Road Wisdom: Dos And Don’ts Of Driving Pickups

[raro]

They are "good value" because they are of a simpler construction than a family salon/sedan and do not have the same in-built safety features

The examples of going 180 or 200 km/h in a pickup is also nonsense, no standard diesel pickup will go faster than around 130 km/h even with the biggest 3.0DT engine available.

...not quite right, I'm afraid. Had a "race" the other day with a Toyota 3.0 pick-up. I drive a Honda Jazz Vtec and that Pick-up just pulled away, starting at 120 km/h. I finally overtook him going 180 myself (the absolute max the Jazz does....) and he was at some 170 I'd reckon. Yes, that was not really mature, but what the heck....

I am sure you are not the only one that does this

I love a good drag of the lights with that rush only a diesel engine can give you

...hehehe..someone who understands me...but seriously, those guys coming on the left lane trying to sqeeze in a gap that is barely one car long....they get the race...

[wilko]

My 2 year old Dmax 3.0DT does 130 km/h max, had it from new and it never went faster than that. AFAIK it does not have any less BHP than any of the alternatives nor have I ever seen any pickup go faster than that. Are you sure you're not just guessing? Or are you suggesting Isuzu somehow put a limiter on my pickup to make it go slower than it should be able to?

Oh, and for all those, "the fortuner has independant suspension in the back" style comments, are you suggesting that should justify the double price? Go check your facts, the cost difference is mainly caused by different taxations for the two types. http://www.thai-la.net/etc/car.htm

I'm beginning to get an insight into the way you form your opinions...I don't mention "independent suspension", but I do mention the price difference....... not a factor of 2 is it?

You also are ignoring the vast majority of opinions posted in reply to yourself....

As to the 130 top speed on your vehicle; 130 for a 3 litre sounds painfully slow; it is entirely possible that your service agent has set the system right back, this is so easy to do with a diesel especially if it's naturally aspirated. Diesels don't vary the amount of air they suck in only the amount of fuel. Increase the amount injected and you will get increased performance and less economy.

Of the pickups I have been in I can give you some idea of "off the clock" speeds: -

Vigo 2.5 turbo intercooler - 150 and still pulling away; this will go a lot quicker!!

Nissan 3litre turbo 4WD - clocked by police at 160 on the road to Surathani....

Mitsubishi 2800 4WD - 145 plus route 34 Bkk

Toyota Tiger 4WD commonrail turbo auto 145 all day!

Toyota tiger 3ltr naturally aspirated 4WD -140 no problem. To Trat…

[marshbags]

Just to reinforce my point in a pickup, as they have very little in the way of crumple zones (this is due to the construction, body ontop of frame as opposed to a monocoque used by most cars) the forces of the impact will be transmitted through your body instead of being absorbed by the vehicle. So your insides get rammed against the inside of your ribcage at a force not much less than what the pickup got when it hit the wall. And thats what kills you. And thats why most accidents in which people die here in thailand are in pickups. But don't worry, your safe because its "Strong" right

Still at the end of the day the best thing to do is as you say drive carefully and try not to hit anything or if you do, don't hit it hard

While i was reserching the safety features of the Dmax the following web site gave me the following info :- http://www.sonirodban.com/isuzu.html#Safety

Safety

Protected Environment

The cabin of the Isuzu D-MAX is a very safe place to be, thanks to a variety of features specifically designed for occupant protection. Body construction boasting a reinforced chassis frame with front and rear crushable zones, reinforced centre zone, door beams for all side doors, and reinforced front bumper, maximise all-direction impact absorption. Adding to occupant protection is a collapsible steering column, standard front and rear 3-point ELR seatbelts and front-occupant SRS airbags.

Active safety features, which help drivers avoid accidents, include ABS brakes and high-mount stop lamp.

Other features making your drive a safer experience are larger windshield and front wipers, brighter headlamps, and child-proof door locks, plus a comfortable, ergonomic cockpit with high-legibility meters and comfortable seating for reduced driver fatigue.

