Our Vans: Mitsubishi L200 2.4 MIVEC
8 June 2016: Show me the way to go chrome
The Details
| Current mileage | 2603 |
|---|---|
| Claimed economy | 42.8mpg |
| Actual economy | 33.0mpg |
In the old days, way back in the 1980s, the pick-up truck was built for one section of society - the professionals. Not the Bodie and Doyle type, you understand, but the farmers, the builders and the engineers who had to chug over muddy fields to fix broken power lines.
Since those days in the 1980s the pick-up has become gentrified, blinged up and marketed as a lifestyle accessory. Visit a pick-up manufacturer’s website or flick through brochure and you’ll see images of 20-somethings, with surfboards, speed boats and paragliders. Poor old famer Giles and Bob the builder are nowhere to be seen. Instead they have been replaced with hipsters in heaven.
The onslaught of the 'lifestyle' pick-up has - in my opinion - seen the rough 'n' ready pick-up lose its identity. Take the Mitsubishi L200 for example. It has more chrome than a 1950s' motoring festival, while its load bars (also plastered in a layer of chrome) give the impression that some explosive gas is being piped directly into the cabin.
Mitsubishi isn't alone in embracing the bling factor. Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford all employ similar styling. But is it a case of style over substance? I recently used the load bars on the L200 to fasten a large pallet. However, after reaching my destination, I found that the straps had left some scratches on the chrome bars. So, clearly, they're not intended for any practical use. Other than being blingy, of course.
The L200's chrome load bars are not as practical as they appear
It would be unfair to label the L200 as a show pony, because underneath all of that chrome is the beating heart of a thoroughbred workhorse that will happily plough its way through mud and snow. I just wish pick-up manufacturers would embrace the workmanlike nature of the vehicle, instead of hiding it with lots of shiny, useless metal.
While the styling might not be to my taste, I have no complaints about the L200's performance. The recent wet weather has caused lots of localised flooding in Cambridgeshire and the Mitsubishi has shown itself to be well-suited for coping, thanks to its 205mm ground clearance and 500mm wading depth. The raised driving position also gives a commanding view of the road (or lack of it).
I've also found the L200 to be great in town, with the rearview camera making parking easy. The parking sensors still have a life of their own though, bleeping away without reason half the time. However, I've got use to their random bleeps and hardly notice anymore. Either that or I've started to go deaf.
Fuel economy remains a bugbear, with the 2.4-litre diesel rarely averaging above 33mpg. As a result the L200 is not a cheap pick-up to run and the economy ratings can easily drop into the 20s when carrying three passengers and a full payload.
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