Navara/L200/Hilux/Rodeo/Ranger thoughts

All

Been away for a bit - flat out working.
Am sadly coming to the conclusion that my 80 is not the right way forward business-wise. I have not really used it for work the last cpl of months - cos it is getting abused. It's quite a canny 80, and when I first got it I had it mopped and valeted. Bloody bags of gravel/dust/sand, plants/compost etc, are taking their toll, plus I can't get anything (plant wise) of a significant height inside. I bought her with the intention she'd be:-

trailer puller
work hack/support vehicle
winter 4x4 car to stay mobile/support clients

The complication at this end is that
a) I don't have much spare cash
b) LPG station is about 9 miles away and my route has changed (I used to go past twice a week, don't now so its a special journey)
c) It has to be an automatic really so that Mrs JB can jump in (and I do prefer them).


About 4 years ago when times were good I had a Navara D40 (don't shoot me). To be fair it was a nightmare but solely down to the sh8tty dealer I bought it from as it was boiling up. Note this was the later shape, not the early conrod-chuckers.....

As a concept though it was perfect:-


5 seats, auto, plush inside yet capable of handling a filthy me, superb in the snow with BFG AT's on, decent enough to tow with (it did many-a-car-trailer journey). Equally at home in a field, as a commuter, loaded up with supplies, as a football-on-a-Saturday transporter, it was just so practical. Had the economy not crashed I would have kept it, no doubt.


So, to the point of the thread (in my inimitable long-winded way), for a budget of say £5k, what would be your choice? Navara (d40)/Ford Ranger/Mitsi L200/Isuzu Rodeo/Hilux. As I said, it realy needs to be an auto and doublecab.

The only one I have had was the hilux, just got rid back end of last year. It was a great ride, had sat nav, leather seats, a/c so was great as family car as well as using for my building project in the yorkshire dales, carrying materials and pulling down trees. Also good on the 200 mile commute with work once a week and not bad on diesel. Couldn't ask for more and was sad to replace with a more practical car.

I had a Ranger - twas OK, could get the back out on a roundabout in the wet even with BFG At's on! Syncro went on 4th gear - common problem apparently, worse if you tow.....

yep, my ranger ate it's gearbox. 2nd hand ones unobtainable as the're so shit no one will put a warranty on them. navaras have lots of problems reported including chassis snapping in half due to structural corrosion, when only a few years old (less than 6) and of course, the engine problems you aluded to. Amarok, well, where do you start, more reported problems than you could shake a shitty stick at. That leaves Hilux or Isuzu.

I run a Hilux, their reputation is unrivalled and there are no reported repetitive problems apart from an injector rattle on early mark 6s, which should by now have been dealt with on warranty by now. They do hold their value though, which is both good and bad, good when you come to sell, bad if you need to buy on a budget.

The D max I have heard very little about, which is probably a good indication!! I've always rated Isuzu, my mum had 2 troopers. Just a bit too blingy for me though.

We have had a number of Rangers at work never had to many problems and tow everyday, but we always change our trucks at 70k
we have just ordered a new DMax to replace a Ranger, would have got a Hilux but the towing capacity is rubbish at less than 3 ton

I used a ranger a 3.2l when in SA last time and I was very impressed with it. drove nice fairly good on fuel but I had been used to a 4.5 80 at the time. good off road light use just dirt tracks really.

A lot of people are really rating the Isuzu these days good all-round from what I hear.
Amorok not heard much good about them I do think they are the best looking pick up on the market but I wouldn't buy. I don't think the 2.0l engine will last all that long.

l200 are shite to drive bad turning circle try to park one in a car park first.
navara I had a D22 and loved it would buy another. wouldn't buy a d40 though to many issues
you can get late model D22 which have had mods done on the engine to stop from going pop. mine was amazing. they were selling the D22 in 09-10 for £11000k +vat so they were very cheap.

stu

Interesting feedback. d22 Navaras are good but only manual gearboxes so that is a no-no. I fear the same on Hilux's (which would be most reliable choice) simply because they are unlikely to be in my price range with an autobox.
The comments on Ranger gearboxes wouldn't apply anyway as they seem to be regarding manual boxes.
I suspect we may be looking at a high mileage Rodeo at this rate...

cwc said:

We have had a number of Rangers at work never had to many problems and tow everyday, but we always change our trucks at 70k
we have just ordered a new DMax to replace a Ranger, would have got a Hilux but the towing capacity is rubbish at less than 3 ton

Click to expand...

2.8ton on the current Hilux model, isn't that more than the ranger?

New ranger and the dmax are 3.5

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

ah, ok, Toyota have some catching up to do then!! Older ones aren't though I don't think, and I presume we're looking at older ones here.

my ranger also suffered injector pump problems which are apparently quite common BTW

I'm on my 4th Hi-lux, everyone has gone through the 200k barrier without any major issues.

Never opened an engine, gearbox or axle in over 900k between the 4 trucks. Never replaced a suspension bush, shock absorber or wheel bearing they are a truly formidable vehicle.

Not even replaced the clutch on the last 2, current truck has 207k on the clock.

I wouldn't look at another truck, I tow over 2.5 tonnes most days without any complaints.

Many friends or colleagues have tried other trucks L200's fall apart at the idea of doing work, Nissans blow up before they've done 60k on a regular basis. I've not heard any horror stories about the Ranger to date but don't know anyone who works them really hard.
I had a Bedford Brava years ago ( Its an Isuzu in disguise) it was a tough truck that took a lot of abuse, a local farmer has a d-max he's had 2 turbos in the last 3 years but he doesn't look after it very well and drives like a loon!!!!!! Possibly not the trucks fault.

Yes some of the others tow more and have more power but unless you need the 3.5 tonne towing capacity, there is only one real choice.

A Hi-lux

If you can find me an auto one for 5k theres more than one beer in it for you lol

Anything wrong with a surf? It's almost a hilux.

Apart from the colour on this one ...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...chad/used,nearlynew,new/make/toyota?logcode=p

jonnyboy54321 said:

Interesting feedback. d22 Navaras are good but only manual gearboxes so that is a no-no. I fear the same on Hilux's (which would be most reliable choice) simply because they are unlikely to be in my price range with an autobox.
The comments on Ranger gearboxes wouldn't apply anyway as they seem to be regarding manual boxes.
I suspect we may be looking at a high mileage Rodeo at this rate...

Click to expand...

Don't buy a Ranger if you intend to be off the black stuff. Friend of mine got rid of his after a few months because he kept getting stuck going through gateways!

grantw said:

Anything wrong with a surf? It's almost a hilux.

Apart from the colour on this one ...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...chad/used,nearlynew,new/make/toyota?logcode=p

Click to expand...

It's a pickup I need otherwise I would stick with my 80 over a Surf !!!!

yogi said:

Don't buy a Ranger if you intend to be off the black stuff. Friend of mine got rid of his after a few months because he kept getting stuck going through gateways!

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Only real time it will be off tarmac is if it snows....

I was chatting with a mate who knows a load of horsey girls; they all run Mitsubishi Challenger's rather than L200's as the Challenger has a higher tow rating...

Challenger isn't a pickup.....

Paddler Ed said:

I was chatting with a mate who knows a load of horsey girls

Click to expand...

jonnyboy54321 said:

It's a pickup I need otherwise I would stick with my 80 over a Surf !!!!

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Missed that point - sorry mate. Totally agree 80 over surf.