High-mount stop lamp is prominently located above the rear window to warn following drivers of sudden stops Rear-window defogger turns off automatically once window has cleared, enhancing rear visibility

Day-and-night rear-view mirror significantly reduces the distraction of reflected headlamp glare from following vehicles Both front and rear side ELR seatbelts feature adjustable shoulder anchors

While most pickups offer 3-point ELR seatbelts for side occupants, Isuzu D-MAX Crew Cab includes a standard rear centre 3-point ELR seatbelt. Parents with small children will appreciate the child-proof rear door locks equipped on the Isuzu D-MAX Crew Cab

Front ventilated-disc brakes gripped by powerful 2-pot calipers are backed up by reliable drum brakes in the rear

Wheel-stoppers prevent tyres from intruding into the cabin in a frontal collision

Side-door beams minimise cabin deformation from side collisions

There wasn,t a mention of what you refer to and in fact the rating for safety was excellent.

I also did not find any detrimental from U.K. sources.

One friend is a long distance lorry driver and travels world wide on various duties,

You should hear some of the stories he tells about " vegetables " driving about.

He reckoned that that the later Dmax is sound from a safety point and even downloaded a report feature from one of the top auto magazines he,d actually read and had saved from a couple of months previously.

Looking at the last few posts regarding drag racing ect. I,d like to hope your joking.

If not, these comments say volumes for your driving mentality and puts you in the catergory

along side all the very people that are responsible for lots of the accidents in Thailand.

These type of drivers speed off oblivious to the chaos the leave behind along with all the zombies stupid enough to follow................................. yes we,ve all witnessed this.

marshbags

[wilko]

My 2 year old Dmax 3.0DT does 130 km/h max, had it from new and it never went faster than that. AFAIK it does not have any less BHP than any of the alternatives nor have I ever seen any pickup go faster than that. Are you sure you're not just guessing? Or are you suggesting Isuzu somehow put a limiter on my pickup to make it go slower than it should be able to?

Oh, and for all those, "the fortuner has independant suspension in the back" style comments, are you suggesting that should justify the double price? Go check your facts, the cost difference is mainly caused by different taxations for the two types. http://www.thai-la.net/etc/car.htm

I may have missed the point here but it would appear that the website you suggested is the Thai consulate in LA and refers to importation of vehicles...as the Isuzu is built here in Thailand I can't make out the relevance...

Marshbags, you are quoting an advertisement for Isuzu by their exporters! They’re hardly likely to say we're sorry but the kind of construction we use makes our vehicles inherently less safe than a monocoque vehicle.

Any of the safety features mentioned could be applied to any vehicle on the market nowadays (yes, they are safer than they used to be) but it doesn't alter the basic case. The fact that they spend so much space emphasising the safety features of the vehicle only underlines that they are particularly sensitive to world-wide concerns over pickup safety.

[moonoi]

There wasn,t a mention of what you refer to and in fact the rating for safety was excellent.

I also did not find any detrimental from U.K. sources.

One friend is a long distance lorry driver and travels world wide on various duties,

You should hear some of the stories he tells about " vegetables " driving about.

He reckoned that that the later Dmax is sound from a safety point and even downloaded a report feature from one of the top auto magazines he,d actually read and had saved from a couple of months previously.

Looking at the last few posts regarding drag racing ect. I,d like to hope your joking.

If not, these comments say volumes for your driving mentality and puts you in the catergory

along side all the very people that are responsible for lots of the accidents in Thailand.

These type of drivers speed off oblivious to the chaos the leave behind along with all the zombies stupid enough to follow................................. yes we,ve all witnessed this.

marshbags

Yes I was joking, You'll notice the comments about drag racing etc were not made by me. I don't advocate drag racing on public roads. However I do believe most people have partaken in that particular activity from time to time for whatever reason. May even have done it myself in my youth

What I would be careful of is using UK based sources as vehicles sold there are not the same as those for the Thai domestic market.

My brother-in-law works in the car industry back in the uk. Its well known that a ladder frame chassis with a body bolted on top is not as safe as a monocoque construction in the event of an accident. Yes the current crop of pickups are about as safe as you can get, but they still don't offer anywhere near the level of safety as a car. Obviously the one thing that gives its ability to carry heavy loads is the same thing that makes it more dangerous.

