Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

The L200 is top of my list.

I’ve started a new job that will involve some, but not a lot of driving. My ideal car would be an Audi a8, but I couldn’t bear to throw a tonne of horse manure in the back of it. My wife would prefer an suv, but again it would need to be kept super clean. My thinking is; the cab can be super clean but the flat bed anything goes.

It’s only going to be 200 miles a week maximum but it would be nice to be comfortable.

My mate got a Ranger for similar reasons. It's nice, albeit not as roomy as I expected.

Previously used a Passat which has a colossal boot and even more so if you drop the seats, but ultimately didn't like the cross-contamination from building crap.

how often do you need to shift a tonne of horse manure?

I had a Ranger for 2 weeks when an idiot hit my l200 with a dumper, it sort of worked but I was very glad to get rid of it. I still see my 2003 l200 being driven around, the Ranger is made by Ford. The only alternative I would touch (with my own money) is the new Isuzu. With someone else's money I would have the VW.

why not the Hilux? I drove one quite extensively at one point, admittedly many years ago, and as agricultural vehicles go it was ok. It drove better than a Mitsi Shogun of the same era (admittedly a low bar).

The current Hilux are said to bounce around a little less than the the L200.

Because you're paying Toyota tax. Do you have long waiting times over there? It's two years for some Toyota models here. I went with the Isuzu because it was all round the best bang for buck.

Pollution issues aside, the D-Max has been great. The tub has been so much easier when transporting client wheelchairs and heavy stuff generally. It's been brilliant going up mountains and day to day, not too bad on fuel, still haven't been on the sand.

I found a brand new D-Max sail plane/roller shutter for cheap on MarketPlace, that's being fitted on Wednesday. The shutter is lockable so the tub will be secure now, final piece of the puzzle. Looks great too.

It was my money, so I drove everything I thought might do the job, the Hilux was a distant third (the Navarra was plain horrible). I believe there has been a model change since 2017, so I wouldn't discount the latest one if mine got totalled.

Incidentally, I was in a new Ford Raptor a week or so ago, the performance was ludicrous and the info screen was bigger than my telly. It still had Ford build quality and drank more than a rugby team on the piss. The owner wanted rid because of the fuel consumption and his other car is a MacLaren. I regularly coax 40mpg from the l200, admittedly on country A and B roads.

From everyone I speak to on sites, the l200 is by far the pick-up of preference.

The one I test drove was really boaty, didn't feel very good at all.

My mate's just about to buy one, been trying to put him off for ages. His Ranger is on its last legs.

Not my experience at all, I can easily drop most drivers on the bends of the very twisty road I live on, including fast krautmobiles. You want boaty with supertanker turning circle? Nissan is your friend....

I tried an Amarok (overpriced, under equipped), a Triton (good value but didn't like the ride) and the D-Max (felt solid and direct, good value, great engine). I used to drive a '21 Ranger at my last job, I really loved that car and if they weren't so pricey and unobtainable I would've got one of those instead, all the bells and whistles, a lot of fun. Probably why it's the #1 selling car in Oz.

I don't disagree, the Ford has all the toys and performance, the build quality isn't an issue if someone else is paying for it. To give context, total costs of the l200 since 2017 are tyres and front brake blocks. The Amarok felt seriously solid and capable, but is stupidly expensive for what it is and you get bugger all in the way of bells and whistles. By the way, the satnav on the l200 of 2017 is the ton of horse shit someone else needs to transport.

I can easily drop most drivers on the bends of the very twisty road I live on, including fast krautmobiles

Ok Jeremy, back to bed with you.

Bagged Ami!

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Not what I would normally do, but the country road I live on is frequently used as a race track and the sudden appearance of cars inches from my rear bumper is not unusual.

Quite often in the summer, then logs in the winter.

My mistake, it's actually a Raptor. Although a few years old now.

I'd say a tonne is more than you can reasonably get in the back of an estate.

We have a Skoda Superb and the back is pretty massive with the seats down, but if you need 1t payload then i guess a commercial type vehicle is the way to go.

Has anyone here owned an E53 X5 with the 2.9 M57 engine?
As stupid as it sounds the increased cost of public charging has basically made my Kona Electric (which is on finance) more expensive to own than a cheap diesel SUV would be (I can claim VAT back on diesel in Ireland but not petrol)...
Don't want a Land Rover for obvious reasons... anything Japanese will probably be a bit too pricey to make sense but would obviously be preferable for reliability...

Thoughts?

Q5?

It’s difficult because we need a clean car and a dirty car. But already have a cabriolet which I don’t want to part with.

Should have added I don't want a 4-cyl diesel ideally... they were always the ones that didn't get looked after very well.

Also I think Q5 might be too small to qualify for crew cab tax with the back seats in here... Q7 would work though.

I'm so hyped by this one. I know Josh who's doing the work and Pete who's Ami it is.

Been loving seeing the live updates on it.

Nice. I've not seen the videos but will take a look..any other mods? Speed limit removal?!

Window shopping on Auto Trader for what to replace the 2007 C-Max with when it dies (although, it fucking refuses to). 2017 Peugeot 308 sw keeps coming back when I apply my criteria to the filters. Any reason that it would be a bag of shit? Not worried about going fast, I'm happy enough with the "performance" of the 2l C-Max. Would just rather better fuel consumption, suspension that doesn't sound like it is going to yeet the axles onto the hard shoulder of the M4 (3 different mechanics said there's nothing wrong) and some more toys/driver aids.

Other options that have come that I would consider up are (estate versions, younger than 2014, <£10k, <50k miles, Auto, Petrol);
A4
Octavia
Leon
Golf
Focus