Mitsubishi L200 Doublecab as a family wagon?
Discussion
Getting jarred off with the lack of reasonable motors for my money, and recently discovered that there are some serious tax advantages to driving a 'utility' classed vehicle as far as circulation tax goes.
I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it
)
Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it
)Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
I would say no. They are very agricultural indeed to drive, and are also very dubious from a crash safety point of view - surely an important factor with your kids in the car. They are designed and built for taking carrying bags of cement around and taking rubbish up the mountain for fly tipping.
You'll also look as pikey as hell :-D
Dave
You'll also look as pikey as hell :-D
Dave
Crap ride and super-crap with extra crap sauce to sit in the back of - no room and uncomfortable. Turning circle will drive you crazy too.
Try an American one and see what pick ups should be like. Once you get over the LHD aspect (takes about an hour or two) you're left with a truck that goes better, looks better, seats 5 or 6 in comfort, has all the trimmings, can actually carry stuff, doesn't take longer to turn around than a supertanker despite being significantly bigger than UKDM trucks, and you get proper engines which still offer decent MPG. Cheaper tax, sensible insurance, V8 rumble, lots of aftermarket bits to fiddle with... they're very hard to beat
Win win I'd say
Edit: I should add I haven't owned an L200, but I have driven a couple and test drove a top end one. I opted for the Navara. Which still sucks in comparison to the F250 I bought more recently - and I'm currently looking for a Ram.
Try an American one and see what pick ups should be like. Once you get over the LHD aspect (takes about an hour or two) you're left with a truck that goes better, looks better, seats 5 or 6 in comfort, has all the trimmings, can actually carry stuff, doesn't take longer to turn around than a supertanker despite being significantly bigger than UKDM trucks, and you get proper engines which still offer decent MPG. Cheaper tax, sensible insurance, V8 rumble, lots of aftermarket bits to fiddle with... they're very hard to beat
Win win I'd say
Edit: I should add I haven't owned an L200, but I have driven a couple and test drove a top end one. I opted for the Navara. Which still sucks in comparison to the F250 I bought more recently - and I'm currently looking for a Ram.
Edited by Stu R on Wednesday 23 February 10:17
We've got one for work, it's great. As has been said, it's pretty agricultural but still fun to drive in a giant Tonka toy kind of way. It's built from girders and pretty well over engineered so it'll cope fine with potholes and won't break down but whether your family will be happy spending time there will be another matter. Take one for a test drive with someone in the back, they don't have a particularly smooth ride so make sure your passengers are going to be happy with it. I'd say go for it but so long as you're aware of their limitations.
Dom, the newer models (2005? on) are much better in every way than the prevgious gen.
The older ones are dog slow, cramped, thirsty, unreliable and handle like s
t. I had one for 6 months as a company vehicle and it was horrible.
Test drove a new long-bed L200 and was very tempted. 160bhp, permie 4x4, spacious, comfortable and very practical.
Hilux is good, only PT 4x4 though. Navara comfortable but has some reliability issues. Having said that, I know a couple of people who have each had several Navaras and love them.
Email or FB me if I can help in any way, I've test driven most of them.
The older ones are dog slow, cramped, thirsty, unreliable and handle like s
t. I had one for 6 months as a company vehicle and it was horrible.Test drove a new long-bed L200 and was very tempted. 160bhp, permie 4x4, spacious, comfortable and very practical.
Hilux is good, only PT 4x4 though. Navara comfortable but has some reliability issues. Having said that, I know a couple of people who have each had several Navaras and love them.
Email or FB me if I can help in any way, I've test driven most of them.
Simond S said:
F150 on LPG
The best of all worlds. Ride comfort, handling, space and good £/mile. You can also convert to RHD fairly inexpensively.
L200's etc are very very bouncy. I hated driving one.
Is there much point converting to RHD? Surely you can see over the top of everything else on the road?The best of all worlds. Ride comfort, handling, space and good £/mile. You can also convert to RHD fairly inexpensively.
L200's etc are very very bouncy. I hated driving one.
