Dual Cab - Hilux or Triton or Navara?

[Fkahb]

Anyone got one? I am looking at an option to pick up a recent model dual cab 4x4, say 2000 - 2002 model. Not sure whether I sould go the Hilux, Mitsu Triton or Nissan Navara. Also if you have one and shuttle in it, how do you carry your bikes and how many? I've seen some that hang the front wheel and forks over the tailgate while the rest of the bike is in the ute. This seems to work well.
Any advice, pros, cons, 4x websites etc would really great.

[grovesy]

I've had a 2001 and 2002 Hilux dual cab and they're basic but tough.
My boss drives a 2003 Navara and it's prone to problems like chopping out steer tyres and poor build quality.
I currently own and drive an older 1995 Triton ute with 180,000 k's on the clock and it hasn't missed a beat.

[Jordy]

its really only outta the hilux and then navara i recon... tritons are no where near as good as those two utes well for in a 4wd situation... i suggest you go to the government auctions and try and pick one up... if your only gunna be using the try for shuttling i recon ya should get a small-mid size 4wd like a ford escape or something ? we were looking at hilux's and if your not gunna be using it for 4wd stuff then an escape will be alot more comfortable on the open road

[Commander Dilsnikk]

the car choice depends on your needs... my only comment would be that hiluxes are known as "gutluxes" for a reason... especially if they run on deisel...

get a singlecab and all of your shuttling worries will be solved because the bikes actually fit in the back...

but seriously

i can think of two options at the moment...
place a heavy blanket along the top of the tailgate and have the front wheels dangling over the back
or
get some sort of mounting system (hooks or something) to hold a wheel in place at the front of the tray (behind the cab) then place the bikes in (alternating front wheel, rear wheel first) and leave the tailgate open

note: for option two i'm assuming that the tailgate only opens 90 degrees and doesn't hang down the full 180 degrees

[Jordy]

4wd hilux's have alot of power coz there turbo diesel.... 2wd's are like 2.8 litre engines so dont expect much from them

[Commander Dilsnikk]

4wd hilux's have alot of power coz there turbo diesel.... 2wd's are like 2.8 litre engines so dont expect much from them

depends on the model age mate... not all of the 4x4 models were a turbo so watch out.

And "lots of power" does not neccessarily mean it will be great for what yu want it for... a 4x4 hilux will have a lot more low end torque than high end torque so whilst it might be able to tow a semi-trailer up a steep hill (exaggeration) it will probably have trouble sticking to 100kph up that same hill when not towing.
Beware of blanket statements like that 2_fast... power is a "nothing" word because it can mean so many different things in so many different situations :wink:

[Jordy]

we borrowed the turbo diesel hilux on a few weekends ago and were doin 140 with 3 people and the tray full of gear and it tows the horse float fine... i know what your saying .... some of my stuff isn't in the right terms

[sxereturn]

We own a ex-SES 1989 dual cab turbo diesel Hilux (bright orange too!). We bought it back in '94 I think. That thing has done that much work, has almost 400'000k's on the clock. Been to the cape 3 times, towed a caravan around Australia, been to Uluru and back, Sydney a dozen times, Fraser Island 4 times a year...

It get's serviced every 6 months. Never had anything major happen to the motor. Had one brake overhaul, and we dropped 5th in the gearbox. Hint - Never, ever tow anything in 5th gear! Other than that, it's a rocket ship.

[Bonnet]

i have two cars for carting around my bikes and gear. for the short trips around town, the urban assualts so to speak i use my 1977 MINI Clubman, with a bike rack with two bikes on it and the gear in te back seat. worksa a treat and is a quite a funny site. the other is a 3L diesel (not turbo, waste of time i reckon) Hilux, Dual Cab. its has an 80L tank, and a long range 200L tank under the tray. fully laden, with all that fuel and fours guys and their bikes in 4wdH it can climb anything you put at it in the mud even. i dont have any doubts that it is a capable car of running up and down even the toughest shuttle runs. heck my folks took it on a 2mth 4WD trip up into the pilbra, some of the toughest terrain in Australia. if your serious about your riding and go 4WD a bit then the hilux, from my expereinces is plenty, i have never come into any problems with it, i got bogged pretty bad once but that was my fault cos i was on the soft sand in the dunes.
sorry i cant compare them to the other cars as i havent driven them, bu the new navara do look pretty chunky

[singlespeeder]

I ha had three hilux's...all diesel and all slugs.

My current setup is an 85 dual cab turbo diesel. It aint bad....

Remember, any Hlilux post 97 has independant front suspension meaning it is quite bad off road.

Check out http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/phpBB2 for some awesome 4x4 tech and some cool rigs. I am on there too....

[Superman]

get a hilux
my cousin haz 1 but it is single cab. u'll need a dual cab coz my mad max got a ton of scratches from goin in the tray. it is a bit of a fuel guzzler.

[J3T-PuLsAr]

my favourite ute is a '95 model or round abouts but in an extra cab, i recon they look wicked, good length andstuff.

[Daver]

i have the same issue at the moment, but i'm looking at a 91-95 dual cab 4by4 ute. I have a Discovery TDi at the moment and it's only really slow off the mark and up hills (i struggle to hold 60 up the spit (and i'm flooring it too). I'm leaning towards a hilux or even an older ford F100...

[Nicko]

hey iv got a 4runner its basicly the same as a hilux and i wouldnt buy any thing else but a toyota so get a hilux sr5 turbo diesel they r the bomb my bro has a hilux and it rox and my mum and dad have a sr5 hilux 2003 its tuff and it has power trust me we take it mud raceing

[Fkahb]

Hey Singlespeeder
Thanks for the link - that is one great forum with heaps of traffic. An old 'Lux might be the go then.

[grovesy]

Well I've got an 03 4wd Navara dual cab sitting in my driveway right now,using it for the next month while my manager is on leave.
It honestly feels like a piece of crap.
It wanders around like a lost dog.
Engine power is good but comes on in a rush,which imo is'nt all that useful in a 4wd.
After 27000km the steer tyres are pretty much farked.
New clutch fitted at 17000km.
Dents when you lean on it.
To me it looks like an oversized kids toy all plastic and self tappers.
And we have 5 of these in our car fleet all with similar problems.

Stick with Toyota imo.

[Andrewsute]

Depends u are looking at a late model,
the new navara has guts it will do just about anything they have started to spep up to the party.
Dont know much about late model tritons, the older models had problems the more recent ones 96 97 had a heap of probs
as for HILUX they have always been consistant, although the base model isnt as luxurious as the navara its motor has more guts.

so prob the hilux but if u find a cheaper new(ish) Navara thated be the go

[hugnkiss]

i have a Navarra 90' king Cab and i love it.
yeah its slow but it does the job- gets me around and does runs most weekends.
check out my link
http://homepage.mac.com/hugnkiss/PhotoAlbum42.html
this was just the weekend gone, these pics are from transport, when we do runs you just don't strapp them in, you can fit 4 people (inc the driver) in the cab and 3-4 people in the back.
sweet little machine- it is my little project
PURE MINI TRUCK
i can't wait

[Goose]

I was told the best one out of the hilux and trition it is hilux. If you have a crash and need to replace a pannel or whatever they are good. Rodeo is or was not so good for parts and never get a kia Crap on wheels is what I can say.