Buying a truck when you don't need a truck?

[Algarve]

I'm considering this, but I've never owned a truck before. Stupid idea or not?

I live in Portugal and we've got some crazy car taxes here. I was considering buying a Cayenne but to get one on Portuguese plates I'd need to pay 90k euros for a 2015 4.2 diesel.

So I started looking at trucks as the tax on them isn't anywhere near as brutal. I could get something like this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201... and not really pay any more than the UK price.

Could you live with a truck when a cayenne type car would have a 100% price mark-up?

I've got a Partner van and the mrs has a new seat Arona so we wouldn't be stuck using the truck going somewhere it wouldn't fit.

Edited by Algarve on Wednesday 20th November 20:38

[ZX10R NIN]

Go for it they're pretty decent but personally I'd go for a crew cab transit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or a regular transit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[OMITN]

My sister is a London dwelling lawyer. She drives a Hilux.

Do it.

[V8RX7]

I would say that a crewcab pick up doesn't compare to a cayenne, but then I drove a diesel one and it was crap so actually they do !

Personally I'd look at the USA offerings if the Ram / F150 are too large there are plenty of smaller ones - V8 with lpg is the way to go IME

[irocfan]

V8RX7 said:

Personally I'd look at the USA offerings if the Ram / F150 are too large there are plenty of smaller ones - V8 with lpg is the way to go IME

this ^^^

[Jamescrs]

I recall my dad had a couple maybe 10 years ago now as they used to be very beneficial for company car tax rules, he had a Nissan Navara and later a Mitsubishi L200, both with crew cabs and specced up pretty high with leather, sat nav etc, never drove the L200 but I did drive the Navara and it was a really nice drive, clearly hugely practical but they are big things to manoeuvre in car parks etc.

They are probably not as good as a Cayenne to drive but that's the price you pay for the cost saving I guess?

[MYOB]

I have a ranger. Love it but it's very agricultural to drive. Still, it's smooth and comfortable and very big. Sometimes it's a hindrance to have the load bay separated from the main body.

[DaveH23]

Alot of folk I know drive pickups for no other reason than they want too. They range from office workers to people working off shore, neither of which rarely carry anything other than a single bag.

All of those that do need to move stuff around or carry large volumes of equipment/tools generally use vans.

[V8RX7]

DaveH23 said:

Alot of folk I know drive pickups for no other reason than they want too. They range from office workers to people working off shore, neither of which rarely carry anything other than a single bag.

All of those that do need to move stuff around or carry large volumes of equipment/tools generally use vans.

It depends if you need 4WD / ground clearance or not and can cope with the image of a "van driver"

I own a Vito V6 Traveliner Auto which is used both as a van and a car, it's invaluable and generally drives like a car unless you try to hustle down an B road.

I also own pick ups, handy for long or dirty loads the 2WD drive much better than the 4WD but none drive as well as the Vito IME.

[Don Roque]

The image of a van driver is infinitely better than that of those who drive these awful pickups. If it's not splattered with mud, full of a hay and in a field it's c h a v

[GeorgeR]

I have a Navara for carrying my hay, etc. The all round coil sprung suspension makes for a car like ride compared to other pickups, but it’s not a Porsche.

[Algarve]

Don Roque said:

The image of a van driver is infinitely better than that of those who drive these awful pickups. If it's not splattered with mud, full of a hay and in a field it's c h a v

Cars are ridiculously expensive here, trucks slightly less so. With a minimum wage of 600 euros, benefits even less, there is no chance of being associated with chavs because you're driving a truck

To give an idea how bad prices are, my girlfriend loaned out her 206 to someone who works for us earlier this year. they agreed to pay 100 euros a month, all they had to do was put fuel in it. It was returned 1 week ago, and already sold for 1000 euros. This was a 20 year old 206 that ran okay but was falling the pieces inside. She ended up getting 1k sale price and 800 in monthly rentals... you'd have been lucky to get £200 for it in England.

[Algarve]

I ended up going with a new Ford Ranger, a little more than I wanted to spend at 40k euros but budget creep usually gets me

Spec wise It compares to what £30k would get me in UK, so 35k euros. Less than 20% "Portugal tax" which I can swallow. I'd have preferred a Cayenne but this is the compromise

[Green1man]

What was your actual requirement? Load carrying? Four doors? High ground clearance? Etc etc.

I certainly wouldn’t be paying 90k for a 4 year old Cayenne. I don’t know the Ranger particularly but seems a much better buy than twice as much for an old Cayenne.

Edited by Green1man on Friday 22 November 11:51

[Algarve]

Green1man said:

What was your actual requirement? Load carrying? Four doors? High ground clearance? Etc etc.

I'm not really sure. I probably should have worked that out before buying

I work in a dog shelter and have a 4 month old Peogot Partner van for that. I've got a Gallardo for fun but its currently in UK. My girlfriend works with me at the shelter and drives a 5 month old Seat Arona.

I like the high up driving position that trucks/suv's have. I need 4 doors as we have a 9 year old kid. Load carrying the van we already have will pretty much cover us for. If we're running around the city her Arona works well.

Something for longer drives (we live 45mins apart) and just for me to use day to day when I don't want to use a filthy van

[livinginasia]

Personally I drive a 4 door Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildrak, I test drove the Mitsubishi but I found the Ranger far better. I love it, go for it. Great to be a redneck !