Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin

tinofapples · 01-03-2005 10:31am #1

Folks,
Has anyone any experience of these machines ? I'm aware there only on this market as Jap Imports. They look like a smaller version of the Pajero and having a smaller engine (1.8) they should be cheaper to run than it's bigger brother.

Anyone driven/owned one of them ? Or even seen them on the forecourt ? Just wondering how small they are. All of them seem to be up the East of the country. :mad:

peasant · 01-03-2005 10:47am

I find them to be totally overpriced (new or used)
If it is a small, affordable, REAL 4x4 that you're after, have a look at the Suzuki Jimny. Cheap to buy, cheap to run (1.3). It IS very small, though.

bazz26 · 01-03-2005 11:06am

Are the Pajero Pinin and Pajero Junior the same vehicle?

If so the Junior is available in 1.1 litre I think but again is way overpriced and tiny. As stated a Jimny makes better sence but don't expect miracles on or off the road from either.

Also take a look at the Honda HR-V which is 1.6 and comes in both 2x4 and 4x4 with the option of 3 or 5 door. More roomy than the above two and costs around the same as the Pajero.

DukeDredd · 01-03-2005 11:20am

Horrible, horrible things. The girlfriends best mate has one and it's one of the roughest, bouncy, terrible handling machines i've ever been in...

tinofapples · 01-03-2005 12:00pm

Are the Pajero Pinin and Pajero Junior the same vehicle

The Pinin is available in 1.8 & 2.2 I think while the Junior is 1.1 , presume this means the former is slightly bigger.

I think the HRV is over-priced too .

peasant · 01-03-2005 12:55pm

AFAIK the Pinin is the European variant of the Japanese Junior.
Junior only comes in three door with puny 1.1 engine.
They stopped selling the 3 door Pinin (nobody bought it anyway) and now it's the 1.8 5 door only. Pricewise it's pitched against Freelander and such, sizewise it's still pretty cramped.

DukeDredd is right btw ...as a day to day "comfortable" car or "pocket rocket" these things are useless. Rock hard with dodgy handling.
Pluses are high seating position, great to maneuvre around town, unphased by bad roads (mechanically, not comfortwise

) and pretty much unstoppable off-road (at least that is the case with my Jimny)

tinofapples · 01-03-2005 1:12pm

Is the Jimny decent off-road ??

peasant · 01-03-2005 1:38pm

Is the Jimny decent off-road ??

Yep ! Due to its light weight, very good axle articulation and proper 4WD gearbox with reduction it's pretty good. Even on normal road tires you can go amazingly far in it. It'll take you a lot further than any HRV, CRV, RAV4, X-trail or similar will ever manage.
Ground clearance isn't breathtaking, but will get you over most obstacles that are accessible on public land/roads anyway. For competition style offroading you would probably need bigger tires and a suspension lift.

Having said that, REALLY off road in Ireland means mostly bog ...everything gets stuck in bog sooner or later.

CJhaughey · 02-03-2005 12:22am

Modified SJ413's are the weapon of choice for a lot of serious offroaders in other parts of the world. As peasant says light weight counts for a lot when trying to drive over poor ground.

blog_blog_blog · 03-01-2009 2:52pm

Right Disgard most/all of the above,
The pinin i/o isnt a pajero junior and vice versa,

The Junior is a 1 litre box designed solely for Japanese market and only grey examples can be found here. Stay clear unless your girl.

The Pinin (uk shogun pinin) (japanese name the I/O) is a different kettle of fish. The first generation from 1998 to 2001 had a super select gearbox with selectable 2 and 4 w drive and low range 4wd,. you cannot compare a JIMMY to one of these(Jimmey is a soft roader for ..), It may have a short wheelbase small but it is wider and this makes for ;less shopping trolley handling. As for the dirt , With a proper set of tryes these are very capable offroaders, Check out u tube .
Not a good communtor ,if( 1) you drive on motorways where there is some wind? Mmm Low body weight and crosswinds = not comfortable driving(2) very basic cabin (3) its not a car, Thats something that car drivers say when they moan that the handling is rubbish when you go round corners etc. Jeeps arnt cars, You dont drive a jeep like a car! You have to adjust your corning speeds accordling,
Anyway to clear up there were produced up to 2006(Still being produced in brazil)

For the models after 2001 the super select gearbox was binned and replaced by permnament 4x4 and a new 2,0 litre engine,Later euro versions of pinin were built in italy... So the older versions are the better offroaders. Very overly priced and costly would,nt like to start repairing one, Check for signs of abuse if you view, Better still get someone else to check for you.

Later models 2001+ are very nice , physically like a smaller pajero with new headlamps etc. Beware tax on 1.8 and 2.0 will cost 1000 euros a year tax! This will apply to any car imported/reg after july last year. over 200+gram/co2 I think on 1.8:eek: check out ros

I do talk alot of rubbish/:D

blog_blog_blog · 03-01-2009 2:54pm

Haha , just looked a orignal post date! 2005 ..

Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin

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