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Vehicle Tests > 4WD Comparison - Forced Labour
4WD Comparison - Forced Labour
The mainstream players, Ford, Nissan and Mitsubishi, have the obvious advantages that come with being ... well ... mainstream players. With any of these there you can be more confident about service and parts back-up, and resale values.
Of the three Japanese utes the Nissan offers high equipment levels and good offroad ability but fails to impress otherwise. The Ford has a great engine and good payload and towing numbers but it's let down by a dated platform. The Mitsubishi is arguably the best overall package of the three but its engine is showing its age in terms of refinement even though it's still a strong and economical performer. Of the Japanese contenders it's certainly the most convincing overall.
But there's another argument here. Our $40,000 cut-off price is artificial and if you are going to pay $39,990 for the Triton there's a convincing argument for paying a little extra for the base-model Hilux, Navara D40 or Colorado diesel dual-cabs.
On the other hand, if you are indeed looking for budget ute, and this is the purpose of this little exercise, then both the Ssangyong and the Mahindra come well into contention.
Of course the big question here is one of service and spares back-up and re-sale value. While it's impossible to predict the future, Ssangyong, after an up and down start in Australia, seems to be finding its legs with far better products and broader acceptance. Mahindra too, while relatively unknown in Australia, is becoming a real force internationally and there's no reason to believe that the Indian manufacturer won't be around for the long haul provided the local distributor remains committed to the product.
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While there's a huge price differential between the Ssangyong and the Mahindra on one hand and the three Japanese utes on the other hand, this price difference isn't reflected in the way the vehicles perform. Both the Tradie and the Pik-Up, in their own distinctive ways stand up in this company and have no apologies to make. Of the two, the Tradie is the best work and play ute while the Pik-Up is the best work/farm ute. In their own ways, both are the winners here.
Up-Spec Sports
While we've chosen the newest and cheapest model in the SsangYong Sports dual cab range with the $27,990 Tradie, both the mid and top-spec models also come in under our $40K cap.
The mid-spec Sports at $31,990 adds 16-inch alloy wheels and a choice of colours while the top-spec SPR at $39,990 gets 18-inch alloys, climate control, auto dimming rear view mirror, rain sensing wipers, power front seats, leather steering wheel amoung a host of extras.
Of the three Japanese utes the Nissan offers high equipment levels and good offroad ability but fails to impress otherwise. The Ford has a great engine and good payload and towing numbers but it's let down by a dated platform. The Mitsubishi is arguably the best overall package of the three but its engine is showing its age in terms of refinement even though it's still a strong and economical performer. Of the Japanese contenders it's certainly the most convincing overall.
But there's another argument here. Our $40,000 cut-off price is artificial and if you are going to pay $39,990 for the Triton there's a convincing argument for paying a little extra for the base-model Hilux, Navara D40 or Colorado diesel dual-cabs.
On the other hand, if you are indeed looking for budget ute, and this is the purpose of this little exercise, then both the Ssangyong and the Mahindra come well into contention.
Of course the big question here is one of service and spares back-up and re-sale value. While it's impossible to predict the future, Ssangyong, after an up and down start in Australia, seems to be finding its legs with far better products and broader acceptance. Mahindra too, while relatively unknown in Australia, is becoming a real force internationally and there's no reason to believe that the Indian manufacturer won't be around for the long haul provided the local distributor remains committed to the product.
read on below advertisement
While there's a huge price differential between the Ssangyong and the Mahindra on one hand and the three Japanese utes on the other hand, this price difference isn't reflected in the way the vehicles perform. Both the Tradie and the Pik-Up, in their own distinctive ways stand up in this company and have no apologies to make. Of the two, the Tradie is the best work and play ute while the Pik-Up is the best work/farm ute. In their own ways, both are the winners here.
Up-Spec Sports
While we've chosen the newest and cheapest model in the SsangYong Sports dual cab range with the $27,990 Tradie, both the mid and top-spec models also come in under our $40K cap.
The mid-spec Sports at $31,990 adds 16-inch alloy wheels and a choice of colours while the top-spec SPR at $39,990 gets 18-inch alloys, climate control, auto dimming rear view mirror, rain sensing wipers, power front seats, leather steering wheel amoung a host of extras.
