£7.5k Which Pickup?

[KTMsm]

I occasionally need 4WD to get around a few fields and move fence posts, barbed wire, bits of trees etc

I could do this with my current Jeep and a trailer but it's not ideal so I'm thinking about a pickup - also needs to do the school run and occasionally tow 3T

The choices seem to be a Ranger, Navara, HiLux or possibly Amarok

Ranger and Navara seem to have engine and chassis issues

Amarok I presume suffers with occasional but expensive VW issues

HiLux 3.0 seems the best option

Or I could do back to an F150 / Ram - but the 4WD are rare, LPG is getting harder to find and LHD isn't ideal

I don't do many miles, I generally run older vehicles and fix them myself

So HiLux 3.0 Auto ?

[ZiggyNiva]

Dmax would be my choice.

[Mammasaid]

Mitsubishi L200, you'll get a newer vehicle than a Hilux, and they're more reliable than the Rangers and Navaras.

And it'll have Super Select 4WD which lets you run in 4wd on tarmac,

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202411106...

[macron]

There will be about 3 Amaroks nationwide at that price, all will be Miley and well used. F that

The answer is probably the least rusty and knackered one you can find at that price. That won't be a Ranger. I wouldn't go Nissan, snappy snaps.

It's Mitsi or Isuzu, but the least rusty, probably with turbos done by now too, and ideally with some sort of evidence the oil has been changed at least on occasion.

[KTMsm]

Why a D-Max ?

Not keen on the L200s partly for how they look, partly because they're lower powered and because their beds are so shallow you can't get much in

The main plus for the amarok is that most people have just used them as a car

I know enough not to buy an ex-farm truck

[RazerSauber]

Another vote for the DMax. Really good off road and the most utilitarian.

[Lefty]

No love for the Hilux?

My son is looking at the moment and in the same kind of price range. Seems the 3.0 Hilux only has an LSD while the 2.5’s have a manual rear locker if that matters to you. The 3.0 seems to have more reports of injector or fuel pump problems.

All rust. All of them. Always. Also, some hiluxes have a surprisingly low tow rating.

I’ve had a few L200’s, always newer ones and never had any problem but I do believe as they get older there are issues. Snapping cranks.

I don’t know much about the Isuzu’s, think they’re twin turbo which might mean more expense / failure points. I do see a lot of them around in proper rural use though. More of them than Navaras or Amaroks certainly.


EDIT
L200 longbed has 180hp, a deeper bed and FT 4x4 (AWD actually) which is good for towing. I like them (had 3) but the looks are challenging at best.

Edited by Lefty on Wednesday 20th November 12:03