Wank tank utes-What to buy?

David Cavanagh

David Cavanagh

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Romsey, Victoria, Australia
I'm just asking for peoples opinion on big ugly utes. My daughters Nissan has died with only 200,000 kms so a bit disappointing. It's a 4.0 petrol V6 and the timing chain has jumped so it has a problem.

So we are car hunting again.
Needs at least 3.0 tonne towing and needs to be 4x4.
We've been driving them all and there all shit but in her world there necessary.


Looking for something new or up to 5yo

Ford Ranger was the worst, she questioned why do people buy them but I reminded her people bought Falcons over 504's once.
Salesman was funny, a young kid still in nappies who couldn't drive a manual so he had to find someone else to move another car to get it out.

Drove the Imax and it was better but still bad.
She liked the Triton and Navara, Navara is the more comfortable and better handing because it was coil springs on the back but she's a little put off by Nissans even though she's looking at diesels

Anyone here have an opinion on any of these monsters?
 
Just a general vague opinion, that Isuzu are good.
If you want to stay in the PSA+Fiat group, then you might consider RAM.....
BUT that would provide good reason to go outside the group!
 
I read this morning that RAM is a Stellantis (PSA-FCA) brand. A little too big (4.5 tonne towing capacity)?
 
Nissan has good discounts still trying to live down the reputation for short engine life. Isuzu has a good reputation but not that good, more a work ute. Toyota is expensive, no discounts, need the bigger 2.8 litre motor, had fuel/exhaust problems. Mitsubishi was lightweight with poor reputation, new models are better and sold a lot by good pricing. Ten year warranty is attractive. People like the Colorado to drive but would have to be very cheap. Ford Ranger was basically the same as Mazda but had a price premium. Amarok was sold to fleets on good buyback deals but the 2013 ones had a bad reputation. We went with Mazda despite problems with our last BT50, 5 cylinder 3.3 litre engine pulls well, doesn't have adblue, fuel use ok, carries a tonne bulka bag easily, gearbox weakness seems fixed, delivered fault free. Not a good time time to buy, everyone has upped their prices and there are no discounts. Mazda, Ford, Isuzu and VW play musical chairs with shared platforms and new models are out. Buy new unless you can get a very good price on nearly new, get rid of them before ten years.
 
Armidillo said:
I read this morning that RAM is a Stellantis (PSA-FCA) brand. A little too big (4.5 tonne towing capacity)?
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Rams are expensive and bloody huge. My neighbour has one and he was bragging about how fast it is with its 5.7 litre V8 so i took him for a spin in my Alpine. Now he just talks about how easy it pulls his 3.5 tonne caravan.
Way out of our budget.
 
Russell Hall said:
Nissan has good discounts still trying to live down the reputation for short engine life. Isuzu has a good reputation but not that good, more a work ute. Toyota is expensive, no discounts, need the bigger 2.8 litre motor, had fuel/exhaust problems. Mitsubishi was lightweight with poor reputation, new models are better and sold a lot by good pricing. Ten year warranty is attractive. People like the Colorado to drive but would have to be very cheap. Ford Ranger was basically the same as Mazda but had a price premium. Amarok was sold to fleets on good buyback deals but the 2013 ones had a bad reputation. We went with Mazda despite problems with our last BT50, 5 cylinder 3.3 litre engine pulls well, doesn't have adblue, fuel use ok, carries a tonne bulka bag easily, gearbox weakness seems fixed, delivered fault free. Not a good time time to buy, everyone has upped their prices and there are no discounts. Mazda, Ford, Isuzu and VW play musical chairs with shared platforms and new models are out. Buy new unless you can get a very good price on nearly new, get rid of them before ten years.
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Yes we're learning it's not a good time to be car shopping, it isn't by choice that's for sure.
No one in her world seems to like the Colorado so she hasn't driven one, maybe it's just the badge.
She's out looking at Mitsu's today.
 
