Pick Ups

[Moonhunteruk]

Ok, i would just like to see what other people think out there in Thailand.

I have just brought a new D-max i-teq Highlander 3000 absoutly love it and before this i was in love with the Vigo.

My mate brought a vigo 4x4 top of the range 6 months ago and now thinks that he made a big mistake. He says the handling in the wet is very bad the interior is ratteling already and feels it is too light for the power it has.

Well i test drove the vigo he has then the dmax which i have now brought and find that the isuzu is much stabler, comfortable, as quick as if not quicker than the vigo.

I would just like to think what other people think on this subject.

[jbowman1993]

We've pretty much killed this topic, as you can read here. But I'm always interested in more pickup banter.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45583

[Thaiboxer]

D-Max was (still is?) number 1 in Thailand for a while. The Izuzu is a reliable, well-built truck but they tend to shake a lot and get noisy after a while.

Vigo has a nice interior but some complain about the brakes, suspension and some parts being of lesser quality than the Hilux Tiger.

I think either one would serve you well provided you gave it clean fuel, clean air and clean oil.

[johnh101]

I have checked out the Isuzu, Fortuner, Vigo and Triton and to be honest I am still struggling to make up my mind. I want 4 door and 4wd with the full spec.

IMO.

The Triton, though ugly at first grew on me and the interior is by far the more comfortable and the sliding rear window is one of those little things that could swing a deal. But it is more expensive when you start paying for the non standard extras like decent wheels, spot lamps, bed liner etc. And then every Thai says it will have no resale value. I liked the Fortuner also it seemed to bring more to the party than its sister the Isuzu, but again everyone says it will have no resale value.

That leaves the Isuzu and the Vigo, I like them both. Yes the Vigo is a bit light at the back and you can feel it swing on the tight bends, but its a pick up not a Ferarri and should not be driven like one. It was awsome off road, I took it up the side of a mountain and down the other side and never once did I feel it had a problem. I have driven my friends Isuzu and it impressed me also it was a very comfortable ride, but I never got the chance to take it off road.

So what am I going to get...............probably the Isuzu, good value, good resale, eay to maintain and gets a far better fuel consumption compared to the Vigo.......

But then again I may change my mind after coffee !

[RamdomChances]

Well, I've got a 4door, 4wd Isuzu and my brother-in-law has a 2wd Vigo which I regularly drive. I have to say that IMO the Vigo beats the Isuzu in nearly all respects (I have a bit of a lead foot as well).

The performance, and ride of the Vigo is much better and I consistantly get better fuel consumption form it, so much so that we often borrow the vigo for long trips as its cheaper.

Handling and road holding I find they are both on a par with each other remember one's a 4wd (although driven in 2wd) while ones not, most 2wd's I've found tend to have better ride and handling caractaristics than their 2wd counterparts. All the pick-up's IMO tend to be a bit light at the back when un-loaded and care should be taken expecially in the wet, when the back end goes it usually goes suddenly with little warning, the Isuzu tends more to drift at high cornering speeds but this may be due to the wider tyres on the 4WD

Durability, well thats a hard one, I'd say that the Isuzu is probably better, but the Vigo I drive is still less than a year old, but has no problems , shakes, or rattles, saying that neither does my Isuzu (about 2.5 yr old) and the Isuzu has a much harder life then the vigo, and has clocked up about 160,000 km since I bought it.

Resale I think they would both be about the same but second hand prices of the Isuzu may be hit when they bring out a new modle. Looks are very subjective, but I think the Isuzu is a better looking car.

RC

[Thaiboxer]

I've ridden in a Vigo for a day and I found the ride to be smooth and comfortable. This was a 2wd one with a manual transmission and turbo charger. I really like the large front seats with plenty of head room (can't say the same about the Mitsubishi Strada). The cab is pretty much the same as the Hilux Tiger; perhaps a couple centimeters wider. The roomy interior comes from the Vigo being based off of the Tacoma in the US. The engine was smooth and quiet for a diesel.

When looking around at new car displays, I found the Vigo to be considerably cheaper when compared to Izuzu. However, if you opt for automatic transmission, 4wd, plus all the other bells and whistles the price can shoot right up to around 800k or more. I've heard that the Izuzu gets 15km per liter and if that's true, it should be better mileage than the Vigo which probably gets around 12 or 13. Some folks dislike the long shift lever in the Vigo with the manual transmission but I find it easy to use. The Chevy Colorado has a much shorter shift lever which requires you to reach down further to get to it.

[jing jing]

One thing to check out if you're looking at the 4 door models is the spaciousness of the rear seating area. That's what swung the deal for me in favor of the Toyota Hilux Tiger. I sat in all the back seats and found the Toyota was the only one that had a comfortable, car-like rake on the backrest and ample legroom even with the front seats slid back. There's even a fold-down armrest and a cupholder in back, nice touches that are appreciated by rear seat passengers on long trips.

I also noticed that the D4D commonrail engine seemed smoother and more powerful than any of the competitors.

Finally, Toyota offers the Prerunner configuration, which is basically a 4WD ride height and heavy duty drivetrain without the transfer case and front diff... a nice compromise between 2 and 4WD.

[Thaiboxer]

I agree with what was said regarding the back seats...many of today's models do not provide much room in the back making a four door truck not much different than a two door with a cab. I felt a bit cramped when I sat in the back of a Chevy Colorado which is basically the same as the Izuzu D-Max.

