New ford ranger XLT

[GBC]

Speaking of bonnet deep - the ranger has the best wading depth on the market, has extended breathers (2 diffs, gears,transfer case), traction control, (XLT/XLS has a rear locker as well), so your lux is booked in for a fair bit of ARB loving to get near it off the showroom floor. Then there's the ability to fit 33's onto a standard lift, hill decent control (amazingly useful with a trailer on), trailer sway control etc etc.
A few members here had experiences with my last hilux which was lifted and locked and did some pretty extensive stuff (230 000 in 6 years). My Colorado also got treated pretty harshly and came back for more (company ute with 100% personal use clause). It had upgraded rear springs and that's it. Cape/Simpson name a place. We helped a hilux out of the Simmo with a busted front strut, and dragged a d40 part of the way too. 'Finding Time' was on that trip with us. 200 kms on that one in 5 years and the cadet has been given it to drive now for a few more. It broke down once due to a suction control valve failing ($200.00 bosch part).
All of these utes (dmax/Colorado/ford/mazda/hilux) are made from the same supplied parts in the same part of Thailand. If you think build quality varies that much, you are dreaming. I like hilux's, I had one of the last Japanese built ones. But they certainly aren't any better or worse than the rest when it comes to build quality, and they are definitely behind when it comes to the market as it stands at the moment.

[snapperbasher]

I agree that Toyota is behind in what they include as Standard options.....Mine didnt even come with a passenger side drink holder FFS.....it has the place for it but has a blanking panel in there!! go figure!

The Wading depth is just sales Jargon..... you are going to fit a snorkel if your'e doing anything serious anyways.....

The extended breathers are a must....not talking alot of money to fit them aftermarket though....

Not a fan of the traction control.... just more sensors and things to fail....same with Hill decent control and Trailer sway

Rear Locker is great as a standard....The SR5 has an LSD in the rear which is all you need if you fit front lockers...

How do all the extra electronics and sensors standup to water, dust and corrugations?

Im still not convinced the competition will stand up to the same punishment as the Hilux.....

Its very rarely the engine that lets you down....its the little things..... like you said a suction control valve fails.....if that's in the middle of the simmo that $200 part becomes a $10'000 part....

Value for money I accept the Hilux is probably at the bottom of the list but for bottom line reliability i'm not so sure?

[YOOT]

I tend to agree, seen a large number of Hiluxs used out west, bought in bulk and never seen a bitumen road and never washed, full of dust and run like new, never a problem. Then when a good deal rolled around to buy 40 Amaroks for 1/2 price (yep 2 for 1) then didn't get through the first day, several never made it to site with complete computer failure on delivery. Several had a habit of shattering the rear window on pot holes on site. And not one didn't have some form of electrical gremlin that fried the UHF regularly or the VMS.

They were all brand new off the boat. Not flood affected etc, they came via another mob who had a business deal fall through.

On the plus side they where quiet and didn't rattle but the finish of the interior plastics looked like the trims were removed from the mould with a blunt knife. And no rubbers along the top of the doors near the window etc made for a nasty look.

While the hero Ultimate model looks the goods, they are the same base as the trade pack and I doubt you'd get a trouble free run throughout the life of the car. But they are quiet and sip fuel, when the work!