Best All-round 4x4

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, Humpy said:

ISUZU  Body ......

 

correct I believe ....    I remember we had to buy a new radiator and the guy sent us to Isuzu.

[kwonitoy]

I have used at work on pipeline construction

 

Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge among others

 

The all time champ that never got stuck during the wettest summer in Wales was this little black Mitsu.

I loved that truck, always got me where I wanted and back home again. Best work 4X4 ever.

 

I own a Ford

DYOR 

[transam]

3 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

I have used at work on pipeline construction

 

Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge among others

 

The all time champ that never got stuck during the wettest summer in Wales was this little black Mitsu.

I loved that truck, always got me where I wanted and back home again. Best work 4X4 ever.

 

I own a Ford

DYOR 

Yep, good choice of tyres on the Mitsu....

[kwonitoy]

34 minutes ago, transam said:

Yep, good choice of tyres on the Mitsu....

That's what makes the difference, all the power in the world is useless unless it gets to the ground.

The owner of Compass inspection was a hands on field guy who put some thought into his offroad trucks

In lots of cases the only truck to get into the work sites was me, by necessity I had to get within 100 meters of a weld due to my cable length

It also had excellent weight distribution, with the calibration block and a small water tank in the back to give lots of traction

[speedtripler]

There is a few silly reviews on YouTube of the ranger 3.2L getting stuck but they was testing it with stock road tyres 

 

The tyres are everything when you need traction

[NanLaew]

On 12/16/2017 at 10:51 AM, fredob43 said:

If that was the condition of my engine I would be ashamed to put a snap of it in. When was the last time it was cleaned??? Snap of a clean engine.

A bit dusty but it has been 3 week since the last clean up.

Just had a 10th service at Toyota 2.350bt same as your one + new aircon filter and prop shaft grease. Did you get 8lt of full syn: oil?

ÓH took less than an hour including a free valet.

 

 

Maybe most of his driving is on unsealed rods... and yours isn't.

 

Maybe he uses it for work... and you don't.

 

Anyway, we know from a gazzilion previous pontifical posts that fredo's new lump spends more time being valeted and looked at than actually being driven around.

 

Fact!

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, speedtripler said:

There is a few silly reviews on YouTube of the ranger 3.2L getting stuck but they was testing it with stock road tyres 

 

The tyres are everything when you need traction

My 10 year-old boy has an opinion on going "mudding" with daddy on his 3.2 shod with stock rubber... and daddy forgetting that to select 4x4 low, one has to be in Neutral, not bloody Park!

[fredob43]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Maybe most of his driving is on unsealed rods... and yours isn't.

 

Maybe he uses it for work... and you don't.

 

Anyway, we know from a gazzilion previous pontifical posts that fredo's new lump spends more time being valeted and looked at than actually being driven around.

 

Fact!

My lump has done 12th km in 5 months although not a lot at least average. Also use it on sandy rods or should that be roads. Hence the regular cleaning. If you want to be rude go ahead I have very broad shoulders.

Anyway I thought you wasn't going to read my posts anymore. Make up your mind. At a loose end were we.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2017 by fredob43

[stament]

On 17 December 2017 at 5:39 AM, steven100 said:

correct I believe ....    I remember we had to buy a new radiator and the guy sent us to Isuzu.

not with you, is that picture a nissan then and not an isuzu?

 

i read somewhere that mtsubishi make a lot of the parts for other trucks, not sure if true but no reason to disbelieve

[steven100]

18 minutes ago, stament said:

not with you, is that picture a nissan then and not an isuzu?

 

i read somewhere that mtsubishi make a lot of the parts for other trucks, not sure if true but no reason to disbelieve

no ...  the picture is a red Chevrolet ... Thailand 2017.   The Chevrolet uses an Isuzu chassis and the Isuzu radiator would fit into the Chevrolet.    I like Chevrolet but the new model is expensive and it's called a Colorado High Country storm and starts at 1,028 000 ....  

I think the Mitsubishi triton is hard to beat on value for money ....

[pgrahmm]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

no ...  the picture is a red Chevrolet ... Thailand 2017.   The Chevrolet uses an Isuzu chassis and the Isuzu radiator would fit into the Chevrolet.    I like Chevrolet but the new model is expensive and it's called a Colorado High Country storm and starts at 1,028 000 ....  

I think the Mitsubishi triton is hard to beat on value for money ....

Plus the Chevrolet Dealer network presence is weak/marginal in Thailand....

The Dealership might not be around before the vehicle warranty expires....

 

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, fredob43 said:

My lump has done 12th km in 5 months although not a lot at least average. Also use it on sandy rods or should that be roads. Hence the regular cleaning. If you want to be rude go ahead I have very broad shoulders.

Anyway I thought you wasn't going to read my posts anymore. Make up your mind. At a loose end were we.

 

 

Whos' being rude fredo? I didn't call someone for not keeping their engine clean, did I? I didn't post a picture of my freshly valeted engine bay with irrelevant comments on cost, did I?

 

No worries fredo, you may have very broad shoulders, but I'm just used to it.

 

You still haven't worked out what half the switches do or tried all your options yet. Once you do (and post as much), then maybe I'll pay you less heed. Until then...

