Pajero 3-door or a Sedan?

[jobski]

guys, gud am!

mejo nalilito lang po ako at hindi makapag decide, because someone offered us an SUV-ic (subic) 3 door pajero at a very low price, wala naman prob un pajero. now my mom and tito is telling me to get the pajero na, but it's still my choice. i was wondering kung ok ba na pajero na kunin ko or yung sedan (civic 96-2000 vti). inputs will surely help! thanks!

[oldblue]

get the civic

[Bry]

Civic. Stay away from surplus Pajeros.

[Josh0027]

i'm not for subic vehicles pero follow what you like. Sa akin lang get the civic, imho.

[jobski]

thanks for the replies! more inputs will be equally appreciated

[the_wildthing]

3-door pajero at a very low price. I am getting suspicious. Are you sure "wala naman prob" ? If you are really sure na wala kang ipagagawa or ipalalakad na tax/registration in the next 12 months, baka ok. Have you driven it sa highway? Provincial zig-zag roads? Off-road? Dito mo makikita ang kagalingan or (kamalian) sa conversion.

[jobski]

the pajero was just fresh from auction (feb 18), un nagbebenta kasi may utang na loob hehe.. that's why mura and hindi tlaga tataluhin.. best price talaga. kaya when i asked other's opinion parang naging pajero nag sink in sa isip ko... (na settle na kasi with the civic).. sabi naman ng mom ko kung pajero bibilin ko, may extra pako pang dagdag ng gusto ko sa oto and mas may laban daw ako kaysa sa kotse (first car ko kasi hehe). keep the inputs coming guys! thanks :D

[the_wildthing]

Search ka na lang din dito sa forums about experiences with Subic pajeros. Some are good, some are bad. Talagang tsambahan.

[nikko m]

papalitan ma sa pajero for sure is the gear box,malamang toyota gamit dyan.ok ang 2dr if it will be your extra car,but kung primary car mo,get the civic nalang.it will take time to perfect a converted vehicle eh.

[heeehar]

for me my choice is the 2 door pajero especially when you are always on the road. mapa baha man o lubak na kalsada you can always count on. Well it's nice to have a car dahil pogi points sa chicks but the reliability you can always credit to a 4wheel. GO! GO! Go! for that BIG toy!

[niky]

If it's fresh from auction, then it's still right hand drive? Unconverted? If so, you can see to it that the conversion will be done right. But if you want to be safe, it won't be cheap.

Have a good Mitsubishi mechanic look over the conversion to ensure that it is safe.

Beyond that, the actual mechanical condition of the unit will come into play. How old is it? (from the actual Japanese registration papers) How long was it in-transit or stocked at the docks? (salty air ain't good for cars) What's the mileage on the odometer?

What's the condition of the turbo? Does it belch black smoke? How is the drivetrain (gearbox and transfercase) ? If you want the Pajero, check everything carefully and test-drive. Kahit friend ninyo yan, it's better to be safe.

Personally, I prefer sedans over short SUVs. A Pajero three door might be easier to maneuver than a five door, but it'll still have the tendency to lean or tip over that the five door does, without the added stability of the longer vehicle (tendency to spin). But then, that's because I'm on the highway a lot, and most of my driving is long-distance.

If you're in the city, it's not as big a problem, I guess.

A Civic VTi at that age is a good choice. Most problems you may have will be the standard belts, hoses, shocks, etcetera. Haven't heard of any funny rust problems yet (knock on wood) like the previous Civics. It's very easy to drive, and cheap on gas, as long as it's manual. Common, not as "prestigious", maybe, as a Pajero, but it's a very good car if you don't give a rat's behind as to what other people think.

Ride comfort - Civic
Fuel economy - similar (in cost, not economy... depends on whether the Pajero's AT or MT)
Maintenance cost - slight edge to the Civic
Resale value - Civic, but you can sell the Pajero at a higher price if you can find the right buyer.
Looks - Pajero
Flood-ability - Pajero
Practicality - Civic

All secondhand cars, whether imported or local, are a gamble. It's just that with imports, there are more factors you have to consider, and more things that might go wrong.

[jappy]

pajero for me.
even if subic, as long as well maintained naman, gearbox and conversion is ok, a pajero is still a pajero.
plus medyo hirap compare and sedan sa 4x4.
but for us, we decided to get our sister a 3door pajero rather than a pre-owned sedan.
mas gusto pati nya i-drive. mas mataas kasi kesa sedan.