Dual cab pickups without 4x4

londonTiger

Having had recommendations for twin cab pickups as a great business & personal good hauling vehicle (as opposed to buying a personal car and a van).

I was almost sold on the Nissan Navara, it's great stylistically and is functional too.

However, do I need a 4x4? Probably not. It adds a massive amount of weight to the vehicle as the chassis has to be heavier and the second gearbox/diff also adds weight.

I would love to own a navara but it's probably going to be very expensive to insure and run.

Did google for twin cab pickup and couldn't find any meaningful results apart from this micky mouse vehicle. There seems to be quite a lot of these in Asia, but the stuff over here are all 4x4



Are there any decent looking, & practicaly muti cab pickups around?

Also as a side note, any decent vehicles (apart from mpvs) that can be used as a van and be OK to take the missues out to dinner in?

gilbert_and_sullivan

Do lots of research on Navaras, the most reliable (and reliable dealers) of the standard twin cabs is the Hilux, and thats reflected in its used values.

Very few twin cabs with 2WD only, its usually very rare single cabs that come with RWD only.

Remember too that if your twin cab isn't 4WD its not a dual purpose vehicle, and is limited to commercial vehicle speed limits.
They are not full time 4WD, all run RWD only as standard and you select 4WD when needed, they are not designed to be run in 4WD mode on grippy surfaces, if you do then wear and damage to the drivetrain is highly likely.

All these types of vehicles are heavy on fuel, most weigh around 2 tons and are brick shaped so don't let anyone tell you that 40 mpg is the norm, it isn't and unless you drive like a saint 30mpg is the best you will see with 20/22mpg easily attainable in traffic or if you belt it.

Insurance is costly.

Alternatives could be the VW Caddy Maxi, these have huge boots, Renault do a crew version of the Traffic van, and of course there's the fashion fad of the moment VW's overpriced and overrated Transporter.

If you fancy a gamble, investigate the http://greatwallmotor.co.uk/

Rolandtheroadie

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-F150-PICK-UP-DOUBLE-CAB-AUTOMATIC-2WD-LPG-5TH-WHEEL-/331241349884?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4d1f85e2fc


Job done.

AdrianC

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Remember too that if your twin cab isn't 4WD its not a dual purpose vehicle, and is limited to commercial vehicle speed limits.

Not quite so simple. There's an "or" in the legislation's definition.

Dual Purpose Vehicles
A vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage of both passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen weight does not exceed 2040kg,
and which either;
(i) is so constructed or adapted that the driving power of the engine is, or by the appropriate use of the controls of the vehicle can be, transmitted to all the wheels of the vehicle;
or
(ii) satisfies the following conditions as to construction, namely
(a) the vehicle must be permanently fitted with a rigid roof, with or without a sliding panel;
(b) the area of the vehicle to the rear of the driver's seat must:
(i) be permanently fitted with at least one row of transverse seats (fixed or folding) for two passengers and those seats must be properly sprung or cushioned and provided with upholstered back rests, attached either to the seats or to a side or the floor of the vehicle;
and
(ii) be lit on each side and at the rear by a window or windows of glass or other transparent material having an area or aggregate area of not less that 1850 square centimetres on each side and not less than 770 square centimetres at the rear;
and
(c) the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the row of transverse seats satisfying the requirements specified in head (i) of sub paragraph (b) (or, if there is more than one such row of seats, the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the rearmost such row) must, when the seats are ready for use, be not less than one-third of the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the rearmost part of the floor of the vehicle.

So anything "goods and passengers" <2040kg ULW and 4x4 meets clause 1 - but 4x2 vehicles which meet clause 2 are also DPVs.

(Quote from http://www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/costs/safer-for-business-drivers-faqs/1047-is-my-van-a-goods-vehicle.html - but I think it's taken by them directly from the relevant legislation)

londonTiger

The navara is taxed as a commercial vehicle - thats was one of its selling points on the youtube video. So it costs £200ish for a year, but the same vehicle on a strictly 4x4 (non pickup) model is £420+

Does that automatically categorise it as a commercial vehicle and therefor confined to the restricted limits? So if you want to belt it at 85 on the motorway when its clear, and get clocked you'll get more than a fine and points?

londonTiger

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Alternatives could be the VW Caddy Maxi, these have huge boots, Renault do a crew version of the Traffic van, and of course there's the fashion fad of the moment VW's overpriced and overrated Transporter.

If you fancy a gamble, investigate the http://greatwallmotor.co.uk/

I have to say, I do like the vw styling. The transporters can be smartened up a bit with alloys and colour coded bumper (and all trim) which makes it a bit more presentable as a social vehicle as well.

The navara isn't hugely off in insurance compared to the vans, but the service costs of a 4x4 worries me.

Rover_Driver

londonTiger wrote: »

The navara is taxed as a commercial vehicle - thats was one of its selling points on the youtube video. So it costs £200ish for a year, but the same vehicle on a strictly 4x4 (non pickup) model is £420+

Does that automatically categorise it as a commercial vehicle and therefor confined to the restricted limits? So if you want to belt it at 85 on the motorway when its clear, and get clocked you'll get more than a fine and points?

It may be licensed as a goods vehicle, but if it meets the requirements of a dual purpose vehicle (as in post 4), it will be subject to the same speed limits as a car.

Ranger8

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

All these types of vehicles are heavy on fuel, most weigh around 2 tons and are brick shaped so don't let anyone tell you that 40 mpg is the norm, it isn't and unless you drive like a saint 30mpg is the best you will see.



If you fancy a gamble, investigate the http://greatwallmotor.co.uk/

I`m not quite a saint and do get very close to 40 mpg with my 3.0d Hilux
Don`t gamble just buy a Hilux

gilbert_and_sullivan

Ranger8 wrote: »

I`m not quite a saint and do get very close to 40 mpg with my 3.0d Hilux
Don`t gamble just buy a Hilux

You're a better driver than i'll ever be, mine could only manage 30mpg when i had my halo firmly in place, other wise 27mpg was the usual, but it had the auto box so probably 3 mpg down on what a manual could manage.
If anything following new injectors under goodwill (yes mine started the rattle of death) plus reflashed ECU, the fuel consumption was worse.

burlington6

''and of course there's the fashion fad of the moment VW's overpriced and overrated Transporter.''

Exactly! I have four Transporters and although they are a decent van the ''fad'' has made them stupidly overpriced. They're not as good as people make out. Stick a Kia badge on it and the VW fanatics would slag it off

Herzlos

Most of these things aren't full time 4x4, so just leave it in 2WD mode unless you need the traction. Yeah you're still carrying an extra diff about, but you're not driving something light and aerodynamic anyway.