Thread: New Ute Dilemma

Originally Posted by Tahr

I don't have to do this but here's what Im considering.

Current ute is a late 2020 Ranger PX3 XLT (wellside). 95,000km. Ive had a "habit" of moving my utes on before 100,000km. Strange behaviour maybe but thats what I do.

I travel 30K a year. Long trips. Not much towing but no more than a trailer and quad. About 80% tarmac. 15% gravel. 5% off road

If I buy a new one as proposed it will be my last new vehicle before a zimmer frame. Thats a certainty. Im not flush with dosh and Ive budgeted $20k swap over price (ex GST). There is some depreciation payback on a new vehicle but not huge.

Options to swap into something else new (all with deck liner, mats and towbar) are:

Net of GST and including trade on Ranger.

Options:

Mitsi Triton VRX (run out model)
$19,475.00

Toyoto SR5 Cruiser
$29,190.00

Ford Ranger XLT
$26,061.00

Or I could run my current well set up Ranger to around 200,00km and then get the zimmer frame.

What option looks the best and why?

I’d stick with the Ford and buy a few more toys, mines done 250 k and I’ve got my first concerns, but up to date , I’ve done an EGR bbq at 150k, $1300, 2 sets of front pads. Regular Filters and oil, and tyres.
Mines starting to show its age now, but I’ll keep it a few more years, trays always full of tools and shit
Keep that 5 cylinder motor

I assume you are reaching or you have reached the age of retirement in NZ, and you have a house without mortgage. And, for sure you do `t need to worry about hospital bills or pensions. So, what I like to say is choose whatever Ute you like and fits your 2024 budget. Besides, vehicle price is NZ is cheap, in my home country China almost doubled price or more, and the Ranger you are driving now the price is about $160,000 dollars, so enjoy the privilege eh.
And, you got all those deer shot down every year, 300 on average? For me, that is fortune.

Get the v6 if you get the new one :]

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Been through this exercise on the company fleet. By far the cheapest vehicle to own due to the minimal depreciation is a hilux. They come with fixed priced serving to 60,000km that’s only $325 from memory. However…..when doing long kms they are not that comfortable. It’s a compromise as off road they are great. They have a down hill accent button that is unreal in greasy conditions, it’s comparable to a brake system in a valiant to ABS breaking in a modern car.

ranger is significantly more comfortable, but that’s where it stops.

old man has always driven a Mitsubishi, he likes them but worth bugger all with a few km’s.

if you owned a hilux with 95km, your upgrade to new would probably be $15k

My vote such as it is, the current Rangers on the new platform are a bit of a pig poke so far, some are having a great run some are finding a lot of electronic and weird issues as with every new vehicle type out (until the techs have seen the new problems and got a bit of time up). I'd be thinking get a look over the current vehicle, run a datalogger on it looking at commanded rail pressure off the ECU, delivered rail pressure and the rail pressure sensor output and that will tell you a lot about the performance of the injection pump, injectors and fuel rail pressure modulation valve or suction control valve. Another is the PCM/ECU output voltage, make sure it's a nice stable 5.00V and not wandering around all over the place as that can give you an absolute headache or a ball ache, one or the other (point of view issue). The injector/injection pump repair on a 3.2L is around $9K, the ECU is either a repair or a wrecker part (I'll fill you in on costs shortly - what a bloody nightmare to diagnose that little box of fun). Also, get 'consumables' like transmission components, suspension and steering and brakes checked out for worn bits. If the thing you have checks out, better the devil you know I say or at least you have an idea what you might be in for.

Every ute in my direct experience has issues with something on all of the models, some are worse than others. The 2L bi-turbos are brake eaters, especially if heavily loaded or towing heavy on downhills as not a lot of engine braking as one example.

I really like the 3.2L engine so I’d probably keep it ( Great for towing the boat) there have been quite a few of the 2.0 bi-turbo go bang and I think only the wildtrack has the new V6 which would be nice but out of your budget, probably best to go test drive them all and take it from there.

Originally Posted by Stag

Been through this exercise on the company fleet. By far the cheapest vehicle to own due to the minimal depreciation is a hilux. They come with fixed priced serving to 60,000km that’s only $325 from memory. However…..when doing long kms they are not that comfortable. It’s a compromise as off road they are great. They have a down hill accent button that is unreal in greasy conditions, it’s comparable to a brake system in a valiant to ABS breaking in a modern car.

ranger is significantly more comfortable, but that’s where it stops.

old man has always driven a Mitsubishi, he likes them but worth bugger all with a few km’s.

if you owned a hilux with 95km, your upgrade to new would probably be $15k

Amen to that, I find the hilux's pigs of things for in cab comfort. The back seat is an avoid at all costs if possible sort of deal too... Unsure why they hold their value so well, as we've had some that have been great and some that have been utter lemon's - nothing in between. Literally, nothing in between those two marks - the most disappointing piece of crap we've used has been a Hilux, completely shagged at 90,000K's returning 56L/100Km. Nothing a new engine wouldn't fix though, and it had about 4 sets of brakes and two clutches in that time as well as electrical and suspension work. On the other hand, the one before it was still going strong at over 200,000K's and got written off by a wayward truck while it was parked. Go figure.

You buy what YOU want and to hell with anyone else. We all have little pet likes n niggles with wagons.a knitted doily on seat makes huge difference to comfort.i found rangers cramped lol.

The devil you know...

Could sit on it for a year... what's the difference in sell price for 100k vs 130k km's? Probably not significant. You could challenge the habit - live life on the edge for a bit and see what happens?

I like to buy a good reliable car at 3 yr (Prado) and 100 000kms hold onto it long time, 400 000 kms maintain it and it’s cheap motoring until all the consumables need replacing at 400 ish.

I broke my rule and bought a new V6 Wildtrack. Big bloody thing but a great drive. Only 6 months, no issues to report.


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None cheaper than the one you already own.

My 07 Courier took 13 years to get to 100K , and still only on 134000. Not changing it any time soon.

Looking myself for something new of price is right or 2nd habd .bit like looking for new boat everything has its pluses and minuses.was looking at hilux .2022plus..haven't been convince about a ranger yet.or maybe a dmax

What ever makes you happy Tahr.My father was still salmon fishing at 80yrs old,he smoked and loved whisky.You got a few yrs of hunting to go yet.

Originally Posted by Tahr

....
Current ute is a late 2020 Ranger PX3 XLT (wellside). 95,000km. Ive had a "habit" of moving my utes on before 100,000km. Strange behaviour maybe but thats what I do.

I travel 30K a year. Long trips. Not much towing but no more than a trailer and quad. About 80% tarmac. 15% gravel. 5% off road

If I buy a new one as proposed it will be my last new vehicle before a zimmer frame. Thats a certainty. Im not flush with dosh and Ive budgeted $20k swap over price (ex GST). There is some depreciation payback on a new vehicle but not huge.
...
...
...

Or I could run my current well set up Ranger to around 200,00km and then get the zimmer frame.

What option looks the best and why?

Since it has depreciation, I assume ute is under business
Personally, I would look at it this way

if business going ok and strong then I would go for it.
I would go for the ute that I like the best,
heck with resell value and on going cost, its claimable expenses anyway.

if business is doing just OK or private ute and current ute give no problem
then I would keep it and use it for another 2 or 3 years,
you will have more option by that time.

I would buy the Triton - but would go for the current version not the about to be released version, hopefully they drop the price more to make way for the new one in the next few weeks.
I own one and its been great so far!