 

In the meantime, yes, she's clean! Well done.

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

no ...  the picture is a red Chevrolet ... Thailand 2017.   The Chevrolet uses an Isuzu chassis and the Isuzu radiator would fit into the Chevrolet.    I like Chevrolet but the new model is expensive and it's called a Colorado High Country storm and starts at 1,028 000 ....  

I think the Mitsubishi triton is hard to beat on value for money ....

I didn't think it was an Isuzu chassis thought it was Fords. ?

The centerpiece of the development program involved upgrading the ladder frame used on the global Colorado originally co-engineered by GM Thailand and Holden. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by Kwasaki

[fredob43]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Whos' being rude fredo? I didn't call someone for not keeping their engine clean, did I? I didn't post a picture of my freshly valeted engine bay with irrelevant comments on cost, did I?

 

No worries fredo, you may have very broad shoulders, but I'm just used to it.

 

You still haven't worked out what half the switches do or tried all your options yet. Once you do (and post as much), then maybe I'll pay you less heed. Until then...

 

In the meantime, yes, she's clean! Well done.

Interesting headline on UK papers today.

 

Social media can damage your mental health.

 

And yes I know what all the switches do now. I have posted some on TV to help peeps that are still fumbling about with same.

 

Sorry cant help Ford owners as I don't know anything about having to put keys in dated ignition set ups. 

 

 

[steven100]

18 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

I didn't think it was an Isuzu chassis thought it was Fords. ?

The centerpiece of the development program involved upgrading the ladder frame used on the global Colorado originally co-engineered by GM Thailand and Holden. 

This is what I found on the internet ;    2014.

The Holden and Isuzu are essentially two stand-alone versions of the same car: fraternal twins, if you will, as they are certainly not identical.

The bodies of the two cars are very similar and the interiors are essentially the same design, but while the basic ladder-on-frame chassis’ are identical, each has unique suspension setups and steering calibrations, not to mention different engines and transmissions.

The Colorado 7 is available in two trim levels, both with four-wheel-drive as standard – LT, priced at $46,990; and LTZ, priced at $50,490. The latter is the model we’re testing here.

For that expenditure, buyers get a reverse-view camera and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels with a 16-inch spare, leather-trimmed seats, electric seat adjustment for the driver, single-zone climate control air-conditioning, projector headlights and LED tail-lights, and Holden’s handy MyLink media system with USB, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and voice control.

The Isuzu MU-X has a broader range of options to choose from, with a pair of 4×2 models priced at $40,500 (LS-M) and $42,000 (LS-U) respectively, and three 4×4 variants available: LS-M, priced at $45,600; LS-U, priced at $47,100; and the range-topping LS-T tested here, priced at $53,500 (though Isuzu is promoting the LS-T at $49,990 drive-away).

The LS-T model comes standard with a reverse-view camera and rear parking sensors, leather seats, climate control air-con and projector lights, 17-inch wheels with a full-size spare, and a touch-screen media system with USB, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and an in-built satellite navigation system with off-road maps. There’s also a 10.0-inch flip-down DVD screen for rear-seat passengers.

[Broken Record]

On 12/17/2017 at 1:01 PM, kwonitoy said:

I have used at work on pipeline construction

 

Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge among others

 

The all time champ that never got stuck during the wettest summer in Wales was this little black Mitsu.

I loved that truck, always got me where I wanted and back home again. Best work 4X4 ever.

 

I own a Ford

DYOR 

Great pics there !!

[Airbagwill]

It appears the OP hasn't actually said what he wants 4wd for.

I think it's worth looking at what sort of 4 x4 is available on recent model pickups.

The older models had a basic system that simple!y engaged the front wheels on a 50/50 basis. The front had a simple diff and the rear axle had limited slip.this effectively means that in slippery conditions it is quite possible to revert to spinning wheels on front an really axles.

However I notice that recent Toyota models have an electronic locking rear diff.

Also believe that some vehicles have the central diff system previously fitted to the SUV versions and export models.

So I'd suggest jf the 4x4 aspect is important the OP should gen up on the 4x4 systems fitted yo the various models. He might also check out what modifications or improvements are available as add-ons.

Ford and Toyota in particular seem to have a huge range of mods to improve 4x4 performances. Companies like ARB based in Thailand are well worth checking out for this.

Of course simple things like tyres and ground clearance can make all the difference on a standard vehicle. Nissan used to have very poor ground clearance in standard form.

As for re-sale....... I think people worry too much about this, but in Thailand it is still Toyota who hold first place for this.....largely through tradition although they still have an admirable reliability reputation.

Having said that, most pickups these days are pretty unburstable..

I personally hate the rattlly engine that Isuzu seem to develop after a couple of years.

 

As for safety, all pickup construction in Thailand is regulated by law. They have to have leaf rear spring and end up ad ladder frame construction. The reason for this was that the country wanted to create jobs and a traditional chassis built vehicle is easily built with manual labour whereas monocoque is usually an automated process.

