I believe everyone is familiar with these two cars. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (Jinchang in China) just launched its third-generation model last year. Its second-generation model has been domestically produced by GAC Mitsubishi, named Pajero Jinchang. Although the Toyota Runner is not made in China, it has been entering the country as a parallel import. When the new generation of Pajero Sport will be domestically produced has always been the focus of attention. In the Australian market, these two cars are a pair of out-and-out competitors. This time, let us fully understand these two cars through the comparison of these two cars by the Australian media.
In the Australian car market, if you are looking for an SUV model with good off-road performance and suitable for family use, there are two models that you will definitely not be able to get around. These are the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner runner.
For this comparison, we chose diesel engine models between the two cars, and the prices and configurations are similar. The Pajero Sport chose the top-end Exeed model; the Runner chose the mid-range GXL model. Next, we will start the comparative evaluation.
Price and configuration
The official guide price of the Toyota Runner GXL is 55,990 Australian dollars (about 295,600 yuan). The Exceed model of Pajero Sport is slightly cheaper than the Runner, with an official guide price of 52,750 Australian dollars (about 278,500 yuan). Although it is cheaper, the configuration of Pajero Exceed is much richer than that of the runner.
The safety configuration and driver assistance systems adopted on the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport include front collision mitigation (active emergency braking) system, accelerator misuse prevention system, blind spot monitoring, rear crossing alert and panoramic camera. The reason why I mentioned these first is because the Toyota Runner is not equipped with any of the above-mentioned similar configurations. All the driving assistance configurations on the Runner are only reversing image and reversing radar, nothing more.
In addition, the Toyota Runner lags behind in terms of configuration. The seats are made of knitted materials, 17-inch rims and xenon headlights. Correspondingly, Pajero Sport uses leather seats, 18-inch rims and LED headlights. The Mitsubishi also has power-adjustable front seats with heating, automatic wipers, and a longer warranty, which the Toyota Runner lacks.
Neither car has on-board navigation, but the Pajero Sport’s media system offers Apple’s CarPlay and Android’s Auto human-computer interaction system. This means that you can use the navigation system on your mobile phone to connect with the vehicle, and map the mobile phone navigation to the screen of the vehicle’s central control. In addition, different mobile phone operating systems will bring some restrictions to the use. In comparison, the Android system is more open.
interior
Pajero Sport has now added a 7-seater model. Let’s first compare the third-row seats of the two cars. For starters, neither car has a way to fold the third-row seats all the way to the floor the way city SUVs do.
Above: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Above: Toyota Runner
If the Pajero Sport’s third row of seats is to be folded down, it is folded forward and leans against the backrest of the second row of seats. If you want more luggage space, the second row of seats can also be folded forward, at which point the third row of seats can be folded flat.
Above: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
For the Runner, the third row of seats is folded to both sides, so that the space on both sides cannot be fully utilized. The second row of seats can be folded forward like the Pajero Sport, but the third row of seats still has to be hung on the sides without any change.
Above: Toyota Runner
In terms of the seating space of the third row, the levels of these two cars are somewhat similar. Both cars are only suitable for children or petite adults. If a taller passenger rides in the third row, it will feel a bit restrictive, especially the headroom. If you are driving on an off-road road, the third row of passengers will be more likely to hit their heads. However, the space in the third row of Pajero Sport is still a little better than that of the runner.
Above: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Another point of view to compare the third row of seats is to sit in the third row of Pajero Sport, and the view is better than that of a runner. This is also determined by the different shapes of the C-pillars of the two cars.
Above: Toyota Runner
The third-row seats of both cars have air-conditioning outlets fixed on the roof, and the second-row seats are equipped with control buttons to control the speed of the rear blower and the temperature of the air conditioner. There are good storage spaces around the second and third row seats of the two cars. The third row seats have cup holders, and there are relatively large door storage compartments on both sides of the second row seats. The second-row seats all feature a foldable center armrest with cupholders.
Using quantitative data to describe the luggage compartment space of the next two cars is the following result. In 7-seater mode, the Toyota Runner has 200 liters of space, which is an advantage over the Pajero Sport’s 131 liters; in 5-seater mode, the Runner wins again, 716 liters compared to 673 liters. However, if you want to maximize the luggage space, both cars will fold the second row of seats and the third row of seats, because the aforementioned Pajero Sport can fold the third row of seats flat, so it can The score of 1624 liters to 1080 liters beats the runner.
