Test drive Mitsubishi L200 Single Cab 1995 - 2005 pickup

Twist on the ranch?

We have little written about this class of cars. Is it an ocean! Instead of striped stars on the American flag, they could well portray a pickup. Russian motorists in this matter until recently had a lot of confusion. So, for example, the VAZ-2102 or 2104 is sometimes called the Lada-Picapchik. And no one, as a rule, is thinking about a clear distortion of meaning in this definition.
After all, in fact, this refers to the universal body, which was adopted by a lot of conversational synonyms: a caravan, and a combi, and a barn. Meanwhile, the real Pick-up, no matter how strange it may seem, has long been familiar to our motorists.
Even from the time of GAZ-M-1, cars appeared, which had an open cargo body was attached behind the cabin to the middle of the cab. Abroad, especially in the States, pickups are widely distributed. In our country, they have always been produced in very limited quantities. Indeed, in the Soviet years, the class of small entrepreneurs was absent. And first of all, they need a pick -up with the owners of a small farm or shop, in which all the goods are placed on a small open platform.
A special niche is occupied by all-wheel drive mini-carriers, designed, as a rule, at a common base with SUVs. Almost all the companies that are engaged in the manufacture of jeeps produce them. And they have the main sales again in America. Unlike the variety of models in other classes, pickups, despite the different origin, are often so similar to each other that they can only be distinguished by emblems. But they are necessarily made in large font, usually with an alternation of metal on the rear folding side.
For the correct comparison, consider three Japanese production cars: Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200 Strada and Isuzu Pickup.
This class only paves its way to the Russian market. Agree, ordinary SUVs in the Moscow stream make up a noticeable share, but mini-loaders on their base are found much less often. Why? The answer lies on the surface. We have a jeep of luxury, not a means of transportation. It allows you to run into a tank even on a foreign car walking ahead, drive in the dark with full light in the fields and forests after good gatherings on barbecue, storm the snowdrifts in the winter, breaking through them through and get into the slides without slipping. All this is more than pleasure. A real user of a rural resident cannot always afford even a used UAZ.
But still, what to do not to do a poor man who wants to combine pleasant with useful? So he chooses a pickuper with four leaders. Moreover, most often Double Cab. There are four doors, five places, and behind a square in the area, about one and a half for one and a half, a body. The single cabin did not take root too much. This is a more commercial version, designed mainly for the carriage of cargo by a driver with a forwarder. And give us two rows of seats, where today a cheerful company rolls on nature, and a week later the owner loads two dozen cement bags for a house under construction, and at the same time puts a brigade of builders in the cab.
The most interesting thing is that these machines have more in common than different.
So the historical data: two leading bridges, four doors, a small platform in the back, enough Spartan equipment. Made in Japan. What will we choose?
Toyota offered us the most ascetic option. Low pressure turbodiesel, manual adjustments of everything, from pre -equipment air conditioning and coloring with metallic. A modest hard worker. Very similar in front to 4-Runner eight years ago. And there is much in common inside. A simple, passenger landing, an excellent review. Especially back, through the inner mirror, which is tinted by a pleasant smoky shade. In general, on these machines, unlike classic jeeps, you can use a salon mirror, since the boundaries of its view coincide with the rear window. This is all the more convenient that side mirrors are regulated only by hand. The truck has a truck!
The first thing you pay attention to the giant road clearance. Like Big Foot. Interdaemo gearboxes at the usual height, even a handout with a box, closed by a metal casing, like the Toyota 4-Runner, are not so high above the road. But here are the thresholds! I just can’t imagine what ditches and barriers should be to plant Hilux on the threshold! The reverse side of the Khai-Luksov medal to climb into the salon, the leg needs to be lifted up something like a dog does it on a walk. The interior, by the way, is covered on the floor easily washing oilcloth, and all panels are made of inexpensive gray plastic. What else? Primitive devices without a tachometer, a clear inclusion of gears, a platform for the left leg next to the clutch pedal.
The dynamics is absolutely not impressive. You can only guess about the revolutions, but the craving appears, according to my assumptions, from somewhere from two and a half to four thousand revolutions. It stands on the Hilux road quite clearly and specifically. The steering wheel is quite accurate, the rolls are small. In short, the road tribal. And an off -road? He is just a champion! There are not many slides in the suburbs, but in the area of \u200b\u200bDmitrov and Yakhroma we found cool climbs. This friend is like a stubborn bull. On the first reduced he rushes into any mountain. I was even afraid to sink back. Finally, getting up, on the clearing, we find freshly sawed pine trunks across the road. Well, all, went back. But what if? Should we try?! Through these logs? No! Yes! Will we argue? For what? What do you want, I will win. My Toyota did not struck the woods of n-and-h-e-m. This is her element. You can even add gas. The body is shaking, but there are almost no breaks in the suspension. I think that the workhorse is too modest for Hilux. This is a high -quality, reliable and at the same time quite a simple car. And although it does not quickly accelerate, but it goes excellently on off -road.
