4x4 Pick-ups any good?
Discussion
My car is gradually getting nearer replacement, so I'm looking around for ideas before I have to do it in a hurry.
I was initially looking at getting an estate car, but I've seen a few 'domestic' pick-ups for sale in my price range, and I'm wondering whether anyone has had one and can tell me the drawbacks.
Looking at things like the Navarra, or Ford Ranger, with a crew cab.
It'll be a second vehicle, so about 5-6k per year mileage. Needs to be big enough to carry 2 adults and 2 kids, plus camping equipment and 4 bicycles (I've got a towbar mounted rack). Speed not important really (got a motorbike for that) but needs to have enough oomph for overtaking tourists on the backroads.
They seem like a good idea - the pick-up bed would be good for sticking bikes, stuff for the tip, garden stuff etc in, but they really practical?
I was initially looking at getting an estate car, but I've seen a few 'domestic' pick-ups for sale in my price range, and I'm wondering whether anyone has had one and can tell me the drawbacks.
Looking at things like the Navarra, or Ford Ranger, with a crew cab.
It'll be a second vehicle, so about 5-6k per year mileage. Needs to be big enough to carry 2 adults and 2 kids, plus camping equipment and 4 bicycles (I've got a towbar mounted rack). Speed not important really (got a motorbike for that) but needs to have enough oomph for overtaking tourists on the backroads.
They seem like a good idea - the pick-up bed would be good for sticking bikes, stuff for the tip, garden stuff etc in, but they really practical?
I have an old Pajero. It's a noisy lumbering lump but it's solidly built and hauls my family and caravan around admirably.
My BiL recently acquired an L200 Barbarian to avoid corp car tax which I have to confess caught my eye. He showed me around and I have to say that I'm not that impressed with it.
Sure, the crewcab layout's good and the pickup bed is real cool especially with the top on and by the looks of the ground clearance on it, it'd pretty much go anywhere with a decent set of tyres on it.
However, I felt the body was very flimsy in comparison to my Pajero, (I never thought I'd say this but...), the plastics are cheap and not finished well and I just didn't feel comfortable in it at all. It felt more like sitting on it than in it.
Really put me off to be honest and it's a shame as I rather like the look of them.
My BiL recently acquired an L200 Barbarian to avoid corp car tax which I have to confess caught my eye. He showed me around and I have to say that I'm not that impressed with it.
Sure, the crewcab layout's good and the pickup bed is real cool especially with the top on and by the looks of the ground clearance on it, it'd pretty much go anywhere with a decent set of tyres on it.
However, I felt the body was very flimsy in comparison to my Pajero, (I never thought I'd say this but...), the plastics are cheap and not finished well and I just didn't feel comfortable in it at all. It felt more like sitting on it than in it.
Really put me off to be honest and it's a shame as I rather like the look of them.
In August i was contemplating a "posh" pickup of the same ilk as what you have described, having lots of stuff to shift and some pretty big jobs on the house to do.
First of all i would suggest you go and drive one. The only ones i thought was anything approaching what can be described as civilised or really car like are the current new shape L200 or the Current shape Navara, But both would never be described as anything like as refined as a car or 4x4.
The old shape L200 is VERY agricultural to drive and not very nice inside, although well spec'd, its not very comfortable especially in the back.
My neighbor is a service manager at a Nissan main dealer and he spoke very poorly of the new shape Navara when i mention in passing to him that i was contemplating one. He told me that they have no end of expensive things that go wrong and that i should steer well clear. The Navara specific forums seem to back this up about both the D40 and the older D22.
Since i looked i know that there has been a new Ford Ranger come out as i drive past a ford garage everyday, looks alright but i comment on that one any further.
I just ended up getting a trailer as the compromise was too great for me and i didn't the space often enough to justify living with a pick up.
First of all i would suggest you go and drive one. The only ones i thought was anything approaching what can be described as civilised or really car like are the current new shape L200 or the Current shape Navara, But both would never be described as anything like as refined as a car or 4x4.
The old shape L200 is VERY agricultural to drive and not very nice inside, although well spec'd, its not very comfortable especially in the back.
My neighbor is a service manager at a Nissan main dealer and he spoke very poorly of the new shape Navara when i mention in passing to him that i was contemplating one. He told me that they have no end of expensive things that go wrong and that i should steer well clear. The Navara specific forums seem to back this up about both the D40 and the older D22.
Since i looked i know that there has been a new Ford Ranger come out as i drive past a ford garage everyday, looks alright but i comment on that one any further.
