From the April 1997 problem of Automobile and Driver.

In the event you’re not a Tibetan Bud­dhist or a Chinese language Taoist, this will sound overseas: Mi­tsubishi’s newest sport-utility automobile adheres to feng shui (pronounced fung shway). Actually, which means “wind and water,” however its widespread which means has to do with the “Chinese language artwork of placement,” the act of enhancing one’s atmosphere by placing issues of their most advantageous locations. It isn’t merely the most recent buzz­phrase to look in metro-news­paper way of life sections, though it’s utilized most frequently to inside design.

The brand new Mitsubishi Montero Sport’s attributes comply with the prin­ciples of automotive feng shui:
(1) The pedals are shut collectively, and the management motion of the brakes, clutch, and throttle is easy on the street. Huge ft can simply tap-dance on these controls to maintain the wagon poised on slick surfaces. (2) The steering wheel is angled as much as go away room for lengthy legs, but you needn’t have lengthy gorilla arms to achieve it. The wheel additionally is not as buslike horizontal because the bigger Montero’s. (3) The entrance seats are agency, however they work compro­mise between holding you in place on bumps and in corners and permitting simple entry and exit—even whereas sporting an expedition-grade parka. (4) The Montero Sport, though shorter than its massive brother, nonetheless sits tall sufficient to offer wonderful visibility over site visitors. (5) The ground peak is above the street floor sufficient to offer a tall 8.5 inches of floor clearance, though the climb may impair Grandma’s coming into and exiting.

Lastly, you do not have to be a Bud­dhist to determine this one out: The Mitsubishi Montero Sport simply plain seems good.

Why a Montero Sport? Huge Monteros are priced from $30,000 to $42,000 plus, and so they’re promoting properly—12,083 final yr. Mitsubishi says that is all it could possibly construct, too. U.S. sellers, nevertheless, need extra SUVs to promote, particularly within the under-$30K market. In the meantime, Mitsubishi has been constructing a smaller wagon (seven inches decrease and shorter) known as the L-200 for Asia and South America. The L-200 is now the Montero Sport in america.

The Montero Sport shares the entrance bodywork of the newest Mighty Max pickup truck (not bought within the U.S.), however its full-length ladder-type body has extra in frequent with that of the larger Montero wagon, together with a 107.3-inch wheelbase. Each additionally share entrance unequal­-length management arms and torsion bars. In Japan, you may get an L-200 wagon with coil springs within the rear, however to avoid wasting meeting prices, the Montero Sport will get a leaf-sprung rear axle.

The bottom Montero Sport ES begins at $18,065 as a rear-driver with a 134-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a handbook transmis­sion solely. Mitsubishi expects that the majority consumers will go for LS fashions, priced within the mid-twenties with widespread tools. LS fashions get a 173-hp 3.0-liter V-6 (the bottom engine in final yr’s massive Montero) and might be had with a selection of rear-drive or part-time four-wheel drive and a handbook or automated transmission.

High-of-the-line Montero Sport XLS fashions come outfitted with the V-6, 4­-wheel drive, a four-speed automated trans­mission, massive tires, leather-based seats, air condi­tioning, and energy home windows, locks, and mirrors—all customary for $31,555.

Our five-speed, four-wheel-drive Mon­tero Sport LS began out at $23,575, to which we added a $3070 Premium bundle that features 265/70SR-15 mud­-and-snow tires (up from customary 225/75R-15 tires) using on shiny alloy wheels, a chrome grille, fender flares, a leather-based­-wrapped steering wheel, a sunroof, and an eight-speaker stereo. Air, energy conveniences, and a CD participant added one other $2143. For $1037 extra, we acquired a limited-slip rear differential, a compass, a ther­mometer, and a rear heater. That bundle additionally contains an exterior spare-tire mount to which a few mountain bikes might be affixed with an adjunct rack that attaches to the spare.

We would be a bit extra thrifty if it have been our checkbook. For instance, a V-6 four-wheel-drive LS mannequin with air and a five-speed handbook is $24,490.

The Montero Sport seems robust, nevertheless it’s as handy as a Camry wagon inside, with two coated bins beneath the rear flooring. Its 43 cubic ft of cargo quantity equals that of the spacious Ford Explorer. The lengthy wheelbase means it rides properly, only a bit extra jiggly on pavement than an Explorer. We predict the larger tires add undesirable bounce on suburban aspect streets. Off-road, they follow mud paths with confidence.

The Montero Sport has a handbook transfer-case lever that hard-core off­-roaders want to the electro-four-wheel-drive switches popu­larized by the ever present Explorer. The Montero Sport’s lever-actuated part-time four-wheel-drive system might be shifted from rear-drive to four-wheel drive at pace. “Shift on the fly,” because it’s known as, means you grow to be your individual heart dif­ferential by disengaging the four-wheel drive on dry pavement and interesting it to restrict wheelspin on begins and in corners.

A rear-drive Montero Sport ES weighs simply 3450 kilos, mild for a mid-size SUV. However our fancied-up LS mannequin sagged the size at 4153 kilos, which is heavier than a unibody Jeep Grand Cherokee, however a lot lighter than the Explorer. Nonetheless, the handbook shifter—a comparatively uncommon merchandise on the SUV market today—retains it forward of Jeeps and Fords outfitted with pushrod sixes and automatics: The Jeep runs to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds, the Explorer in 10.7. The Sport hits 60 in 10 flat.

The Montero Sport’s four-­wheel discs imply braking is sweet for such a deceptively light-feeling-but heavy­ sport-utility, which involves a cease from 70 mph in simply 190 ft. That is higher than an Explorer, and nearly as good as a Toyota 4Runner.

We just like the Montero Sport for its bal­ance of options and skills, greater than for any single attribute. Placing one in your storage would probably improve your envi­ronment. That is good feng shui.