OV9

NZ is crawling with utes. Ranger is the preferred option over a Hilux if you're going through them reasonably quickly (lease, silly mileage in three years etc.) If you're wanting to buy something and run it long term, people still buy Hilux because of their better reliability, and here at least, really quite cheap parts and servicing.

The Isuzu is apparently the best actual ute (in terms of its actual ability off road against practicality) but as has been noted, the parts for them are silly money. Some farmers still buy them anyway as they can get into areas of their farms the others struggle with but beyond that, no one sensible buys them.

Ex's family bought the Amarok's for their drain laying business - they were always breaking down.

KiwiDave wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 5:21 am NZ is crawling with utes. Ranger is the preferred option over a Hilux if you're going through them reasonably quickly (lease, silly mileage in three years etc.) If you're wanting to buy something and run it long term, people still buy Hilux because of their better reliability, and here at least, really quite cheap parts and servicing.

The Isuzu is apparently the best actual ute (in terms of its actual ability off road against practicality) but as has been noted, the parts for them are silly money. Some farmers still buy them anyway as they can get into areas of their farms the others struggle with but beyond that, no one sensible buys them.

Ex's family bought the Amarok's for their drain laying business - they were always breaking down.

Thanks for that Dave. The car will be here for a long time, so it sounds like we should consider the Hilux too. Will see if I can find some locally to have a poke around and kick the tyres on this weekend.

Someone round here has an Izuzu with arctic truck upgrades. It looks cool but I don’t really think people need it here.

An Arctic Truck converted D-Max or Hilux is entirely justifiable and usable compared to a pimped Unimog. That one looks lovely; I bet the price rises a lot. Almost tempted to bid.

Looks nice, but a load more weight and knobbly tyres aren't going to help the weedy 147bhp engine to move it. 0-60 time in the teens just isn't good enough for a 2016 truck...

Yeah that basically. All your doing is making the truck less suited to driving here for the sake of looking cool.

I have no need for any truck. Looking cool is sufficient.

That is very cool and 29K, that doesn't sound too stupid?

We're picking up a 2021 Hilux Invincible with the 2.8 diesel engine later today. We had to get a rear canopy added for the dogs, but it can tow 3 tonnes, has a towbar fitted and also has all the little comforts/gadgets that her old one didn't - reversing camera; heated seats; CarPlay built-in etc.

Of course with the house planning this could have come at a better time, but the old Navara has done 10 years and 100,000 miles so we can't really complain.

Went over to the farmer for a hay run and his Ranger Raptor V6 had arrived so had a brief chat about. The interior is nice, or should I say was nice. It’s half alcantara but being used for farm work it was caked in mud and I don’t think you can hose or wipe down alcantara very easily. Surprised there’s no full leather option.
It’s averaging 15 mpg in the countryside, which is also the same as the F150 but that is putting out twice the power. Apparently when coasting it shows 39 mpg unlike other cars which show 99mpg. He complains about mpg with every car he’s had so I have no idea why he didn’t buy the diesel version. Weirdly it also weighs more than the F150 despite being quite a bit smaller in every dimension. How the feck.
In Baja mode it sounds like it has a straight through exhaust - do commercial vehicles have different noise limits because it’s far louder than any performance car I’ve heard recently?

Overall I like it because it’s so stupid. Who knew you could buy such an inefficient and loud car in 2024? Has that special feeling because of it.