Double Cab 4x4 Buying Advice

[el_guapo3291]

Fellow Carbies,

I currently drive a 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Manual.

I love it, it's got more than enough capability both on and off road and is super reliable with low maintenance costs.

But...

The one thing it lacks is a load bin and all the space and versatility that comes with it, like right now if I want to go camping out in the bush I could easily do it if I drop the back seats but then it limits it to just 2x people or if I want to take the dogo's to the beach for some fun same problem and lots of fluff to clean up afterwards.

So...

I have been contemplating getting a DC 4x4 but with a budget of R350k-ish what should I look at?

It needs to be 2013 or Newer (Otherwise can be diffcult to finance)

The most availble option is the Ford Ranger but I have read some horror stories about them and engine/turbo failures that cost +-100k to fix, which is money I definitely would not have lying around

I'd love a Hilux but the Toyota badge generally keeps them above the budget and they are also insanely high risk vehicles.

Isuzu KB would be great because they're reliable workhorses and lower risk but they seem rarer than unicorns...

VW Amarok, would be the closest replacement to the GV in terms of ride and refinement but a BiTurbo Diesel mostly paired with a fancy Auto box seems like a good way to ensure high maintenance costs down the road.

Nissan NP300 1980's design and very poor safety, so even though the drivetrain is great will have to pass on that.

Nissan Navara Don't fancy the newer model with the Renault 2.3, the older model is very rare to find nowadays.



Is there perhaps something that I have missed that ticks all the boxes? Also any real ownership experience (preferrably long term) with any of the above (or other options) would be great.

Or

Should I just get a trailer which mostly fixes the problem? 👀

 

[Mk1MiLAN]

had a 2012 4x4 d4d3.0 manual d/c hilux...

amazing bakkie like honestly its awesome.

i did do alot of upgrades like bigger tyres lifting suspention rock sliders and so forth but even in stock form its awesome.

you can also buy a one nav radio to replace the stock radio then you have fully wireless applecarplay and android auto (they do cost like 10-15k) but as soon as you add that it really makes a old bakkie feel quite new. the onenav system i would say is better than what comes on the new hiluxes hahahaha toyota is always slow to implement new technology etc...

I never had a single problem with reliability etc the only thing was that 3 lieter eats diesel like hell.

I ended up selling the bakkie and opting for a basic suzuki swift just because of diesel costs and also because of regular damages sustained by going 4x4ing hahaha it was time to move out with my girlfriend so i couldnt spend 5k+pm on fuel anymore

thats my experience with the hilux... one day when im big il get one again but only when i have enough money to go 4x4ing and camping and use it to its full capability. The saddest thing to me was having such a nice bakkie with a nice canopy and big tyres en alles but never being able to use it because at the end of the day being moved out etc means there are more bills to pay so less camping trips and less 4x4 trips etc.

 

[BlueCrayon]

Fellow Carbies,

I currently drive a 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Manual.

I love it, it's got more than enough capability both on and off road and is super reliable with low maintenance costs.

But...

The one thing it lacks is a load bin and all the space and versatility that comes with it, like right now if I want to go camping out in the bush I could easily do it if I drop the back seats but then it limits it to just 2x people or if I want to take the dogo's to the beach for some fun same problem and lots of fluff to clean up afterwards.

So...

I have been contemplating getting a DC 4x4 but with a budget of R350k-ish what should I look at?

It needs to be 2013 or Newer (Otherwise can be diffcult to finance)

The most availble option is the Ford Ranger but I have read some horror stories about them and engine/turbo failures that cost +-100k to fix, which is money I definitely would not have lying around

I'd love a Hilux but the Toyota badge generally keeps them above the budget and they are also insanely high risk vehicles.

Isuzu KB would be great because they're reliable workhorses and lower risk but they seem rarer than unicorns...

VW Amarok, would be the closest replacement to the GV in terms of ride and refinement but a BiTurbo Diesel mostly paired with a fancy Auto box seems like a good way to ensure high maintenance costs down the road.

Nissan NP300 1980's design and very poor safety, so even though the drivetrain is great will have to pass on that.

Nissan Navara Don't fancy the newer model with the Renault 2.3, the older model is very rare to find nowadays.



Is there perhaps something that I have missed that ticks all the boxes? Also any real ownership experience (preferrably long term) with any of the above (or other options) would be great.

