Best 2008 Pickup: Sportero vs Ranger vs Hilux

[Team Loco]

Very true stauss, very very true. My old model lux holds the road, can't even get it to fishtail unless I over gravel.

[Dave]

VII yuh doh hadda prove anything to some ppl here, most of them driving 1 car and have a loan on it so to them that brand is the best.

this mans intelligence does surprise me esp. when it doesn't contain the line
Haul yuh mudder

[Rory Phoulorie]

As we on the topic of Handling.

Ever notice how the Frontiers could never take a friggin corner without the back sliding out or fishtailing on smooth roads? And that's in 4wd!

Our Mazda and Toyota could friggin drift around corners and straighten itself back up with ease. And that's in rear-wheel drive alone.

What speeds are you talking about here?

The 4WD systems on these vehicles are designed only to be used up to a certain speed on smooth roads (remember how a 4WD system and an AWD system operates are somewhat different). Anything above those speeds would result in handling and drive train wear problems.

From my experience with overseeing a fleet comprising commercial grade 4x4 Nissans, Mazdas, Toyotas and Mitsubishis, the Nissan and Mazda give the best on-road ride, followed by the Mitsubishi and then the Toyota. For off-road work (in locations where probably 90% of you all would never take your 4x4), the Toyota performs the best. Overall durability (based on initial capital cost, maintenance expenses and down-time) goes to the Toyota.

[Strauss]

As we on the topic of Handling.

Ever notice how the Frontiers could never take a friggin corner without the back sliding out or fishtailing on smooth roads? And that's in 4wd!

Our Mazda and Toyota could friggin drift around corners and straighten itself back up with ease. And that's in rear-wheel drive alone.

What speeds are you talking about here?

The 4WD systems on these vehicles are designed only to be used up to a certain speed on smooth roads (remember how a 4WD system and an AWD system operates are somewhat different). Anything above those speeds would result in handling and drive train wear problems.

From my experience with overseeing a fleet comprising commercial grade 4x4 Nissans, Mazdas, Toyotas and Mitsubishis, the Nissan and Mazda give the best on-road ride, followed by the Mitsubishi and then the Toyota. For off-road work (in locations where probably 90% of you all would never take your 4x4), the Toyota performs the best. Overall durability (based on initial capital cost, maintenance expenses and down-time) goes to the Toyota.

I talking about
* Hauling weight and taking a corner.
* Making the Las Cuevas run through Arima
* Flood and mud in heavy rain.

etc.

I look for any opportunity to put it in high 4
I only use low 4 to cross drains.

[Team Loco]

Believe me, rory know what he talking bout. I have seen some of his vehicles. If is anyone to put a 4x4 to a test, its his workers.

I am now doing 154000kms on my hilux. Went to the diesel boys run the other day. We went through rally roller coaster rally stages in longdenville. We ran all 4x4s at top speed, no compromise. We had a brand new bt50, ranger and four luxes including a new model. Sorry, no navaras. It was like a top gear torture test. The mazda and the ranger were way ahead. Hiluxes lagged behind cause of lack of speed. I did several jumps etc. Went to mileage mack yesterday to check alignment. Not only was I in the tolerence zone, I was dead on, needed no alignment whatsoever. I have never changed a single suspension part and apparantly never will, since everything was in tact. Even my brake lining is halfway done, and that has never been changed.

So we need to get a navara on that course.

[acesinghit]

the best commercial use hard core mud/brick/cement/construction/plant/govt approved pickup on the market is the mazda bt-50 thats why its a best seller. if yuh want fake leather seats, fake wood trim, automatic tranny and accustomed to a corolla or any other toyota product your natural choice should be a hilux. they're perfect for pricesmart, movietowne, liming on the avenue and heading to the airport to pickup yuh in-laws suitcases.....oh if yuh into more lights than a boeing 777 aircraft then the hilux is a go go cause them bling bling models with more crome than a steel pan coupled with them added on accessories makes more noise than farmer brown's datsun 120y in carlsen field.

the l200 jus ugly.......it funny like learie joseph and get its looks from beaula (sry 4 spelling), the curved tray and upside down grille doh cut it for me and the interior is small like a D22 Frontier.

