Soaking up all bumps

2008 MITSUBISHI PAJERO 3.2 DID GLX

The comfort of a soft ride on a dirt road that would otherwise rattle teeth and bone – that’s Donkie’s best quality, says Piet Swart of Somerset West. My old Colt 2.8 double cab bakkie that I owned until 2015 was, to be completely honest, too slow. I always had to plan ahead if I wanted to overtake someone. It was time for a new vehicle, and I seriously considered the Toyota Land Cruiser double cab bakkie, but ultimately it was beyond my means. The secondhand Pajero was more in my price range. It cost R220 000 and I haven’t regretted buying it for a second. Its gearbox is excellent, and its turbodiesel engine has enough power to get me where I need to be. I installed rock sliders, a nudge bar and a Hannibal roof rack with an awning and had a drawer system custom-made. In terms of fuel consumption, I usually get about 12,5 ℓ/100 km. If I had a spare R10 000 lying around I’d fit an extra diesel tank and water tank. On the mechanical side there’s nothing to complain about, but it does bug me that the interior is starting to rattle more as it gets older.