Anyway I'm not knocking trucks, I quite like the styling of them myself. I just personally think that they are not suitable as everyday family transport. Without a load in the back your likely to loose control much more easily under heavy braking. That coupled with a high centre of gravity......well you know what I think by now

[marshbags]

Yes I was joking, You'll notice the comments about drag racing etc were not made by me. I don't advocate drag racing on public roads. However I do believe most people have partaken in that particular activity from time to time for whatever reason. May even have done it myself in my youth

What I would be careful of is using UK based sources as vehicles sold there are not the same as those for the Thai domestic market.

My brother-in-law works in the car industry back in the uk. Its well known that a ladder frame chassis with a body bolted on top is not as safe as a monocoque construction in the event of an accident. Yes the current crop of pickups are about as safe as you can get, but they still don't offer anywhere near the level of safety as a car. Obviously the one thing that gives its ability to carry heavy loads is the same thing that makes it more dangerous.

Anyway I'm not knocking trucks, I quite like the styling of them myself. I just personally think that they are not suitable as everyday family transport. Without a load in the back your likely to loose control much more easily under heavy braking. That coupled with a high centre of gravity......well you know what I think by now

Thanks for your latest comments moonoi which i for one appreciate.

I am at this time researching the export of my Thai Dmax and what mods will be required to get it certified there for registration.

I hope to get some feed back eventually with details and also much it,s going to cost me.

I,ll will post any feedback as and when i get it.

I got some useful advice from another thread in the motoring section i started on the subject and will follow that up at the same time.

marshbags

[chanchao]

I completely don't agree with the article. The problem is first and foremost with the drivers! The rest is just sales statistics.. in up-country Thailand, where drunk driving without lights on the wrong side of the road is rife, you simply don't see passenger cars, only trucks. 'Cars' are an urban middle class thing, i.e. for Bangkok mostly.

> I do a lot of driving in BKK and the North ... I see daily accidents often several perday I

> cannot recall an accident that did not have at least 1 pick up involved

Once you leave the city you see very few passenger cars, period. But when driving in the city, in entertainment areas, at like 2am, and you see a crash site, chances are it's some kid's pimped up Jazz or City or Nissan NV.. These people are very capable of killing themselves no matter whast vehicle you give them.

Seriously, if you give all drunk upcountry farmers a Honda Accord they'd STILL kill themselves and their families.

Time for a pick-up truck appreciation thread.

[raro]

...and here a brilliant example of how-not-to-do...saw that one on my way to work this morning. Truck wanted to turn right, pick-up apparently overtook the truck on the left, also with the intention to turn right. Truck driver didn't see the pick-up, road was free and he drove off...smashing the pick-up.

[moonoi]

Thanks for your latest comments moonoi which i for one appreciate.

I am at this time researching the export of my Thai Dmax and what mods will be required to get it certified there for registration.

I hope to get some feed back eventually with details and also much it,s going to cost me.

I,ll will post any feedback as and when i get it.

I got some useful advice from another thread in the motoring section i started on the subject and will follow that up at the same time.

marshbags

No problem!

From the top of my head you'll need glowplugs (for those cold uk mornings) and I believe the thai dmax doesn't have a heater in the cab. or you could just buy a nice warm ski jacket instead

[The Dan Sai Kid]

The European New Car Assesment Programme independantly crash tests all new cars and gives them a rating. The Honda Jazz gets 4 out of 5, which makes it very safe in a crash.

The address is:

www.euroncap.com

It's very interesting reading

Unfortunately, they don't test commercial vehicles, yet. But, according to them a Honda Jazz is safer than a Jeep Cherokee!

[rcalsop]

The European New Car Assesment Programme independantly crash tests all new cars and gives them a rating. The Honda Jazz gets 4 out of 5, which makes it very safe in a crash.

The address is:

www.euroncap.com

It's very interesting reading

Unfortunately, they don't test commercial vehicles, yet. But, according to them a Honda Jazz is safer than a Jeep Cherokee!

Thank you for backing up my comment ( from earlier in the the thread ) the safest vehicles crumple the most... absorbing hugh amounts of energy and reducing the impact to the internal organs /brain in the human body ....the Jazz is safer than many so called strong cars including Landrover Freelander which was very poor as the passenger cell was severly damaged . I repeat my observations from body shops was the pickups looked less damaged at first but they all had damaged passenger cells . The Jazzes looked very bad but were all repairable and had working doors . Think about the student party trick of crushing a beer can on your forehead ..empty and it will crumble like a concertina absorbing the energy and apart from a mild redring you are okay , leave the can full and pressurised and try it .....ie now it is stiffer / stronger and stops the crumple... you will cut your skin and likely fracture the bone below , and certainly hurt your hand .

