Our Vans: Mitsubishi L200 2.4 MIVEC
6 April 2016: Roll up, roll up!
The Details
| Current mileage | 680 |
|---|---|
| Claimed economy | 42.8mpg |
| Actual economy | 29.4mpg |
Pick-up owners will not need me to remind them of their vehicle’s obvious vulnerabilities when it comes to security. I’ve lost count of the number of stories I’ve heard about owners parking up for five minutes to grab a bacon sandwich and returning and find some toe rag has lifted something from the back of their open-top pick-up. The only way to prevent this is to invest in a load cover. Either that or a very large dog.
Unable to convince management to buy me a Rottweiler I decided to spec my L200 Barbarian with a slideable tonneau load cover. The cover itself is made from individual metal slats, which stack neatly over each other as you slide the top back. Also, being metal, they strong and not vulnerable to being cut open with a knife. Something which often happens to vinyl covers.
Mitsubishi offers a huge range of load covers, but in my opinion it's the MountainTop Roll that gives the best flexibility. It doesn't limit the loadspace in the same way as the hinged gas lift metal cover does, which effectively cuts the loadspace in half due to the fact it cannot be retracted or easily removed. Obviously, you could go the whole hog and buy a hardtop, but to be honest I have no need for one. Besides, they can be quite expensive.
So far the decision to fit the MoutainTop Roll (which costs £1491) has been a good one. I can open the cover fully or halfway, which gives lots of flexibility when it comes to carrying large bulky items or smaller things, like mountain bikes. Last week I used the L200 for my fortnightly trip to Thetford Forest mountain bike park. I've also put the four-wheel drive through its paces, with the bike track being at the end of a somewhat flooded gravel path.
The metal rolltop cover strikes the best balance between security and practicality
Despite it being April, the weather has been very cold and wet. As a result the loose surface road to the mountain bike range looks more like a small river than a road. But not that it has caused me any problems in the L200, which can be put into four-wheel drive with a flick of a switch. However, while the L200 has impressed with its versatility, there are a couple of issues that I can't ignore - namely the ride quality.
Hit a pot hole or lump in the road and the L200 will bounce violently and leave your head and teeth rattling. I know pick-ups are rough 'n' ready, but the L200 really does jump along with the grace of a fat football fan on a pogo stick.
Perhaps it is a case of getting use to the L200's burly nature. Time will tell, but the L200 is a long way behind the excellent Nissan Navara for refinement and ride comfort. I also have an issue with the fuel economy - or lack of it. Mitsubishi claims 42.8mpg, yet my L200 hasn't got anywhere near that figure and after some 600 miles it's averaging in the high 20s.
Complaints aside, the Mitsubishi L200 has impressed overall with its high levels of everyday usability. It's not often I can carry a couple of bikes and four passengers. However, some more miles per gallon for my money wouldn’t go amiss, because as things stand the new L200 is proving as efficient as the old one.
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