Any experience of cheaper utes - Ssang Yong Tunland etc?

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MikeAqua

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#230495 26-Feb-2018 16:01

I feel like I need a ute in my life again. Down to two kids (edit: all still alive but two have moved out) so the Pajero could go.

Does anyone have experience of the cheaper utes from the Asian marquees?

Regularly towing ~2 tonnes so diesel is a must.

Mike

mattwnz

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#1964657 26-Feb-2018 16:57

I don't have any experience with them myself. However when I was looking for a new car recently, and comparing features with the cheaper chinese cars models for instance, it appears that some models can just be licensed older models of more premium brands, that have been rebadged. So you may end up getting something that is several generations older, than the premium brands. Therefore they also may not have the same safety ratings and features. IMO you are better to buying a low mileage premium model second hand, which maybe around the same price as a new chinese model. Also after a bad experience buying a second hand ute in the past, where it had a very bad smell that was covered up by the dealer, and it ended up being returned, I wouldn't buy a second hand ute again.

Fred99

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#1964686 26-Feb-2018 17:09

The Foton I'd avoid for towing because I think it's still got a manual gearbox option only - and as they use dual mass flywheels prone to disintegrate if the clutch gets hot, automatic is the way to go with any/all of the newer generation utes.

The Ssangyong is "supposed to be ok" but butt-ugly in my opinion. I've also heard some horror stories about parts availability for older Ssangyongs. They say the engine is Mercedes "derived" or whatever, but they were old Mercedes engine blocks and apparently lots of the peripheral parts were not the same as MB, and poor parts supply caused severe issues for owners. If they say they've fixed this problem, I guess we'll know in a few more years. Until then, I'd rather rely on hindsight.

The Great Wall. Personal bias, I would just never ever buy one.

Honestly, for the same price range, I'd stick to any of the other offerings from Ford, Holden, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, VW - and would hunt around for a good used example of any of those makes before considering any of the above three choices new.

mattwnz

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#1964687 26-Feb-2018 17:18

I have personally found the mazdas to be good utes, and they also retain their value very well compared to cars. I do love driving utes, although the new ones seem a lot higher up than the old models.

outdoorsnz

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#1964696 26-Feb-2018 17:38

Hi Mike,

My dad is on his 2nd Ssangyong Actyon sport diesel now and has had a great run from them. Also used to tow heavy trailers. Daily. Rated for 2.5 tons braked. See https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/maintenance/towing/towing-weights/ssangyong/

He has had a number of 4WD vehicles over the years and has really rated them. Also performs very well off-road. Though may need the lift kit added to give more ground clearance.

Worth mentioning he replaced the weld deck for a flat deck to suit his work and does look very nice.

Never heard anything about lack of parts. It pays to have a good dealer that can do the servicing as with all vehicles.

People don't know much about them. He quite often gets people leaning on the cab and saying "Ssangyong... Where is that made?"

Good buy for the price, but think they are going up in price.

Thanks

Regards

Scott

kingjj

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#1964720 26-Feb-2018 18:02

FIL recently got a 2015 Ssangyong Actyon sport diesel for a great price. 6 Speed Manual. We've all just returned from a few weeks in the MacKenzie Country with his boat. Towed the boat there and back with no issues (well he had a blow out and lighting issue on the trailer but that's unrelated to the ute). He loves the ute. It's relatively simple inside but that suits him to a T. Cost him $30 in Diesel from Chch - Twizel (300 odd K's). As the SIL I had to back the boat in and pull it out again and it seemed to have no issues on some of the crapier boat ramps around (my inability to find first gear was certainly an issue though...). Can't attest to parts or long term reliability but I know my FIL has owned a fair few utes/trucks/4wd's over the years and he is very happy with the Ssangyong. Not quite as attractive as a Ford or Mazda I'll admit but the price point is hard to beat.

