Well I was convinced that I'd be welcome to start a new build thread on here even though it's not a Patrol.
What happened to Tesy? She was unfortunately written off after a triton smashed into her at 90km/h. She was parked and asleep at the time so at least there wasn't any battle with insurance
I did contemplate chopping the Patrol but there were various other reasons to sell, and the Triton ultimately decided for me
I decided I'd get something brand new that required as minimal mods as possible to do 4x4/touring and still be a comfy daily driver.
Okay so all the new dual cabs are fairly similar. With that in mind, my three biggest factors were the following
So with that criteria, there was basically only one vehicle that fit
Yep. Ford Ranger with the 5 cylinder 3.2.
I got the XLS as it's the cheapest trim in the 4x4, with a payload of 991kg
I got the 3.2 as it's a well tested and strong engine.
The supposed transmission issues only appear to affect those who tow heavy loads, and is easily remedied by an aftermarket trans cooler. I don't tow and didn't even have a tow bar fitted. Will monitor temps with the scangauge in any case.
There are no other significant engine issues to worry about.
Why not the XLT/Wildtrak etc?
Because they just bolt stuff on which comes out of the payload, then charge an extra $10-30k for it.
The XLS still has all the modcons that I care about of the higher trims like Apple CarPlay.
Misses out on things that don't matter like side-steps (sliders coming soon), 17" alloys (new wheels already on), sports bar (stupid crap), chrome bits (I hate chrome), orange stitching on the seats (covers already on), rain-sensing wipers (annoying).... The list goes on!
Why not the dmax?
Only other model I really considered. I like the idea of the 4J engine platform, but their only model that comes in under 1t payload is their top spec trim at something stupid like $75k. I also test drove a 2019 dmax and it felt like driving a biscuit tin. The ranger interior feels very fancy to me
Why not the triton/hilux/navara?
They all just kinda rub me up the wrong way. Navara has a low payload. Triton has a small engine. Hilux has DPF issues and no CarPlay
So there we go. I'm now driving a Ford Ranger which has been abbreviated to "Franga"
What happened to Tesy? She was unfortunately written off after a triton smashed into her at 90km/h. She was parked and asleep at the time so at least there wasn't any battle with insurance
Now truth be told, she was up for sale at the time anyway. It was a hard choice to make, but ultimately I decided I needed a dual cab ute as my "everything" vehicle. I bought my first house and am doing all the renovations myself, and it just made sense.
I did contemplate chopping the Patrol but there were various other reasons to sell, and the Triton ultimately decided for me
I decided I'd get something brand new that required as minimal mods as possible to do 4x4/touring and still be a comfy daily driver.
Okay so all the new dual cabs are fairly similar. With that in mind, my three biggest factors were the following
- Payload
I wanted as high as possible without exceeding 1000kg (novated lease rule). It was far too easy to go over GVM on the patrol with it's payload of only 550kg
- Fit 33" tyres (legally) on stock suspension
The reality is, I can do 90% of the trails I want to with stock suspension, provided I have a good set of tyres
- Cheap
nuff said
So with that criteria, there was basically only one vehicle that fit
Yep. Ford Ranger with the 5 cylinder 3.2.
I got the XLS as it's the cheapest trim in the 4x4, with a payload of 991kg
I got the 3.2 as it's a well tested and strong engine.
The supposed transmission issues only appear to affect those who tow heavy loads, and is easily remedied by an aftermarket trans cooler. I don't tow and didn't even have a tow bar fitted. Will monitor temps with the scangauge in any case.
There are no other significant engine issues to worry about.
Why not the XLT/Wildtrak etc?
Because they just bolt stuff on which comes out of the payload, then charge an extra $10-30k for it.
The XLS still has all the modcons that I care about of the higher trims like Apple CarPlay.
Misses out on things that don't matter like side-steps (sliders coming soon), 17" alloys (new wheels already on), sports bar (stupid crap), chrome bits (I hate chrome), orange stitching on the seats (covers already on), rain-sensing wipers (annoying).... The list goes on!
Why not the dmax?
Only other model I really considered. I like the idea of the 4J engine platform, but their only model that comes in under 1t payload is their top spec trim at something stupid like $75k. I also test drove a 2019 dmax and it felt like driving a biscuit tin. The ranger interior feels very fancy to me
Why not the triton/hilux/navara?
They all just kinda rub me up the wrong way. Navara has a low payload. Triton has a small engine. Hilux has DPF issues and no CarPlay
So there we go. I'm now driving a Ford Ranger which has been abbreviated to "Franga"