Triton vs Navara vs other

[Rex Everything]

My old man is looking for a turbo-diesel dual cab ute. We have narrowed it down to the Triton glr or a Navara st.

The Triton looks like a winner with better warranty and towing capacity, but i was just wondering what all you mitsi gurus thought?

Anybody here own a Triton or can offer some insight into the pros and cons when compared to similar utes?

 

[Scottie]

My cousin has owned a Hilux, Navara and Triton all in the last year.

He said the Triton was the best and thought the other two were headed more toward the cool tradie kinda ute style.

My boss has a 2010 Hilux and although i think it looks awesome, i hate driving it. I haven't driven the other two tho.

I have a Mazda BT50 and think it is pretty good! Would like to see what the 3 litre 4WD ones are like.

 

[TomTom]

I've driven Hilux, Navara, Triton, D-Max and this Great Wall thing.

Hilux - very reliable, good to drive
Navara - I'm not sure about the new one, but the old Diesel had serious issues
Triton - couldn't complain about the ride, but it looks so small =/
D-Max - cheap compared to the top 3, haven't noticed any issues
Chinese Wall thing - I'd love to say how many of these survive more than 3-4years! Absolute rubbish...

Apparently the new Ford Rangers aren't too bad either!

I've I can choose one, I'd take the Hilux... if I'd need to buy one myself for work - D-Max from Isuzu!

 

[Rex Everything]

Cheers Scottie. I drive the BT50's at work every now and then. One of the few turbo diesels that you can feel spool up, good fun because I'm never on bitumen.

 

[bogan bob]

I guy at work has had a triton glx-r and said it was uncomfortable on long trips and it always felt very boaty when i drove it. He now has a hilux and loves it

The Navara has 6 gears which is good for long haul driving but one i drove a couple of years ago didnt seem to like dropping down gears or the revs getting too low/stalled easily, hopefully that was just the one i was driving. I like them but they are BIG in terms of width and weight. Does have more luxuries/better cab design and construction quality than the hilux. I think the Navara has the best factory towing capacity

I like hiluxes (turbo diesel) as they are really easy to drive, rev well, have plenty of power and you dont notice their weight quite as much. They also drift very well in the paddock The petrol one has stacks of power but you pay for it at the bowser. The inside is functional, built for a job, lots of plastic. Disappointing they dont have a 6th gear.

If the D-max is anythink like the old rodeo, its hideous. Pretty much just turns fuel into noise and heat, suspension was soft and spongy, seats are soft and cheap. The holden collarado ive driven a bit is very similar, i hate it and the power to tow (we tow 2-3 tons braked fairly regularly) is awful.

Id also like to have a drive of a ford ranger sometime and see how it compares, apparently they have spend heaps trying to make it a competitive product to hilux

 

[bradc]

On paper the Navara has the best engine and the widest spread of ratio's, but I've never driven any of them so I don't know what they are like in the real world!

 

[bogan bob]

Also hilux and navara consistently being in the top 10 cars in terms of sales volume/month cant be wrong

the other thing i forgot was navaras brilliant adjustable tie down point system, the only 4x4 ute to offer such a system from memory. One cool thing i remembered with the triton is the rear window that can be wound down (not much use if you have a cab on the back though )


But to be honest, it would really come down to personal preference. If your old boy has had a drive of a navara, triton or anything else he may be considering and the triton is still best to him, thats what hes going to be happy with!!

 

[JiMi]

navaras seem awesome from my experiences with them, i have a 96 rodeo and i reckon it is excelent on fuel but a bit gutless, a mate has a tron and likes it, navaras are very well build and very comfortable for a work ute (same body/engine as pathfinder just chopped off)

 

[smitty]

IMO the Navara wins first prize. I've had a D40 dual-cab ST-X since new in 2008, and my only complaint is the shit turning circle. Isuzu NPRs turn better. My model is petrol auto, goes hard as hell for an 1800kg ute, faster than my VY commodore with FE2 sports suspension and handles almost as well.
Build quality is quite decent, after 130,000k's the body and interior is still as solid as it was when new. The seats are quite comfortable on long trips. As is the ride quality. In fact i find it's dangerously comfy, don't drive when short of sleep.
Power everything, and the Fujitsu Ten (read: Eclipse) stereo is actually really high quality (i'm chasing some navara speakers to put in the galant), not what you'd expect in a work ute. There's a reason why Top Gear described them as the "executive boardroom" of the work ute range.
The diesel model is easy to drive and has alot of grunt, but is a little more truck-like than mine.
Both petrol and diesel tow quite well, although the diesel is easily more suited.
And the tie-down cleats/rails system is invaluable.