Also, aren't the cheaper conversions a bit rubbish and leave your dash with huge panel gaps?
XitUp said:
Is there much point converting to RHD? Surely you can see over the top of everything else on the road?
Also, aren't the cheaper conversions a bit rubbish and leave your dash with huge panel gaps?
Totally pointless IMO. LHD is fine on UK roads, especially as you're not sitting low. It takes a short while to get used to it, but if you use your mirrors properly it's fine. The good thing with pick up trucks is they usually have the bench front seat too, so it's not a problem for paying at booths etc if you haven't got a passenger. Also, aren't the cheaper conversions a bit rubbish and leave your dash with huge panel gaps?
Some techinal advice if you do decide to buy (I have had 2 of them ):
1. Make sure the crank bottom pully/key and bolt has been changed (They de laminate, work loose and cause expensive damage to the crank/key)
2. Check and ensure the balance belt/cambelt/tensioners have been changed. They will happily run without a balance belt, I removed mine because they were prone to give up the ghost BEFORE the service interval; taking out the cam belt....not good!
They are good trucks for the money, and have been great in the recent snow we have had.
Have a look at the L200 owners site, very informative:
www.l200.org.uk
PROS for me
High up postion
Eats Pot holes
Cheap parts
Felt safe
Runs on Veg oil
CONS for me
Fuel consumption
Top end speed
Turning circle
Gear stick was like stirring porridge
):1. Make sure the crank bottom pully/key and bolt has been changed (They de laminate, work loose and cause expensive damage to the crank/key)
2. Check and ensure the balance belt/cambelt/tensioners have been changed. They will happily run without a balance belt, I removed mine because they were prone to give up the ghost BEFORE the service interval; taking out the cam belt....not good!
They are good trucks for the money, and have been great in the recent snow we have had.
Have a look at the L200 owners site, very informative:
www.l200.org.uk
PROS for me
High up postion
Eats Pot holes
Cheap parts
Felt safe
Runs on Veg oil
CONS for me
Fuel consumption
Top end speed
Turning circle
Gear stick was like stirring porridge
I had a new shape one for 45,000 in 2 years. It was comfortable, reliable, cheap to own. Very few downsides, other than not being able to park in a multi-story and looking like a pikey.
I paid about £17k for mine (very nearly new raging bull), and sold it for about £11k I think. Didn't pay for any servicing (all included), replaced one set of tyres, and didn't have to top up oil or washer fluid or even replace a bulb in that time. Averaged about 32mpg. I replaced it with a Defender which has been a different experience!
I paid about £17k for mine (very nearly new raging bull), and sold it for about £11k I think. Didn't pay for any servicing (all included), replaced one set of tyres, and didn't have to top up oil or washer fluid or even replace a bulb in that time. Averaged about 32mpg. I replaced it with a Defender which has been a different experience!
A911DOM said:
Getting jarred off with the lack of reasonable motors for my money, and recently discovered that there are some serious tax advantages to driving a 'utility' classed vehicle as far as circulation tax goes.
I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it )
Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
I think they look good. Read a lot of scare stories about them in terms of reliability and running costs though.I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it
)Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
I'd say no, and go for a bigish estate of the 5 series/etc, type.
They are not that good a ride, expensive to run, in comparison to the above. The rear seats are OK'ish, but the main thing is, and if you are putting you little ones in there, the earlier ones were diabolical when crash tested.
They are a lights good vehicle, and as such were never required to go through the NCAP tests, (the new ones, I imagine, are). As a response to the growing trend with these vehicles, they were put throught this test in retrospect, and the outcome was rather fightening. The worst of the lot was the Navara, of the 2003-2006 era, which was so bad that the testers couldn't actually rate it, and had to give it a half star, struck through, so effectivly zero rating, for passenger protection. The intrusion into the front passenger area, particularly the passenger side, was massive and the airbags did not trigger, (there was a recall for this, I beleive).
One saving grace for your choice, is the L200 was one of the better ones.
They are not that good a ride, expensive to run, in comparison to the above. The rear seats are OK'ish, but the main thing is, and if you are putting you little ones in there, the earlier ones were diabolical when crash tested.