I just ended up getting a trailer as the compromise was too great for me and i didn't the space often enough to justify living with a pick up.
Owned an x plate L200 for eight years, currently own an 07 L200 animal since 09.
Both excellent at what they do (carrying weight and towing) but not really a car.
The only issue is they are very long, and don't fit in a standard space. Newer one is 175bhp version, drives and overtakes well, even for an auto.
Mine is our every day vehicle, ultra reliable and around 30mpg if driven reasonably carefully
When I first got into them about 11 years ago, being a commercial they where difficult to insure for private use, but not now. Some road tolls charge it as a commercial (seven bridge) some don't (Dartford crossing)
John
John
Both excellent at what they do (carrying weight and towing) but not really a car.
The only issue is they are very long, and don't fit in a standard space. Newer one is 175bhp version, drives and overtakes well, even for an auto.
Mine is our every day vehicle, ultra reliable and around 30mpg if driven reasonably carefully
When I first got into them about 11 years ago, being a commercial they where difficult to insure for private use, but not now. Some road tolls charge it as a commercial (seven bridge) some don't (Dartford crossing)
John
John
So Navarras definitely need an engine-number check before purchase then!
Doesn't sound that good, but the write up of the "fix" doesn't sound too horrendous. I have been, however, a victim of the Haynes manual in the past, and know that what appears to be the simplest process can suddenly end up being somewhat more challenging.
Doesn't sound that good, but the write up of the "fix" doesn't sound too horrendous. I have been, however, a victim of the Haynes manual in the past, and know that what appears to be the simplest process can suddenly end up being somewhat more challenging.
boyse7en said:
My car is gradually getting nearer replacement, so I'm looking around for ideas before I have to do it in a hurry.
I was initially looking at getting an estate car, but I've seen a few 'domestic' pick-ups for sale in my price range, and I'm wondering whether anyone has had one and can tell me the drawbacks.
Looking at things like the Navarra, or Ford Ranger, with a crew cab.
It'll be a second vehicle, so about 5-6k per year mileage. Needs to be big enough to carry 2 adults and 2 kids, plus camping equipment and 4 bicycles (I've got a towbar mounted rack). Speed not important really (got a motorbike for that) but needs to have enough oomph for overtaking tourists on the backroads.
They seem like a good idea - the pick-up bed would be good for sticking bikes, stuff for the tip, garden stuff etc in, but they really practical?
I like them. But they are a 4x4, so if you don't want a 4x4 with all the things a 4x4 brings, then don't consider them.I was initially looking at getting an estate car, but I've seen a few 'domestic' pick-ups for sale in my price range, and I'm wondering whether anyone has had one and can tell me the drawbacks.
Looking at things like the Navarra, or Ford Ranger, with a crew cab.
It'll be a second vehicle, so about 5-6k per year mileage. Needs to be big enough to carry 2 adults and 2 kids, plus camping equipment and 4 bicycles (I've got a towbar mounted rack). Speed not important really (got a motorbike for that) but needs to have enough oomph for overtaking tourists on the backroads.
They seem like a good idea - the pick-up bed would be good for sticking bikes, stuff for the tip, garden stuff etc in, but they really practical?
Not sure on your budget, but a Land Rover or Jeep is a likely more sound purchase and arguably better residuals (not all of the Jeeps).
If you want a proper 4x4 for some serious off road duties then many of these trucks lack true off road ability.
Yank pickups are better in everyway and may be in budget too.
Overall - yes, but depends what you want, why and for how much.
big_boz said:
In August i was contemplating a "posh" pickup of the same ilk as what you have described, having lots of stuff to shift and some pretty big jobs on the house to do.
First of all i would suggest you go and drive one. The only ones i thought was anything approaching what can be described as civilised or really car like are the current new shape L200 or the Current shape Navara, But both would never be described as anything like as refined as a car or 4x4.
Curious but why would anyone think a truck would be car like? Or taking it a step further why would you want a 4x4 truck to be car like? First of all i would suggest you go and drive one. The only ones i thought was anything approaching what can be described as civilised or really car like are the current new shape L200 or the Current shape Navara, But both would never be described as anything like as refined as a car or 4x4.
For me the appeal of such a vehicle is the entire fact that it's "a 4x4". I want it to look, feel and drive like one. If I wanted it to drive like a car, I'd buy a car.
GreatGranny said:
If you're a workman and want space buy a van.
If you want the space for family and kids buy an estate or MPV.
Both will be better in most situations than a pick up.
And yes I have driven a few.
