The Montero Sport offers more useful interior room than its small exterior dimensions might suggest. There is more cargo room with the rear seatback folded than you'll find in a Chevrolet Blazer, and just a milkcrate less than in Toyota's 4Runner or Isuzu's Rodeo. With the seatback raised for passengers, the Montero Sport has noticeably more cargo room than the Rodeo, or the Nissan Pathfinder. Passenger room in the Montero Sport is adequate, but lacks a bit in air space for stretching out of a paddling jacket.The front seats, refined a bit last year, still hold the driver firmly. They don't feel as bucket-like as the front seats in an Explorer or Grand Cherokee, but they seem to keep the body in better control. A trip home after a weekend on the trails is relatively easy on your back, even after you've done things on your mountain bike that your chiropractor warned you not to do. In the back seat, again, there's adequate room for three adults and, although the interior is slightly cramped for headroom, your legs will have no complaints. The instrument panel is rather plain looking, which might be good news if you're easily distracted by clutter. Since 2000 it has been made in a pair of two-tone patterns, either tan-on-tan or gray-on-black. We prefer the darker version, since the lighter edition tends to reflect into the windshield in bright sunlight, or at night when a maplight is on.
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