approaching 15 years old. Expect to spend a few grand every year keeping it running. It’s gonna need stuff. And if you live in an area that uses road salt, be sure that the shop that checks it out for you looks THOROUGHLY for underbody rot.
TSMB - I don’t think it was based on the Explorer. Or do you mean that type of SUV?
^
I think that TSMB is confusing the Mitsubishi Montero with a Mercury Mountaineer.
Oops. You’re right, Mitsubishi made the Montero and Ford made the Explorer. I was thinkin’ that the Montero was a Mercury version of the Explorer.
I stand by the remainder of the post, but that was an honest screwup on my part. 
Curiously the Mitsubishi Montero, in year 2000 Europe were named Pajaro. Spanish for bird.
I agree with the others, there’s nothing special about it. It’s certainly not going to be future classic like a 60’s-70’s Bronco or Toyota FJ40 or anything. If it were me I wouldn’t even bother with a 2WD SUV. I mean you’re already going to get pretty poor fuel mileage as it is, I’d go ahead and get a 4WD model so at least you have some extra capability should you ever need it. At a family outing a couple years ago, I had a good laugh when a cousin’s 2WD Jeep Grand Cherokee couldn’t negotiate some sloped wet grass.
mountainbike
Actually, CR will be no help at all, as far as that 2001 Montero goes
Because their published data only goes back 10 years
Sort of. If CR shows rotten reliability for the past ten years, one going on 15 years old might be a really bad idea…
You have a point there
The Montero Sport was one of the last competitive Mitsubishi, but not classic enough to be collectible. As for the 2wd, the base versions of almost all of these vehicles are 2wd (Subaru excepted), and in many states they are far more common than awd.