79 series cruiser. Go the 1hd-fte 6 cylinder over the v8. You’ll get something used with 300k on it but they have such high resale value because they’re bulletproof.
I rekin you’ll love the cruiser so much you’ll want to borrow it too. 😜🤪😜
 
The last Colorados had an 18k factory discount but some dealers still tried for list. No certainty of back up so orphan pricing. Prices on most utes are up $10k on 2019 and late 2018 the Triton was sub$30k on special, Navarra $27500 from one dealer. High mark up item so companies can offer big discounts to increase share. People seem happy with the latest Triton.
Ride like drays but I'm used to it, better than a truck.
 
angru said:
79 series cruiser. Go the 1hd-fte 6 cylinder over the v8. You’ll get something used with 300k on it but they have such high resale value because they’re bulletproof.
I rekin you’ll love the cruiser so much you’ll want to borrow it too. 😜🤪😜
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Myth. They give trouble as much as anything and I've seen one break in two on dozer tow.
 
David Cavanagh said:
Rams are expensive and bloody huge. My neighbour has one and he was bragging about how fast it is with its 5.7 litre V8 so i took him for a spin in my Alpine. Now he just talks about how easy it pulls his 3.5 tonne caravan.
Way out of our budget.
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Yeah - outside my budget too! Also where would you park it? Landcruiser is bad enough!
 
Does the Navara still use the Renault engine? Shared with the Master I think.

I'd go Navara just for the rear coils and less scary handling... Unladen leaves and live axles are scary and shit (will never forget hitting a dip in the middle of sweeper in a BA wagon at 120kph and nearing having the back end come around as the axle bounced and the tyres left the road. Hit the same dip in the R25 at 140 once and it ignored it).

Navara twin is the Mercedes (just assembled in Spain instead of Thailand I think), i think the base models are slow sellers so maybe some deals to be had?

Colorado is just an Isuzu, ignore the Holden badge. In the modern world of the internet parts will never be a problem.
 
The weakness of the Navarra was the engine. Going back a decade there were failures out of warranty with $17k replacement cost that left a cloud over the make. But all makers have failures. Modern four wheel drive utes handle quite safely when driven sensibly and present no safety hazard.
 
Russell Hall said:
The weakness of the Navarra was the engine. Going back a decade there were failures out of warranty with $17k replacement cost that left a cloud over the make. But all makers have failures. Modern four wheel drive utes handle quite safely when driven sensibly and present no safety hazard.
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Wonder why they were reliable in the Renaults though?
 
Haakon said:
Wonder why they were reliable in the Renaults though?
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Might not have been the Renault engine, or perhaps some component was changed, or might have been a manufacturing defect in the Nissan process. Nissan seems to have been badly run which is why they needed Renault.
 
Current Navara/X Class/Master share the M9T, a renault/nissan coproduction according wikipedia.
 
Would not touch a dual cab for their obvious disadvantages. If I wanted a 4WD truck for some reason, like towing a caravan, off-roading or most importantly, posing, I would definitely consider one of the large SUV's that give me and my passengers better personal comfort, larger load capacity, plus weather and theft protection for my cargo.
A RAM could be an interesting option though because it eats other utes for breakfast. Yum!
 
speaksgeek said:
I just sold my Touareg, which had the 3L V6 diesel the same as some Amarok's. If I needed a dual cab ute, I'd be looking closely at that, the engine makes great power and reliable in my experience (I've had two cars with it, no important issues)
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Early Amaroks (2013) would destroy the engine when the serpentine belt failed. Don't know which engine. Timber companies were using them because they got them cheap but won't touch them now. Don't know if the story about the $27000 gearbox replacement is true but it was around. But popular with those who don't go off road for a living.
 
Don't know what they used in the ones sold in the country but they were crap in bush work.
 
Breitie said:
........................A RAM could be an interesting option though because it eats other utes for breakfast. Yum!
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Much like a Ford F100 V8 4X4 which attempted the Tanami track following a Disco to Halls Creek in the early nineties. Before a couple of hundred miles were up the front screen literally had fallen out of the Ford and the doors wouldn't stay shut very long whilst the list of things that fell off or came loose constantly expanded! The Disco was fine.
 
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