Mitsubishi Triton Problems

The Japanese work ute is no longer the humble hard working vehicle it once was; today's ute is now also refined, sophisticated, safe and sporty.  Utes like the Mitsubishi Triton now regularly appear on our bestseller lists, among with perennially popular cars like the Commodore, Corolla and Falcon.The ML Triton arrived on these shores in 2006 amid much fanfare about its funky styling, but it has since become a popular part of our ute culture.MODEL WATCHAustralia has one of the strongest ute markets in the world. And where utes were once bare and basic work vehicles with very few frills and even less safety, the latest generation, of which the ML Triton is a member, are much more refined, better equipped, and slowly but surely they're becoming safer.There was much debate over the looks of the ML Triton leading up to its launch, opinion was divided over whether it looked good or was too swoopy.  Three years on the debate has ceased and the Triton has become part of the regular road scenery.The debate over its looks centred on the curved rear wall of the double cab ute's cabin, but it was done with a purpose in mind, to increase the space inside the cabin.  Where most dual-cab utes had a flat rear cabin wall that meant the rear seat had to be vertical with little adjustment, the rear seat in the Triton could be cranked back and was more comfortable as a result.Mitsubishi described the look as striking, sporty and futuristic, and there could be little argument with that.  The range included two and four-wheel drive models, with single and dual cabs, ute or tray bodies, petrol and diesel engines, and three model lines.The 3.2-litre common rail turbo diesel engine was new and boasted 118kW at 4000rpm and 347Nm at 2000rpm.  On the road it was very flexible with good pulling power, and economical to boot.  The 3.5-litre petrol alternative was a single overhead cam unit that put out 135kW at 4750rpm and 309Nm at 3500rpm.Transmissions offered were a five-speed manual and a four-speed auto.  Four-wheel drive models had high and low ratio with the ability to change between two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive 'high' on the move at up to 100 km/h. The changeover is done using a lever on the console alongside the gear lever.For those wanting more traction Mitsubishi offered a rear diff-lock, which was operated by a button on the dash.  Underneath, the ML had coil springs at the front with leaf springs at the back, large ventilated front discs and big rear drums, ABS braking and electronic brake force distribution.Three model lines were offered beginning with the GLX, which came in single and double cab variants with petrol and diesel engines, GLX-R double cabs, and the fully equipped GLS rounded out the range.IN THE SHOPTritons were built to do the hard yards off the beaten track or on the job site rather than soft miles in suburbia so look for signs of such use.  Check underneath for damage caused by extended use offroad, such as gravel rash, or bashed and bent brackets, exhausts, suspension components and floor pans etc.Plenty have been used for family transport, towing a boat or caravan, so look for those.  Make sure of regular servicing with routine oil changes so engines don't get clogged up with sludge.Also look for crash damage, particularly look for poor repairs that would cut the value of a vehicle.  The ML Triton is generally a sound, reliable and durable vehicle that gives little trouble; there are no major flaws to report.IN A CRASHDriver and front passenger airbags are standard across all models, along with ABS braking and EBD for optimum brakeforce at each wheel.ANCAP rated the ML Triton at four stars.AT THE PUMPWith relatively large displacement engines the Triton isn't a fuel miser, and particularly so as a four-wheel drive. Expect to see 12-13 L/100 km around town, with autos a little higher and diesels a little lower.LOOK FOR. Funky styling.. Roomy interior. Flexible diesel engine. Four-star safety. Robust and reliableTHE BOTTOM LINEGood driving and comfortable ute that can double as a workhorse or flexible family transporter.RATING85/100

Unlike the magazine's 4WD Of The Year award, which only looks at vehicles that are new or significantly revised in that year, these annual accolades look at all the 4WDs on the market. In fact long-time champions dominate these awards but sometimes even long-time champs are forced to step aside. Best Value for Money

They're still working-class vehicles, but they're now used as family transport and wagons for weekends in the bush or at the beach. The Mitsubishi Triton has been a fixture on the local scene for more than 20 years and has built a large and loyal following.Model WatchThe fourth-generation MK Triton was replaced by the ML model in 2006, but until the ML came along it was the best Triton model that Mitsubishi had released.  It is now the one being sought and bought by used-car buyers.Compared with previous models the MK Triton was quite advanced and, despite its commercial underpinnings, was as car-like as you could get in a work ute.  The Triton range was large with a choice of cab-chassis and ute styles, single cab, club-cab and dual-cab bodies, four-cylinder and V6 petrol engines, a four-cylinder diesel, and two and four-wheel drive.On top of that, buyers could choose from GL, GLS and GLX depending on the level of equipment they wanted.  The base engine was the 97kW 2.4-litre petrol engine that delivered good performance with good torque down low for pulling power. It was a popular choice of gardeners, landscapers, carpenters, plumbers and other tradies.The 133kW 3.0-litre V6 was the best performer, but it came with a fuel economy penalty, a major factor when choosing a car.  Both the petrol engines were LPG-compatible, which increased their appeal on the used market.Initially the diesel engine was a naturally aspirated 2.8-litre unit that was economical but lacked performance. That was addressed in 2003 when Mitsubishi replaced it with a 2.8-litre turbo diesel. Inside, the MK was clearly a member of an older generation and didn't have the room of the new ML. Rear seat room was particularly limited if you wanted it for family use.  The seats were upright and uncomfortable.The Triton had a 10-year lifespan so they now vary from old and worn-out to relatively new.  With that long life they had a number of upgrades, the latest being the best and the ones to look for.In The ShopBecause they have been used for many and varied tasks, it's important to find out as much as you can about your chosen vehicle.  A working vehicle tends to get a much harder time than one used for transporting junior to soccer training at weekends.Check in and around the tray for damage. There are almost always bangs and bumps from loads being tossed in and slung around.  Heavy loads could have caused the suspension to sag so check the condition of springs and shocks.Bodywork should be checked for damage. It easily gets knocked about on the worksite.  Four-wheel-drives need to be checked for heavy off-road use. Generally, they're tough enough to survive moderate use with little to show for it, but if they've been subjected to consistent heavy off-road use you could expect to find damage underneath.Look for battle scars caused by rocks on the body, exhaust and suspension.  Generally the Triton is a tough vehicle and owners experience little trouble. Most problems are minor, such as engine oil leaks.The Triton and other pickups don't have to meet the safety standards that apply to cars so there are generally less safety features built into them.  The Triton was crash-tested and came up with a commendable three-star ANCAP rating. Only later models had airbags available.At The PumpFuel consumption varies tremendously with pickups because of the variation in load, towing and operating conditions.  But expect to get 11-12 litres for 100km for a four-cylinder model, and 13-15 litres for 100km for the V6. 4WDs will be higher.  The most economical will be the diesel, but go for the later turbo diesel, which will deliver a better blend of performance and economy.