2001 Mitsubishi Strada from Philippines - Comments

Body rattle noticeable when moving over rough terrain and pot-holes.

Paint is somewhat soft (easily scratched).

Good off-road performance.

Accelerates pretty well, managed to push 160 kph after break-in (15,000 Km).

Stable even at high speeds.

Decent torque as long as the engine revs are kept high (turbo kicks in at about 2000 RPM).

Fuel efficient 2.5 diesel engine.

Somewhat cramped backseat space in the double cab.

The front wheels "wiggle" at speeds between 95 to 115 kph. I have tried wheel balancing, but the problem comes and goes.

You're right. Mine has the same problem. A friend of mine solved the balancing problem. It is due to the large gum-ball tires (4WD tires) that's not perfectly round.

He switched to a lower profile tire instead.

An unusual noise, a grinding sound bugs me. The noise appears at low speeds. Shifting to lower gear at times solves the problem. However, for a pick-up with just 50k on its odometer and 2 years of age, this is quite not acceptable.

My L200 2.5 TD also had the "wigle" between 95 to 110 kph. Solve it by balancing the back wheels.

By the way, mine has 265/75 SR 16 BFGoodrich All-Terrain, and they are great in every conditions.

I recently acquired a 2003 a/t strada and so far so good. it has the smoothest ride among all 4x4 pick ups I've tested and a smooth shifting automatic. However I question its 2.5 turbo diesel engine it may be fast and quite, but I found it to be a thirsty little monster. I calculated a 7-8 km/liter on city driving even at moderate speeds. considering its bigger tires and hefty weight I'm not realy sure if this is unacceptable for 4x4 automatic. I would like to hear from owners of similar models with manual transmission.

I used to own a 2001 strada. I drove it from Luzon to Mindanao and vice versa thrice in 2005. It was 4 years old at the time I bought it with a 93,000-km odometer reading.

During my first trip I had 9 passengers on board with a load of about 300kgs. It was the first time I had a long drive with it and I felt so excited.

I was really impressed by its engine power. With a full load, it topped at 120-130kph (160kph max. without load). The 2.5-liter engine does the speed even with the aircon on. Pretty strong for a 2.5-liter: I was able to race other vehicles without a sweat.

I made the trips trouble-free in 2005 and it was a truly great experience. Its power, durability, and speed is just amazing.

I have driven an Isuzu Fuego (which happens to be the closest rival) but it did not satisfy me. Isuzu's engines are too noisy. And the Fuego is unstable at high speeds. Its 2.8-liter engine is a disppointment.

The Strada drives like a car. The engine is quiet even at high revs and fast for a diesel it can pass for a gasoline. Its looks is very intimidating.

I fell in love with the Strada and with its truly superb performance. Today I got 2003 model with only 40kms on the odometer. Every drive I had is always exciting.

Verdict? If you want a truck with very little compromises, get a Generation 2 Strada. The all new strada is much much better, but I can't afford one this time. Anyway I'm quite happy and contented with my 2003.

Thanks for reading!

Mine is a 2001 Strada with a 104k odometer reading already.

I have also noticed a wiggle in the front tires at high speeds. At close inspection, I saw that the bushings of the stabilizer and the ball joints were already worn out.

I had them replaced and have the tires balanced and aligned at a service center and the wiggling of the front tires disappeared.

I don't know if it would work on your vehicle too, but I suggest you examine your car's bushings and ball joints as well as the tires alignment and balance. If it's worn out already too, then you could decide on what to do yourself.