Aredwood

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#1964847 26-Feb-2018 23:38

Do the sums on buying a brand new Ford Ranger / Mazda BT50 / Nissan Navara first. With the intention of selling after say 3-5 years. And there is always the Mitsubishi Triton at the cheaper end of the market also.

Resale values of utes are often so high, that in some cases buying a brand new ute can have a lower total cost of ownership than buying a secondhand one.

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lxsw20

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#1964851 27-Feb-2018 01:29

kingjj:

FIL recently got a 2015 Ssangyong Actyon sport diesel for a great price.

Which leads to my question, what is resale value like on the lesser known brand utes?

Also check the safety specs, pretty sure utes are not held to the same standards as cars when it comes to safety standards.

Fred99

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#1964886 27-Feb-2018 09:04

Aredwood:

Do the sums on buying a brand new Ford Ranger / Mazda BT50 / Nissan Navara first. With the intention of selling after say 3-5 years. And there is always the Mitsubishi Triton at the cheaper end of the market also.

Resale values of utes are often so high, that in some cases buying a brand new ute can have a lower total cost of ownership than buying a secondhand one.

There's also the Toyota, Isuzu, Holden, and VW.

I know Mazda have been discounting the BT50 - by about $10k off retail list price at the moment, for example a 2WD GLX (well optioned model) auto, with tow pack for just over $38k. They also had a capped service cost of $200 maximum. Premium for equivalent model 4WD is about $10k. You shouldn't need 4WD for towing unless for example launching/retrieving a boat from the beach or riverbank. I'm pretty sure that most makers have dumped LSD/locking diffs in favour of using traction control with an open diff, which works fine for that.

All these utes are disgustingly large to reverse and park - and I can't even see the top of my 8x4 trailer over the top of the rear tray. As well as the other safety features, a reversing camera should be mandatory in all models.

trig42

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#1964892 27-Feb-2018 09:23

I quite like the look of the LDV T60. Not sure what it is based on, but my feeling is that the LDV commercial vehicles are pretty good value for money.

Dynamic

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#1964897 27-Feb-2018 09:32

Suggestion if you can be patient.... have a look around and find what you want, then wait for Field Days Deals or 0% to 3% finance over 3 years deals or 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 deals which can make buying new a reasonable option.

I went for a new vehicle almost three years ago and asked if they could do a 1/3 1/3 1/3 deal that a competitor was offering, and they said yes within 15 mins after checking with the higher-ups. I used some cash from a 'contingency fund' we have in the mortgage account and ended up paying very little in interest because of this as I focussed on 'paying back' the borrowed 1/3 each year.

Of course if you are in a position to pay cash, have a bit of fun haggling!

I looked at utes briefly but ended up with a wagon and didn't bother test driving any utes. The Mitsi 10 year powertrain warranty looked like a compelling selling point to me. It does tie you to a dealer for servicing.... check the fine print of course! https://www.mmnz.co.nz/warranty/terms-and-conditions/

Well done on raising some kids into adulthood. I remain impressed that all of my offspring are still alive, despite their occasional attempts to work me into using a 'justifiable homicide' defence.

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Fred99

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#1965039 27-Feb-2018 12:42

trig42:

I quite like the look of the LDV T60. Not sure what it is based on, but my feeling is that the LDV commercial vehicles are pretty good value for money.

Oh - I'd forgotten about those. The engine is a (less highly tuned) version of the Fiat VM Motori engine used in the Holden Colorado. That's not bad news.

Reviews mentioning build quality seem impressed, 5 star ANCAP safety rating, 10 year "perforation" rust warranty - cheaper than a Mitsubishi.

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MikeAqua

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#1965546 28-Feb-2018 09:59

Thanks for the replies guys. Some good food for thought, there. I'm in no hurry to buy. More pondering at this stage than anything else.

Great wall was never in the list. I hadn't thought of the LDV .... although I'm still scarred from the Fiat vans we had in the rental fleet back in the 1990's ... perhaps fiat have improved since then

If I go with a traditional marquee, then it's likely to be a field day special on a Mazda ute.

Mike