One of best things about writing about trucks is getting to drive them – especially when they are as easy to drive as the new Fuso Canter FE160. From slipping behind the wheel until I had to hand the keys back, I experienced a really great ride.
Upon entering the cab of the new Class 4 Canter, I first noticed the upscale detailing of the dashboard and the tight fit of the cab door as I pulled it shut behind me. There is plenty of room for a driver plus two passengers to ride in comfort. I quickly familiarized myself with the gauges on the dash and noted the new fuel usage gauge was positioned within easy sight—it monitors fuel efficiency during acceleration to keep the driver aware of how his or her driving habits are affecting the fuel efficiency of the truck. Then, with a turn of the key in the ignition, I was ready to go. The truck, which was fitted with a 16-ft. box on the new 56,565 PSI-yield-strength, standard-width 33.5-in. straight ladder frame, was partially loaded to about half of its 10,535-lb. payload capacity and easily pulled away from the curb onto the road.
On the highway
The first leg of my test drive was spent navigating the freeway system that skirts the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Traffic was normal for a weekday, which for that area meant a steady stream of passenger cars and trucks that filled the three lanes on which I was driving. The excellent forward visibility of the cab-over-engine (COE) made it easy to keep track of the traffic moving around me. Acceleration was quick and seamless thanks to the Fuso model 4P10 (T5) 4-cylinder turbocharged engine and the Mitsubishi Fuso Duonic 6-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission (AMT) OD, which shifted smoothly without lag time. 
Urban roads
Once I experienced the highway agility of the Canter, it was time to test the truck’s mettle on surface roads. I headed west on Highway 12 away from the city. When I decided to turn back, I exited the highway near the city of Long Lake and made a really tight u-turn in a nearby parking lot to check the truck’s maneuverability—it was exceptional. A quick, hard step on the brake also gave me a chance to test the reaction of the dual-caliper hydraulic disc service brakes with vacuum servo assist and ABS.
The next leg of the trip took me on the side roads leading to the town of Wayzata. Built on the edge of Lake Minnetonka, the city grew from a resort town in the early 1900s to a thriving suburban bedroom community today with a business district along the lake and a labyrinth of narrow, hilly roads winding through residential neighborhoods in and around the lake. It was the perfect spot to check out the city-like pick-up and delivery capabilities of the Canter.
Even lacing through narrow roads lined with parked cars, I can report that turning tight corners in town with the Canter’s good windshield visibility and agile maneuverability made it really easy to negotiate even the tightest turns. In fact, all of my ramblings through the side streets, around curves—and up and down hills—were effortless. At one point, on a 1-½ lane back road, I handily made a u-turn into a narrow residential driveway lined with trees and shrubs to retrace my route back to the center of town. I also had a chance to stop on the incline of a steep hill to check out the truck’s gravity sensor, which automatically started in first gear and provided an excellent response.
The entire experience was enjoyable and it was easy to see, even within a couple hours of a test drive, that those drivers who spend eight hours a day on pick-up and delivery routes in an urban environment could do so easily and with less fatigue in this truck—even those drivers with limited experience. The ease of operation, the quiet cab and the automatic transmission created a stress-free environment. In addition to solid driving performance, the fuel economy of my trip averaged 14.4 MPG.
According to Todd Bloom, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, the company has made major enhancements and upgrades to all of its 2012 model year trucks, which include new drivetrains that meet EPA 2010. He added that the company provides a 3-year/unlimited mileage bumper-to-bumper warranty; a 4-year/unlimited mileage rust-through warranty and a 5-year 175,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, which includes most bolt-on components, as well as wetted driveline components.
