Its all about the size of the bit that hangs between their legs, why do they need a ute, unless they are constantly towing or as a farmer using them ofF road, these things need to removed from urban roads, they have a perception of safety, pushed by the manufacturer. High center of gravity and rollover in a crash.Try seeing past one of these behemouths beside you at an intersection if you are in a normal sized car. The gummint needs to tax the shite out of thses things and loose the FBT and set up a congestion charge on city use, but with most gummints they wont stay in power if they do all this radical stuff, so they just pay lip service to it, Another slap with a wet bus ticket.
bill1451,
Jun 4, 8:22pm
The perception that they are good for tradies is bullsh as the tray is so high you vitually have need a step ladder to get any thing of the tray. Vans are a much better option and can have seats fitted for family use.
tygertung,
Jun 4, 9:58pm
Yep those utes are shithouse for carrying any loads as the trays are pretty small and way too high up to load anything. One would be much better off with a trailer, and say a station wagon to tow it.
absolute_detail,
Jun 4, 10:38pm
A wagon and trailer would be useless compared to a ute. Can't tow fuck all with a wagon and can't just biff messy shit in the back of it
annie17111,
Jun 5, 1:08am
I love my ute, use it for towing a lot and great for our dogs to ride in. I mainly drive open roads and not really in town so have no issues with parking. I know it's a ute and drive it accordingly and know that it's more likely to roll over than a car. Wouldn't drive one if we lived in a city tho.
franc123,
Jun 5, 1:30am
Sorry but most of these light trucks are being bought by users that simply do not require them, or their needs could be better met by using something else like a van or wagon. They are being imported for bugger all out of factories in Thailand and the market is being told by the distributors that these actually quite compromised vehicles are what you must have, there is no better alternative. Thats rubbish. On online forums you get people who have just bought a caravan or are looking at one and are confused about whats best to tow it and them everyone starts parroting you need a Ranger or Triton or something similar because its safer and heavier blah blah. hold on a minute, since when was 3500kg towing required for an 1100kg caravan? These vehicles arent being used in Europe for these purposes, why should they be needed here? They are not cheap considering how crude they are, the cheap and nasty part time 4x4 systems in them, and the general handling, comfort and ride compromises, ie what you are getting for your money. There is very little to disagree with in that article.
gph1961,
Jun 5, 7:28am
crush them. slowly
mrfxit,
Jun 5, 8:29am
Best ute I have seen recently is an old Nissan with a full size wellside tray. Owner said he can fit twice the amount in there compared to his boss's new Ranger
tygertung,
Jun 5, 8:34am
You can tow heaps with a wagon and just biff messy shit on the trailer.
skiff1,
Jun 5, 9:04am
This is hilarious! People getting so wound up about what other people drive, when it has no effect on them. There are tonnes of things other people do that I think are silly, so I don’t do them. If you want to drink jagerbombs or have a mullet, or call your kid Lashawnae, go for it. There’s a list of hundreds of vehicles that don’t appeal to me, that all sell very well, so they must suit large numbers of people. I know a young guy who thinks that MX5s are cool? What do I care? Live and let live.
skiff1,
Jun 5, 9:08am
as a person who tows a trailer about 50%of the time, that’s pretty foolish. A load on the vehicle is waaaay more simple to deal with when parking, reversing and just generally driving. Towing a trailer drops your speed limit, and with good reason. Trailers will exert forces on the towing vehicle that make it less safe, even unloaded.
msigg,
Jun 5, 9:50am
Yes skiff1 is the only sensible comment here, I have a ute and find it fantastic, I have a duel wheel trailer and that is good for what I do sometimes, people buy what they want, they wear what they want and eat what they want, and do what they want, everybody can do what they want otherwise you will be a commie state and you will be told what to do, do you want that because I certainly don't, Just do what you want and be happy, live your life like you want, don't stress that someone has something you don't like or want, the stress will kill you. Each to their own.
john1623,
Jun 5, 11:18am
At least there is one sensible comment.
absolute_detail,
Jun 5, 12:10pm
You have no clue dont you, how the hell is a station wagon going to have stuff loaded onto it with a forklift and drive up rutted slippery tracks?
absolute_detail,
Jun 5, 12:12pm
Its amazing how you think you know what people need more than them, vans a hopeless as soon as they are on slippery surface, even a bit of wet grass has them stuck and then 99% of vans dont have barn doors so you cant load them easily
tygertung,
Jun 5, 12:15pm
Sorry, but vans are much more useful. Only slippery on wet grass when empty.
absolute_detail,
Jun 5, 12:20pm
They are not, wet grass has the pos work hyundai stuck so easily, not to mention it cant tow fuck all and cant be loaded with heavy, oil leaking items so it never gets used
I have a land rover defender, a 4wd Isuzu ute, a 4wd l300, a 4wd turbo station wagon and a mid engine 2 seater italian car, guess what one is the easiest to use every day.
alowishes,
Jun 5, 12:33pm
Of course you would have two regos and two WOFs instead of just one if you had a ute. And you would need the extra parking space for the trailer - and at times maintenance on it.
(And not ALL utes are high riding massive things, leastways the older ones)
tygertung,
Jun 5, 12:39pm
Yes, the old school single cab utes were more useful, but these new double cab utes have very little load area on the deck.
However trailer WOF and rego is cheap as chips, and they require very little maintenance.
bitsy_boffin,
Jun 5, 1:02pm
Utes are fine and useful if they are a sensible size like they used to be in the 80s and 90s.
Now they are all being supersized since the early-mid 00's it's just getting ridiculous.
annie17111,
Jun 5, 1:08pm
Vans are really dangerous in an accident as the ones with the flat fronts have nothing protecting the driver and they end up with broken legs, shattered hips etc.
jhan,
Jun 5, 1:18pm
Can I have one? They look good but I really only need a Honda Fit but still, I might be able to see over the sUV's at the intersections.
franc123,
Jun 5, 2:47pm
LMAO you never heard of LSD's or A/T tyres?. There is simply no need to have 4WD with a few exceptions. Its just more weight, cost and maintenance. If loading would be enhanced by barn doors then buy a van with them. In a wide enough van like a Transit loading pallets is much easier than in a silly crew cab wellside truck, assuming the thing can even take it without having to have it hanging out its backside.
franc123,
Jun 5, 2:55pm
Urghh sounds like you need to have a cleanout of hideous old junk to scratch a deposit together for a flatdeck Landcruiser, assuming you actually will use 4WD on most days of the week. Walking out into my yard every morning and lookin at all that money sucking trash would just make me want to vomit.
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