[KaiV]

I'm

Did you guys read the article that Andrew White wrote in the latest leisure Wheels??? I wish we could swear on here.......

He was sponsored with a Mitsubishi Pajero GLS with all the bells and whistles and he moaned like an old woman.....

His complaints were:

Bad ground clearance,
Badly designed front sump guards
Badly designed front bumper
Badly designed rear bumper
His roof rack fell off (also Mitso's fault)
Badly designed gearbox

You'd have to read the article, else I can scan and post it.... I wrote to Leisure wheels in response to that letter though I had to edit it a couple of times to make sure they publish it.

He boasts about being SA's "deacon" reporter of the 4x4 industry... He doesnt even know about having a look at what vehicle he is taking into the desert......

He says that the ground clearance is just not enough My Pajero (loaded to the hilt) and on top of it with OME suspension that (unloaded) is the same height as a STD off the shelf Pajero did very well in the desert, and so did the other two stock std Pajero's not damage their front sump guards.... He must have gone too fast.
He also went too fast down a slip face (chasing Gemsbok that were reported over the radio) meaning he bumped the front into the ground.... also blaming the car....
He pulled off his rear bumper... hehe, but thats about the only thing I agree with. The LWB design is a bit like a shovel at the back....
He bitched about the shift on the fly, taking minutes, yes minutes to engage (or change)??? I have never had that problem, nor have heard about it taking so long to change. It wont change if one is charging up a dune, but it changes no problems if power to the drive train is reduced.
Then, there was something about his roof rack, cant quiet remember that though
He also said he needed to accelerate (too much) on the slip faces as the downhill discent control would push him sideways??? Why even use that feature (GLS)???

Anyways, let me rather keep quiet now....... Lets also see if Leisure Wheels posts my response

[Gina]

All I can say Kai is amen and thanks for writing the letter. I composed one in my head but would never have been able to edit enough, so well done.

One thing I have to add though is that if one takes a any standard vehicle comparable with a Pajero (Prado, Disco), load it to the maximum with gear and 5 people, take it through the desert for two weeks and only thing that gives out is the rear bumper (the rest is all his own doing IMHO), then that is one heck of a good vehicle.

[SimonB]

Kai

Don't you want to scan and post (as well as your reply)? I never got to see the article but there were many grumblings about it on 4x4comm.

[KaiV]

I will take the mag into work tomorrow and scan the article. Here what (I hope) will be published:


***************************************************************************************************************************
Response to "The ups and downs" by Andrew White, Sept 2009 issue:


****************************************************************************************************************************************
I would have liked to have added a few more comparisons, but that would have turned the article nasty....

Seeing Leisure Wheels did not print my article, I have removed my response....

[Gina]

Much more restrained that what I wanted to write, but very correct. It would be nice if you could scan the article, I read it in the Spar without buying the magazine, don't spend hard earned money on mags that publish uninformed views

[KaiV]

Here the scan.....

[Biggish]

Thanks for posting the article. It makes sense to me now why Pajero owners are so miffed with ASPW. I have never held his opinion in high regard and this sort of incompetent drivel just reinforces my thoughts of him.

Am I the only person who is amazed by this man's arrogance? I mean, it must be tough to be the self confessed "doyen of all Things 4x4".
With such a swollen ego, how does he tolerate such incompetence from himself? (Major incompetence example: he talks about "shift on the fly" and its magical ability to change between low range and high range on the move )

And then he settled on a Cruiser 105. Which clearly also wasn't good enough 'cos he threw in a suspension upgrade as well as an asthma pump...

Cheers
Bruce

[LowRange]

...... he talks about "shift on the fly" and its magical ability to change between low range and high range on the move )

I think this bit says it all. He can be very lucky that this paticular feature did'nt work on his Pajero!

[4ePajero]

Do you guys really think anybody who is sponsored by the big "T" will give a rave report on a Mitsubishi?

Not while pigs still learn to fly!

I just wish I had that magic shifter to switch from 4H to 4L on the fly!
(Is that (the fact that he did not ruin the transfer case in his effort to change from 4H to 4L on the fly) not a hidden testimony for the Mitsu transfer case?)

[LowRange]

Fortunately the Mitsu set-up on the auto is FOOL PROOF! It won't shift from 4L to 4H if the gearbox is not in Neutral.