[Khutan]

Pickup drivers usually come from lower rungs of social order and that might explain their daredevil attitudes towards safety. <snip>

Thanks for that

My 2 year old Dmax 3.0DT does 130 km/h max, had it from new and it never went faster than that. <snip>

Do you have something stuck under the Acelerator Pedal ?

Like another Poster, my 3 Lt Nissan hoots along also at 150+ Mind you I don't like driving it that fast, it really chews up alot of diesel at that speed.

[chanchao]

I love pick-up trucks, but of course there's no arguing the orignal posters point that they shouldn't be driven at speeds like 150 or more. They're honestly not that suitable for that.

But it's okay, because we still get to out destination even though there's flooding or we have to take an unpaved road or have to bring a USA sized refrigerator.. No problem.

And we don't whine when we take the dog back from swimming and rolling in the mud somewhere.. And we don't scratch our heads how to transport a couple of mountain bikes, or anything else when going on trips.

They're the perfect recreational vehicle, not just for hauling cabbages. But indeed, don't drive them at 150 kph. (Frankly, don't drive anything at 150 kph in Thailand, the roads weren't designed for that, either.)

[wilko]

I completely don't agree with the article. The problem is first and foremost with the drivers! The rest is just sales statistics.. in up-country Thailand, where drunk driving without lights on the wrong side of the road is rife, you simply don't see passenger cars, only trucks. 'Cars' are an urban middle class thing, i.e. for Bangkok mostly.

> I do a lot of driving in BKK and the North ... I see daily accidents often several perday I

> cannot recall an accident that did not have at least 1 pick up involved

Once you leave the city you see very few passenger cars, period. But when driving in the city, in entertainment areas, at like 2am, and you see a crash site, chances are it's some kid's pimped up Jazz or City or Nissan NV.. These people are very capable of killing themselves no matter whast vehicle you give them.

Seriously, if you give all drunk upcountry farmers a Honda Accord they'd STILL kill themselves and their families.

Time for a pick-up truck appreciation thread.

I reckon you've missed the point here...of course there are more (and crappier) pickups in rural areas, of course drunk drivers endanger themselves and others, but what the posters are saying is that given all the other factors the pickup is a deadlier machine to have a crash in.

[Plus]

What's wrong with "pickup drivers come from lower classes"? Cars define people's status here. People don't buy BMWs because they go faster than pickups - they buy them for "face", for being "rod Euro". Only recently, with advent of Vigo, pickups started to look more appealing to middle classes apart from macho 4wd guys who couldn't afford Jeeps. Otherwise it's motorsai, pickup, rod yon (regular car), rod euro - in that order.

Tailgating BMWs and Benzes is a bit of an urban myth - I've been trying to spot them for sometime now and I can't help noticing that most BMW/Benz drivers are rather docile, law abiding motorists. It's not that they never break any rules - they just do it with an air of impunity, while pickups do it with an air of insanity.

There are some older BMW 5 series drivers who speed and weave in and out of traffic, but I suspect they got them second hand for the price of a new pickup.

And then there was this specimen - BMW X5 with oversized tyres and license number 1. I won't expect him to follow the rules set for everyone else.

[Phil Conners]

@rigger:

I think you may have some sort of problem with you car and your brain and you should try and get out a bit more

Comments like that just show off your immaturity and ensure you a good place in ignore lists. So you think I should get out more, while you can do stoplight racing. What a hero you are. Not.

@raro, As I've said before a lot of pickups get tuned, they're quite easy to modify to produce quote a lot more power than the standard.

@wilco, there are comments for and against. Yes, perhaps my Dmac has been "fixed", I'll ask the garage next I see them. Anyway, when going 130 km/h I am mature enought to know that the car has reached it's safe limit and don't need to show my machismo by endangering my family and other road users by exceeding that. The website was indeed from a Thai Consulate but the information is valid, I've seen a Thai website with the same info, just can't find it now. Yes, the price is about double. A top-of-the-range Vigo is about 800k, a Fortuner about 1.6M.

