looking at buying a used Automatic Pick up truck

[rumak]

I am a fan of Toyotas ( dependable and easy to maintain).  But I am now looking at other options.  I prefer a spacecab automatic,

but there are many more used 4 door models for sale.   So I am open to getting that.    At first thought only of Toyota or Izuzu,

but now maybe interested in Mitsubishi or Mazda models.  Much better prices , so i am wondering if any of you have nice things

to say about them ( preferably if you actually own one ) .   I would be buying one up to maybe 5 or 6 years old.  I do not buy Ford .

All comments welcome.....  

[Yorkshire Tea]

'I do not buy Ford"

 

Your loss ????

[HauptmannUK]

The 2020 Mazda BT50 is basically a re-worked Isuzu. However all Mazda BT50 up to 2020 are basically a Ford Ranger in drag. So maybe discount the Mazda on the basis of your aversion to Ford.

 

The Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Toyota all use a very similar Aisin 6-speed auto box. Obviously engines are different. The Isuzu is just 1.9 litres - feels like it struggles a little at times. The Isuzu interior also has a somewhat spartan feel.  The Mitsubishi has the best handling, in my opinion.  Wife's younger brother has a 5 year old Hilux, about 100k km, and it feels remarkable tight. Its been trouble-free. I'd be choosing between Mitsi and Toyota.

 

Your post gives me the impression that you maybe haven't owned a pickup before, so I'm not sure what your expectations might be. They are popular in Thailand because they are classed as a working vehicle and therefore sales tax is lower than for a passenger car. Buyers therefore get a lot more metal for their money. 

The snag is that they all use archaic cart-sprung rear suspension and you're dragging that big load bed around all the time - mostly empty. With the load bed empty the ride can be a bit rough and bouncy. Handling is also a bit wayward and unsophisticated.  The size also makes driving in confined areas a PITA.  On the plus side they stand up well to Thailand's rough road surfaces and less liable to get in to trouble during a flood.

Edited June 26, 2020 by HauptmannUK

[rumak]

58 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

The 2020 Mazda BT50 is basically a re-worked Isuzu. However all Mazda BT50 up to 2020 are basically a Ford Ranger in drag. So maybe discount the Mazda on the basis of your aversion to Ford.

 

The Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Toyota all use a very similar Aisin 6-speed auto box. Obviously engines are different. The Isuzu is just 1.9 litres - feels like it struggles a little at times. The Isuzu interior also has a somewhat spartan feel.  The Mitsubishi has the best handling, in my opinion.  Wife's younger brother has a 5 year old Hilux, about 100k km, and it feels remarkable tight. Its been trouble-free. I'd be choosing between Mitsi and Toyota.

 

Your post gives me the impression that you maybe haven't owned a pickup before, so I'm not sure what your expectations might be. They are popular in Thailand because they are classed as a working vehicle and therefore sales tax is lower than for a passenger car. Buyers therefore get a lot more metal for their money. 

The snag is that they all use archaic cart-sprung rear suspension and you're dragging that big load bed around all the time - mostly empty. With the load bed empty the ride can be a bit rough and bouncy. Handling is also a bit wayward and unsophisticated.  The size also makes driving in confined areas a PITA.  On the plus side they stand up well to Thailand's rough road surfaces and less liable to get in to trouble during a flood.

Very good post !   I know Mazda does/did have some affiliations with Ford,  but many people like the Mazda2 car........ and my question to you is:  How much of the Mazda pick-up truck (in Thailand) is

a product of Ford?   I imagine these pick ups are assembled here in Thailand .  Anyway, would appreciate your opinion on them,  as there is a nice one for sale at a place I trust in CM.

Reason i generally don't favor Ford is because many people have problems with them, though a few of our members do like them.   I like Japanese makes in Thailand as the parts are readily available and

service as well.   The Toyota (new) that i test drove was bouncy as hell . so your comment about that was right on.   I want the truck for long trips where i can put my bikes in the back easily .... and auto cause i am just getting too old to fart around with gears in the city.   

You were a bit off about my not having a pick up however.  I have a beauty,  but sadly age has made 

her and me grow apart due to the reality of father time  ???? 

Edited June 26, 2020 by rumak

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, HauptmannUK said:

The 2020 Mazda BT50 is basically a re-worked Isuzu. However all Mazda BT50 up to 2020 are basically a Ford Ranger in drag. So maybe discount the Mazda on the basis of your aversion to Ford.

