Mitsubishi last sold pickup trucks in this country in 1996, a line of no-frills four-cylinders called the Mighty Max. With 116 horsepower, that was perjury, but you couldn't beat the opening price of $11,000. Mitsubishi discontinued the line, which had included gobs of them rebadged as Dodge trucks, and fled the pickup scene.
Now the Japanese automaker is back with its new Raider, which turns out to be a jazzed-up Dodge Dakota that will open for under $20,000 with a 210-hp V-6 in two-wheel-drive mode. Also offered is a 230-hp V-8 model with a tow rating of 6500 pounds. And you can now buy enough frills to push the V-8's sticker to $36,000.
The Raider's chief distinction over the Dakota is an interior designed to make the buyer feel he's driving something more fashionable than a refrigerator, and a bold nose and flashy flanks that further support that assertion. Mitsubishi thinks a lot of SUV buyers could switch to four-door pickup trucks but won't bite unless the thing's got some style.
The Raider comes with rear-wheel- or four-wheel-drive in two forms: extended cab (with two rear half-doors) and Double Cab (four doors, up to six seats). The entry-level LS's V-6 comes with a six-on-the-floor manual or a four-speed automatic, rack-and-pinion steering, front disc brakes with rear drums and ABS, and steel wheels on 245/70R-16 tires. We like the old-fashioned front bench seat; flip down the center seatback to create a two-seater with a console. Two other trim levels, DuroCross and XLS, up the options ante. The V-8 counterpart, which should start at $27,000, gets a heavy-duty towing package, alloy wheels, bigger tires, a power driver's seat, and a Bluetooth wireless communications link. There's a long list of options; we particularly like the excellent bucket seats.
The V-8's power feels exactly what the math suggests: It would benefit from another 30 horses (available on the Dakota), as it has only 9.5 percent more than the V-6 (but it does have 290 pound-feet of torque to the six's 235). The truck has a pleasantly smooth, compliant ride on freeways, with a minimum of body lean and bounce over country roads.Continued...