[wilko]

@rigger:

I think you may have some sort of problem with you car and your brain and you should try and get out a bit more

Comments like that just show off your immaturity and ensure you a good place in ignore lists. So you think I should get out more, while you can do stoplight racing. What a hero you are. Not.

@raro, As I've said before a lot of pickups get tuned, they're quite easy to modify to produce quote a lot more power than the standard.

@wilco, there are comments for and against. Yes, perhaps my Dmac has been "fixed", I'll ask the garage next I see them. Anyway, when going 130 km/h I am mature enought to know that the car has reached it's safe limit and don't need to show my machismo by endangering my family and other road users by exceeding that. The website was indeed from a Thai Consulate but the information is valid, I've seen a Thai website with the same info, just can't find it now. Yes, the price is about double. A top-of-the-range Vigo is about 800k, a Fortuner about 1.6M.

Your website does not address taxation to cars bought in Thailand!

Your price for the Fortuner is incorrect -they start at 1.1 mil and the vigo would need mant extras to bring it to the same spec bringing it to 900k or so....

[chanchao]

> I reckon you've missed the point here... [...] but what the posters are

> saying is that given all the other factors the pickup is a deadlier machine to

> have a crash in.

Hello.. Read the OP again, and then my post starting with "I don't agree with the article" [meaning the OP, of course, which was an article from The Nation, then ranting on a bit. The article didn't go into crash safety, just the probability of getting into an (any) accident because driving too fast while the truck's brakes and driving dynamics aren't up to that, according to the author of the article.]

(Do note that I'm NOT blaming the people who commented on crash safety of pickups versus passenger cars, it's normal for a discussion to evolve and explore related topics.)

Anyway, you, me, Honda Jazz vs. 4WD 4 door Ford truck, empty road, head on. Bring it on!!!

kidding. Anyway my car is bigger than yours. so there.

[jbowman1993]

As for me, I don't care how fast my pickup truck goes because I always go the speed limit, lol. I don't find fast driving to be fun, especially in Thailand. It just makes me nervous, I would rather go slower, taking my time, and having a more relaxing drive. Maybe I arrive at my destination 5 minutes later, but this is Thailand, so who cares! lol

In 20 years of driving I've never had an accident, never gotten pulled over for a ticket (in the US or Thailand), so I think I'm on the right track regarding this philosophy.

Peace

[Plus]

This is a seriously weird thread - Dmax that maxes out at 130?!? Another guy blames it on mechanics secretly modifying the truck?!? Are you out of your minds? Someone says that a Fortuner cost 1.6 mil - Manual Fortuner can be had for 900+ kilobaht, just a tad over Vigo. Yes taxes are higher, but the package is also better, and all the bits and pieces attract higher tax so it's not just take Vigo and add climate control.

Claims about pickups being less safe are completely made up - there's not a shred of evidence or statistics to back this up. Rollovers and high speed stability claims are ok, but head on crashes? Maybe if Jazz and Vigo hit the same wall at the same speed.... But if they were to hit eachother only a suicidal maniac would choose to be inside Jazz.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Claims about pickups being less safe are completely made up - there's not a shred of evidence or statistics to back this up. Rollovers and high speed stability claims are ok, but head on crashes? Maybe if Jazz and Vigo hit the same wall at the same speed.... But if they were to hit eachother only a suicidal maniac would choose to be inside Jazz.

Did you look at the NCAP website? Okay, they don't have pickups, but they have SUVs - which will give a similar idea.

I must be a suicidal idiot as I would rather be in a Jazz. You would come off better, the crumple zones are in the engine area - not in the cab, like a pickup.

Again, commercial vehicles have a less stringent level of rules that dictate safety.

At the end of the day, everyone should buy Volvos and be done with it!

[Rigger]

@rigger:

I think you may have some sort of problem with you car and your brain and you should try and get out a bit more

Comments like that just show off your immaturity and ensure you a good place in ignore lists. So you think I should get out more, while you can do stoplight racing. What a hero you are. Not.

@raro, As I've said before a lot of pickups get tuned, they're quite easy to modify to produce quote a lot more power than the standard.

@wilco, there are comments for and against. Yes, perhaps my Dmac has been "fixed", I'll ask the garage next I see them. Anyway, when going 130 km/h I am mature enought to know that the car has reached it's safe limit and don't need to show my machismo by endangering my family and other road users by exceeding that. The website was indeed from a Thai Consulate but the information is valid, I've seen a Thai website with the same info, just can't find it now. Yes, the price is about double. A top-of-the-range Vigo is about 800k, a Fortuner about 1.6M.