Things to be wary of: Like the hilux, triton etc its a 4x4 but not a super-serious off-roader, wheelbase is a touch too long and the ABS sensor wires are quite easy to snag and if damaged, say bye-bye to the computer controlled 4wd system, it WILL shit itself and revert back to RWD. With some lift, decent knobblys, rear locker and a snorkel they can still go a lot of places, just be realistic with any expectations.
There is a safety recall on the bonnet latches (something to do with vibration caused by aftermarket bullbars on bumpy roads at high speed), the fix is to add a strap that must be undone every time you open the bonnet, and is a PITA to undo.
Petrol auto gets about 500km per 80/ltr tank, doing mixed freeway/town.
Manual diesel youre looking at 700-750+ to a tank regardless.
Reliability vs the late model hilux I would say is on par, maybe better.


Having ridden shotgun in the current shape hilux for six months, the navara is superior in pretty much every way i can think of.

My 2 c from my experiences

 

[Poita]

Navara = Biggest tray
Triton = Biggest rear seat leg room
Hilux = ... used to be most reliable and best resale, but now the Navara's resale isn't far off. The old hilux utes were bullet proof, but the new ones are like any car and there has been quite a lot of issues with diffs, the quality isn't the same as the old ones, so quality wise they are all pretty much on the same level.

The reliability of the 3.0TD Navara engines was a bit of fan boy hype. The Patrol had the major turbo problems, not the Navara. Yeah there was some that broke but so does every style of car, just it got all hyped up because of the Patrol issues.

Nissan are doing some crazy sales if you have an ABN.

I would go the Navara because of the bigger tray, better tie down points, crazy ABN prices, fantastic towing ability and I think it looks the best!

 

[mchieff]

I had a petrol ST-X manual and it got hammered but survived better than my old rodeo. The triton is horrific to look at (WTF is that curve doing there). Boss had the Hilux SR5 auto and it sucked, it literally rolled a foot up and down depending on the corner direction. Only car i've driven (i had it for a few months waiting on delivery of the navara) where sea sickness was a possibility. Navara was good but when i put the 20's on it firmed up to the point of being comically good for a ute. Weight transfer is huge and power down good.

View attachment 9113

 

[bogan bob]

Andrew, not sure if your old boy has committed to anything yet (or made his mind up) but what about a Volkswagen Amarok?? Sounding like its going to be a pretty dam good bus, first dual cab to get 5 star safety rating and from what i understand, properly fit a pallet in the rear tub.

read about it here:
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/51444/volkswagen-amarok-highline-review

Doesnt really look like anything special but I think will be fairly popular

 

[JUSTCRUZN]

ok so had a read of this and im tossing up between a 98 dual cab hilux turbo diesel, or a dual cab 2003 turbo diesel navara!

having trouble finding a hilux that i like as they sell really quick! Anyone heard any bad things about the 2003 navara? cheers

 

[JiMi]

ive heard the earlier d22 navaras had a habbit of eating turbos

 

[Hank Scorpio]

?

 

[Slinz]

Those Amaroks look like exactly the kind of no-nonsense get the job done ute that I'd want if I ever needed a big tow-monster. Are they turbo diesel? Having driven a Golf GDi (turbo diesel) for a few weeks the motor was pretty awesome. And very good on fuel.

 

[bogan bob]

Michael, those navaras were supposed to be absolute dogs, hideous chasis and turbo probs - a mate used to have one and didnt have a good thing to say about them. The Hiluxes will go forever, just make sure you get TD, the diesel does 0-60 in about 462 minutes. Also be wary of the high centre of gravity, quite a few have been rolled over the years.

As for the Amorak, im in love!!! Its twin turbo diesel, only manual at the moment and sips very lightly on fuel. On road manners are supposed to be better than the class leading hilux and its at very least equally as capable as the hilux offroad (from early reviews in Aus). If you look at some photos, the engine appears to sit fairly low, which i think would greatly lower the centre of gravity and it sounds like it handles more like a car as a result

 

[JUSTCRUZN]

Thanks dion for the info almost settled for a navara, thanks for changing my mind and making the right choice! Found a hilux but I need another 2k lol think I might hit my parents up for a loan till the leggy sells or parts out!