Work Ute recommendations

[Crom]

Evening all

Mitsubishi Triton or Toyota Hilux? Looking at the dual cab 4x4's. 2002 / 2003 models. Cant really justify banging the crap out of a new one just yet, and I cant afford a Defender or F250 etc though I'd love a H2 ute.

Seriously though, opinions? Thoughts?

Need to know mainly about problems, reasons to avoid.

Cheers

[dazzler]

2.7l 4 cylinder hilux on gas :2tsup:

[Christopha]

If those are your only choices then definitely the Hilux, but make sure whatever you buy is a diesel..... the petrol things are poisonously ickspensive to run. I have a Nissan Navara twincab, 3.0 diesel, 2004 model, goes really well, reasonable on fuel and I've had no trouble with her. Tows the tool trailer like it wasn't there... She was my work vehicle till Feb this year and now is my weekend vehicle up here near Broome, great offroad and comfortable to drive even on our horrid excuse for a road. When I get back to South Oz she will once again be the work bus.

[DJ’s Timber]

I would go with the Hilux, you just can't kill em

[dazzler]

If those are your only choices then definitely the Hilux, but make sure whatever you buy is a diesel..... the petrol things are poisonously ickspensive to run.

Dont agree on the diesel (and I am originally a diesel mechanic :rolleyes:). The 2.7 petrol is the unloved member of the hilux family and so the S/H purchase price is $,000s less than a comparable diesel. Throw in the rebate for gas and you have a vehicle with more power than a diesel, halved service costs, better overall fuel costs and dont need a balaclava and shotgun at rebuild/service time.

The nissan 3lt diesel in Navara is a beauty. Not sure what was in the 2002/003 nav's.:?

The hilux diesel (3L) until the D4D was a slug.

cheers

dazzler

[Crom]

Cheers for the replies all. I tried replying a couple of times but kept getting bad database errors from the forum...

Have thought about Diesel vs Petrol/Gas. My old man used to say that diesel engines are more reliable and easier to fix regardless, but I wonder how much that holds if you can no longer keep one running Mcguyver style due to all the extra crap hanging off of it.

If I could I'd put a straight 6 Nissan 4.2L diesel into my Navara or if I could wait I'd find a Patrol Ute (not the commercial, but the LWB well body that Nissan released about 1996 or so) but they are rare in WA.- either option would suit me perfectly.

Otherwise, the smaller Nissan diesels are crap in my experience (I'll be trading in my third diesel Nissan 4x4) even with the afterthought turbo and especially hitched to their automatic Pintara gearboxes. I feel that the 3.2L is still a compromise compared to the 4.2L. I have to say that the new Navara's are to my eye the best looking Jap utes though.

These are my thoughts and impressions so far:

The Hilux was one of the utes I was leaning to because from what I know (with the exception of the imports) the engines are reliable and easy to get at. They do seem to lift a lot better with aftermarket suspension than anything else I have seen. I dont know first hand if their nick name, "Rollux" has any merit, but I do know they have the trademark Toyota crap turning circle and the shorter tray is a put off too. Hilux have a higher resale being Toyota also which is great if you are trying to sell one... :)

2.7L petrol Hilux... I havent seen any 4x4s' just the 4x2's. They are dual cab though, which is half the battle. Will ask around.

The Mitsubishi has a good sized interior (albeit with a lower ceiling than the Hilux) especially when compared to the Holden, has a longer tray, comparable engines to Toyota (same crap small bore 4 cylinder diesels with afterthought turbos as the Nissans though) and I have been told by a one or two mechanics that their manual gearboxes are pretty tough. They also have pretty large turning circles though. Strange that they get called SWB.

I own a still, so one reason to opt for diesel is that I can make the stuff easy enough. Having the long ranger unleaded tank and gas seems like a better option though, especially considering the immediate offer with the government rebates and the like. And considering that most modern engines, diesel or not are bastards to fix if you are broken down out of town it hardly matters.

Thanks for the thoughts so far, keep them coming.

[Groggy]

Dont agree on the diesel (and I am originally a diesel mechanic :rolleyes:). The 2.7 petrol is the unloved member of the hilux family and so the S/H purchase price is $,000s less than a comparable diesel. Throw in the rebate for gas and you have a vehicle with more power than a diesel, halved service costs, better overall fuel costs and dont need a balaclava and shotgun at rebuild/service time.
I have the 2.7 Hilux and love the thing. They have a weakness in the thruster bearing at around 80 000 km but that is the only problem I've had. Mine has a long tray, over 2600mm (2700 I think).

[Grunt]

I sold my Hilux 2.7l SR5 and really regret it. :( Great beast it was.

Get a Hilux.

[Schtoo]

I had a 2.8D Hilux extra cab, all the trimmings.

I wish I still had it, especially here... :(


Back to Dazzler, you would need the balaclava and shotgun to get me into a Mitsubishi of any kind.

I have a my reasons, you can google them easy enough.

Something like 'Mitsubishi defect dead people' should yield the desired results. :rolleyes:

[la Huerta]

i think you can google a similar result with Ford...

[Baz]

After watching a video clip (Indestructible Ute) on the Top Gear website www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/ you would be mad if you didn't get the diesel Hilux.
Cheers
Barry

[Crom]

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1219494.htm Terrible.

Drive has this to say about this years Diesel Triton model http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=19730&vf=1

Hehe I just saw that episode of Topgear (youtube) - cant believe that they lost it in the ocean and then dropped a caravan on top of it...

J!

[la Huerta]

can't seem to find that on topgear, can someone post a link...

