king cab pick up truck advice

[popuptoaster]

We are after a 5 seater pickup truck for the missus (she's always wanted a truck and its her money) of some sort, she has up to 3 grand to spend, not too worried about its spec other than it being a diesel, whats best to look at? obviously the jap stuff is everywhere but any of em any good in her price range? It dont have to be minty fresh but needs to be good mechanically.

She wants a pickup and not a Shogun/Surf type estate version, also dont have to be 4x4 but it appears nearly all of the 4 door cabs are so is happy to run all wheel drive.

Any particular problems with any models we are liable to run into in what will probably be a well used vehicle with our budget?

cheers

 

[Piff]

No experience of the older ones - but try looking at Mitsubishi.
I've got a 08 Nissan. It's very thirsty, 20mpg instead of the manufacturers claimed 30mpg!
Chose it because of more "car like" interior, Mitsubishi dashboards are a bit random in their placement of dials/controls. Another reason for Nissan selection was more choice in the spec I was looking for & was able to source a main dealer demonstrator at a local garage. Mitsubishi have just closed their local dealer.
Looked on the What Car site for reader reviews. Many recommended Mitsubishi - many criticised Nissan!

ps - you don't want a "king cab", these only have occasional rear seats. You will want a "double cab" for 5 full seats!

 

[popuptoaster]

cheers for that.

 

[rag1873]

The Nissan is the best ive driven. Ford Ranger is very uncomfy, mitsubishi warrior is bomb proof... my choice would be the Nissan though!

 

[Piff]

Another thought - check the turning circle of your chosen machine.
My current nissan is poor. With a trailer coupled up I need a 3 lane motorway to manouver!!!
I live at the end of a cul-de-sac with a hammerhead turning area. My previous ML + trailer could be turned in the hammerhead & reversed onto my drive. With the Nissan, a combination of the extra length & the poor turning circle means I have to take to the verges & still need to shunt at least 3 times to get on the drive.
Whilst your lady may not tow, the poor turning circle means you are fully entitled to 2 supermarket carpark spaces.

 

[popuptoaster]

Another thought - check the turning circle of your chosen machine.
My current nissan is poor. With a trailer coupled up I need a 3 lane motorway to manouver!!!
I live at the end of a cul-de-sac with a hammerhead turning area. My previous ML + trailer could be turned in the hammerhead & reversed onto my drive. With the Nissan, a combination of the extra length & the poor turning circle means I have to take to the verges & still need to shunt at least 3 times to get on the drive.
Whilst your lady may not tow, the poor turning circle means you are fully entitled to 2 supermarket carpark spaces.

Cheers for the comment, i'll bear it in mind, her nickname is Leadfoot though and she drives like a bloke (no offense ladies) i love watching her reverse the bus as it happens, left arm goes out over the passenger seats backrest, head turns and looks down the centre of the bus and back she goes, one go into most spaces, fast and accurate and she pretty much jams the brakes on and stops the thing as the revers beepers stop beeping and go constant, i drive all sorts of things including LWB trucks and i'm not sure i'd like to race her into a parking space. lol

Turning circle could be important however as our drive is sunk into the front garden a bit and it could be tight to get in, i'll have to check it out, i forget about stuff like that as my old benz corners like a london taxi.

 

[rf065]

her nickname is Leadfoot though and she drives like a bloke

I saw one driven like that the other day (Nissan Nirvana), the guy lost the back end on a wet road leaving a roundabout, hit the kerb and rolled it onto its side without even going that fast! No way would that have happened in anything else, I hope she is aware of their limitations when living up to her nickname?

Russ

 

[popuptoaster]

She grew up driving tractors and dumper trucks with her dad and still gives the kids rides in the bucket of a dumper at her mums place so she's aware that things can be unstable, i will brief her though if i can make it sound like i'm not trying to teach her to suck eggs.

 

[rag1873]

Also remember that the back door of these cabs arent full size. They arent the easiest for folk to get in and out of and ive yet to be in one thats very comfy in the back.

 

[Laters]

If you are considering a Nissan I'd have a look here
http://www.knackerednavara.co.uk/

One of my mates has a navara that falls right in the middle of the lot that have possible engine problems.
He hasn't had a problem yet but it’s being treated very carefully now.

 

[lil.smartie]

We had an L200, easy to drive (& not too bad to park!) but as said above turning circle of a barge!
It wasn't used much as we got 14mpg from it on the M5, no one could easily fit in the back (teenage step kids) and the pick-up bed wasn't that big either!

Good for towing but fuel economy suffered, glad it's gone tbh, 3 yrs and about 15,000 miles. It was collected by the lease co & taken straight to Blackbushe for auction.

Kate

 

[stevieb15]

If you are considering a Nissan I'd have a look here
http://www.knackerednavara.co.uk/

One of my mates has a navara that falls right in the middle of the lot that have possible engine problems.
He hasn't had a problem yet but it’s being treated very carefully now.

I havent read the link but have a pretty good idea whats in it.
We ran an old style Navara, 53 reg, engine/turbo problems manifested themselves after about 45k miles which had all been fairly gentle and over 5 years. Oil change and service requirements are very specific and must be adhered to. I think part of the problem is the deisel engine is not a Nissan but is bought in from Renault and it has typical French engineered product reliability.
All that being said we replaced it with 2 new style Navaras, an 08 and recently an 09, because they are now the dogs and incredibly cheap.

 

[marcos]

I have been looking at these for the past 6 months as my life has changed dramatically and I can no longer afford to run the ML for work.
I have test driven all of them and I have settled on a Toyota Hilux, the new shape that came out a few weeks ago.
The Navarra is an utter piece of crap, very unreliable and if you look at this link quite unsafe.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKnR_iuz2wU It only gets one star rating.
The Mitsi L200 drives really well, is comfy but I know someone with one and it hasn't lasted too well.
The Hilux is extremely well built, has a 3 litre diesel unstressed engine, very reliable and will sell secondhand better.

But at the end of the day your decision.

 

[popuptoaster]

We bought a basic mazda B2500 in the end, pretty much the same as a ford ranger, it was a good price and is in good nick and being a basic one it gives us the oppertunity to add big wheels and bull bars to her choice, we got his one,

and will be aiming at a suspension and body lift and some wheels like this one.