Still had all the load area short comings of a pick up. But it didn’t ride like a sea sick dolphin thanks to its coil over suspension.

The new Navara has coils, which should be a plus – however, every one I’ve seen with anything like half a load in, sags and wallows on the rear end. That’s why leafs have hung around for so long, I suppose.

Just for balance of anecdotes..



I do like the idea of dissapating the crash energy though the smaller car being a good thing idea though…
For facts though..
A standard HiLux
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/toyota/hilux/25045 3* EURO NCAP
Nvara
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/nissan/navara/22037 4*
L200 https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/mitsubishi/l200/20950 4*
Selection of Modern Vans
Vans coming in between 3 & 5* With the moder modern ones hitting 5* ratings

It’s not all black and white….
If you have the specific needs for a pick up most of the time then it could be good for you, if you don’t all of the downsides are there every single day, same as a van, same as a car. The difference is the plus points for a pick up for the vast majority of people are the exceptions not the norm.

The vast majority of people commenting have actually been in them, driven them, loaded them etc. and most say they wouldn’t touch one, kind of telling isn’t it.

I can find a picture of pretty much any vehicle I wasn’t driving smashed up if that’s your bag.

My Ford Ranger has a 5* ncap rating btw

I’m not here for a massive argument over it, just offering my (differing) opinion as to what I like about them. I’ve been driving almost 30 years, in cars, vans and for the last 8 years, almost exclusively pick-ups (had a Passat alongside my pick-up for a while).

They won’t be practical at all for some – sometimes, it’s not the most practical for me. I know plenty of people that love them in real life and on forums etc though. Each to their own

I’m not an expert, but, in my experience: if the ride’s bad off road, go faster.

This was with a ’95 L200.

Can’t get 4 in a van without going double cab, at which point all benefits of being a van are negated

I know its a while back in the thread, but this comment doesn’t make sense? What disadvantages does a doublecab van have over a double cab pickup?

The snowy argument and a 4×4 pickup…its a tailhappy vehicle in the first place. With all-season tyres a 2wd car can be just as good. I had to stop on an icy climb because one 4×4 and one 4×4 pickup were sliding down the hill towards me, using the hedge to keep them on the track. My wife has also driven 40 snowy miles via the backroads and the whole way there were 4×4’s dumped on the verges of every hill.

Unless you are a driving god and know how to use 4×4 to descend hills, it shouldn’t make much difference to whether you venture out in the snow or not. Anyone with a light foot and a bit of momentum is likely to be able to coax even a 2wd vehicle up a hill that they wouldn’t be able to descend on the brakes safely.

A van that tows 3.5t? Tows an all up weight of 7t off wet grassy fields most weekends? (and you can also get it in a swb low roof with the same 7000kg train weight)

Tick

I know its a while back in the thread, but this comment doesn’t make sense? What disadvantages does a doublecab van have over a double cab pickup?

Can’t get it in most car parks

Most “SWB” double cab vans don’t actually have that much space in the back

Dependent on the particular van/pick-up in question, they might not be as nice to drive, or be as nice a place to sit, or have as many creature comforts

Folk say a pick-up takes up space? 🙄

The snowy argument and a 4×4 pickup…its a tailhappy vehicle in the first place. With all-season tyres a 2wd car can be just as good. I had to stop on an icy climb because one 4×4 and one 4×4 pickup were sliding down the hill towards me, using the hedge to keep them on the track. My wife has also driven 40 snowy miles via the backroads and the whole way there were 4×4’s dumped on the verges of every hill.

Aren’t all RWD vehicles tail happy, including vans?

With all season tyres, a 4wd will be better than a 2wd – otherwise, you might as well be comparing a gravel bike with knobblies against an MTB with slicks

Unless you are a driving god and know how to use 4×4 to descend hills, it shouldn’t make much difference to whether you venture out in the snow or not. Anyone with a light foot and a bit of momentum is likely to be able to coax even a 2wd vehicle up a hill that they wouldn’t be able to descend on the brakes safely.

I’ve got hill descent control, so I can save my god like driving for other matters 😉

Nowt wrong with your van, it looks fab btw!