 

The Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Toyota all use a very similar Aisin 6-speed auto box. Obviously engines are different. The Isuzu is just 1.9 litres - feels like it struggles a little at times. The Isuzu interior also has a somewhat spartan feel.  The Mitsubishi has the best handling, in my opinion.  Wife's younger brother has a 5 year old Hilux, about 100k km, and it feels remarkable tight. Its been trouble-free. I'd be choosing between Mitsi and Toyota.

 

Your post gives me the impression that you maybe haven't owned a pickup before, so I'm not sure what your expectations might be. They are popular in Thailand because they are classed as a working vehicle and therefore sales tax is lower than for a passenger car. Buyers therefore get a lot more metal for their money. 

The snag is that they all use archaic cart-sprung rear suspension and you're dragging that big load bed around all the time - mostly empty. With the load bed empty the ride can be a bit rough and bouncy. Handling is also a bit wayward and unsophisticated.  The size also makes driving in confined areas a PITA.  On the plus side they stand up well to Thailand's rough road surfaces and less liable to get in to trouble during a flood.

The Dmax also comes with a 3.0 and Ford sell a Ranger with rear coil springs !!

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

 How much of the Mazda pick-up truck (in Thailand) is a product of Ford?  

 

From 2011 to current, its all Ford except for some cosmetics.

[HauptmannUK]

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

The Dmax also comes with a 3.0 and Ford sell a Ranger with rear coil springs !!

The OP was looking for a vehicle 5-6 years old. As far as I know only the 1.9 D-Max was available in the Thai market starting 2015 (RT85 series). There was certainly a 3.0 prior to that but it would be outside the OP's age range.

Ranger from the factory with coil spring rear suspension rather than leaf?  Are you sure?

Edited June 26, 2020 by HauptmannUK

[Don Mega]

16 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

The OP was looking for a vehicle 5-6 years old. As far as I know only the 1.9 D-Max was available in the Thai market starting 2015 (RT85 series). There was certainly a 3.0 prior to that but it would be outside the OP's age range.

Ranger from the factory with coil spring rear suspension rather than leaf?  Are you sure?

Yeah 2015 facelift the replaced the 2.5 with the 1.9, 3.0 has always been available.

 

Ranger Single cab SWB has coil spring rear end.

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Don Mega

[HauptmannUK]

2 hours ago, rumak said:

Very good post !   I know Mazda does/did have some affiliations with Ford,  but many people like the Mazda2 car........ and my question to you is:  How much of the Mazda pick-up truck (in Thailand) is

a product of Ford?   I imagine these pick ups are assembled here in Thailand .  Anyway, would appreciate your opinion on them,  as there is a nice one for sale at a place I trust in CM.

Reason i generally don't favor Ford is because many people have problems with them, though a few of our members do like them.   I like Japanese makes in Thailand as the parts are readily available and

service as well.   The Toyota (new) that i test drove was bouncy as hell . so your comment about that was right on.   I want the truck for long trips where i can put my bikes in the back easily .... and auto cause i am just getting too old to fart around with gears in the city.   

 

The Mazda and Ford were built in the same Thai factory. Only trim is different. Design was by Ford Australia. Engines are Ford Duratorq (a mixed bag IMHO) however what puts me off most is the auto gearbox, which is a Ford 6R80 (basically a modified ZF 6HP26). Not as durable as the Aisin-Warner 'boxes.

 

None of these pickup vehicles is really all that great for long distance driving. The suspension is crude and inevitably a compromise between load carrying and comfort. Personally I would try the Mitsi and the Toyota and just drop for the one I liked best, accepting the downsides.

[bodga]

3 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

They are popular in Thailand because they are classed as a working vehicle and therefore sales tax is lower

not  with 4  doors, space  cab would  be fine though, also yearly  road  tax  is  a  lot  more with 4  door than space  cab, I  know  many arent fans  of Chevrolet  but you can pick up an 18-19  plate  auto spacecab for 370k or  less still with a year or  two manufacturer  guarantee https://www.one2car.com/en/cars-for-sale/chevrolet/colorado?page_number=3&page_size=25&sort=registered_year.desc

[bodga]

3 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Wife's younger brother has a 5 year old Hilux, about 100k km, and it feels remarkable tight

I  have  an  11  year old  hilux 220k, its  needed so  far a pulley  wheel last week  on the serpentine belt (alternator  one) and a plastic  part also broke in the engine bay part of the fuel system, neither were that expensive, also the usual batteries 3  years tyres  every 100k km

To counter  that I  do see a   fair  amount of  chevorelets  with 200k km also most of the current Colorado is  still based on the previous generation Isuzu platform with different (better in my  opinion) engines than the prehistoric Isuzu 3.0 engine which they still use in their update. A  lot of work was done in 2016 to improve the Colorado in Australia and they did  a good job. Pity theyve now ceased sales. Parts  will not be a problem, they are still made in Brazil under  S10 badge, identical vehicles and Chevvy have no plans to close down that market as its strong.