[DJ’s Timber]

can't seem to find that on topgear, can someone post a link...
You need to to go to the video section then click Stunts and it will be the first one to play. It's called indestructible truck

[Crom]

I think that the TopGear site is under construction, as the link didnt work for me. Youtube to the rescue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMrqsnK0eh8

I went for a couple of test drives today. Was surprised by a few, such as the roominess of the new Rodeo, the power of the 4L Ford Courier and the Toyota Hilux 4L, the Mazda BT50 compared to the Bravo 2600... All in all a day well spent drooling over new models and then trying to find a reasonable compromise a few years older.

Will come back to it a bit later though. Gotta have dinner, then going out again for a while.

J

[masoth]

Hilux is my reccomendation. One week ago I sold a 22 years on the road/off the road dual cab 2x4 for $4000 (maximum trade-in $1500) and got me a new 4x4 Hilux dual cab V6, my adult son traded a 13 months old Nissan for the Hilux a month ago. A broad-acre farmer mate swears by Mitsubishi - that probably OK when you trade them every nine months. Turning circle aside, the rest of the journey is a ripper.

Oh What A Feeling.

soth

[Crom]

Well, I think at least I had a couple of productive days. Tested the Navara, Rodeo, Triton, Hilux, SR5, Courier, B2600, Musso Sports, and a couple of others besides including a F250 and a Silverado (or as my wife calls it, the limo.) Was an eye opener.

I think that the SR5 is likely to best suit my needs. Have seen a couple of 3.4L V6's, the 3.0L D4D (but $$$,) and the 2.7L. Obviously the V6 came out on top in terms of performance, but for the money, 2.7L stands out.

So, until I can afford a something new and shiny, I will be hunting an SR5 within my budget. Thanks all, for your help and advice once again,
J

[DJ’s Timber]

Gotta love the power of the 4.0l V6 Hilux, I regularly pull 2 tonnes behind mine plus a tonne in the back and she dosen't miss a beat :2tsup:

[Wild Dingo]

Bloody bunch of woosieboys!!!

Tuffen up an

GerraF100innaya!! :2tsup:

Got one fer sale too... 1979mdl 6cyl goes like the proverbial bat out of hell point its nose ANYWHERE and it will take you there no probs no 4x4 (hint here just let a bit of air outta the big tyres an bobs yer uncle)... carrys a ton load and then some AND drags the 8x4 trailer loaded AS WELL... grunt? Friggin things a tank!! INBLOODYDESTRUCTABLE!! :2tsup:

But hey you go get your woosie boys toys but when yer wanna grow up get a F100!! :2tsup: :U

[DJ’s Timber]

Bloody bunch of woosieboys!!!

Tuffen up an

GerraF100innaya!! :2tsup:

Got one fer sale too... 1979mdl 6cyl goes like the proverbial bat out of hell point its nose ANYWHERE and it will take you there no probs no 4x4 (hint here just let a bit of air outta the big tyres an bobs yer uncle)... carrys a ton load and then some AND drags the 8x4 trailer loaded AS WELL... grunt? Friggin things a tank!! INBLOODYDESTRUCTABLE!! :2tsup:

But hey you go get your woosie boys toys but when yer wanna grow up get a F100!! :2tsup: :U

Yeah, but does it do it economically :q :doh:

[masoth]

An aside to the main topic == RAV4 will, by years end, come with V6 engine.

soth

[Cliff Rogers]

An aside to the main topic == RAV4 will, by years end, come with V6 engine.

soth

Also rumoured is an AWD Corolla with a 6 in it. :oo:

[dazzler]

That 4.0l v6 is a beauty. :2tsup:

[la Huerta]

just splurge out and get one of these new Hummers, you only live once, might as well enjoy...


http://images.motortrend.com/future/concept_cars/112_0312_hummerh3t_l.jpg

[DJ’s Timber]

Wouldn't take one even if you paid me.

One of the biggest fuel guzzlers on the road and have heard lots of bad stories about them. Apparently they are nothing like the ones the army uses.

[la Huerta]

yeh i just read a review on them, and yep , apparently a heap of crap...looks nice though, i still like the original H1 too...might need a second loan just for the fuel though..


you notice how all the sports utes are getting biger engines, hilux, rodeo, etc, manufactures ain't worried about global warming to much, as long as they build petrol guzzlers , that's all we will be able to buy...

[Poppa]

I had a dual cab 2wd Hilux 2.7 for a few years. Bought it new and loaded it up all the time, performed beautifully. Loved it so much I bought a dual cab 4wd SR5 2.7 as well, and that one was mine. And I loved it. Great machine, impossible to kill, and work all day. I wouldn't buy any other brand of ute. Wouldn't take a Mitsubishi if you gave me one. Same with the Nissan.

Sold both the Hiluxes in 2002 when we went to the UK for a couple of years. Still miss the 4wd one.

[kitsol]

I bought a new Courier V6 last year and it has the power of a falcon (well almost) and now I am looking in to Gas then it should be better for distance and finance. I have driven non tubro Hilux with 500ltrs of water and pumps etc and a Turbo that flew. I wish I could afford a new hilux turbo diesel but agree if it is second hand and there is a problem then it will cost you heaps as I blew an old triton diesel and had a $4k rebuild costs 6 months after buying it. I have driven the 2005 Navara and even the owner of it cant get out of my extra cab V6 ute. Think about where and how you drive! Look at the Courier as Ford still have 2005 models new in the yards. The extra cab with rear suicide doors are the best idea as I have my Mechanics box in the cab and cupboards in the tray. I have also taken my family from Vic to WA on a 10 week holiday with two young kids in the back seats (dont out big kids in for too long). As for 4WD it is very capable and I have faith in my new one.
Good luck