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I still remember the first time I saw the 2016 Pajero Sport on the road – that rugged, no-nonsense stance immediately caught my eye. Having driven various SUVs over the years, from compact crossovers to full-sized beasts, I've developed a particular soft spot for vehicles that balance practicality with personality. The 2016 Pajero Sport represents that sweet spot where Mitsubishi's engineering met real-world usability, and today, nearly eight years later, I find myself constantly asked whether this model still holds up. The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think, especially when we consider how vehicle priorities have shifted in recent years.

Let me start with what makes the 2016 Pajero Sport special in the first place. That 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine produces around 178 horsepower and 430 Nm of torque – numbers that might not sound groundbreaking today but deliver exactly what you need for both city driving and off-road adventures. I've taken mine through muddy trails that would make most modern SUVs cry uncle, and it handled them with the confidence of a mountain goat. The Super Select II 4WD system is genuinely brilliant, allowing you to switch between 2WD for better fuel economy on highways and 4WD when the terrain gets tricky. What surprised me most during my ownership was the fuel efficiency – I consistently averaged about 12.5 km/L in mixed driving, which is pretty decent for a vehicle of this size and capability.

Now, here's where things get interesting when we talk about whether the 2016 Pajero Sport is still worth buying today. The vehicle's timing reminds me of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games situation back in December – sometimes being available when others aren't creates unique value. Just like how the SEA Games fell within club season when pro and college teams weren't required to lend players to national teams, the 2016 Pajero Sport exists in this sweet spot in the used car market where you're getting modern enough features without the premium of brand-new models. It's available when newer competitors might be out of reach financially, much like how the SEA Games provided competition opportunities during what would otherwise be a quiet period for athletes.

The interior might feel dated compared to today's touchscreen-heavy cabins, but there's something to be said about physical buttons that you can operate without taking your eyes off the road. I've driven newer SUVs where adjusting the climate control feels like programming a spacecraft – the Pajero Sport keeps things simple and functional. The seating for seven is genuinely usable too, unlike some competitors where the third row is only suitable for small children or grocery bags. On a family trip last summer, we comfortably fit five adults and their luggage for a week-long camping trip – something very few vehicles in this class can manage without a roof rack.

Reliability has been surprisingly good in my experience. Aside from regular maintenance, I've only had to replace the battery and tires in the four years I've owned mine. The repair costs have averaged about $350 annually, which is significantly less than what many of my friends spend on their European SUVs. The diesel engine particularly shines on long highway drives – the torque makes overtaking effortless, and the engine remains surprisingly quiet at cruising speeds. There's a solidity to how this vehicle is put together that newer models sometimes lack in their pursuit of weight reduction.

Of course, there are compromises. The ride quality is firmer than what you'd experience in something like a Fortuner or Montero, especially on rough city roads. The infotainment system feels ancient by today's standards – you'll definitely want to budget for an aftermarket unit if you care about Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Fuel economy in pure city driving drops to about 9.5 km/L, which isn't terrible but certainly not class-leading. And let's be honest – the design, while handsome in my opinion, hasn't aged as gracefully as some of its contemporaries.

When we circle back to whether the 2016 Pajero Sport is still worth buying today, I think it comes down to what you truly value in a vehicle. If you want the latest tech and the smoothest ride, look elsewhere. But if you need a dependable, capable SUV that won't bankrupt you in maintenance costs and can handle both school runs and mountain trails with equal competence, this might be one of the smartest used car choices available. The 2016 model year specifically hits that reliability sweet spot where most early issues have been ironed out, but you're not paying the premium for facelifted models. Much like how the SEA Games created meaningful competition during the club season gap, the 2016 Pajero Sport fills an important niche in today's market – offering substantial capability at a reasonable price point when newer alternatives might be stretching your budget.

Having lived with mine for several years and roughly 85,000 kilometers, I can confidently say the 2016 Pajero Sport has aged better than most vehicles from its era. There's a honesty to its purpose that resonates particularly well in today's world of overcomplicated automobiles. It knows what it is – a comfortable family hauler that can transform into a proper off-roader when needed – and it excels at both roles without pretending to be anything else. For the right buyer, which I believe is someone who values substance over style and capability over connectivity, the 2016 Pajero Sport remains an absolutely compelling choice that continues to justify its place on roads and trails alike.