Above: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Above: Toyota Runner
The Toyota SUV has better second-row space than the Pajero Sport because of a bit more leg room. The advantage of the Runner is that the second row of seats can be adjusted forward and backward, but Mitsubishi cars cannot, and the seat position is fixed. But because both are three-row designs, in general, the second-row seat space will appear cramped for taller passengers.
Above: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Above: Toyota Runner
The layout and design of the front dashboard Mitsubishi Pajero Sport looks more attractive, mostly thanks to the multimedia screen on the center console. Mitsubishi Multimedia’s system is more like the mobile phone or tablet computer we usually use, with more colorful display and more friendly passengers. Toyota cars give people the feeling that this is the design of the previous generation of in-vehicle multimedia. Pajero Sport’s screen menu design is simple and easy to operate, while Toyota’s is a bit complicated and the interface is not friendly.
The difference in the design of the front cockpit is obvious. Whereas the Toyota Runner feels dated, the Mitsubishi looks more modern. This difference is exacerbated by Toyota’s choice of a dark brown color scheme for the interior. But in the end, which design style is more pleasing is also a matter of different opinions and wisdom.
The situation in the car is compared here. Let’s compare the power that everyone is more concerned about.
Powertrain
Although the Toyota Runner has a larger-displacement 2.8-liter diesel turbo engine, it doesn’t have the advantage over the Mitsubishi in terms of peak output. The 2.4-liter diesel turbo engine on the Pajero Sport can output a maximum power of 133kW at 3500rpm, which is 3kW more than the peak power of the runner. However, Mitsubishi has a slight disadvantage in terms of torque output. The Runner can output a maximum torque of 450N·m at an engine speed of 1600rpm, while the Pajero Sport can only output a maximum torque of 430N·m at 2500rpm.
The Toyota Runner’s engine output feels more peppy, thanks in part to the more responsive 6-speed automatic it’s mated to. The Toyota engine is more powerful in the low-rev range, and quickly revs up to around 3500rpm to output maximum power before it lacks power. At the start, the acceleration of the Runner is obviously better than that of the Pajero Sport, which is also the consistent tuning style of Toyota. This is not to say that there is no delay in the power of the runner, but the performance is better than that of the rival Pajero Sport.
When accelerating from the start, Pajero Sport appears to be half a beat slow, especially when the engine speed is below 2000rpm and the maximum torque output has not been reached, there will be an obvious power delay. In fact, Pajero Sport uses an 8-speed automatic transmission, which has two more gears than the 6AT of the Runner. The denser gear ratio makes it easier for Pajero Sport to upshift when accelerating, which is not conducive to power output. When cruising at a constant speed of 100km/h, the runner will honestly lock in the highest gear, and the Pajero Sport will hesitate between the two gears. In short, Mitsubishi’s 8AT is not as good as the runner’s 6AT.
Take it a step further, and you can feel the Toyota’s wheels slipping when you step on the accelerator for more power, whether it’s wet or dry. The Mitsubishi’s half-beat-slow throttle response also has the benefit of making it easier to maintain speed off-road. The accelerator of the Toyota Runner is too sensitive, and the suspension of this car is a bit stiff, so it is more difficult to control the speed when driving on rough roads.
If you want to drive long distances, the larger fuel tank of the Runner seems to be more practical. The fuel tank of the Runner is 80 liters, while that of the Pajero Sport is only 68 liters. However, the fuel economy of Mitsubishi makes the difference of 12 liters not that big. Pajero Sport claims that the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers under comprehensive working conditions is 8.0 liters, while the Runner needs 8.6 liters.
Under our test, the fuel consumption level of the two vehicles seems to be not much different. In the test that integrates suburban roads, high-speed and off-road roads, Pajero Sport shows an average fuel consumption of 9.0 liters/100km, and the runner is 9.3 liters/100km.
The ability to drag and drop is not the content of this comparison test, so we did not use it in practice. If you want to use these two cars to support yachts or RVs, you can pay attention to the manufacturer’s information. The official towing capacity of Pajero Sport is 3.1 tons, and that of the runner is 2.8 tons.
road driving
In the current environment, if you bought either of these cars, you probably wished you could keep driving them off paved roads. But the fact is that most of the car owners who buy off-road vehicles still use the car in the city. Therefore, at present, the urban use comfort of the model is also very important for a car that emphasizes off-road performance. Of the two cars, the Pajero Sport is significantly better than the Runner in this respect.