wrt power.......the navarra is the most powerful then the ranger/bt-50. least powerful is the l200 2.5 and even if yuh bring the 3.2 it still cyar touch the 3.0 DOHC 16V Duratorq TDCi monster in the ranger/bt-50 worse yet the new 2.5 in the navara uses CRDi and a VGT.

now in terms of interior the top 2 is the hilux and l200. hilux will take the win then the navara in 3rd. the ranger/bt-50 is last and the isuzu d-max/chevy colorado jus too shitty to be included in anything here.

now speaking of shitty, the shitty thing about this whole situation is that i drove a 2.7 vvt-i fully loaded hilux and i say damn boy it felt just like the fortuner...the thing doh feel like a body on frame vehicle at all, heck a new SGV cyar even come close. im sold.

[Mr. Go Slow]

Believe me, rory know what he talking bout. I have seen some of his vehicles. If is anyone to put a 4x4 to a test, its his workers.

I am now doing 154000kms on my hilux. Went to the diesel boys run the other day. We went through rally roller coaster rally stages in longdenville. We ran all 4x4s at top speed, no compromise. We had a brand new bt50, ranger and four luxes including a new model. Sorry, no navaras. It was like a top gear torture test. The mazda and the ranger were way ahead. Hiluxes lagged behind cause of lack of speed. I did several jumps etc. Went to mileage mack yesterday to check alignment. Not only was I in the tolerence zone, I was dead on, needed no alignment whatsoever. I have never changed a single suspension part and apparantly never will, since everything was in tact. Even my brake lining is halfway done, and that has never been changed.

So we need to get a navara on that course.

Very interesting, but doesn't the BT-50 only come with the 12v non common rail diesel 2.5l turbo? What's the hp rating on that engine?

Anyone?

[acesinghit]

^^^ view this post:

http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/vie ... highlight=

i would hate to think its that engine we getting and not the others available for it cause ASAIK that is for third world markets only.

[equipped2ripp]

the best commercial use hard core mud/brick/cement/construction/plant/govt approved pickup on the market is the mazda bt-50 thats why its a best seller. if yuh want fake leather seats, fake wood trim, automatic tranny and accustomed to a corolla or any other toyota product your natural choice should be a hilux. they're perfect for pricesmart, movietowne, liming on the avenue and heading to the airport to pickup yuh in-laws suitcases.....oh if yuh into more lights than a boeing 777 aircraft then the hilux is a go go cause them bling bling models with more crome than a steel pan coupled with them added on accessories makes more noise than farmer brown's datsun 120y in carlsen field.

the l200 jus ugly.......it funny like learie joseph and get its looks from beaula (sry 4 spelling), the curved tray and upside down grille doh cut it for me and the interior is small like a D22 Frontier which is even past mess.

wrt power.......the navarra is the most powerful then the ranger/bt-50. least powerful is the l200 2.5 and even if yuh bring the 3.2 it still cyar touch the 3.0 DOHC 16V Duratorq TDCi monster in the ranger/bt-50 worse yet the new 2.5 in the navara uses CRDi and a VGT.

now in terms of interior the top 2 is the hilux and l200. hilux will take the win then the navara in 3rd. the ranger/bt-50 is last and the isuzu d-max/chevy colorado jus too shitty to be included in anything here.

now speaking of shitty, the shitty thing about this whole situation is that i drove a 2.7 vvt-i fully loaded hilux and i say damn boy it felt just like the fortuner...the thing doh feel like a body on frame vehicle at all, heck a new SGV cyar even come close. im sold.

nope...

[acesinghit]

"which is even past mess" should not be there and I apologise. My original post has been edited.

[Team Loco]

Yup, it is

[honda hoe]

Haha, navara? Just look at resale value of luxes. U can't even get a second hand sr5 to buy. If u do, its over $100000 for a four year old hilux. You could buy a frontier in a roti shop

cheap ting no good

[Mr. Go Slow]

Found this today, BT-50 vs L200: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/11/1 ... -test.html

Machinery
You are in: Home > Machinery
The Mitsubishi L200 and Mazda BT50 test
19/11/2007 00:00:00
FWi

Mitsubishi L200

Let's be honest, Mitsubishi's L200 is strikingly unattractive. But like so many ugly people, it's once you dig under the skin that it begins to grow on you.