Looking at reliability even Toyota does not do so well, I know they have a reliability in many peoples  minds but the reality of these  scores does not  bear that out, None of the  manufacturers do that well in  surveys  in Australia top score was 5 and  all the trucks were around 3.2 to 3.5  inc  toyota, Isuzu  came  out  best 

This is an Australian site because these  models are  ALL virtually THAI  made, no use  looking at American/European sites for reliability  issues as they are totally  different vehicles. Impossible to find this  info in Thailand , Ozzie  trucks is the best way to check.

Service of course is  another  matter and down to individual dealers, Ive had  good  and bad form toyota and chevrolet over the years.

https://www.productreview.com.au/c/utes

[LawrenceN]

I had an Isuzu DMax with a 3.0 liter turbo diesel for seven years bought in 2011. I miss it. It was too big for Mrs. LawrenceN to drive, so we got something smaller. Great performance, reliability. Had a switch to change trans to "sport mode," so great for trips to Chiang Rai and Phayao. Nice Kenwood stereo with built-in Garmin GPS. Those 1.9 liter engines came along a little later. 

[Lacessit]

I've owned a number of Mitsubishis, including a 4 cylinder Triton pickup at one stage. Excellent ground clearance, when I took it bush a farmer admired the height. After very early problems with welsh plugs in the eighties, that 4 cylinder engine and gearbox has become one of the most robust around. One company car passed on from me racked up 450,000 km before the cylinder head needed refurbishing.

I have nothing but praise for Mitsubishis, I still regard a Magna AWD (2004) as one of the best cars I have ever owned, and great value for money. Still going strong in Australia with 300K on the odometer. They are unfashionable, but the engineering is as good as anything else.

People tend to forget it was Mitsubishi that supplied the engines for the Zero, which ruled the skies in the Pacific for a lot of World War 2.

[rumak]

1 hour ago, LawrenceN said:

I had an Isuzu DMax with a 3.0 liter turbo diesel for seven years bought in 2011. I miss it. It was too big for Mrs. LawrenceN to drive, so we got something smaller. Great performance, reliability. Had a switch to change trans to "sport mode," so great for trips to Chiang Rai and Phayao. Nice Kenwood stereo with built-in Garmin GPS. Those 1.9 liter engines came along a little later. 

As you see from my photo I have a great (very) old izuzu pu that still runs great.   I also have a great toyota vios.    This post brings me into a new "realm".   A more modern truck with automatic transmission.     In my interest are now    isuzu,  mitsu  .........  hoping they have a smoother ride than

the toyota i tried.       It is very difficult to find a good used auto spacecab (2 door) ..  but i have time to

search

[rumak]

58 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

They are unfashionable

yes,  mitsos are not the favorite here..... though i had a champ (car) long ago that was really trouble free.

One downside is the resale value if i need to sell .  

[Rawairat]

Had a Mazda BT50 for 6 years and no issues apart from an drunk idiot in an old Isuzu running in to me. Luckily he was insured and paid for most of it. I looked at the Toyota’s and the Isuzu when I purchased it new, didn’t like the Mitsubishi or Ford just on style. Toyota way over priced as was the Ford. The Isuzu ran and sounded like a truck with terrible handling.  Also had a Fortuna in Phuket and was not impressed with the dealership or the car. Resale Toyota’s and Isuzu are the way to go if buying new, but second hand I think the Mazda offers better value and the dealership here is better despite being owned by the same family as Toyota. Only change I made was to get rid of the horrible dash and add a pioneer stereo with CarPlay makes the long dives more enjoyable and the 3.2l cruises nicely with the cruise control. I think even Toyota accepts Android or Apple now? 
Not sure on the Isuzu/Mazda collaboration?

[Darkside Gray]

14 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

'I do not buy Ford"

 

Your loss ????

Exactly, best on the market at the moment!

[Don Mega]

3 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Exactly, best on the market at the moment!

If I was in the market for a new Ranger I would hold off until the new model is introduced next year and grab a current model on run out sale.