Discovery 3.
Tons of space
Practical (7 seats)
Best towing vehicle – if you’ve got better I’d like to try…
Comfy for wifey
Off road credentials

Bad points – MPG, expensive to run.
Unfortunately, once you’ve got one, they suck you in and you won’t want a pick up…

And unless you get a Disco commercial, you can’t put it 100% through your business.

A mate of mine is into his LR’s/Disco’s and they are far from reliable – he says the only person that should own one, is a LR mechanic.

That said, I still get an itch for one – I’d question the ‘tons of space’ though

Perhaps thats the thing, a pickup is a lot more attractive if you can put it through the books.

The doublecab space thing, my thinking was total volume rather than length, especially considering most modern pickups are spec’d with a fibreglass box over the load bay.

Tail happy, yep I suppose, vans are light on the rear if they are not kitted out. A vivaro/custom would get into height restricted car parts, and normally a ‘classic’ transit would go in too.

Actually there is a scenario where I would definitely own a pickup.

If I had to commute in my own vehicle and large van wasn’t practical, and I didn’t want a caravan…

However it would need a demountable dropside style load bay for bikes and junk, I’d rather have the extra space of a demountable that doesn’t slide into the existing load bay.

£25k AIA (annual investment allowance), plus interest on repayments against the books every 2 years (obviously minus what I sell the last one for) and all the VAT back. Would be the same for a van though.

Mine has a hardtop canopy – you’d be amazed what I actually fit in there tbh. Anything long goes on the roof bars. It certainly wouldn’t suit a lot of trades though – I’ve considered a Transit Custom, or a VW Transporter (I might be making this up, but seem to think some VW crew cabs don’t satisfy HMRC guidelines for full claim back), but decided I can live with a pick-up – which certainly suits me in lots of scenarios.

In the snow, pick ups are horrendous in RWD, but that’s what 4wd is for. For the rest of the time – my last truck (V6 Navara, remapped to 270bhp) would break loose on wet roundabouts – the TC/ESP would kick in instantly though and correct itself. 200bhp Ranger (Going to Pendle soon for 250bhp remap) has never lost footing anywhere yet.

Most car parks are around 2mtrs, so I’m sceptical about vans – never seen any in car parks round here – unless the pikeys remove the height restriction 😉

So the OP so far has had a requirement of being able to easily get rubbish to a tip.

Well what’s wrong with an ordinary car with a trailer on the back?

VW T5 is 1.9 m and fits in all multi storeys. When I had one we’d happily take it to town shopping and park it wherever.

what’s wrong with an ordinary car with a trailer on the back?

Maybe he ‘wants’ a pick-up and doesn’t want a trailer???

I always fancied a one, thought it would be great for biking, life etc.

Then I was fortunate enough to get a job where I had the use of various pickups we had (almost one of everything on the market at the time).

Suffice to say, they were all crap. Even compared to mediocre cars, they drove terribly. In fact the only time they didn’t was when they had 500kg of quad bike & associated crap in the back.

Uncomfortable, unpractical, thirsty, poor handling, unsecure & expensive. Unless I was a farmer, I can’t see any point in owning one.

Suffice to say, if I ever get in one, or have to drive one again, it will be too soon 🙂

So the OP so far has had a requirement of being able to easily get rubbish to a tip

…ideally whilst keeping the rubbish and the people in the vehicle separate, and pull a trailer (i.e. car trailer), a caravan, and be able to carry bikes + people, and be suitable for trips to Scottish ski centres when a bog standard car might fail.
I live in a fairly rural area surrounded by farms, on a hill, where in the past cars have been stranded in bad snowfall.
It also has the potential of becoming a works vehicle in the not-too-distant future so company car tax is a consideration, although not a major one.
My requirements are the above. I don’t need to be driving something that corners like a housefly, does the 0-60 sprint in sub-5 seconds, or fits in a cramped city centre multi-storey carpark. Been there, done that.

The Ranger is a 3.2l 5cyl

Right you are. Wasn’t paying attention as I was only after the 2.2L manual.

Surely the high seating position is a plus – I can’t stand the car-like seating in L200’s and Hilux’s (not sat in the new Hilux though)?

I don’t think it’s much different to the old Hiluxes I’ve driven in the past. If I were off-roading lots, the higher position might be better, but otherwise it wasn’t a concern for me.

The new Hilux is streets ahead of the last one I drove (in 2009). That was bloody awful, would never have considered one then!

