Mitsubishi L200 Review (2015-2019)

The Mitsubishi L200 is one of the cornerstones of the UK’s pickup market: a bit like the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf is to family hatchbacks. And with good reason. It’s well-equipped, cheap to run and decent to drive.

With each generation, pickup manufacturers strive to make these tough vehicles more refined and car-like without compromising their practicality. When the L200 Series 5 launched in 2015, Mitsubishi was at the forefront of pushing pickups to be more pleasant to drive, safer and more fuel efficient.

From the outside, the fifth generation of the L200 looked like an evolution of the Series 4. But beneath the chunky, bulging bodywork the Series 5 had a new engine, new suspension, new steering and new transmissions.

As a workhorse, the L200 fares well, but not as well as some. Early versions of the Series 5 had a payload of just over a tonne and a 3.1-tonne towing limit, both of which lagged behind the Ford Ranger of the time, for instance. However, an update in 2018 brought additional chassis reinforcement and raised the towing limit to 3.5 tonnes.

Initially, the L200 Series 5 was only sold as a double cab, with four doors and a second row of seats for workmates or family members. From 2016, Mitsubishi introduced single cab and club cab variants, trading space for people for a larger load bed. These are the purest workhorses in the range, sacrificing dual-purpose appeal for greater practicality. The single cab in particular is a pure commercial vehicle rather than an adventurous-looking alternative to a regular SUV.

L200s are becoming increasingly popular with outdoor enthusiasts who might previously have bought a family SUV. By those standards, the pickup feels predictably agricultural. The ride is quite bouncy, there’s a fair amount of body roll, and the steering isn’t especially sharp.

Within its class, however, the L200 is respectable, although not outstanding, to drive. It helps that new suspension for the Series 5 brought improved ride comfort without compromising the L200's payload, although it's still rather bouncy without a decent weight in the back.

The 2.4-litre MIVEC engine in particular was a big step forward. At the time, Mitsubishi claimed this 2.4 diesel was significantly more economical than the engines in any rival pickup, although the competition soon caught up. It was offered in two states of tune, with either 151- or 178bhp. We'd go for the higher powered engine, as it has more mid-range pull as well as top-end power, which makes it better at pulling heavy loads.

Mitsubishi matched the diesel engine to a choice of six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic gearbox, all with four-wheel drive. The more basic 4Life model had the Easy Select 4x4 system. Step up from the entry-level vehicle to the Warrior, Titan or Barbarian and the vehicle came with the more sophisticated Super Select 4x4 system. This makes it one of the more capable pickups when it comes to off-road use, so it’s well worth bearing in mind if you plan to head off the beaten track.

Other improvements included a much reduced turning circle, down to 11.8 metres. This helped the L200 feel much less cumbersome to manoeuvre. It also helps that the L200 is relatively compact for a pickup, and nothing like as intimidatingly large as the Volkswagen Amarok.

The L200 gets the basics right, with a 6-way adjustable memory foam-padded driver’s seat, good visibility, and large, logically laid out buttons that can be use even if you’re wearing work gloves.

There’s a good amount of standard kit too, with cruise control, air-conditioning and steering wheel mounted stereo controls on even the most basic models. Step up to the mid-spec Titan and you get dual zone (front and rear) air-conditioning plus DAB radio, while the range-topping Warrior adds leather upholstery, satellite navigation, touchscreen infotainment, Bluetooth connectivity, and mood lighting. That said, if you have the budget for a newer L200, the Barbarian X version of the later L200 Series 6 has even more toys.

Affordable running costs are one of the L200's strengths. It was a standard-setter when it arrived in 2015, although newer rivals now run it close or beat it.

The L200's modest running expenses are largely down to the efficiency of the 2.4-litre MIVEC diesel engine. In 151bhp form with a manual gearbox, it achieves 44.1mpg and emits a modest 169g/km of carbon dioxide.

The more powerful 178bhp engine has slightly worse fuel economy, returning 42.8mpg and emitting 173g/km of CO2. However, choosing the five-speed auto rather than the six-speed manual does make the L200 Series 5 more thirsty, with an official combined figure of 39.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 189g/km.

As with any vehicle, real-world figures are unlikely to match the official mpg. However, returns in the mid-30s should be possible. Expect that to drop to the low 20s if towing a heavy trailer.

To put those numbers in context, a Nissan Navara achieves 44.9mpg with a manual gearbox and 41mpg with an auto. So, it's more frugal than the L200, but the difference isn't great.

Insurance costs for the L200 Series 5 are also reasonable. The cheapest version if the 4Life single cab, sitting in group 41E.

Servicing is needed every 12,500 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. This puts the L200 at a disadvantage compared with some rivals. The Nissan Navara, for example, only needs to be serviced every 25,000 miles or two years. A Ford Ranger also requires a service every two years or 18,000/20,000 miles (depending on the model).

Mitsubishi offers what it calls Value Servicing for vehicles outside of the warranty period, in a bid to keep franchised servicing bills competitive with the prices charged by independent garages.

Most versions of the L200 Series 5 were supplied with 245/65 R17 tyres. Budget on around £100 per corner for quality replacements, although high-end all-terrain tyres could be as much as £150 each.

The L200 Series 5 was originally sold with a five-year/62,500-mile warranty, and if you’re buying a late example you might find one with some of that remaining. Fortunately, the L200 has a decent reliability record to give you peace of mind beyond that. As a brand, Mitsubishi generally performs respectably in reliability surveys, and for the most part the L200 makes a tough and durable workhorse.

There are a few niggles to watch out for. Some examples have a fault with the door latching mechanism which led to a recall. The affected vehicles were built between December 2015 and June 2016. This should have been fixed by now, but if you are unsure check with a Mitsubishi dealer or look up the recall checker on the gov.uk website.

Rivets on the sidesteps of some L200s built between April 2015 and April 2016 could corrode, making the sidestep insecure. Again, this problem should have been addressed by now but check if you are in any doubt.

Some owners complain that the leather steering wheel shows signs of wear, and that the dashboard plastics are too easy to mark. However, there are few serious problems with the L200's mechanical components, although it's worth checking the tyres and the underside of the vehicle for signs of damage sustained off-road.