I recently tried all the utes and, predictably, it came down to a choice of two:
Ranger Amarok
I like the Ranger and had high expectations but it was underwhelming when I drove it. I wouldn't blame anyone else for buying one though, that powerplant is very strong but the penalty of running a 3.2 litre turbo is poor economy.
I bought the Amarok and it's brilliant - but not perfect. There's no bluetooth, a locking diff is an option, the gearbox is stiff and recalcitrant - especially reverse - and it uses a little oil between services.
Otherwise I love it. It's refined at road speeds, very strong for a 2 litre (as quick as the Ranger) has a great cabin and amazingly it uses as little as 7.5litres per 100kms (38mpg) on a cruise.
Despite the delivery hold ups caused by the Thailand floods the Ranger and (less so) the Amarok are eating heavily into Hilux sales and the only way I'd choose the Toyota is if the deal was incredible.
Try them all OP.
romajeto,
Dec 20, 8:51am
Did yo try a D-Max! That's the direction I'm leaning at the moment.
hpaul,
Dec 20, 9:04am
No, but a trusted friend did - he called it crude and said it would need to be $35k for him to buy one (they're $55k).
Why are you leaning that way!
romajeto,
Dec 20, 11:42am
Because I had a 1992 Bighorn for 8 years.400 000k no proplems.have an 05 rodeo.270000 k No problems.Isuzu Motor.Toughest Chassis by a mile.(Colorado the same tho)Reviews in Austrailia say they are the standout off road. More legroom in the back than any other I've been in.Big tray.and I reckon they look sharper than most others.although the Ranger Wildtrack is a hot looking beast.
vivac,
Dec 20, 8:49pm
Just purchased a Hilux 06 myself. The v6 4.0l petrol, its pretty quick, and no nasty $5000 for pumps or injectors ect. 100Ks and under 18K, NZ new with full history.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 20, 10:11pm
A few points, (and this is not intended to be nasty so please don't be offended).
1. Whats the point in being guaranteed to spend thousands extra per year on fuel to try and avoid the possibility of an injector pump failure which may never happen!
2. Any decent modern ute will be common rail so expensive injector pump issues should be a thing of the past. Toyota might not be able to build a reliable common rail engine yet but plenty of other manufacturers have been for 15 years or so now.
3. Decent common rail diesels should be more reliable and require less servicing than the petrol Ute you have bought.
The only possible good point is the purchase price, but that would likely only be an advantage in certain circumstances (like if you were doing really low km so as to offset the fuel usage). Depreciation may not be that much better than a new Ute.
Can you share with us what sort of fuel economy you are getting over a tank! My money puts it at 14-16l/100km which is about twice the cost of running an Amarok.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 20, 10:25pm
Can't beat this for first hand advice from someone who compared them all. Great post!
vivac,
Dec 23, 6:20pm
Havnt done my testing yet as im still on the first 50l. As for teh servicing and whatnot, i would rather spread teh cost over five years in fuel bills than have a $5-$8K repair bill all at once thanks. A VVTi v6 is alot more bulletproof than the diesel turbo and quicker too.
romajeto,
Dec 24, 2:58pm
Yawn.He didn't try a D-Max.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 27, 12:05pm
This is the trouble with Toyota apologists, because Toyota can't make a decent reliable diesel they assume no one else can either.
Diesels from quality manufacturers (Mercedes, VW, Fiat etc) who make them in volume are very low maintenance and exceedingly reliable.
No need to spend a fortune solving problems that don't exist.
Sorry if that sounded harsh vivac, its just that the math for a an 06 Hilux be it diesel or petrol just doesn't come close to stacking up.
berg,
Dec 27, 12:23pm
My kicker for the Amarok, must be serviced at approved VTroubleyou dealership while under warranty. That great if you live or break down in a large metropolitan area but break down or need servicing in the sticks and you face a long drive or tow. At least Isuzu, Nissan, Ford, Toymoter ect have an extensive dealer network with servicing in all sorts of places
vivac,
Dec 28, 8:02am
Im not offended, you are allowed your opinion. I have heard of expensive common rail problems from pretty much all of the manufacturers, euro included, that involve very expensive repairs. As for the expense of servicing, the hilux petrol oil filter is up the top in front of the motor, doesnt get any easier to replace the oil and filter really. So far im tracking to 12.4l/100Km, with a bit of thrashing and lots of ACuse. Not too bad for a 4.0l V6.
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