Know the better pick - Toyota Fortuner vs Mitsubishi Montero Sport

The Toyota Fortuner is a force to be reckoned with in the Philippines auto market. When it comes to owning a large family SUVs, people are willing to overlook a lot of things just for the badge. But the current SUV market demands that we take a more comprehensive look. And nothing puts its case against the Toyota more strongly than the Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Let’s have a look at these two contenders to see which is a better buy.

Design

Just by looks, you’ll barely notice that the Montero falls short both in length and width. It does win in the wheelbase and ground clearance department. You might not even be able to tell them apart anyway. The top spec Montero though can be recognised apart from its dual tone wheels and sunroof. The Fortuner has a rear window that extends all the way to the back. Otherwise, both have the usual chrome and LED treatment.

Interior

Both can seat seven people in utmost comfort, even in the farthest seats. 3 out of 5 trims of the Montero get leather upholstery. In the Fortuner, only 2 out of 5. Aside from this, the two SUVs almost evenly match. However, there are some crucial differences. The Toyota’s infotainment system is outdated in comparison to the Mitsubishi. The screen at 6.5 inches is smaller than the 6.75 inch in the Montero. The rearmost seats in the Toyota, also fold up against the sides instead of folding flat on the floor like in the Mitsubishi. Or most cars for that matter.

Performance

Comparing the diesel versions, the Toyota has two engine options. The best of them is a 2.7-litre inline 4-cylinder mill, producing maximum power of 175 PS at 340 rpm and peak torque of 450 Nm at 1600-2400 rpm. The Montero has only one option of a 2.4-litre inline 4-cylinder engine producing a maximum power of 179 PS at 3500 rpm and peak torque of 430 Nm at 2500 rpm. Despite deficit in power, the Montero does get an eight-speed automatic transmission with sports mode, unlike the six-speed in the Fortuner.

Handling

The Montero is the true off-roader here with a 4WD system. The Toyota only has an AWD system. The Montero has a suspension setup more geared towards comfort than the Fortuner. It performs equally well on both on- and off-road. The driver modes on the Montero look more sophisticated than the Fortuner. It also has a class-leading towing capacity.     

Safety

Safety is probably the biggest reason for anyone looking to buy these SUVs. For cars this big, there are a lot of new technologies in the market - primarily to keep them from hitting other things. The Toyota, however, misses out on almost all of them. There is no forward collision warning, blind spot warning or tire pressure monitoring system, even as an option. All these features are present on the Montero in addition to a few others. This is a significant oversight that simply cannot be excused at this price point.

Pricing

Speaking of price, these luxury family SUVs are very different from each other. While the Montero ranges from Php 1,413,000 to Php 2,156,000 for the fully loaded spec. The Fortuner, however, ranges from Php 1,592,000 to Php 2,245,000 for the top of the range 2.8 V DSL A/T. This is a very big price difference even for the top of the range models.

This difference in price when contrasted with the difference in equipment levels makes the choice pretty clear. The Montero is decidedly the better option here. But as stated in the beginning, the Toyota badge is probably more valuable to most people. The Fortuner might also handle depreciation much better. In the end, the final choice is truly up to you.