The main safety of a vehicle is assessed by its shock absorption capabilities, which are much better on monocoque construction vehicles, as is the centre of gravity and general vehicle handling.Monocoqye also has better torsional and weight characteristics There have been advances in pickup safety but in the end you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

 

Styling....for me styling can be a major factor. I think that in general the current generation of pickups in following the shapes of their larger cousins in the USA have made a mistake and most are now pretty ugly or poorly proportioned.

Mazda and the new Nissan are the highest disappointments for me. Toyota have created a very strange front end on their latest model, presumably trying to create a crumple zone, which illustrates the problems of achieving this on a ladder frame vehicle.

I think the current "best looker" has to be the Ford which is odd as it shares just about everything except body panels with the "worst looker", the Mazda.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Airbagwill

[kannot]

On 12/18/2017 at 9:41 AM, pgrahmm said:

Plus the Chevrolet Dealer network presence is weak/marginal in Thailand....

The Dealership might not be around before the vehicle warranty expires....

 

They're  just about to open another 16 service centres nationwide apparently and Ive seen 2  new dealerships open recently.

https://media.gm.com/media/th/en/chevrolet/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/th/en/2018/august/0817_2S.html

[pgrahmm]

6 hours ago, kannot said:

They're  just about to open another 16 service centres nationwide apparently and Ive seen 2  new dealerships open recently.

https://media.gm.com/media/th/en/chevrolet/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/th/en/2018/august/0817_2S.html

Quite possible.....But they seem to drop out quickly.....They don't have a following to sustain them & they don't seem to have multi line dealerships here that would allow bundling of the weaker product lines offering consumers a choice, and allow for sustaining dealer cash flow through servicing....

There's also a huge tech void here.....All the talent gravitates to the stronger lines.....The weaker lines are always in a training mode, they're always a career stepping stone......

 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

Quite possible.....But they seem to drop out quickly.....They don't have a following to sustain them & they don't seem to have multi line dealerships here that would allow bundling of the weaker product lines offering consumers a choice, and allow for sustaining dealer cash flow through servicing....

There's also a huge tech void here.....All the talent gravitates to the stronger lines.....The weaker lines are always in a training mode, they're always a career stepping stone......

 

They will be franchises as well I would think.

Only the SUV Chevy's are 4WD or AWD I thought and all makes of 4x4 trucks Thailand are part-time. 

[Jitar]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

They will be franchises as well I would think.

Only the SUV Chevy's are 4WD or AWD I thought and all makes of 4x4 trucks Thailand are part-time. 

Not all.  Ford and Mitsubishi have sold pickups with center diffs on a few models in the past.  

These are only a significant advantage if 4WD is used on pavement.  Off road, part time 4WD systems on most pick ups are fine.  

[Kwasaki]

11 minutes ago, Jitar said:

Not all.  Ford and Mitsubishi have sold pickups with center diffs on a few models in the past.  

These are only a significant advantage if 4WD is used on pavement.  Off road, part time 4WD systems on most pick ups are fine.  

News to me they must have been expensive what year was that.?

 

4WD is what is best on road, use to use my part-time 4x4 most of the time except going in garages or into towns, although your advised and warned not too.

[Jitar]

Fancy versions of the current Model Triton uses the Super Select 4WD system like the PJS.  This allows normal RWD, 4WD with center diff and locked 4WD, like a normal part time 4WD.  

 

Ford did a short wheelbase Ranger version with the Everest AWD transfer case and coil sprung rear suspension.  Sold in small numbers a couple of years ago.  

[kannot]

15 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

Quite possible.....But they seem to drop out quickly.....They don't have a following to sustain them & they don't seem to have multi line dealerships here that would allow bundling of the weaker product lines offering consumers a choice, and allow for sustaining dealer cash flow through servicing....

There's also a huge tech void here.....All the talent gravitates to the stronger lines.....The weaker lines are always in a training mode, they're always a career stepping stone......

 

Chevrolet and Ford are already dumping the weaker lines to concentrate on pick ups suv's.

Chevvy only has the "Craptiva"  Colorado and Trailblazer, Ford Thailand may dump Focus and  Fiesta? after their saga. Already stopping in N.America.

Sales of all pick ups up a  fair bit though for Chevvy and Ford probably why Chevvy increased their service intervals give the dealers more to do.

[kannot]

8 hours ago, Jitar said:

Fancy versions of the current Model Triton uses the Super Select 4WD system like the PJS.  This allows normal RWD, 4WD with center diff and locked 4WD, like a normal part time 4WD.  

 

Ford did a short wheelbase Ranger version with the Everest AWD transfer case and coil sprung rear suspension.  Sold in small numbers a couple of years ago.  

Just wish Mitsu would update the rest of the Triton but arent they now partners with Nissan/Renault so doubt its a priority.

[fullcave]

On 12/20/2017 at 2:39 AM, Airbagwill said:

Toyota have created a very strange front end on their latest model, presumably trying to create a crumple zone, which illustrates the problems of achieving this on a ladder frame vehicle.

Actually, I like it. 

 

On 12/20/2017 at 2:39 AM, Airbagwill said:

Ford and Toyota in particular seem to have a huge range of mods to improve 4x4 performances.

It's a pity Ford Thailand has such a piss poor reputation.