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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  3 years and Still Awesome - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Tim - April 25 - 3:03 am

  I purchased my raider in 2006 brand new and after a while I took it upon myself to improve the fuel economy by installing a cold air intake kit that brought me up to getting as much as 24 mpg on the highway and about 19 in the city. The ride is great and comfortable, shes fun to drive and I am going to upgrade it with more parts to help make her more fuel efficient and fun to drive by switching to a performance exhaust and higher performance spark plugs and cables which will be an inexpensive yet effective upgrade. I look forward to many more years of driving my Raider.

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  Great buy - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By truck man06 - April 13 - 12:43 am

  Ive had my raider for a few months now and love it. Got it for 10,400, great price and it does great. The v8 has more than enough power and the payload is great. I had 18 90 lbs bags of concrete in the back, 3 separate times! Didnt even bottom out. Truck is clean and interior is plasticky so its easy to clean. Can fit my 3 18 year old buddies in the back with plenty of room, and my 66" 260lb dad fits fine in it. The bed is a little short, and the worst part, the fuel economy. I only drive around town and the 22 gallon tank goes 200 plus miles. Would do better on the highway, but around town the mpg is bad. Great truck overall!

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  Big Bang for your Buck!!! - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Casey - December 6 - 12:26 pm

  I have had my Raider Duro Cross for just over a year and I love everything about it. The Alpine 508w system is awesome. The handling is great. Highway gas mileage is awesome, especially when you combine a K&N air filter with a true dual exhaust system. The power is nice too. This truck is worth every penny and nobody can beat the warranty that it comes with or the price!

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  Bought new - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Art - November 22 - 9:46 am

  Looks great-mileage is still improving, have only 3000 mi on it. Am getting 18 to 20 in town-no hwy. drive yet-handles great-ride is wonderful (car like). Roomy compared to my 02 Ranger XLT-if it proves as reliable as Ranger-will be terrific. Price was right. V-6 Plenty of power for me. Cruising along at 50mph results in no more than 14 to 1500rpm.

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  My First Truck - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Jmartin - October 6 - 2:13 am

  I was always a car guy, until I drove the Mitsubishi Raider. The ride is very smooth and quiet. I never thought a truck could drive like a luxury car. Well done Mitsubishi! It is also very durable too.

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  Raidin - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By mike - September 4 - 3:50 pm

  I love this truck. I have never had any vehicle that gets so many second looks and stares. It rides great, drives great, looks great, its just an all around great truck. No other truck that I looked at could come close in price when equipped with just the basics my Raider came with.

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  Great work truck - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By qtcountrybo - June 29 - 3:54 pm

  Bought my 06 Raider brand new and finally got rid of it with just over 101,000 worry free miles. It was a good truck and very relaible. The only complaint that I ever had was the not so good mpgs which averaged only 15 to 16 no matter how I drove. Maybe a five or six speed auto would have made that better.

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  Good option at a good price - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Dave - May 14 - 12:20 pm

  Although my Raider (rebadged Dakota) may not compete with some of the more refined trucks in its class, the Raider is an excellent choice for the price. The V6 provides decent power, the interior is roomy, and the features are simple to use. For the price and what I get in return, this vehicle is a good option.

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  I Love My Raider - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Aquawanticee - April 6 - 7:03 am

  I have only had my truck for 1 day. I fell in love right away. My Raider will be a farm truck and my personal ride to and from work every day. It has all the power a sensible driver needs. I feel certain it will pull a two-horse trailer with no problem.

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  2006 Mitsubishi Raider Duro Cross V6 - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By D - March 29 - 3:03 am

  Apples to apples the Mitsubishi Raider is as good as any light truck that I have driven. The lovely thing about it is that its cheaper. I have had great results with my Raider, and I use it for everything, I have filled it with firewood, and could hardly tell the difference. Driving it I forget it is a truck, it feels like a car.