Rating
Verdict Only useful for pretending to be American
One of the strangest things about America is that half the cars sold there every year are not cars at all. They're SUVs. And the bestselling of them all is the Ford F-150, which is a pickup truck.
The car makers love this because a car is quite expensive to make. A pickup truck, on the other hand, is made by nailing a couple of slabs of pig iron onto a chassis.
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Imagine my horror, then, when my wife casually announced the other day she'd like a pickup. Apparently we need one for taking wounded chickens to the vet and picking up trees and donkey feed (life on the wild western frontiers of Chipping Norton can be tough).
I argued that if we must have a Ku Klux Klan mobile, it'd have to be Japanese because at least they are built to withstand just about anything.
To see what we might be in for, I borrowed a Mitsubishi L200 double-cab Warrior. Where do we start? The ride was more uncomfortable than the Cresta Run. There was no performance at all. Space in the back part of the double cab was a joke. I have to say it's one of the worst vehicles I've ever driven.
If you really do want a work tool, buy a van. The only reason for buying a pickup is because you want to look American. But there's an easier way of doing that. Eat lots of chocolate and lose your atlas.
Price when tested (May 2004) £21,113
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Model discontinued
Engine 2477cc, four cylinders
Power 113bhp @ 4000rpm
Torque 177 lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
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Fuel/CO2 28mpg (combined) / 209g/km
0-60mph n/a
Top speed 94mph