This is pretty much spot on, I used to have a '98 Hilux crew cab, it was as utilitarian as they come but pretty dreadful on the road, off road it was great fun. I honestly couldn't imagine using one as a proper daily though. If you want the space for family and kids buy an estate or MPV.
Both will be better in most situations than a pick up.
And yes I have driven a few.
GreatGranny said:
Can't see the fascination in these myself.
If you're a workman and want space buy a van.
If you want the space for family and kids buy an estate or MPV.
Both will be better in most situations than a pick up.
And yes I have driven a few.
No brainer for me, bed cover means stinky dog smell doesn'tIf you're a workman and want space buy a van.
If you want the space for family and kids buy an estate or MPV.
Both will be better in most situations than a pick up.
And yes I have driven a few.
get into cab, and neither does horse stink, 4x4 means not ever getting horse trailer stuck, perfect fit for me
John
We've got a '06 ranger crew cab at work. It's comfy enough inside, but very cheap and utilitarian. It'll sit at 85 indicated happily (80 on the GPS), however that is over 3500rpm so it's noisy as hell. I think the newer ones have different ratios, and maybe a 6th gear.
Overtaking wise, I've never had an issue but is does require much more space to do it safely than in your typical car. If you are used to driving things with a <10 second 0-60 time you will likely find it a bit glacial, but if you are use to driving less well endowed vehicles such as your typical van you'll be fine. Off road it is fine and doesn't feel much less capable than a landrover 90, however the extra length can be a problem is some situations. If you are finding the limitations of one of these off road you are going to be straying away from family car territory into dedicated off roader land anyway.
There is plenty of space in the back of them but you'll find yourself having to clamber in get stuff uness you have stretch armstrong arms. If you put bikes in the back you'll probally find you don't have much room for anything else, and the bikes may have to go on a roof rack or hitch mount.
As somebody stated before they are RWD 95% of the time. Using 4x4 on tarmac will tear the diffs up. So in terms of safety (and bearing in mind they may not to have all the fancy safety features and crumple zones of your average car) they aren't great. However the handling is pretty neutral and a certainly not a handfull providing you can cope with the back end getting sprightly if you aren't careful on wet roundabouts.
They are good for what they are, if you need the family utility space plus off road ability then they aren't a bad choice. If you don't need the off road ability I'd be looking at a large estate/MPV/Crew cab LWB van. Better yet a 4x4 sprinter
Overtaking wise, I've never had an issue but is does require much more space to do it safely than in your typical car. If you are used to driving things with a <10 second 0-60 time you will likely find it a bit glacial, but if you are use to driving less well endowed vehicles such as your typical van you'll be fine. Off road it is fine and doesn't feel much less capable than a landrover 90, however the extra length can be a problem is some situations. If you are finding the limitations of one of these off road you are going to be straying away from family car territory into dedicated off roader land anyway.
There is plenty of space in the back of them but you'll find yourself having to clamber in get stuff uness you have stretch armstrong arms. If you put bikes in the back you'll probally find you don't have much room for anything else, and the bikes may have to go on a roof rack or hitch mount.
As somebody stated before they are RWD 95% of the time. Using 4x4 on tarmac will tear the diffs up. So in terms of safety (and bearing in mind they may not to have all the fancy safety features and crumple zones of your average car) they aren't great. However the handling is pretty neutral and a certainly not a handfull providing you can cope with the back end getting sprightly if you aren't careful on wet roundabouts.
They are good for what they are, if you need the family utility space plus off road ability then they aren't a bad choice. If you don't need the off road ability I'd be looking at a large estate/MPV/Crew cab LWB van. Better yet a 4x4 sprinter
Not after a 'proper' 4x4. Don't really need the four-wheel drive bit, although we did get snowed in for a week a couple of years ago, so it might be useful then. Occasionally we venture onto the moors, but I've always found I can get the car up most stuff that I need to providing I don't get fussy about the rocks banging off the underside or the front or rear grounding out when going through rivers.
TBH if there was a 2WD version, I'd look at them, but as far as i can see they are all 4x4
An estate is my default choice for replacement, but you can't stick a couple of bikes in the back of an estate, nor can you put 1/2 tonne of logs in without it making the car smell (believe me, I've tried). Same goes for a Landie or similar.
The size is a bit of a concern, as we have got a narrow lane to access the house, with a couple of 1 in 3 hairpin bends to negotiate. A test drive should see whether that works out or not.
It would be used once a week to take the kids to school and drive to work (30 mile round trip), plus weekend work (garden centre, tip, outings, cycle trips etc) and lugging all the camping gear for a few camping holidays in Cornwall.