They are a lights good vehicle, and as such were never required to go through the NCAP tests, (the new ones, I imagine, are). As a response to the growing trend with these vehicles, they were put throught this test in retrospect, and the outcome was rather fightening. The worst of the lot was the Navara, of the 2003-2006 era, which was so bad that the testers couldn't actually rate it, and had to give it a half star, struck through, so effectivly zero rating, for passenger protection. The intrusion into the front passenger area, particularly the passenger side, was massive and the airbags did not trigger, (there was a recall for this, I beleive).
One saving grace for your choice, is the L200 was one of the better ones.
doogz said:
I have a Shogun with the same engine, and never knew about this issue. Fortunately The Garage picked up on it when it went in to have the belts changed and sorted it for me. I'd asked them to change the auxilliary belt and have a look, as it was whining, and it turned out to be the pulley at fault.
Just as well they caught it before it got expensive
Yes its a common fault.Just as well they caught it before it got expensive
Another tip, check your viscous fan and make sure it goes stiff when the engines hot. If it doesn't, take off, open up and change the oil, dont replace the fan its a waste of money:
http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/car/item/FAST61-1...
A911DOM said:
Getting jarred off with the lack of reasonable motors for my money, and recently discovered that there are some serious tax advantages to driving a 'utility' classed vehicle as far as circulation tax goes.
I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it )
Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
BTW - I say yes.I'd fancied the look of a big ol' pick-up truck for a while but assumed they would be scarily expensive to buy, tax and run... It seems perhaps this is not the case, and instead of having a mumsy car, I could get a rufty toughty hairy chested blokes car instead
BUT - as ever, I have to consider if its going to be suitable for real life.
My criteria are as follows:
School run with 3 kids - (2 on boosters)
Must not break every 3km!
Potholed / Speed Bumped / 'Guttered' roads on daily run to work.
Occasional towing of track day car (maybe 2 or 3 times a year + occasional transporting of other stuff on trailer)
Must have aircon / stereo / tinted glass (I hate the look of cars without it
)Reasonable running costs
Reasonable Insurance / Tax
So - over to PH... Opinions please - useful or otherwise
Non 4x4'ers or non truck lovers won't ever understand, so will always say no.
But I say go for it if you want to!!
Stu R said:
Totally pointless IMO. LHD is fine on UK roads, especially as you're not sitting low. It takes a short while to get used to it, but if you use your mirrors properly it's fine. The good thing with pick up trucks is they usually have the bench front seat too, so it's not a problem for paying at booths etc if you haven't got a passenger.
The LHD thing is no problem... I will be buying a LHD car whatever breed it is, as Im in Belgium. My point was trying to avoid the horrific taxes for the equivalent of road fund licence here - but still having a useable vehicle.
Lefty said:
Dom, the newer models (2005? on) are much better in every way than the prevgious gen.
The older ones are dog slow, cramped, thirsty, unreliable and handle like st. I had one for 6 months as a company vehicle and it was horrible.
Test drove a new long-bed L200 and was very tempted. 160bhp, permie 4x4, spacious, comfortable and very practical.
Hilux is good, only PT 4x4 though. Navara comfortable but has some reliability issues. Having said that, I know a couple of people who have each had several Navaras and love them.
Email or FB me if I can help in any way, I've test driven most of them.
Interesting Lefty - I'll be in touch! The older ones are dog slow, cramped, thirsty, unreliable and handle like s
t. I had one for 6 months as a company vehicle and it was horrible.Test drove a new long-bed L200 and was very tempted. 160bhp, permie 4x4, spacious, comfortable and very practical.
Hilux is good, only PT 4x4 though. Navara comfortable but has some reliability issues. Having said that, I know a couple of people who have each had several Navaras and love them.
Email or FB me if I can help in any way, I've test driven most of them.
The version they do now which is 'flounced up' for the non-industrious use has non-permanent 4 wheel drive, 2.5l diesel, reasonable looks etc etc - I like it, but the Mrs needs convincing.
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