Curvy body panels are presumably supposed to have the same effect as the lumps and bumps of a page three lovely, but in
BREAKAGES

* Over-zealous off-roading with the L200 saw us lose a tail-light and a wide-boy white-van-man took a dislike to the driver's wing-mirror.
* Replacement parts cost £82 and £140.
* We have managed to keep the Mazda fairly damage free so far, but for comparisons' sake a new mirror will set you back £75. And a tail-lamp, £55.

reality they don't add anything in the looks department.

The back of the cab is spoiled because the bubble-car lines diagonally dissect the rear window, making visibility so poor that right turns at junctions are a bit like playing Russian roulette. They also chop off the bottom corner leaving no room for decent under-seat stowage.

But enough of the whingeing since the day it was delivered our "4Life Crew cab" has impressed the FW team in almost all areas, particularly when it comes down to power.

Those lovely people at the Mitsubishi press office trusted us enough to offer a power upgrade, taking the 2.5-litre motor to a rip-snorting 165bhp rather than its standard 134bhp.

That is a bit like feeding a cocktail of Lucozade, espresso coffee and high grade amphetamines to a sex-starved Limousin bull that has been locked up in its pen for the past three years.

It pulls and pulls and pulls But where it struggles is getting all that power to the ground, particularly with skinny 16in wheels.
LIKES AND GRIPES
Likes

* Gutsy engine
* Off-road handling
* Locking rear diff

Gripes

* Lousy visibility
* Wallowy road-holding
* Ugly-girl-in-the-corner looks

Putting pedal to the metal results in a high-pitched squeal, smoke and the truck ending up 90° to the desired direction of travel.

So far we have given both trucks a pretty good mix of driving - plenty of high-speed motorway work combined with some seriously heavy towing tasks and tricky off-road action.

On-road handling is not the L200's forte and it still suffers from textbook 4x4 body-roll. But that weakness on tarmac becomes a strength off-road softish springing makes for comfortable travel over bumpy farm tracks and plenty of grip when required. A "true" locking rear diff helps in that department, too.

The load bay is no black hole, but will comfortably swallow up a couple of dozen bags of feed and our test truck was fitted with an Armadillo roller-shutter lid. It's a great concept with one fundamental flaw - it locks, but the only means of keeping the tailgate shut are two unconvincing tie-down straps. If you want proper security, then you have to pay your local dealer £125 for a lock.

FW Verdict

Inside the Mitsubishi L200Do we like it? Rip the body shell off and it's an awesome tool, but those ugly lines really do spoil its appeal.

Would we go for the Crew Cab? No is the simple answer. It's too much of a compromise, especially as there is no suicide-door on offer.

The BT-50's cabin has been really well thought out. There are no fewer than five cup-holders and even a slide-out coffee tray. In the back there is plenty of space - two 20-stone builders had no complaints when we took a trip to Bristol.

Mitsubishi L200 4life club cab pick up

Mazda's soft springing makes the L200 a capable off-roader, but hit the tarmac and it wallows like a hippo in a mud-hole.

Mazda BT-50

Mazda BT-50 TS2 cab shotMazda's BT-50 has to be one of the best pick-ups we've tested. But that's not to say it's startlingly brilliant - it just gets on with the job.

The BT-50 is the John Major of the 4x4 world bland and dull to look at, but underneath that grey skin there is an incredibly effective machine working away.

It is a steady, dependable performer, remaining unfazed and stable when facing some of the worst roads this country has to offer.

Take a trip to Surrey and it won't be long before you find more potholes than downtown Delhi. Add to that an impressive number of adverse-cambers and you have the ultimate test track for a 4x4's on-road abilities.

Most pick-ups deal with the potholes pretty well thanks to squidgy suspension designed for rough off-road romping. But this is where they let themselves down on the tarmac. Hit a wide-sweeping right-hander at anything more than hedgehog pace and you will know how those fishermen feel when the swell gets up 15 miles off the coast of Scarborough.

Not so the BT-50. It corners like a McLaren F1.

Perhaps that's pushing it a little, but it really does handle like a road-going runabout. Body-roll is barely perceptible and, thanks to a limited slip-diff in the back axle, when you squeeze the throttle on the way out of the bend there is no squeeling of rubber.