TBH if there was a 2WD version, I'd look at them, but as far as i can see they are all 4x4
An estate is my default choice for replacement, but you can't stick a couple of bikes in the back of an estate, nor can you put 1/2 tonne of logs in without it making the car smell (believe me, I've tried). Same goes for a Landie or similar.
The size is a bit of a concern, as we have got a narrow lane to access the house, with a couple of 1 in 3 hairpin bends to negotiate. A test drive should see whether that works out or not.
It would be used once a week to take the kids to school and drive to work (30 mile round trip), plus weekend work (garden centre, tip, outings, cycle trips etc) and lugging all the camping gear for a few camping holidays in Cornwall.
I wonder if this would suit your needs:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Transporter-K...
In terms of space it may be better, and the 4x4 system would be more suited to your needs. Cost may be too much?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Transporter-K...
In terms of space it may be better, and the 4x4 system would be more suited to your needs. Cost may be too much?
vit4 said:
boyse7en said:
TBH if there was a 2WD version, I'd look at them, but as far as i can see they are all 4x4
They do a 4x2 Ford Ranger.OP - with the 4wd most of the picks don't have a centre diff. This means they are RWD and when you engage 4wd it locks the front and rear props together, so the front and rear wheels spin at the same speed. This is no good on grippy surfaces because when you turn the front and rear wheels need to spin at different speeds, thus only allowing you to use 4wd on loose or slippery surfaces.
Land Rover's have historically (since the RR and 90) had a centre diff, this means you can leave them in 4wd all the time and the front and rear wheels can spin at different speeds. If you need to you can lock this centre diff and it'll act the same as any other 4wd system. Some later and newer pickups use similar setups to Land Rover's, but most don't.
boyse7en said:
...
An estate is my default choice for replacement, but you can't stick a couple of bikes in the back of an estate, nor can you put 1/2 tonne of logs in without it making the car smell (believe me, I've tried). Same goes for a Landie or similar.
The size is a bit of a concern, as we have got a narrow lane to access the house, with a couple of 1 in 3 hairpin bends to negotiate. A test drive should see whether that works out or not.
It would be used once a week to take the kids to school and drive to work (30 mile round trip), plus weekend work (garden centre, tip, outings, cycle trips etc) and lugging all the camping gear for a few camping holidays in Cornwall.
You won't get 2 full sized bikes in the back of a standard L200 without taking the front wheels off. Even then, it's a squeeze (asuming you have a hard top on it), and you won't get anything else in.An estate is my default choice for replacement, but you can't stick a couple of bikes in the back of an estate, nor can you put 1/2 tonne of logs in without it making the car smell (believe me, I've tried). Same goes for a Landie or similar.
The size is a bit of a concern, as we have got a narrow lane to access the house, with a couple of 1 in 3 hairpin bends to negotiate. A test drive should see whether that works out or not.
It would be used once a week to take the kids to school and drive to work (30 mile round trip), plus weekend work (garden centre, tip, outings, cycle trips etc) and lugging all the camping gear for a few camping holidays in Cornwall.
Never had any issues with tight and steep Welsh or Shropshire bends, good ground clearance helps.
John
I was always quite derisory towards pick-ups until my uncle started to buy them and bring them camping with us. I now think the Americans know something we are reluctant to admit. They are absolutely the most useful "do anything" car I can imagine. Everything you have said you want to do can be done with a pick-up. And some of them are half decent too. The Navarra (which my uncle has) is one of the nicer ones and I think the newer ones come with a fairly beefy engine too.
My Mom's next door has a 4-cab Hilux too (after his original and beautifully restored "Top Gear" version was stolen off his drive) which proved exceptionally capable on AT tyres in the snow 2 years ago.
I not 100% sure but I think I'd rather have one of those than a Landy pick-up. I fear Land Rover reliability but as with all things, they are all as good as the time, patience and servicing you put into them (I've had a TVR so I know about this sort of thing).
My Mom's next door has a 4-cab Hilux too (after his original and beautifully restored "Top Gear" version was stolen off his drive) which proved exceptionally capable on AT tyres in the snow 2 years ago.
I not 100% sure but I think I'd rather have one of those than a Landy pick-up. I fear Land Rover reliability but as with all things, they are all as good as the time, patience and servicing you put into them (I've had a TVR so I know about this sort of thing).
I have a 2010 navara that I have covered 30000 miles in and love it. It's not the height of luxury but has leather, heated seats, ipod dock etc so not exactly a bad place to be. Use it daily and drove 1800 miles through France without any issues. Doesn't drive like car......because it's a truck.
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