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Used Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R review: 2009-2012

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used 2009-2012 Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R.
EXPERT RATING
8
NEW The humble ute has long been a favourite of tradies, farmers and businesspeople and continues to be. It was born into a double life in which it was expected to be a workhorse as well as a daily driver with the comfort of a passenger car. For many years it was the locally made utes from Holden and Ford that ably

NEW

The humble ute has long been a favourite of tradies, farmers and businesspeople and continues to be.

It was born into a double life in which it was expected to be a workhorse as well as a daily driver with the comfort of a passenger car.

For many years it was the locally made utes from Holden and Ford that ably served those needs, but in more recent times as our demands have risen it's the Japanese-branded, mostly Thailand-built utes that have found favour.

To meet the expanding demands from ute owners carmakers have responded with a vastly expanded range of models, from basic two-wheel drive cab-chassis to dual-cab four-wheel drive pickups packed with all the fruit once only available with a prestige passenger car, such as the Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R.

Utes today have to fill a multitude of needs, from working on the jobsite or farm paddock to towing the boat to the bay on weekends, or hauling the caravan around the country on the trip of a lifetime.

The GLX-R is capable of doing all of that, with a handy 938 kg payload and a more than useful 2700 kg towing capacity, plus the comfort and refinement of most passenger cars.

Power comes from a gutsy 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that packs plenty of grunt. It's got good get up and go and heaps of torque to comfortably carry a load or tow a van.

Backing it is either a slick five-speed auto or a five-speed manual gearbox, while the drive is selectable four-wheel drive with a low-ratio transfer box that gets it through the touch going when needed.

Inside, the GLX-R is quite roomy, even in the rear seat where adults will find comfortable accommodation.

There are also plenty of features as you might expect with a top-of-the-line model like the GLX-R, and it comes with carpet, leather steering wheel and gearshift knob, an overhead console, power rear window, side steps, alloy sports bar, front fog lamps and 17-inch alloy wheels.

NOW

Reports from the field tell us that the Triton is standing up well in real life service, there are few reports of problems and owners seem a contented lot.

Before buying his 2010 GLX-R Peter Burls owned various Ford and Holden utes, but tired of fighting with their service people over warranty issues. He chose the Triton over the Toyota HiLux because of its higher towing capacity and the transmission overheating problems he'd read that the Toyota had. 

The Triton has done 95,000km; it's still running the original tyres, with the original brake rotors and pads. His only problem has been with the turbo intercooler hose, which gets oiled up on the inside and has a tendency to blow off under load. 

Apart from that he is absolutely delighted with the car. It is comfortable, has good rear seat legroom, and it handles really well and tows his boat like a dream. 

While he's happy with his Triton he would like a better radio, a seat belt warning light, and better quality door trims and carpets.

Another CarsGuide reader, Brian Triton, sold his GLX-R 18 months ago, after three years and 93,000km when he no longer needed a ute. He used it primarily for his part-time gardening business, and it doubled as his daily driver. He reckoned it was excellent. 

It was comfortable, reliable and relatively cheap to run, and was well equipped. Brian loved the opening rear window, which when paired with the factory canopy with its opening front window meant he could carry stuff of serious length! The only disappointment came when he went to trade it in and found that its trade-in value had plunged because Mitsubishi had discounted the new price by about $10,000.

CarsGuide reader M. Powell also owns a 2010 Triton GLX-R. He bought it new and uses it mainly for towing a 22-foot caravan and a boat, and he says it does it very well. He averages 8L/100 km when not towing the van and 17L/100 km when the van is hooked on the back. Overall he says he's very happy with it and would recommend no problem.

From the comments of our readers it's clear that the GLX-R is more likely to be used for towing than beating through the bush, but it's important to check for bush use when inspecting a car prior to purchase.

It's also important to check for a service record to make sure your chosen vehicle has been correctly serviced. It's even more important than usual given that many Tritons have been used to tow relatively heavy loads, which puts extra strain on engines and drivelines.

Pricing

Year Price From Price To
2012 $9,020 $23,870
2011 $7,260 $23,100
2010 $6,600 $22,440
2009 $5,060 $20,460

View all Mitsubishi Triton pricing and specifications

Pricing guides

$13,650
Based on 88 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$5,999
Highest Price
$24,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
GLX 2.4L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $6,380 – 9,020 2009 Mitsubishi Triton 2009 GLX Pricing and Specs
GL 2.4L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $7,480 – 10,560 2009 Mitsubishi Triton 2009 GL Pricing and Specs
GLX (4X4) 3.5L, ULP, 5 SP MAN 4X4 $6,160 – 8,690 2009 Mitsubishi Triton 2009 GLX (4X4) Pricing and Specs
VR (4X4) 3.2L, Diesel, 4 SP AUTO $10,230 – 13,970 2009 Mitsubishi Triton 2009 VR (4X4) Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
8
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist

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Pricing Guide

$5,999

Lowest price, based on 82 car listings in the last 6 months

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Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.