Ute recommendations

tigertim20, Nov 26, 2:13pm
Have a friend who is looking for a ute.
Requirements are double cab, diesel, doesn't need to be 4wd, to 2wd is fine.
Wants something taller rather than lower
Budget of $15k.

What would be some good options, or models to avoid in this range?

What are
tigertim20, Nov 26, 5:32pm
S-NZ you are correct. thats what she can afford to drop, and really its just the practicality she is after. at double the money theres a lot of options, but for a single parent thats a tall order.

I hadnt considered the ssangyongs at all to be honest, do they have a generally good reputation?
curlcrown, Nov 26, 5:46pm
If it is for business it may well make sense to finance a new one.
annie17111, Nov 26, 6:03pm
For $15k there isn't much options. We were looking at that amount and ended up spending $22k on a isuzu dmax 2013 with 136,000kms.
I wouldn't touch a ssangyong and that's after talking to panel beaters and mechanics
tigertim20, Nov 26, 6:03pm
not for business
msigg, Nov 26, 7:07pm
annie17111, i'm with you on that one, don't look that good either in my opinion, tigertim20, pity you don't want a petrol, a work colleague bought a good ute 2 months ago, was a toyota 2 wheel drive with a canopy in very good condition, I think it was 2014, cost him 14k, he is very happy with it.
tim41, Nov 26, 10:52pm
here we go again
what part of the question didn't you understand?
howard24, Nov 27, 6:26am
sangsong are one bag of big boo not waste your money
tygertung, Nov 28, 12:11pm
I truly believe that a station wagon and a trailer is going to be a lot better than a ute. Not only do you have much more load capacity, you can leave the trailer at home when you don't need it and the stuff in the back of the wagon will keep dry.
franc123, Nov 28, 12:44pm
It's funny how many people who are prepared to splash tens of thousands on these DC utes cannot grasp this, and are prepared to live with so many shortcomings all for the sake of having a (somewhat small and compromised) tray for occasional use. Sure having a trailer involves separate licensing and WoF costs plus needing an area to store it and an occasional bit of maintenance but those are really not much in the scheme of things given you can save thousands buying a nice wagon that has decent handling and ride comfort that will be newer and with lower kms. I say over and over on this board that second hand utes are shockingly bad value for money unless you are using the tray and/or towing heavy loads most days of the week.
kazbanz, Nov 28, 1:19pm
I can honestly say that unless he really and absolutely has to have a ute then almost any other vehicle type is going to be a better bet. Utes are just stupid money for what they are.
tygertung, Nov 28, 1:53pm
Yes you do need somewhere to store it, but the rego is so cheap that it is almost free and WOFs are not too expensive. It isn't too expensive even for a brand new trailer and there isn't a great deal of maintenance required.
tygertung, Nov 28, 1:57pm
I dare say a van would be a better commercial vehicle than a ute.
stevo2, Nov 29, 12:32pm
100% correct. The only redeeming factor at the moment is that they hold their value so well.
annie17111, Nov 29, 5:56pm
I just checked trademe and a ute like mine without the canopy but with more kms is going for 28k, we paid 22k for mine a year ago.
Also it is so handy with towing, carting things around and a lot safer than my previous car.
tygertung, Nov 30, 6:08am
Well they are too expensive now, don't buy one. A trailer is better for carting things around as much easier to load.

Wagons are really good for towing, as you can more easily see the trailer when reversing, especially if you open the boot.

Cars are safer as they are designed for safety in crashes with crumple zones etc. They also have a much lower centre of gravity so have much better road holding,

4WD trucks have full chassis typically, so it isn't as easy to build good crash protection into them.

4WD trucks are ideal for specialist applications, but may not be optimal for general road use.
msigg, Nov 30, 7:05am
Well I'm with annie17111 on this one, I have had station wagons, hatchbacks etc, the ute I have is far better for towing than the others, as for the safety i'm sure I would rather be in my ute, A good one/late model is great, they have all the safety features and are comfortable and look great, they handle the road good and off road good, My go to vehicle for a long trip is the Ranger, I much prefer that over the Suv or car I have, but hey each to their own, just like one person likes nike shoes and the other adidas, everybody is different, no right or wrong, Go for it.
s_nz, Oct 16, 6:00pm
Both very valid points. Purchase price for what you get is fairly high, but depreciation will be low throughout you ownership. No cheap used import diesel utes coming in from japan to depress the value of used examples as is the case for corolla's etc.

And they are Ok all rounders (assuming not to much city parking), and brilliant for specific use case's (heavy towing, heavy cargo, dangerous / smelly cargo like dive bottle's, outboard engines, fuel cans etc.