Mitsubishi Shogun

[Abi90]

Evening all,

Passed my trailer test today and now looking for a better tow car than my B licence option. Really like the look of the Mitsubishi Shogun but bit concerned about the fuel consumption.

I currently have a Nissan Qashqai that averages 45mpg so the Shogun will be a massive shock as it will be my primary car.

However I average driving 26 miles a day and in my next job it will be more like 8 miles a day.

With that little mileage are they worth it for their towing ability? I’ve looked at Volvo XC90s and VW Touaregs but you don’t get as much good stuff in them, the fuel consumption is about the same and both were much more expensive to insure

 

[AmyMay]

Really rate the VW. We’ve sold our Mitsubishi’s because they were hideously expensive to run.

 

[fornema]

I have a 2005 shogun and do not think it that fuel heavy having changed from a small car of a similar age previously. I do about 30 miles a day and diesel ends up around £35 a week. Tows like a dream and isn't overly fuel heavy unless you've got two large horses and 4wd on. It really depends if your driving is mainly city driving, city driving stop starting it is more fuel heavy but regular driving there are certainly worse cars. Insurance wise i found it expensive to insure under the age of 25 but above that age very reasonable.

 

[molar roller]

I have no idea about Shogun but do not think 2.9 T XC90 because it has a General Motors transmission and this transmission is a real troublemaker. others (2.4-2.5-4.4) have japanese transmission and more reliable.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have just changed to a SWB Shogun and it is better on fuel than my old Lexus was and tows like a dream. I keep it on 4WD permanently as I prefer how it handles and it doesn't use any more diesel than when I had it in 2WD. Only caution I would add and this is for all diesel cars if you are doing a lot of short journeys it needs to go on a long drive at over 50mph every few weeks to clear the catalytic converters of dust/soot or they can become blocked.

 

[blitznbobs]

I have an xc90 - fab car but not the best tow vehicle I’ve ever owned... the toureag is by far the best tow car on the market imo... having driven many of the various options

 

[rabatsa]

The short wheel base Shogun can tow 3 tonnes and is more economic to run than the long wheel base one which can tow 3.5 tonnes. I love mine.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I have just changed to a SWB Shogun and it is better on fuel than my old Lexus was and tows like a dream. I keep it on 4WD permanently as I prefer how it handles and it doesn't use any more diesel than when I had it in 2WD. Only caution I would add and this is for all diesel cars if you are doing a lot of short journeys it needs to go on a long drive at over 50mph every few weeks to clear the catalytic converters of dust/soot or they can become blocked.

Shoguns are great, they are reliable and are fanatastic comfortable tow cars, but I fully agree that no big diesel vehicle does well long term doing mostly short hops. Petrol is better for that, unless you also give the vehicle a good run on a regular basis - weekly?

I have the LWB, which is great with a good turning circle, but it can be a challenge parking it in a tight spot at the supermarket!

 

[phizz4]

We tow with a 2006 LWB Shogun automatic. (I wouldn't tow with a manual but that's just my choice, as you can focus on the road more easily, and towing that weight can fry the clutch). On the level 10 mile run from home to the yard we get around 28 mpg, towing 2000 kg in 4WD we get between 21 and 23 mpg. VED is expensive (over £500), ouch. Insurance isn't a problem as we are senior citizens. I have added one of those plug in power improvers (cost £260) to improve the torgue for pulling and that gave about a 10% improvement in fuel economy (ours is the 160 bhp version). Post 2006 cars have a more powerful and slightly more economical engine. This is our third Shogun (we kept the last one for 13 years) and we have only been let down once, by a flat battery. They are relatively simple to work on compared to many modern cars and if you find a good Mitsubishi independent garage they are no more expensive to run than most cars (certainly cheaper than my 2013 Audi).

 

[Abi90]

Shoguns are great, they are reliable and are fanatastic comfortable tow cars, but I fully agree that no big diesel vehicle does well long term doing mostly short hops. Petrol is better for that, unless you also give the vehicle a good run on a regular basis - weekly?

I have the LWB, which is great with a good turning circle, but it can be a challenge parking it in a tight spot at the supermarket!

My Qashqai is diesel and I tend to do a longer run once a week further afield and it’s done fine so it will get longer run outs often enough

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Only caution I would add and this is for all diesel cars if you are doing a lot of short journeys it needs to go on a long drive at over 50mph every few weeks to clear the catalytic converters of dust/soot or they can become blocked.

so here is where it gets complicated. Anything before 2007 has a catalitic converter, and most diesels after 2007 have whats called a diesel particulate filter - aka DPF.
if not allowed to get hot enough to regenerate, they cause massive issues, with EGR valves and the DPF clogging itself. They are not cheap to fix and even more expensive to replace.

If you're only doing very small mileage you'll need to very regularly go on a long motorway drive to clear the DPF and allow it to get hot enough to regen. If you stop the car mid regen, then this can cause even more issues.

 

[Floxie]

Shoguns are great, they are reliable and are fanatastic comfortable tow cars, but I fully agree that no big diesel vehicle does well long term doing mostly short hops. Petrol is better for that, unless you also give the vehicle a good run on a regular basis - weekly?

If you're only doing very small mileage you'll need to very regularly go on a long motorway drive to clear the DPF and allow it to get hot enough to regen. If you stop the car mid regen, then this can cause even more issues.