I will cross the second experimental machine Isuzu. This pickup is made on the basis of Rodeo, which is better known with us as Opel Frontera, and is also equipped with a turbodiesel, though more comprehensible and powerful than Toyota.
Accordingly, the Isuzu runs quite confidently and briskly along the routes. With appropriate diesel specificity, expressed in a uniform set of speed. However, here you feel at the wheel more on a truck than in Toyota or Mitsubishi. Perhaps the fault of this is the insensitivity and rude management. I recall that something similar was in Opel Frontera. Huge thick tires of clearly swamp dimension on cast discs exacerbate the impression. In the same style, chrome arcs are also made behind the cabin and in front of the bumper. All this shine is hung with additional headlights Hella. The image of this pickupa is perhaps the most hunting. ISUZU has less clearance than competitors. And in addition, the most powerful decorative thresholds are here. But this is not always a drawback. Let's say it is easier to jump into the cabin. This, however, concerns only the front seats. But behind ... to sit back (of course, not in the body, but on the second row of seats) is extremely inconvenient for all three subjects. Planting and racks just like on the 469th UAZ, if you are familiar. But, in fairness, I will say that it is not crowded to go there, and even the three of them.
But back to Isuzu. In the cabin (and we got a sky-blue copy), the metal parts, which are not covered by the trim, which are sharply released against the background of utilitarian gray plastic, are immediately striking. The floor is closed by the carpet. In this model, thanks to a fairly flat hood, the best review forward and the least comfortable slider adjustments of the stove. It seemed that noise and vibration loading are too big. Too big and the moves of the gearbox lever.
In general, according to our impressions, Isuzu Pickup in this configuration more than others corresponds to the image of the car for outdoor activities.
The third hero Mitsubishi L200 Strada, and in the most modern and charged version.
First of all, it is GLS, that is, a luxury version: an electric package, velor comfortable seats, even two eirbegs, the front of the car and the Pajero Sport salon, traditional baubles such as a mitsubishi roller. And to this, a roof with a lockable rear door and tinted glasses, a roof overlooking on the Pikapovsky body. But what about the advantages of the pickupa? And if you need to transport an oversized cargo such as a small water motorcycle? This roof is very fastened to the body on eight bolts, so its dismantling, as well as installation, will take about ten minutes, and access to the fasteners appears only after unlocking the lifting cover. So outsiders do not understand this mini-furgon.
In the back, in the regular version, the factory lining-crook made of soft plastic is already lies, so that any packing will not scrape through the metal, and at the same time on the nerves of the owner.
In general, the car resembles a long jeep rather than a pickup. A neat kangaroo and cast discs complement the exterior. It must be admitted that the appearance of the L200 Strada is most expressive and finished among competitors.
Of the technical features, we note the ability to move from the rear -wheel drive to full and back at speeds up to 100 km/h. At the same time, the load on the front differential without any free stroke mounted in the hubs is turned off. Here, only the right semi -axis is disconnected from the differential with a fisting coupling with a vacuum drive. Unusual solution!
Perhaps this is the most city of all three tested cars. His metallic is somehow sorry to scratch the bushes. But the large drawback of the car is almost a complete absence of a view back through an intra -sulfate mirror. We'll have to navigate the side or park by sound.
Mitsubishi’s tower is the softest, I would even say that too soft for such a courageous car. Moving through irregularities is also the most comfortable. Thus, on a bad road (or in the complete absence of one), this will make you slightly reduce the speed compared to hard, but oak springs and torsiones of Toyota and Isuzu.
Yes, not to forget to mention that Mitsubishi we got a gasoline (among the competitors of turbodiesel), so it is difficult to conduct a full comparison. But we note that the dynamics of this pickup is close to the dynamics of Isuzu. Why? The fact is that only a four-cylinder engine is installed on L200, the V-6 was left for the Pajero. So do not twist, you will not accelerate quickly. But on the other hand, sharp rebuilding or racing on the highway is not for our heroes. Most pickup buyers already have another car, and this, as a rule, is purchased for very specific needs. Hunting, transportation of surfing or a mini-boat (open the rear side, let the cargo be fixed better, let it hang a little for yourself), the delivery of small cargoes. A large annual mileage for pickupa is not characteristic, and the cars themselves are reliable and founded. So you make a purchase for a long, long term.
You can argue that it is better than a simple double pickup, Duble Cab, which we examined today (and there are intermediate layouts of two doors and seats 2+2), or a regular jeep. But we recall once again about the universality of a two -cube pickup and a successful ratio of price quality.
Vladimir Smirnov
Driver-consultant Sh. Mukhomideev
Photo by Alexander Nozdrin
 

 

A source: Cars