A better looking Dodge Dakota

It’s been ten years since Mitsubishi dealers have had a pickup to sell.  Thank goodness because Mitsubishi hasn’t been selling much of anything these days with buyers mostly ignoring the brand. 

The new Raider isn’t exactly a Mitsubishi, rather a re-bodied Dodge Dakota thanks to Daimler-Chrysler, which has part ownership in the Japanese automaker.  Both vehicles use the same platform, engines, transmission and roll off the same Warren, Michigan assembly line.  Interestingly however, the Raider comes with a 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty; the Dakota a 3-year/36,000 mile basic warranty.  Pricing is similar but we think the Raider, with sheet metal completely unlike Dakota, is a better-looking truck.

The Raider comes in an extended-cab with clamshell rear-opening access doors and a 6-foot-6 bed and Double Cab (4-door) with a 5-foot-4 cargo bed body style.  Either can be had with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.  No long-bed models are available. 

There are three trim levels:  LS, DuroCross and XLS.  The most basic LS extended cab uses a 210-hp V6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission and comes standard with front bench seat, air conditioning, 16-inch wheels and a CD equipped audio system.  LS Double Cab adds power windows and locks, cruise control and keyless entry. 

The XLS adds larger outside power mirrors, fog lamps, rear window defroster, 17-inch chrome wheels, leather seats, power driver’s seat, heavy-duty battery and cooling system and a class IV trailer hitch and harness.  A 4.7-liter 230-hp V8 is optional on the XLS.

We tested the mid-range DuroCross extended cab with the V6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission.  Standard features included fog lamps, sliding rear window, power heated mirrors, dark tint glass, adjustable steering column, cargo bed liner, tubular side steps, and other added equipment. 

Where Dakota has a more chiseled look, Raider appears sportier and more aggressive.  Wheel arches carry the same look as the Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV only toned-down and more graceful and seem to roll into the smooth, sloping hood.  A thin upper grille with a large three-point diamond logo and thick lower bumper supports the stylish front end. 

Inside, Raider shares the same spacious dimensions as the Dakota.  Our tester was equipped with the standard cloth seats that seemed high quality.  The front seat was comfortable with ample room.  The rear seats in our extended cab were completely useless for adults or anyone over the age of 10.  The extra space is convenient however for packages or groceries.

The interior and dash was more car-like than truck and looked great with white-faced gauges and black numbers. The center stack supported the audio, heating and air conditioning controls, all intuitive and simple to use.  While attractive, the dash was overly plasticky and materials a bit on the economy-look side. 

On the road, the Raider was quiet, felt stable with driving characteristics more sedan-like than truck.  We enjoyed our daily commutes and thought the standard V6 and five-speed automatic transmission had adequate power and acceleration.  We averaged 18 mpg using regular, 87-octane fuel.  However we recommend considering the optional 4.7-liter V8 because of a small difference in price, significant improvement in performance and relative insignificant difference in gas mileage from the standard V6 engine.

Standard safety equipment on our DuroCross was sparse with only dual front driver/passenger airbags, anti-lock drum brakes on the rear as standard equipment.  Four-wheel ABS is optional on the XLS only, ditto for front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.  The Raider has not been crash tested however its twin, the Dakota, earned a perfect five stars for driver protection and four stars for front-passenger protection.  The crew-cab Dakota earned five stars for both from NHTSA.  In side-impact testing, the extended cab also earned five stars, and both the extended and crew-cab versions earned a four-star rollover rating.  The Dakota scored a second best “Acceptable” rating in frontal-offset crash testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway safety.

Mitsubishi was reluctant to forecast sales expectations for the Raider but suggest something in the 15,000 to 20,000 first year range.  That compares to around 110,000 Dakota’s Dodge expects to sell. 

Given the similar pricing, better looks and more generous warranty we’d pick the Raider over the Dakota.  Either vehicle you’re getting a nice truck but we feel both falls short of the excellent newly styled Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.  However, neither of those vehicles offers a V8 engine.