How long would you say is long? I've a feeling I should be doing this with mine (short daily trips for the most part - I've been told it's not good for it!). Would a weekly blast up the motorway between our two local junctions (5 miles) be helpful?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I do a regular monthly 60 mile round trip blast with mine inc cruising for 30 of those miles at 70mph (traffic permitting) on a dual carriageway. It's a trip that I do anyway, I don't just drive it for the sake of it .

Short hops in a big diesel are ok as long as they are not all you do, all the time. I had fallen into the trap of using OH's Skoda Octavia Scout for most longer journeys because it's more economical, but I realised that this was not doing my lovely Shogun any favours - it's a 14 plate with only 18k on the clock, and I want it to last.

 

[Abi90]

So general consensus is they aren’t great on fuel but not world endingly bad either and they make up for it with the towing and being nice cars? Looking at 2007-2008 models

 

[Chuffy99]

I love mine, had it 3 yrs and only ever had to have it serviced, so lovely to get in a car and it just goes - every time, we do tend to do at least one long tow a week, as a towing vehicle it’s awesome and we don’t find it dire on fuel.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

How long would you say is long? I've a feeling I should be doing this with mine (short daily trips for the most part - I've been told it's not good for it!). Would a weekly blast up the motorway between our two local junctions (5 miles) be helpful?

Depends on the regen cycle and how hot the DPF itself gets to - so its a bit like how long is a piece of string. Traffic and slower speeds will also impact this.

Some of the newer cars with more than 6 gears also cause issues because the 6th gear means that the engine doesn't get hot enough to blast out the carbon.

My mechanic suggests a good 20-30 minute blast once a week.

 

[Floxie]

My mechanic suggests a good 20-30 minute blast once a week.

Heck I don't think I could afford that if I wasn't going anyway! Best get looking at some schedules I think I'm still in catalytic converter territory given the age of the vehicle but I've still been told short journeys are the devil for it.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Heck I don't think I could afford that if I wasn't going anyway! Best get looking at some schedules I think I'm still in catalytic converter territory given the age of the vehicle but I've still been told short journeys are the devil for it.

You couldn't afford not to do it though as DPFs are in the thousand(s) to fix if the issue arises.

Double check on the cat before you buy. It does need clearing but is not as difficult as a DPF.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/emissions/diesel-particulate-filters/

 

[phizz4]

It's not so much the length of the journey, its how hot you get the exhaust, where the DPF is. On my 2013 Audi it is, apparently, some way from the exhaust manifold so doesn't get hot often enough, so I do a 20 mile run in 5th gear rather than 6th, but not as a special journey. You can also add a DPF cleaner fluid to the fuel tank once a year. Towing a heavy trailer with a Shogun makes the engine work harder, and therefore it gets hotter, particularly if you have some hills to negotiate. There are companies who can clean DPF filters for around £600. Your other option, and you will need to cost it out, is to buy a small, cheap to run, petrol car for day to day commuting and visiting the horses on day's when you aren't towing. A multi car insurance policy could be cost effective and there are lots of good little runarounds, Fiesta, Polo, Corsa, etc. with very low VED and insurance costs.

 

[taraj]

Love my 2016 LWB shogun but it is hot on fuel, short trips are 24-26mpg, towing is less! (we had to do a long journey last week and she managed 35.9mpg on the motorway, going downhill, that is the best its ever done in the time I've had her!). I do try and use hubbys hi-lux if I can as that is better on fuel (but no where near as good for towing imo). Make sure you check the tax as it seems to change a fair bit depending on the year.

 

[Abi90]

Love my 2016 LWB shogun but it is hot on fuel, short trips are 24-26mpg, towing is less! (we had to do a long journey last week and she managed 35.9mpg on the motorway, going downhill, that is the best its ever done in the time I've had her!). I do try and use hubbys hi-lux if I can as that is better on fuel (but no where near as good for towing imo). Make sure you check the tax as it seems to change a fair bit depending on the year.

I’m prepared for the worst on the tax. My husband has a more fuel efficient car so we would use that for super long journeys where towing was not required

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’m prepared for the worst on the tax. My husband has a more fuel efficient car so we would use that for super long journeys where towing was not required

I have a 2014 commercial van type so the shorter wheelbase and my tax is only £250 a year 😁

 

[Muddywellies]

We had a shogun sport and loved it. Husband commuted over 50 miles a day in it for years and yes, it's expensive to run, but not hideously so. And it was a dream to tow with. We loved it.

 

[idx]

I am worried for those people who are leaving their car in 4x4 or towing on a road in 4x4 I think you need to read your car manual. Admittedly mine was not a shogun but my manual said don't drive over 40mph in 4x4 and on a road towing you don't need it. It's only for difficult driving conditions.

 

[Frumpoon]

Love my 2004 did auto model

Best tow car I've ever had (and Ives broken a fair few!!!)

 

[phizz4]

The Shogun 4 wheel drive system allows you to shift into and out of 4 wheel drive at up to 60 mph without stopping, or shifting in to neutral. I always tow the horse trailer in 4 wheel drive and there is an official shogun sticker on the driver's door actually advising the driver to do this when towing.

 

[1rocky1]

We have a swb warrior 3.5 gdi petrol auto really like it ,pulls effort less 2.5 tons but only does about 12 mpg towing ,on its own if your carefull your lucky to get 16 mpg .

 

[ROG]

Passed my trailer test today

 

[rabatsa]

Congratulations.

 

[Abi90]

Thanks ROG!!