That is partly down to the way its 2.5-litre engine delivers its 143hp. It's pretty uninspiring in this department.

It's all there when you are cruising on the motorway and you want that little bit of extra grunt to get past that annoying Nissan Micra.

But that is not where a farm truck needs to perform. The low end of the rev range lacks torque and that is a big no-no for towing.

This is compounded by the fact that first gear is too high. Pulling away with a heavily-laden trailer requires plenty of right foot and a feathering from the left - this has bad implications for clutch life.

But this could soon change. Its identical twin - the Ford Ranger - has just received a power upgrade in the form of a 3-litre lump. It promises more low-end grunt, but whether Mazda also brings it to the UK remains to be seen.

What it really needs is a six-speed box.

FW Verdict

The BT-50 really gives Nissan's Navara a run for its money at the top of the pick-up league.

With its car-like road handling and well-planned cabin, it's in the running for the best all-rounder if Mazda can get its act together to make it a decent towing tool.

[Strauss]

Sure the L200 looks ugly....

...If you are a boy-lover.

If, on the other hand, you are a man not stuck looking at Michael J Fox movies and war driving Hello Kitty BBS's with Culture Club, then the L200 is one bad ride.

[VII]

wtf you trying to mis quote me for. .u think I'm one of the just come arses ah wah. .bin there owned the best and still do!!!(not talking bout the Navara here!!)well how the f&#k to state it again?. .so in your little mind you're trying to say that I meant that the evo shitty too rite. .this place is gettin more and pathetic. . .

bwdmc u take bait and get all emo

yeh rite. . .'bait' how convenient. .watever boss. . .this place has become so fake its not funny. .

VII yuh doh hadda prove anything to some ppl here, most of them driving 1 car and have a loan on it so to them that brand is the best.

I ain mind yuh know,everyone havta creep b4 dey walk,buh doh be tryin to f$%k with my head jes so with dey lil cocky snatty nose naked bamsee backside. . .talkin bout car an van an ain own shitz. .

[RBphoto]

Reminds me I forgot to fill diesel this morning.

But people.. what about using a pickup for what it supposed to be used for? To me, all the new pickups are all about bling and lack it where it matters the most... off-road.

I guess if you want something to beat up (e.g. give security guards, WASA, Forestry etc to drive), then it's a Navara. If you want something with a little class and finesse, it's the Hilux or Sportero.

I am actually looking for none of the above. I not into bling/ Rice. i am not going to do much heavy work, but a pickup would come in handy as I already have a car and will sell the other when I get the pickup. I decided on a pickup for the following reasons:

1) Fuel cost of diesel
2) Maintainance cost of a pickup should be less than that of a car as it is a more rugged vehicle, and I will not be roughing it up that much
3) I looking for a fairly cheap vehicle, and I think that compared to a small sedan, a pickup is bettter value for money
4) With the way people driving on the road nowdays, I rather be in a tank with a good set of old iron bars protecting me and my family.
5) Should come out better in a head on collision with a passenger car.
6) I don't drive that fast anymore, so speed/ high speed handling is a non issue for me.
7) If you see my car you will understand that I don't need something refined.

Those are my priorities and what I want a pickup for. But again, anyone on the direct Turbo issue?

[Team Loco]

Nice read. Wish they had included the hilux in that

[Rory Phoulorie]

I decided on a pickup for the following reasons:

1) Fuel cost of diesel
2) Maintainance cost of a pickup should be less than that of a car as it is a more rugged vehicle, and I will not be roughing it up that much
3) I looking for a fairly cheap vehicle, and I think that compared to a small sedan, a pickup is bettter value for money
4) With the way people driving on the road nowdays, I rather be in a tank with a good set of old iron bars protecting me and my family.
5) Should come out better in a head on collision with a passenger car.
6) I don't drive that fast anymore, so speed/ high speed handling is a non issue for me.
7) If you see my car you will understand that I don't need something refined.

Those are my priorities and what I want a pickup for. But again, anyone on the direct Turbo issue?

But you can get a diesel powered B13, install a full roll cage, get Team Loco to fabricate some front and rear crash bars (Mad Max style), bomb spray the whole car flat black and you good to go (this was initially written as a joke, but the more I think about it, it isn't such a bad idea).