The new Mitsubishi Triton is supposed to provide ample backseat space on their four door models. The look of the this truck is a bit off putting for many people but other than that most reports I've read have been positive.

[Plus+]

There's one Thai auto magazine that breaks the sales numbers by models, and, while having the overall lead, Isuzu trails very badly in 4wd segment. It't the Thai customers judgement.

That was before 2wd Vigo in Prerunner form - high suspension and tough looks to match bestselling Isuzu Highlander.

Vigo is not based on Tacoma - it's Thailand's own Toyota IMV project with the same platform spread over pickups (Vigo), SUVs ( Fortuner) and, MPVs(Innova ).

Isusu is doing a great job beating Vigo that is supposed to be the next generation vehicle having put 30 bil Baht in IMV project.

What will be the next D-Max due out very soon? Will it keep up with Vigo? Does Isuzu have enough resources to keep up with Toyota in terms of design and enginering?

Due to the global reach and economies of scale Toyota is able to build trucks cheaper than Isuzu. How will it work out in the long run?

I would't bet on Isuzu - the company is nearly bankrupt outside of Thailand.

[Neeranam]

Does anyone know which one is the safest in a head on crash at 40 mph with more than likely another pickup?

[Thaiboxer]

Vigo is not based on Tacoma - it's Thailand's own Toyota IMV project with the same platform spread over pickups (Vigo), SUVs ( Fortuner) and, MPVs(Innova ).

Thanks for the note on the Vigo. It looks as though Toyota's foothold in the market would be hard to beat; there are Toyota dealers/service centers virtually everywhere these days. They always seem to have the latest technology and I believe Toyota was the first to introduce the commonrail injection system which improves mileage. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Izuzu over the next few years.

[johnh101]

I went yesterday to the Toyota dealer and was told that there is a 4 month minimum waiting list.

[steveromagnino]

But it is more expensive when you start paying for the non standard extras like decent wheels, spot lamps, bed liner etc. And then every Thai says it will have no resale value.

But then again I may change my mind after coffee !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mitsi has a reputation of very bad service, expensive parts and this is mostly what makes it poor resale. Also, it is not a heavy weight in pickups like Toyota and Isuzu.....

How's that coffee worked out for you? Decide yet?!

[terdsak_12]

I went yesterday to the Toyota dealer and was told that there is a 4 month minimum waiting list.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where was that? I'm picking up Vigos in 3 days usually.

[johnh101]

I went yesterday to the Toyota dealer and was told that there is a 4 month minimum waiting list.

Where was that? I'm picking up Vigos in 3 days usually.

The dealer on Sukhumvit Road North Pattaya. Where are you getting yours from ?

[Emilio]

The VIGO is for sure faster than the Dmax!!! The Isuzu Highlander is so terrible in wet condition as the Vigo is also. The Vigo is far more silence than the Dmax! But the Dmax fuel consuption is really good! Its really up to you, they are both ok trucks.

I got myself the Fortuner, and Im really happy with it! Its the best buy! I pimped up my car a bit...changed wheels, brakes, suspensions....and its great. I toped 195Km/h on its still and smooth!

I got my car just in 1 month...others wait for 4-5 month. You can call this Toyota salesman (Mr. Jame) 01-911-7526 Toyota dealer (Vorajak) Petchburi Rd!

[jbowman1993]

Please let me know where you have been driving at 195kph, so I can stay far away from you.

Peace

[Emilio]

If you are heading to Pitsanulok...after passing by Nakon Sawan..all the way to Uttradit...n u see a black Fortuner....give way dude!!!! check it out on ur post...show us ur ride...got some pics!!!

[Moonhunteruk]

This four month waiting list is also true in Trang, not sure about the 4x4 but the New Prerunner has a minimum 4 months wait.

I am not sure how well the prerunner will this match up against the Hilander as as i said in an earlier post the Vigo 4x4 is very shakey in the wet and to have the same pickup without the much needed 4 wheel drive i could see many new 2wd prerunners losing it.

[supermanny]

I have a 2006 vigo and I have a problem, my truck has 84 k kilometer and every time the engine is cold or has been off for more that 1 hour it smokes with ans missfires for 2 or 3 minutes until it warmes up.

Any idea on whaty could be causing this would be very usefull.

supermanny

[Bung]

Sounds like the glow plug system is not working. When you start the car, turn on the ignition and wait a few seconds before starting it. You will see a light on the dash that looks like a coil come on for a second or two. This heats the cylinders and should stop it running rough as you describe. If it is still bad just take it to a dealer, it is still under warranty.

Having said that I am amazed at how quickly the glow plugs come on for in the Vigo. Older diesels glow plugs stay on for much longer but it seems to work.

[Disting]

My one is so quick, I have never noticed the glow plug symbol. I start it like a petrol engine car. Key in and turn. Starts perfect every time.

Supermanny, take yours back to the dealer. Thats not normal.

[moo9]

I have my Vigo 4x4 for almost one year now. It is a great car, never had any problem and it is fun to drive. Even in wet conditions no problem, cause that is when I switch to 4x4.

I have never driven a D-Max and have no need to do so, as I am totally satisfied with my Vigo.

Moo9

[Monkeypants]

I have a 2007 Isuzu Hi-lander (although I still live in UK, Isuzu in LOS)

My only complaint is that the front seat belt anchor, which is located on the side of the seat, digs into my side , don't notice it on short journeys but you do on long ones.

I ain't a big bloke either, anyone else noticed this?