Used Mitsubishi Shogun Review (2007-2018) MK4
Independent review by Peter Hayward from Driving Force
4-minute read
Overview
- Excellent off-road abilities
- High driving position
- Easy to drive
- Body leans around corners
- Not the most comfortable
- Rivals are more refined inside
What's the Mitsubishi Shogun like?
The venerable Mitsubishi Shogun was Land Rover’s main rival for many years and found a wide range of devotees from all walks of life.
Farmers and country folk loved its excellent off-road ability and lasting qualities, while others liked the high driving position and reputation for very good reliability.
The tough old Shogun takes deep water, steep slippery grass slopes, mud, and ruts in its stride and feels as though it could happily do worse.
Despite many updates, the model launched in 2007 lasted through until 2018.
Engines
The Shogun is a little agricultural compared to most of the later competition, with the only engine choice being a 3.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel that’s pretty gruff.
Both short wheelbase 3-door and long wheelbase 5-door models were available and while some 3-door models came with a 5-speed manual gearbox, many of them and all of the 5-door models have a 5-speed automatic.
This really suits the Shogun’s laid back feel and makes it very easy to drive in all situations.
The engine produces 187bhp and gives enough urge for the LWB models to get to 60mph from rest in around 11.0 seconds.
Top speed is 112mph so is quite capable of keeping up with the traffic flow on the motorway, and best economy is likely to be about 30mpg on a run, or just 20mpg around town.
Driving Experience and Practicality
Drive is permanently to all four wheels and in normal road use, about two thirds of that power goes to the rear. This changes automatically off-road when it begins to lose rear wheel traction, and more power is transferred to the front.
Being a serious off-roader, it also has a low ratio transfer gearbox for use in very tough conditions off-road, plus a lockable rear differential that will only ever be needed as a last resort to get you out of a very sticky situation.
On the downside, they're fairly crude to drive on the road compared to later offerings, with at best adequate refinement.
They weave over lumpy surfaces and there's a lot of bump-thump from the large wheels and tyres. But the ride generally is more than acceptable once you get used to it.
There's a fair amount of lean in the corners, but it’s much less than in earlier Shoguns. That said, it can be pretty roly-poly taken fast over undulating surfaces.
Despite its bulk, it's reasonably easy to manoeuvre thanks to good power steering, but this doesn't give much feel at speed.
The high driving position gives an excellent view all round, and of course, it’s a top tow car, able to pull the biggest caravan or horse trailer.
Peter Hayward
Equipment
The long wheelbase models come with two extra folding seats in the vast boot and all models have an alarm, traction control, plenty of airbags, climate control, alloy wheels, and heated mirrors.
Mid-range SG3 adds audio remote control, sat nav, parking sensors, electric heated leather seats, DVD player, cruise control, and a sunroof.
Find your Mitsubishi Shogun your way with CarStore
Thanks to its spacious interior, generous standard equipment, and tough SUV styling, the Mitsubishi Shogun is an ideal choice for families. The Shogun may not be the most comfortable over rough terrain, but its high driving position and 4x4 system make it fun to drive both on and off-road.