In the face of road bumps, the Pajero Sport handles better than the Runner. One thing is that the Mitsubishi’s suspension is not as stiff as the Toyota’s, so when driving over potholes, the Pajero Sport will make people feel more comfortable. The same feeling also occurs when the vehicle passes through a sudden big pothole or a bump on the road surface at high speed. Pajero Sport will filter out the vibration, while the runner will react more directly, and the vibration inside the car is obvious.
Steering is good on both cars, with the Runner a little slower and heavier at low speeds. Pajero Sport reacts faster. Neither car has good handling stability like those load-bearing SUVs when turning, and there will be obvious roll, and the rear wheels are relatively easy to slip when turning sharp corners. But this is also what we expected, and the non-load-bearing structure of the vehicle determines this. Therefore, in terms of handling, the two cars are evenly matched.
off-road driving
In terms of the basic data of some models related to off-road performance that we often say, the two cars are very similar. The ground clearance of the two cars is only 7mm apart (Pajero Sport: 218mm; Runner: 225mm), and the maximum wading depth is the same at 700mm. The information related to several angles is almost the same between the two cars. Both cars have an approach angle of 30 degrees, a departure angle (Pajero Sport: 24 degrees; Runner: 25 degrees), and a longitudinal pass angle of 23 degrees.
In actual driving, the Toyota Runner’s stiffer suspension limits its suspension’s ability to filter shocks. In this regard, Pajero Sport performed better, making people feel more confident in the face of bumpier road conditions and steeper slopes. Throughout the testing process, when facing more challenging off-road sections, the Pajero Sport crossed more coherently and smoothly. In addition, as we mentioned before, Toyota’s harder suspension makes it difficult for you to feel that the springs and shock absorbers are filtering the vibrations brought by the road. In terms of ride comfort during the off-road process, Pajero Sport is also a complete victory.
Furthermore, Toyota’s four-wheel drive system is more traditional in the selection mode. There are three modes of 2H, 4H and 4L to choose from, and the rear axle has a differential lock. The Pajero Sport uses Mitsubishi’s super-selected four-wheel drive. In this generation of models, the super-selected four-wheel drive 2 generation has replaced the super-selected four-wheel drive 1 generation on the previous generation model. The super-selected four-wheel drive has four selection modes: 2H, 4H, 4H central differential lock and 4L central differential lock, and the rear axle also has a differential lock.
In addition, Pajero Sport also adopted the terrain selection system for the first time to help the driver better increase the vehicle’s grip according to the road surface. The system includes four road conditions: sand, mud, gravel and rock. Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD can be used as a full-time 4WD without switching back to 2WD on paved roads, but Toyota’s 4WD system must do so.
Since the runner’s chassis is at the disadvantage of filtering the bumps on the road, it is difficult to keep the strength of the right foot on the accelerator when driving off-road. This makes it a bit torturous to drive the Runner off-road. As a result, we feel very tired after the off-road part of the test is completed. The suspension tuning of Pajero Sport is obviously softer and more friendly when off-road, but the vibration is also more severe when turning.
Simply put, we prefer to drive the Pajero Sport off-road.
Warranty/Maintenance
Obviously, Toyota’s signature is more attractive to many consumers, but the warranty period of the Runner is shorter than that of Pajero Sport, which is 3 years and 100,000 kilometers, and Mitsubishi’s is 5 years and 100,000 kilometers.
Mitsubishi requires new cars to be returned to the factory for maintenance every 12 months or 15,000 kilometers within 4 years/60,000 kilometers (whichever comes first). The first maintenance price is 350 Australian dollars (about 1845 yuan), and the subsequent three maintenances will cost 580 Australian dollars (about 3060 yuan) each time
Toyota requires a higher frequency of returning to the factory, and maintenance is required every 6 months or 10,000 kilometers. However, the price of a single maintenance is lower, 180 Australian dollars (about 950 yuan) each time. The return period is limited to 3 years or 60,000 kilometers.
final conclusion
We felt at first that this was going to be a close comparison. But in the end the gap between the two cars was bigger than we thought.
The Toyota Runner has always been an SUV model with excellent reliability and is favored by consumers in the market, but it is more expensive than Pajero Sport and its configuration is lagging behind. Not only the configuration, Pajero Sport is much better than the Runner in terms of ride comfort. In other aspects, Pajero Sport also wins in terms of economy, towing capacity and off-road mode.
So, the Pajero Sport is better than the Runner in almost every way. The Pajero Sport wins this comparison, and it’s a complete winner.
