Overview & Reviews

Though it's known mostly for its sporty cars and SUVs, Mitsubishi has been slapping its badge on small pickups in the U.S. market for almost three decades. In fact, one of its first U.S.-bound products was a compact pickup truck rebadged as a Dodge.

When it was finally retired after the 2009 model year, the Mitsubishi Raider was the brand's only pickup offering. Its aggressive styling allowed it to slot in well with other fearlessly styled products in the Mitsubishi line. However, underneath the Raider's bulging fenders was essentially a midsize Dodge Dakota pickup.

This lineage gave the Raider a few advantages. It had plenty of towing capacity and it had a spacious cabin. But there were plenty of drawbacks as well. The V6 was anemic, and the Mitsubishi Raider also lacked a long-bed option and the refinement of its competitors. Safety features, too, were woefully inadequate. As such, most used pickup shoppers would be better served by competing trucks such as the Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma.

Most Recent Mitsubishi Raider

Introduced for 2006, the Mitsubishi Raider went through a strange reverse progression of sorts. Although the basic truck (essentially a clone of the Dodge Dakota) itself barely changed, it lost equipment through the intervening years.

Initially available with a 4.7-liter V8 and in a number of trim levels, the Raider lost the V8 option, as well as the available side curtain airbags and four-wheel antilock brakes, for 2008. This left buyers with only a 210-horsepower V6 for the final two years of production. As such, if your heart is set on a used Mitsubishi Raider, we'd advise you to focus on well-equipped models from 2006 and '07. During its entire production run, however, a six-speed manual transmission was standard with a four-speed automatic available as an option. Rear-wheel drive was also standard, while four-wheel drive was optional.

The Raider was offered in two body styles, an extended cab (with rear-opening access doors with a 6.5-foot bed) and a more spacious crew cab (called Double Cab) with a 5-foot bed. Initially, there were three trim levels: LS, DuroCross and XLS. LS extended cabs came with a front bench seat, air-conditioning, a CD player and tinted glass. LS Double Cabs added power windows and locks, keyless entry and cruise control. Midlevel DuroCross models received 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, heavy-duty cooling, full power accessories and bucket seats, while 4WD versions got all-terrain tires, a raised ride height, firmer shocks, skid plates and a limited-slip differential. The range-topping XLS was only available as a Double Can and added 17-inch chrome wheels, an Alpine sound system, satellite radio, leather upholstery and seat heaters.

For 2007, the XLS trim was dropped and replaced by the similarly equipped SE, which was the only model that was offered with the 4.7-liter V8. The Raider lineup was further pared down for 2008, dropping the V8 engine altogether and offering only the LS trim level with several options. In its final 2009 model year, a tilt steering wheel was added, but the auxiliary audio jack was deleted.

The Raider's cabin was spacious. The Double Cab had a respectable amount of room for four adults. The rear seats flipped up and revealed built-in storage trays. The extended cab didn't have as much interior space, however, and its rear seats were quite cramped. Fit and finish wasn't up to the standards of competing models, and there wasn't much to distinguish this pickup's cabin other than a bit of aluminum trim and a few white-faced gauges.

In road tests, we found the Mitsubishi Raider to be stable and steady on all manner of roads. The pickup's shift-on-the-fly 4WD system provided especially good traction on rough terrain. The two major downsides were under the hood and in the safety department: The weak V6, and the lack of safety features that were previously available. Many competitors offered safer and more capable pickups. In this case, the old buyer's adage -- "you get what you pay for" -- held true.

User Reviews:

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  280k miles..... - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By John - December 15 - 9:33 pm

  Well bought it used with 130k miles in 2014 here in 2022 it has 280k. Has had no major engine or transmission issues at all. Most of the work done has been cv joint stuff and rear axle and new catalytic converter and drive shaft, and one gasket repair. It’s been an amazing vehicle if you discount the expected cv joint stuff that is unavoidable maybe then $2500 in repairs last 150k miles.

