If I may sir, for the benefit of the new readers, I'd like to give my first hand comments and experience regarding our new ride. This is my honest to goodness review of our 2.5lt manual Glx Strada. Please do note that my comparison will be coming from our previous ride, a toyota corolla 1.6 gli manual.
Went up to Manaoag last Wednesday to get our new ride blessed and then straight to Baguio for dinner and then back to Manila. We used "Spikey" as my son named our new member of the family. I won't be discussing the exterior points as our ride already looks very good. IMHO.
First off is the more spacious interior cabin compared to our previous ride, 3 full grown adults can easily fit in with ease. My kids enjoyed the extra space the most but it is not without problems as my little boy (5 yrs) can now run and jump around the back with ease.

Now we have to constantly remind them to strap on their seatbelts whenever on transit.
Secondly is the better interior comforts, new design and stronger A/C. My wife and daughter kept on complaining and was constantly adjusting it to the least coolest. If you're not much into sound set ups then I guess the Alpine unit supplied is more than adequate enough for the average driver, it has a tuner and can handle, CD's, 8gig USB's and you can even listen to your favorite ebooks.
Third is power. I love driving as it is one of my passions. Usually fast but not reckless(very big difference). The Strada provided me with a good overall power, at first I was trying to play a bit and look for the right timing as I believe there is a short lag when you press the accelerator before the turbo kicks in. But once you get the timing, overtaking can be a breeze.
The power of the 2.5lt 4D56 is more than enough be it for overtaking long trailers or get you through tough situations. You can literally feel the torque once you put your pedal to the metal, especially during our drive going up Kenon where we had to pass a couple of big trucks over short distances. Our Spikey did not disappoint me.
I drove as fast a 160 kph but dared not go over as this was still below my first 1k PMS. It can easily reach speeds of 100 and 120 without you even realizing it. I just need to mention that the ride was very stable but a bit bouncy as my son would say. I had already expected this as our rides are TRUCKS and NOT SEDANS. My kids did not mind either nor did I.
Fourth is the handling and ride. Though it is big, it handled corners very well. (stock mags and tires). I had a better view of the road. It also had good stopping power. I need to mention also that it was raining on our way up and was also raining on our way down. My only gripe was that the wipers were squeaky(casa cleaned, now should be ok)a but nothing that a little loud music would not fix. he he he I would have preferred it if Mitsubishi did offer ABS and EBD to the lower variants and wider tires.
Fifth is our fuel consumption. This is how I computed for fuel consumption, Total distance travelled divided by the amount of fuel used. I filled up with Petron Turbo Diesel going there then filled up again after I got back. On both occasions using only the pumps automatic shut off to make it more accurate. I did around 10.3kms per liter which is very good for a spirited driver like me. (Average travel time is 4hrs one way) Not to mention that we use diesel which is way cheaper than gasoline.
It is true that you need to top up only once, when you leave manila and when you get back. Though we spent only a few hours in Baguio, we did however went to trinidad valley wherein we got stuck for almost an hour in traffic before deciding to go back. I still had 1/4 of my fuel gauge when I topped up again.
Anyway, to end this long nobela review, I would like to let you, all future owners, know how much I appreciated the looks, ride, handling, power and comfort of our "Spikey". No regrets so far so lets keep our fingers crossed. I'm a very happy owner here.
Thank you again to this forum and everyone who made this possible.
BTW, these are just my personal opinions and not professional in any way.