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2006 Mitsubishi Raider Road Test

An Alternative Pickup in Every Way but Functionality

There are two people in a previous generation Toyota Tacoma pickup truck making "roll down your window" hand gestures at me and my new friend and fellow scribe Mark as were meandering through Vancouver, Washington, feebly trying to find our way back to the I-5 and then onto the bridge to Portland, Oregon... lost once again. Looking at each other briefly before agreeing it was safe to engage conversation, the couple was easily in their 70s after all, Mark dropped the drivers side glass and we both smiled questioningly.

"Whats that youre driving," came a quizzical enquiry from a smiling southerner... probably a Texan drawl if Im not mistaken.

"Well tell you if youll help us find our way back to the I-5," I responded smiling.

They consented instantly, still smiling, telling us to pass the light in front of us and then turn right onto the 405, which would merge into the

Its not everyday that I get stopped in the middle of the street. It seems that people seem to like the new Raider. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

14 and then the I-5.

"Its Mitsubishis new Raider pickup truck," my colleague continued, satisfied that we had received the information that was most critical to us at this juncture, which was the end of a long and much maligned test of our navigation skills (or more likely our gift of the gab and unwillingness to pay attention to the directions at hand).

"I like it a lot," added the husband, joined by a smiling nod of appreciation from his better half.

We proceeded to let him know why he hadnt seen a Raider yet, that it was a preproduction

The new Raider is getting noticed, which is half the battle. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

example of a vehicle that would be coming out in a few months (yes, Im horribly late getting this review done being that the Raider went on sale in September), and the two once again nodded their approval.

"It looks really good," he added. "I want that truck," he continued while looking over at his accommodating wife.
Like our new friends, I too would have been a little dumbfounded when eyeing the new Raider for the first time, had I not known about its impending arrival from the time that a few artists renderings started appearing late last year, and then when the real deal showed up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit

When I saw the real deal show up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January, I knew that Mitsubishi was on to something. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

last January. Like the Outlander, Endeavor and Montero SUVs, the Raider really stands out, and as you can tell by the reaction of passersby, for the right reasons.

The Raider is a striking new entry in a growing market segment, and due to its eye-catching styling Mitsubishi might very well have a product on its hands that manages to nick away at Toyotas customer retention dominance (for every customer Toyota loses it gains six), or at least entice enough new buyers to help continue its steady climb out of the sales chart cellar. And getting noticed is critical for this to happen, as customers for an all-new model will have to come

Its not like Mitsubishi has never been in the truck business before. The Japanese automaker sells pickups all over the world. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motor Corporation)?

from somewhere.

But its not like Mitsubishi has never been in the truck business before. I remember back to when Dodges Mitsubishi-made compact D50 roamed the streets. Here in the U.S., as well as other parts of the world, the tri-diamond version was called Mighty Max. While not a giant seller in North America, in either Mitsubishi or Dodge form, there will most likely be a small group of ex-owners interested in an all-new Mitsubishi pickup truck. Still, the majority of owners will be like our new friends, swayed by the trucks unique road presence.

I should add that theres a bit of irony to all this Mitsubishi-Dodge history, and this being that back when the D50 came into fruition Dodge primarily

To Mitsubishis credit, the combination of rugged capabilities and civil manners inherent in the Dakota has been fine tuned yet further in the Raider. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

built full-size pickups and needed to look to its Japanese partner for a more competitive compact model. Now, Mitsubishi has turned to Dodge for a platform on which to build its midsize Raider, and the Dakota fit the bill to a T.

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