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  4,000 mile review - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Lyndsey - February 7 - 11:54 pm

  maybe it’s just mine but i put 4,000 miles on it in 10 months and it just seems like part after part needs replacing. sway bar links, wheel barring, etc. i don’t ride it rough i baby this thing because i love trucks but it’s getting a little expensive. gas mileage isn’t great. i put 1500 on it for a trip and it was GREAT but city driving is just the absolute worst even for a truck.

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  give it a lot of thought - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By oscar mayer - December 15 - 3:32 am

  Big but not powerful. leaks when it rains front floor

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  07 Mitsubishi Raider - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By brandin - October 18 - 8:16 am

  Ive now owned my Raider for 7 months now & still dread the day I purchased it. The look & style caught my attention as well as the price, but dont get e wrong looks arent everything. The truck is durable from impact dont get me wrong, I was in a big car accident, & even through the crash was big, my car came out the barely damaged. On the other hand the other suv was a total loss. Performance is what lacks mostly. Worst truck to go to the mountains. Going uphill took a lot of power & a full tank of gas, as well on the freeway the truck takes a long time to get to the speed limit & a struggle to maintain. The only faults on interior is that the center console tend to break easily.

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  Good deal - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By lajestut - April 16 - 8:46 pm

  Just bought the truck. Was looking for value, and found it in this truck. Original MSRP was $29.5K, but I bought mine for $13.2K, with only 21,000 miles on the odo. Lucky to have found this one. Used Dakotas are selling for more. I guess not too many are aware of this truck. If youre in the market for a Dakota, definitely look at the Mitsu. Its the same truck underneath. By the way, checking the internet is the way to go. My truck was stickered on the lot for $17.9K.

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  First truck - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By 1truck - January 27 - 7:46 pm

  This is my first truck and I like it. So as for the mileage still trying to get a handle on it but it seems to be around 17 or 18 in town. I thought the 40/20/40 bench seat would be awful but it surprised me and makes you believe that you have bucket seats. Like the storage in the armrest. So far I am happy with it and it looks good.

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  Cant Go Wrong! - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By WorldBeFree321 - December 7 - 11:36 am

  When I found out that Mits was bringing back the truck I was ecstatic. I have had mine for 9 months and I love everything about it. The Handling is awesome especially on curves. When I drive it if feels like a truck but it has the comfort of a car. The stereo system is among the best for standard equipment, mine came with free satellite radio for a year. The manufactures warranty is also among the best in the market. My kids and I love the room inside the double cab. We have taken it to the coast several times and have has lost of fun. The only thing I would trade is the MPG but hey, itÂ’s a truck. If you are thinking about getting a truck take a look at the Raider.

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  First Month of Use - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Jim Anthony - November 27 - 4:03 am

  My 2006 Mitsubishi Raiders gas mileage during the first month and half has been terrible, approximately 13mpg. the interior is very bad, lots of plastic. The ride is okay, but has a lot of bounce and the truck likes to roll on railroad tracks and hard bumps. I would not recommend it for the serious off-road person.

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  Perfect - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Dustin - November 20 - 5:36 pm

  I drove almost every truck out there. And the Mitsubishi Radier is the BEST truck available. Its price, dependabiliy, room, comfort all get an A+. Tell me where you can get a truck for $23,000 with a 5 year / 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and looks and drives like this. The Raider is the best truck on the market! If you are considering buying a truck you would be upset if you did not at least consider this one.

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  Road Warrior Salesman - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By GEB in Seattle - October 3 - 9:43 am

  In sales and drive a lot of highway miles and have over 100,000 miles in 3 years. Still get looks and stares from everyone asking what brand of truck and how sharp it looks. Great reliability - new brakes at 75,000 miles and new tires at 90,000 miles. Used to get over 21 MPG on highway but now now get about 18 MPG but still pleased for a V8.