Rated at 200 horsepower, Mitsubishi's 3.5-liter 24-valve V6 engine is glass-smooth and free of vibration. It delivers a full 235 foot-pounds of torque at 3500 rpm, good for off-road driving, accelerating away from intersections, and climbing long, steep grades. Responsiveness on the highway is typical of current SUVs, neither blisteringly fast nor annoyingly slow.

The Limited's five-speed automatic transmission features a Sportronic mode that allows the driver to manually select gears. But like most of these Sportmatic-like systems, selection is not linear and direct. In other words, it makes a decision about just how soon it will downshift after you've asked it to. Also, because it operates with a torque converter, you don't have the solid geartooth-to-geartooth control you would have with stick. But since there is no stick Montero, this is an okay compromise, especially since it doubles as a full-time automatic when you're stranded in drive-time bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Montero's well-specified suspension is gently forgiving and smooth on the highway. Road feel is never very lively in SUVs, but the Montero's rack-and-pinion steering is a big improvement over the previous-generation's recirculating-ball setup. Cornering response is predictably ponderous and there is the inevitable sensation of great bulk when driving this 4675-pound truck.

The Montero features big ventilated disc brakes front and rear, necessary to haul this truck down from highway speeds, and they work well. ABS comes standard.

On rippled washboard dirt surfaces, the Montero exhibited no axle-tramp, that disturbing resonance typical in solid rear axles where the back wheels bounce so busily that they begin to steer the rear end. On washboard, the Montero's rear wheels maintain full directional control. This stability on washboard surfaces is a benefit of the Montero's fully independent multi-link rear suspension. Mitsubishi's compliant springs and shocks soak up most of this motion, producing a very smooth ride.

On really steep descents and climbs in backcountry terrain, the Montero's V6 and low-range transfer case are superb, allowing excellent control when going downhill and providing plenty of torque for creeping back up. Even over tall rocks on one side or the other, the Montero kept its poise, proving that it can go where many lesser four-wheel drive vehicles would be creaking and groaning and complaining bitterly.

Mitsubishi joins the trend away from the classic body-on-frame construction of most trucks toward unitbody construction. Not only is this the direction taken by a long list of car-based SUVs, but it's also the direction being taken by such renowned off-road vehicles as the 2003 Range Rover. Jeep uses unitbody construction for its highly capable Grand Cherokee. This newest-generation model is the first Montero to be built on a unitbody. The advantage here is that a unitbody is both lighter and tighter, greatly reducing the likelihood of squeaks and rattles over the truck's lifetime. To further civilize the new Montero, its front and rear suspension are mounted to subframes, isolating road noise and impacts from the cabin and producing a quieter, more relaxing ride. Technical matters like these may seem dreary, but their reward is a considerable advance in comfort for Montero occupants both in the present and over the long haul.

The front suspension is by double wishbones, and the rear uses a multi-link system; it's the supplest combination, excellent on the highway and off the beaten path. The new suspension has more vertical travel than before, allowing it to soak up big jolts with ease. Montero is one of the first production vehicles in the world to use carbon-fiber driveshafts, which are much lighter than steel, reducing the truck's overall weight. More important, crushable carbon fiber manages a crash impact far more effectively than the unbending mass of a steel driveshaft; so it's safer.