For the £8k you are looking at spending Ox, I’d possibly looking at a Ranger – around 2007, with say 70,000 on the clock. I had one as my first truck, similar to this, but I had a canopy on the back

They are quite basic, but do have leather and a/c. The 2.5l engine is only 140bhp, but they are quite light for a pick-up. I had a DTUK tuning box (170bhp) on mine – a proper ecu box, not just a fuel pressure booster and it made a great difference. The built in stereo can easily be replaced with a fancy double din touch screen/sat nav jobbie if that’s your thing. I’ve got a new, all singing 2016 Ranger, but if I needed another as a workhorse, I’d have an older one again. I’ve had Navara’s which were great, but I’d avoid at that price point, as you’d be in the realms of the problematic ones.

If only there were a car that was like a Navara pickup but with more room in the cab and some kind of secure roof over the load area……

I miss my Pathfinder *sniff*

perchypanther – Member
If only there were a car that was like a Navara pickup but with more room in the cab and some kind of secure roof over the load area……

I miss my Pathfinder *sniff*

This is actually a really good shout… I didn’t realise how big these were.

Anything to look out for when buying one?

The new Navara has coils, which should be a plus – however, every one I’ve seen with anything like half a load in, sags and wallows on the rear end.

Good example of that in this vid (skip to 2:14):
[video]https://youtu.be/qEPPQeemG9o?t=2m14s[/video]

chilled76 – Member

perchypanther – Member
If only there were a car that was like a Navara pickup but with more room in the cab and some kind of secure roof over the load area……

I miss my Pathfinder *sniff*

This is actually a really good shout… I didn’t realise how big these were.

Anything to look out for when buying one?[/quote]

Yeah there’s a special edition version that retains the selectable 2wd/4wd option that I believe is missing from later pathfinders. It also has a little trailer attached to the back of the car for transporting smelly, large or awkward items up to 1000kg which is handy for anyone who got their license within the last 20 years or so.

Apart from that it’s mechanically very similar to the Pathfinder. Can’t remember the name though. Might be worth a google 😀

Yeah there’s a special edition version that retains the selectable 2wd/4wd option that I believe is missing from later pathfinders. It also has a little trailer attached to the back of the car for transporting smelly, large or awkward items up to 1000kg which is handy for anyone who got their license within the last 20 years or so.

Apart from that it’s mechanically very similar to the Pathfinder. Can’t remember the name though. Might be worth a google

Doesn’t ring any bells with me

Nissan Patrol?

I fancy one of these. Rare as hens’ teeth though.

A mate has a beat up one of these for biking duties…

I like!

Proton?
Loving the bird shit on the front bumper look ..

A mate has a beat up one of these for biking duties…

How many waterproof bags does he own 😉 at least it has a faux roll bar to try and lock the bikes to.

Not sure if he has a roll bar. Most people think it’s pretty cool when he rocks up. Just for anywhere he can throw the bike in and doesn’t need to secure it

Most people think it’s pretty cool when he rocks up.

Holy shit it is a time machine to the 80’s 🙂

thats pity …. not coolness .

you can do the same with a berlingo – and not have to worry about it getting stolen at some traffic lights (the bike that is … not the proton – no ones stealing that)

trail_rat – Member

thats pity …. not coolness .

you can do the same with a berlingo

Oh you can certainly elicit pity with a Berlingo. Especially since most people will automatically assume you are disabled in some way if they see you driving it. Like it or not, even that shitty Proton pickup is cooler than any van will ever be. And you can easily chain things to the anchor points if you need to secure them. Glass isn’t an impenetrable force field for thieves.

Neither the van nor the pick up are cool.

But the pick up is just impractical 😉

Mean while the metal sides of said van are certainly more impenetrable than the hopes and dreams surrounding it in the back of a pick up.
I leave nothing in the bed of my pick up that isn’t bolted down when I’m not In it….and the bike is locked to it when I am in it. It’s a right Chav when I want a post ride coffee.

trail_rat – Member

Neither the van nor the pick up are cool.

But the pick up is just impractical

Impractically cool 😆

Those are mostly the thoughts o someone who hasn’t had to suffer one.

You’re missing the point with the Jumbuck – it’s so unbelievably uncool, it breaches into a parallel universe, where it becomes cool again. His is a right old knacker too