Taking of from a stop light with your foot flat in a 2.5 diesel is about as dangerous as crossing the street you pussy.

Driving at 130km a hour is still breaking the law and you are still endangering my family and other road users when doing it F@#$ Hypocrite

And I still think you should get that brain looked at

As for a good place in ignore lists you wouldn,t be the first one

[wilko]

“Anyway, you, me, Honda Jazz vs. 4WD 4 door Ford truck, empty road, head on. Bring it on!!!”

I wouldn’t suggest a try out but I’d rather be in the Honda… Statistically anyway… Of course there’s no such thing as a head on or “perfect” impact, there’s always an angle and it’s been demonstrated time after time that cars are safer than pickups. The down side of being in the Honda is that the pickup will disintegrate in a way that is not only more deadly for the occupants but also for people outside the vehicle

People mistake what they think is a heavier or higher vehicle to be safer…this is a fallacy.

Pickups are trying hard to improve their image; introducing airbags, side bars ABS etc but at the end of the day this is largely cosmetic, all theses features are already on family saloon/sedans plus superior impact design.

***

“

Dmax that maxes out at 130?!? Another guy blames it on mechanics secretly modifying the truck?!? Are you out of your minds? Someone says that a Fortuner cost 1.6 mil - Manual Fortuner can be had for 900+ kilobaht, just a tad over Vigo”

Whether it’s that my writing’s not clear or others have comprehension or reading problems I can’t tell but….

I’m not suggesting anything “secret” at all. I am not suggesting any modifications either, I’m merely pointing out how performance can vary with diesels. If I have my vehicle serviced I can ask for my injectors/pump to be adjusted for economy or performance – simple as that. There’s no conspiracy.

BTW if you adjust them too much you’ll get loads of black smoke!

As for the tax the guy appears to be quoting the LA Thai consulate on import duties to the States and UK so I can’t quite get my head around that.

And yes I’m sure you’re right on the price of the basic Fortuner. I think the top of the range is about 1.25 million. (list; no haggling)

****

SPEED LIMITs!

What’s the speed limit in Thailand??? – 90 kph!!!!! (120 on some motorways)

NOW - who hasn’t broken the speed limit?????

[jbowman1993]

Whatever you do, Don't drive like this guy!

[wilko]

Whatever you do, Don't drive like this guy!

a comparison - pickup vs Mini.....

which would you rather be in?????

[chanchao]

Currently I drive not over 1500-1800 rpm, around 60-70kph no matter where I go. I combine this with being in the highest gear possible, and using the brakes as little as possible, allowing the car to roll out before red lights. Also it's so cold here up north right now that I'm not using the airconditioner. (Or even want to open windows in the morning or at night).

Trying to set a new record in low fuel consumption.. Should get well over 1000 kms on on tank.. I know some pick-ups get serious mileage, in the old Isuzu I remember going Chiang Mai to Hua Hin without refuelling.. I also did a long distance drive in a CRV once (i.e. firmly in the 'car' camp dispite its SUV-wannabe-appearance) and fuel economy was just atrocious, and so was the power (torque) going up-hill. Firmly reminded me to never, EVER by a passenger car (unless it comes with a proper diesel engine).

Anyway, in trying to set the fuel economy record, I'm not sure if I'm also driving safer though.. Like, taking a turn in 5th gear and not bleeding off too much speed requires a rather wide and unexpected path around a bend. Also the rolling out seems to surprise people sometimes.. Like I'm already rolling out, then someone behind me seems to notice when already quite close behind, brakes, then speeds up again to overtake, then have to break hard for the red light that seemed to have come to him as a surprise, too.. Also I turn the engine off when having to be stationary for really really long periods of time, like some railway crossings and a few very big intersections during rush hour.

(Mind you, I do move out of the way to the left whenever possible to allow people to overtake)

[Rigger]

Currently I drive not over 1500-1800 rpm, around 60kph no matter where I go. I combine this with being in the highest gear possible, and using the brakes as little as possible, allowing the car to roll out before red lights. Also it's so cold here up north right now that I'm not using the airconditioner. (Or even want to open windows in the morning or at night).