[steve187]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

As you see from my photo I have a great (very) old izuzu pu that still runs great.   I also have a great toyota vios.    This post brings me into a new "realm".   A more modern truck with automatic transmission.     In my interest are now    isuzu,  mitsu  .........  hoping they have a smoother ride than

the toyota i tried.       It is very difficult to find a good used auto spacecab (2 door) ..  but i have time to

search

i don't think they made any until 2 years ago

[Lacessit]

25 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Exactly, best on the market at the moment!

You do know the expansion Fix Or Repair Daily is not an exaggeration in the eyes of some owners.

I've owned three, guess I was a slow learner.

[ujayujay]

7 hours ago, Don Mega said:

From 2011 to current, its all Ford except for some cosmetics.

......and Mazda Engine you forget!

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

......and Mazda Engine you forget!

The 2.2 and 3.2 Duratorque engines ain't from Mazda so no, I did not forget.

[Ireland32]

I just booked a 2020 Toyota Rocco, I want to be able to sell it in a few years , and I know , Toyo and Honda get good resale value

[NanLaew]

58 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

If I was in the market for a new Ranger I would hold off until the new model is introduced next year and grab a current model on run out sale.

Does the Thai new car sales market really work on that western idea? I purchased a PX1 Ranger Wildtrak a couple of months before the PX2 makeover came out (already announced) in early 2015 and there was no price break beyond the PX1 list price already being lower than the PX2 's list price.

 

Maybe Toyota dealerships with their higher market share and competition with several dealerships within one province can play that game but not sure if it is as prevalent here unless it's changed since 2015 of course?

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Does the Thai new car sales market really work on that western idea? I purchased a PX1 Ranger Wildtrak a couple of months before the PX2 makeover came out (already announced) in early 2015 and there was no price break beyond the PX1 list price already being lower than the PX2 's list price.

 

 

 

Now that you mention it I don't know for sure.

 

I forget Iam not a general public buyer and  get emailed the supplier price list and noticed the  discount's on offer.

 

Current June email from Ford lists the 2.0 bi-turbo 4x4 Wildtrak retail price at  Bt.1,275,000, I can buy it for 1,065,000....... food for thought for someone negotiating with the dealer for a discount.

[chilly07]

Had a Isuzu 4 door 3l auto for 6 years with no problems. Wouldn't touch a Ford and Toyota drivers are mad

[sanuk711]

Why not get one of those Electric "Telsa".......................there very light on Petrol...........

[Don Mega]

8 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Had a Isuzu 4 door 3l auto for 6 years with no problems. Wouldn't touch a Ford and Toyota drivers are mad

I don't think its the badge on the grille which determines the sanity level of the driver but damn the drivers of the new model DMAX sure do drive like <deleted>...

 

Typically Black in colour and jacked up on big wheels.

[rumak]

2 hours ago, Rawairat said:

Had a Mazda BT50 for 6 years and no issues apart from an drunk idiot in an old Isuzu running in to me. Luckily he was insured and paid for most of it. I looked at the Toyota’s and the Isuzu when I purchased it new, didn’t like the Mitsubishi or Ford just on style. Toyota way over priced as was the Ford. The Isuzu ran and sounded like a truck with terrible handling.  Also had a Fortuna in Phuket and was not impressed with the dealership or the car. Resale Toyota’s and Isuzu are the way to go if buying new, but second hand I think the Mazda offers better value and the dealership here is better despite being owned by the same family as Toyota. Only change I made was to get rid of the horrible dash and add a pioneer stereo with CarPlay makes the long dives more enjoyable and the 3.2l cruises nicely with the cruise control. I think even Toyota accepts Android or Apple now? 
Not sure on the Isuzu/Mazda collaboration?

was your Mazda an automatic?   if so, how did you like it

[THEN]

1 hour ago, Ireland32 said:

I just booked a 2020 Toyota Rocco, I want to be able to sell it in a few years , and I know , Toyo and Honda get good resale value

I bought a Hilux Rocco 3 years ago. Not a single problem on the first 60k km. The car still looks as new.

When I bought it I was working in NE Thailand and putting 5000-6000 km on the car every month for the first 5 months. I was never hazzled by the rear suspension on the longer trips. Maybe if I go 40-60 kmh on a bumpy gravel road, I can get the feeling of bad/jumpy rear suspension.

I bought the pick up as a work-horse and knew that the suspension would never be like a luxury car.

 

It is all about personal preferences. I think most of the pick up trucks on the market will offer similar reliability.