Or

Should I just get a trailer which mostly fixes the problem? 👀

Hopefully cash because there's another interest rate hike coming

 

[el_guapo3291]

had a 2012 4x4 d4d3.0 manual d/c hilux...

amazing bakkie like honestly its awesome.

i did do alot of upgrades like bigger tyres lifting suspention rock sliders and so forth but even in stock form its awesome.

you can also buy a one nav radio to replace the stock radio then you have fully wireless applecarplay and android auto (they do cost like 10-15k) but as soon as you add that it really makes a old bakkie feel quite new. the onenav system i would say is better than what comes on the new hiluxes hahahaha toyota is always slow to implement new technology etc...

I never had a single problem with reliability etc the only thing was that 3 lieter eats diesel like hell.

I ended up selling the bakkie and opting for a basic suzuki swift just because of diesel costs and also because of regular damages sustained by going 4x4ing hahaha it was time to move out with my girlfriend so i couldnt spend 5k+pm on fuel anymore

thats my experience with the hilux... one day when im big il get one again but only when i have enough money to go 4x4ing and camping and use it to its full capability. The saddest thing to me was having such a nice bakkie with a nice canopy and big tyres en alles but never being able to use it because at the end of the day being moved out etc means there are more bills to pay so less camping trips and less 4x4 trips etc.

Nice! thanks for the reply will definitely be adding in a onenav to any future vehicle that doesn't come with it Android Auto stock, already have one in the GV really brings it into the modern era. Android Auto is too good not have in 2023. Did you ever have any sketchy experiences with the Hilux in terms of hijacking/theft?

 

[Mk1MiLAN]

I live in the western cape... remember that.

So personally no i never had any such experiences however 1 night my alarm did go off but the i just moved the bakkie inside the gate and it never got stolen from there hahaha so yeah but i do think western cape vs rest of south africa is a different world with regards to that

 

[Dom]

had a 2012 4x4 d4d3.0 manual d/c hilux...

amazing bakkie like honestly its awesome.

i did do alot of upgrades like bigger tyres lifting suspention rock sliders and so forth but even in stock form its awesome.

you can also buy a one nav radio to replace the stock radio then you have fully wireless applecarplay and android auto (they do cost like 10-15k) but as soon as you add that it really makes a old bakkie feel quite new. the onenav system i would say is better than what comes on the new hiluxes hahahaha toyota is always slow to implement new technology etc...

I never had a single problem with reliability etc the only thing was that 3 lieter eats diesel like hell.

I ended up selling the bakkie and opting for a basic suzuki swift just because of diesel costs and also because of regular damages sustained by going 4x4ing hahaha it was time to move out with my girlfriend so i couldnt spend 5k+pm on fuel anymore

thats my experience with the hilux... one day when im big il get one again but only when i have enough money to go 4x4ing and camping and use it to its full capability. The saddest thing to me was having such a nice bakkie with a nice canopy and big tyres en alles but never being able to use it because at the end of the day being moved out etc means there are more bills to pay so less camping trips and less 4x4 trips etc.

If I can be honest - it is crazy to spend R 5k on fuel for a diesel car, how many tanks of fuel was this?

It either wasn't suited to your driving landscape (urban etc) or you didn't know how to drive a diesel (no offence).

 

[WolfOfWallStreet]

Not a Bakkie owner but alot of my friends speak very highly of the Tritons . Not sure price ranges etc but I actually think they also look very cool.

 

[el_guapo3291]

Not a Bakkie owner but alot of my friends speak very highly of the Tritons . Not sure price ranges etc but I actually think they also look very cool.

Yeah would consider a Triton but also super difficult to find, SA seems to be Ford and Toyota land. So many Rangers available.... Which either means they're kak and theirs owners don't want to keep them or they're just that popular in SA 👀 😆

 

[Mk1MiLAN]

If I can be honest - it is crazy to spend R 5k on fuel for a diesel car, how many tanks of fuel was this?

It either wasn't suited to your driving landscape (urban etc) or you didn't know how to drive a diesel (no offence).

well i drive to work and back in traffic daily and its not like i am trying to drive slow?

Fuel prices were higher at the time and the reality was i got around 12L/100km and that's not abnormal either...

 

[CarboVan]

Can vouch for the Tritons as a 3rd party. (older gens, think 2015 onwards? )
My old man still drives the double cab. My brother bought dad's clubcab when he upgraded to the double, which he drove for a few years afterwards. My brother-in-law is using one as his company workhorse. Had to replace the clutch recently but mileage is on the high side so it's expected wear and tear.

 

[JG_RSA]

So many Rangers available.... Which either means they're kak and theirs owners don't want to keep them or they're just that popular in SA 👀 😆

Many people are upgrading to the new one and trading in/selling the old one, like I did.
It's not uncommon with the launch of an update and especially all new model for the market to be flooded with previous gen models.

 

[WolfOfWallStreet]