Trying to set a new record in low fuel consumption.. Should get well over 1000 kms on on tank..

Not sure if I'm also driving safer though.. Like, taking a turn in 5th gear and not bleeding off too much speed requires a rather wide and unexpected path around a bend. Also the rolling out seems to surprise people sometimes.. Like I'm already rolling out, then someone behind me seems to notice when already quite close behind, brakes, then speeds up again to overtake, then have to break hard for the red light that seemed to have come to him as a surprise, too.. Also turn the engine off when having to be stationary for really really long periods of time, like some railway crossings and a few very big intersections during rush hour.

Make sure you post your finding have you tried this before

I think the best I have seen out of my pre runner 2.5 is about 550 to 600 km but I do have a bit of a lead foot

[jbowman1993]

"and it’s been demonstrated time after time that cars are safer than pickups."

I wanted to find some ratings to see what the general level of safety was on pickup trucks, so I went the the US government website, www.nhtsa.dot.gov On that website, they do rate trucks and provide crash test marks, and rollover marks. I looked at the 2006 models, and the results of the 2006 models would seem to indicate that trucks are equally as safe as cars.

Admittedly, they were testing US models, but this is the only comprehensive source I could locate, so that is what I am going by.

All Dodge pickup models scored 5 and 4 stars in all catagories, including rollover.

The Ford F-150s were all 5 and 4 stars, and the Ranger scored well in crash ratings, but only 2 stars in rollover.

Chevy trucks scored between 3 and 4 stars in crash ratings and 4 star in rollever

The new pickup by Honda, the Ridgeline, 5 star ratings across the board.

Nissan Frontier - 4 and 5 star ratings across the board.

Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, and Prerunner - 4 and 5 star ratings across the board.

I actually went added up all the ratings awarded (im a nerd,what can i say), and it came out to a 4 star average, for pickups in general.

Next i turned to ratings for 2006 passenger cars. This was more difficult as there were many more models.

Ford and Volvo turned in the highest marks overall, with several of their models having 5 star ratings across the board., but these were balanced by 3 and 2 star ratings turned in by our old friend GM, and Nissan, Kia, etc. The average rating for the passenger cars listed, also 4 stars.

So, what conclusions can we draw from this? Well, it would seem that pickup truck safety and car safety vary by model, but the general level of safety in both types is equal.

I would be curious to look up results from previous years, to see if pickups were lower, and have been catching up, but I am tired, and I don't want to, lol

Peace

[wilko]

Currently I drive not over 1500-1800 rpm, around 60-70kph no matter where I go. I combine this with being in the highest gear possible, and using the brakes as little as possible, allowing the car to roll out before red lights. Also it's so cold here up north right now that I'm not using the airconditioner. (Or even want to open windows in the morning or at night).

Trying to set a new record in low fuel consumption.. Should get well over 1000 kms on on tank.. I know some pick-ups get serious mileage, in the old Isuzu I remember going Chiang Mai to Hua Hin without refuelling.. I also did a long distance drive in a CRV once (i.e. firmly in the 'car' camp dispite its SUV-wannabe-appearance) and fuel economy was just atrocious, and so was the power (torque) going up-hill. Firmly reminded me to never, EVER by a passenger car (unless it comes with a proper diesel engine).

Anyway, in trying to set the fuel economy record, I'm not sure if I'm also driving safer though.. Like, taking a turn in 5th gear and not bleeding off too much speed requires a rather wide and unexpected path around a bend. Also the rolling out seems to surprise people sometimes.. Like I'm already rolling out, then someone behind me seems to notice when already quite close behind, brakes, then speeds up again to overtake, then have to break hard for the red light that seemed to have come to him as a surprise, too.. Also I turn the engine off when having to be stationary for really really long periods of time, like some railway crossings and a few very big intersections during rush hour.

(Mind you, I do move out of the way to the left whenever possible to allow people to overtake)

Just like my mother! - Remember Suez?

[chanchao]

> a comparison - pickup vs Mini.....

> which would you rather be in?????

That's not a fair comparison, comparing a European designed car with an old style American clunker of a pick-up.. At least Thai pick-ups are Japanese designed, all of them. (Even the Chevy & Ford).

Cheers,

Chanchao