With its rally inspired look, the 2014 Mitsubishi L200 is arguably the best looking truck on the market, or at least the most eye catching. Mitsubishi hopes to sway SUV owners over to the rough and rowdy side of life with this pickup’s striking styling. The rig comes in four-door Double Cab, or two-door Club Cab and Single Cab forms, but there is only one engine choice. Under the bonnet of all L200s you will find a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine with either 134bhp or 175bhp. Cabin quality is very un-truck like, and is on par with many SUVs. Not surprisingly, the rig is a bearcat off-road, but lacks manners on the tarmac. The driving position is high, giving you that “king of the road” feeling, but when comes time to park, the 2014 Mitsubishi L200 can be a real handful. We emphatically suggest popping for the optional rear-view camera. Unless you’re purchasing vehicles for a commercial fleet, stay away from the 4Work and 4Life models which are poorly equipped but are cheap to buy.
If you don’t want to spend your free time hanging out at the pump, stay away from the automatic transmission. The manual equipped models are more efficient, returning between 33mpg and 34mpg. The fancier Warrior, Barbarian (yes, that’s really what it’s called) and Walkinshaw autos can squeeze out 30.1mpg. If you plan on using the L200 for work, you can get a tax break since the truck is classified as a light commercial vehicle. The road tax is fixed at £210.
In the past, pickups were known for their bone-jarring rides and semi-truck handling. The 2014 Mitsubishi L200 does away with these stereotypes by providing a comfortable cabin with supportive seats, generous front and rear legroom, and a well-designed dash with easy to reach controls. The back does bounce up and down a bit unloaded, but that’s fairly typical of a vehicle designed to carry heavy loads. The 2014 Mitsubishi L200 also has the top turning radius in its class.
The 2014 Mitsubishi L200 provides the best of both worlds – the comfort of an SUV with the practicality of a pickup load-deck. The bed measures 1,505mm long and 1,470mm wide, while the distance between the rear wheel arches is 1,085mm. The lockable flat-bed covers are a nifty option to consider, as they provide contents with security and protection from the elements.
These rigs also have a record of being bullet-proof, so you don’t have to worry about getting stranded during an off-road adventure into some remote location. Fit and finish is excellent, although the use of cheap plastics don’t allow you to forget the L200’s utilitarian roots.
The L200 won’t win you any laps at the Le Mans either with a 0-62mph time of 12.1 seconds, but it will get you where you need to go off-road. Selectable four-wheel drive is available with a low gear provided should you need to traverse the roughest of terrain. Handling on road is good too, at least as far as pickup trucks are concerned. The engines are smooth around town but get vocal at highway speeds. You may want to crank up the stereo.
If you want to add some luxury to your rig, shoot for the top of the line Barbarian which comes stacked with leather seats, cruise control, a reversing camera and satellite navigation.
If you want a true cowboy Cadillac, opt for the top of the line Walkinshaw model which is also fitted with a sports package, special edition leather seats, blinged out 20-inch wheels, and a Bluetooth connection. There’s also a Special Edition Trojan model that combines the 135bhp engine with exterior trim upgrades, and a smaller bed.
There’s a reason the 2014 Mitsubishi L200 accounts for one third of Mitsubishi’s sales in the UK – it proves you don’t have to sacrifice creature comforts if you want to drive a pickup truck. The rig feels just as at home in the shopping centre as it does crawling around a creek bed. So, if you’re in the market for a pickup, slide behind the wheel of an 2014 Mitsubishi L200, put it in four-wheel drive and hit the back country.
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