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I'm a little confused. I'm seriously looking at buying a 2001 Pajero IO GDI 1990cc, auto 4 speed. The motorweb report says it is a 4x4. I thought they all were 2wd/4wd, but the owner tells me its just a straight 4WD. Does that mean its actually AWD? How does it work in this car? Does it drive normally FWD until it senses a slip and then engage 4WD or is it always running AWD?

Would I expect to use more gas? The fuel economy is 4 stars, $2350 annual fuel cost, which seems OK to me. Also, can I expect more wear and tear on the tyres? I want it for commuting to work mostly, but also pop up snowboarding a few times a year. Anything I should be wary of GDI and AWD?
Thanks so much for your answers, this is a great service.

Hi there,
Specs vary for these vehicles because of the import specs, but I can see that some have the Mitsubishi Super select 4WD lever which engages the 4wd system and can lock the centre for off-road capability. The ones without this extra lever are a bit of an unknown as to how they operate or if they are just 2wd only.