I am speaking from using these vehicles for commercial purposes, the only cheap thing about them is the fuel. You don't have to change spark plugs, but you have to regularly change fuel and air filters (which are more expensive than the filters for a normal car). The engine uses a greater volume of oil than what you are accustomed to with a normal car and, again, this must be changed regularly. The underbody needs regular greasing and it may be better that you invest in your own grease gun than get robbed at some of those places offering greasing services.

You really should investigate the maintenance expenses for this type of vehicle before making the investment. I am not in the office these days, but the last price that I can recall for a set of Terra Trac mud terrain tyres for our pickups was around $3000. If your fuel pump needs to be serviced and calibrated, then be prepared to shell out some money. Alot of the guys in the Trucks & Pickups forum should be able to give you ranges for their running costs if their vehicles are used for more personal use.

I read in the Trucks & Pickups forum about someone's relatively new 4x4 needing to have the fuel pump serviced and calibrated. So don't think because it's a new vehicle, you would not encounter problems. The quality of diesel fuel sold here is far from the best.

[acesinghit]

alluh gettin tie up or wha, imagine if Jeep made pickups, sheit they do its called Dodge and they're Tata...oops I mean tahtah. If Land Rover made a pickup truck noone will come close.

[VJTEK]

^^ Land Rover does make a pickup truck...it's the same shell as the Defenders but with a tray in the back...

[scotty_buttons]

It all comes down to what you gonna use the van for. and i don't think shottah_crew's dad or mom gonna be off-roading.

He might though..sigh..kids these days.

but IMO, go with the Hilux (just because it's a toyota) or the BT50 (poor resale value though).
If it wasn't for the poor safety ratings, the Navara would have been another good choice.

[scotty_buttons]

but IMO, go with the Hilux (just because it's a toyota) or the BT50 (poor resale value though).
If it wasn't for the poor safety ratings, the Navara would have been another good choice.

[scotty_buttons]

but IMO, go with the Hilux (just because it's a toyota) or the BT50 (poor resale value though).
If it wasn't for the poor safety ratings, the Navara would have been another good choice.

[scotty_buttons]

anyone has a price list of all the pickups in all trims (double cab alone). looking to get one ourselves. use for transport of light material. preferably the navara, hilux, bt-50 or ranger.

pops looking especially on tray size and right now, the hyundai mini truck have the longest tray and he leaning towards that

any ways to discourage him into getting it other than that it's a hyundai??

[Raziel]

FYI ..

Small Pickup Truck Crash Tests

Some results are dismal.

For the first time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has tested side-impact protection on small pickup trucks and the results are not favorable. The Toyota Tacoma was the only pickup to earn the highest rating of good in the side test for occupant protection. The Dodge Dakota, Mitsubishi Raider, Ford Ranger, Mazda B Series and Nissan Frontier all rated marginal; the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon rated poor in the side test, which simulates a side impact from an SUV or pickup.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/landingpagepickups.aspx?cp-documentid=585771&landing=pickups&icid=592>1=22013

[cinco]

you have to remember the IIHS tests the US version of these trucks which are nothing like the trini version. the tacoma even bigger than a hilux, they have a old arse b series/rangers from about 5 years ago

[acesinghit]

^^^^yes but unlike the mazda pickup here locally/ford ranger which is mazda designed and built the B-Series in north america is a ford design and built based on their ranger. that USDM pickup is rock solid, cheap, good warranty and reliable thats why it still sells even though its about a decade on the market.

[Mr. Go Slow]

Truck off!!

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MfYuL9_7Uy0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

[RBphoto]

Arright, this is why I should have test drove the truck I looking at before I mouth off here.

I see the Hilux i want to buy today

It looks like the lowest model there is.

When i was in the lot last time the man showing me the 4X4 model and telling me that the same engine as the 4X2, so I getting happy.

A few things people must tell you:
1) The bumper is not painted
2) Is the perforated 5 hole 14" steel rims you getting, not the nice 4X4 16" formed steel rims
3) The ride is MUCH lower than the 4X4=back breaking suspension (in my oppinion)
4) The side flares are optional.

Ah kinda lost the zest for the machine. Is like they show you a 12 speed and you end up looking at a tankobean stationary.....with optional tassels on the handlebar.

Is all i could afford, so let you guys know what I think when I test drive.