Challenger... yay or nay?

[wraith73]

I'm looking into getting rid of my Subaru Outback (don't know why I got that thing!) & am looking towards a 2002 Mits Challenger (auto). Does anyone have, or has had, one that could tell me if I'm wasting my time? Just need to weigh up the pro's & con's. Any advice on what to look for & any major issues with these 4wd's? My missus will be driving it most of the time (can't have her driving my Leggie after several 'mishaps' in the Outback!).

 

[Poita]

I think from round the 2002 onwards the changed the rears to coils (from leaf) which resulted in a much nicer ride. So may do to check to see exactly which year this happened.

They can be rather thirsty... but very capable off road and plenty of room.
Being the Mitsi 3.0ltr you need to watch the seals for leaks.

I like em

 

[Tom]

I hardly see any of them around!

 

[king_panther]

My sister had one with her ex husband but I didn't like them one bit. The engine felt way underpowered for a 3L V6, & noisy & rough too.

 

[wraith73]

Thanks guys. I can't find any details about the change to rear coils, but assuming that would have been done when they did the model change (MY02 to MY03) in July '02. I've seen a couple of Challengers, but both were early '02. Redbook lists them all as having coils springs (MY01-MY03). I thought the engines looked familiar, but just checked & found it is the same engine out of the Magnas & Veradas. I've owned a TR Magna & a KR Verada in the past & both had developed a serious smoking addiction, despite being well maintained. Kinda putting me off the Challenger, now!

Looking for a mid-size 4wd, & the Challenger seemed to fit that bill quite well. Don't want one of those pretend 4wd 'cross-over' vehicles, & nothing too big (the wife's gotta be able to park it at the shops without doing custom panel work!). Needs to be good on the road, and capable off road. And cheap/easy to service & repair. Am I being too choosey? Suggestions? Thought about putting a Leggie on an overlander kit. No doubt that would be a difficult & expensive alternative!

 

[bratwurst_boy]

have a look at the nissan pathfinder. my girl has an 02 model, 3.3L V6 auto its a really nice car. fuel consumption is pretty good, get around 650kms to a tank (75L). it handles like a normal car, i usually drive it on a hilly very windy road and i can stick to 120kms the whole time. its also good off road, we live at the beach and it handles sand very well. as for power for a heavy car its good, its got enough pick to be able to overtake comfortably on short straights. it also looks nice to. she was also looking at a challenger but thought that the pathfinder was a bit more femine, although i still drive it alot and i don't get any strange looks. as for pricing we got jessie's car with 140000kms from a dealer for $15K and it still looks brand new. if you want to know more about them have a look here:

pathfinder forum

 

[king_panther]

Toyota Prado ?

Mitsubishi Delica 4WD?

 

[godzilla]

I like the Challengers.

If you get a Prado, make sure you get a Diesel. My 04 Prado company car is the 4.0l V6 and it is almost as thirsty as the Leggie and i drive prodomantly hwy to and from work. I am averaging 13.2-13.5 in it.

 

[Jonson]

From a servcing/maintenance side of things they are OK but Very underpowered, steering is unresponsive and bus like. Basically it is a Triton in a Challenger body. I wouldn't buy one.

 

[wraith73]

I really like the look of the Challenger. Feel comfy too. Went around to heaps of dealers and sat in different makes & models. Some a little less comfortable than an old bus seat, & others like lounge chairs you don't want to get out of (American cars, usually). Sat in so many types, I can't remember which ones I liked. Guess I should hav taken notes!

I like the Delica, but the missus doesn't (too big). As they say, I wear the pants, but she chooses which ones:001_huh:

The Challenger (pic of the actual one below) kinda caught both our attention. Still wary about the Magna engine, though. Why did they use an old engine from a 1993 car in a 2002 4wd. Didn't they learn from their mistake? Or have they somehow managed to rectify the problems?

 

[wraith73]

Sticking with the Mitsi Magna engine theme... was the 3.5 (Pajero) any better or did they end up just as smokey?

 

[bradc]

The engines are normally fine, just depends on how they've been treated. There are some smokey VR-4's out there but most of them aren't!

 

[SLY-031]

I'll just put this here...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16949


I love the look of them, and would surely be capable off road with basic mods.

 

[wraith73]

Well, after taking a few Pajeros for test drives, amongst a few other cars, I settled for the Challenger. I found it more comfy than the rest & actually thought the Pajeros felt more underpowered. Plus, the sales guy arranged for timing belt, 4 new tyres, brakes, new seals (had slight oil leak), and a few other issues to sweeten the deal. Plus, we got rid of the crappy Subaru!! In almost perfect condition. The usual light scratch or two (used as a 4wd, not a kid's school bus), but unless you get right up close, you can't tell. The main thing is, we got rid of the Subaru!!!

 

[Tom]

Holy crap that looks total badass! Nice pick up =]

But haha black while off roading? Hopefully the trees and sticks are friendly to the paintwork!!

 

[Nitephyre]

Looks good mate!

 

[wraith73]

After 4 days & 4800 Kms, we arrived in QLD (Bundaberg) a couple of weeks ago now (I've been a bit slack getting online). We actually leave for the return trip to WA on Tuesday. The Challenger made it no problems & drove beautifully (except when the missus drove it). A mechanic friend in Bundy checked the car over & gave it a clean bill of health. Even he was amazed at the condition. The condition of the roads were shocking. We were driving in a weather front almost the whole way. Lots of flooding which hid a lot of potholes. Once again, the Challenger handled it great. A few times I was expecting to see a wheel overtaking us after hitting some of the holes. Wasn't too bad on fuel. Thirsty at 110 or above, but improved heaps when doing the 100 limits or just below. Basically, I think I made the right choice with this car. Prefer my Leggie, but until the damage is fixed, I'll be using the Challenger (or the Commodore ) for travel to work once we get back.

 

[Tom]

I still love the look of the one you got! So beefy!