And Mitsubishi should be elated that such a formidable light truck architecture was made available for its new entry. I've only
driven the recently updated Dakota over a single week, but remember being impressed with its combination of rugged capabilities and civil manners. And to Mitsubishi's credit, that combination has been fine tuned yet further in the Raider.
In case the name Raider sounds familiar, history's not playing games with your memory. But yet in another irony, the previous Raider was a variation of an ex-generation Mitsubishi Montero in Dodge clothing. In this case, the name dropping is a good thing for Mitsubishi, as a little recognition can't hurt when entering the market with an all-new product in a segment that the automaker had more or less left for dead throughout the last decade.
But name aside, what is it that makes the Raider a step up from the Dakota? Well, truthfully it won't be a step up for some, as what separates the two vehicles from each other is styling, inside and out, plus audio equipment, other electronic items, and a slight advantage in the warranty department. Bluetooth capability is also available, but it's also part of the Dakota's U-Connect option. So, it really comes down to personal tastes. Where the Dakota is radically angular in its grille and fender styling, the Raider is somewhat curvaceous, for a pickup truck that is. Dodge uses large
doses of traditional chrome to woo its faithful, while Mitsubishi is attempting to attract the sophisticated pickup truck buyer, with brushed aluminum trim.
To me, a person who has been known to attempt posturing as a reasonably intelligent Euro-snob cum right-wing industrialist, the aluminum is a clear winner. I missed the '50s tailfins and chrome era by a decade or so, finding solace among the cars of the mid to late '60s and early '70s, which used chrome, of course, but much less liberally than their forebears. Also, interior styling and execution might even be more important to me than what's going on outside a given vehicle, and I really like what Mitsubishi has going on inside the Raider.
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| To Mitsubishi's 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, Canadian Auto Press) |
In case the name Raider sounds familiar, history's not playing games with your memory. But yet in another irony, the previous Raider was a variation of an ex-generation Mitsubishi Montero in Dodge clothing. In this case, the name dropping is a good thing for Mitsubishi, as a little recognition can't hurt when entering the market with an all-new product in a segment that the automaker had more or less left for dead throughout the last decade.
But name aside, what is it that makes the Raider a step up from the Dakota? Well, truthfully it won't be a step up for some, as what separates the two vehicles from each other is styling, inside and out, plus audio equipment, other electronic items, and a slight advantage in the warranty department. Bluetooth capability is also available, but it's also part of the Dakota's U-Connect option. So, it really comes down to personal tastes. Where the Dakota is radically angular in its grille and fender styling, the Raider is somewhat curvaceous, for a pickup truck that is. Dodge uses large
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| Regarding styling, whether you like it better than the Dakota will be up to personal taste. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
To me, a person who has been known to attempt posturing as a reasonably intelligent Euro-snob cum right-wing industrialist, the aluminum is a clear winner. I missed the '50s tailfins and chrome era by a decade or so, finding solace among the cars of the mid to late '60s and early '70s, which used chrome, of course, but much less liberally than their forebears. Also, interior styling and execution might even be more important to me than what's going on outside a given vehicle, and I really like what Mitsubishi has going on inside the Raider.