2.5 litre turbo diesel. Little engine banging the be-jesus out of it with a hair dryer bolted to the top to give it some grunt.
Try if possible to stick to 3lt if you want to go with turbo's if you can. 2.5 is a little on the undersize for a 4x4.
Powertrain (transmission, transfer box, and diffs) in the Nissan are usually OK, built tough and should go the distance.
Hope this helps.

Im sure its much safer then my current xr6 turbo ute. And mineral1 it does thankyou!

My ride

new 6.5ltre chev diesel
New 2 inch lift on suspension
Diff lockers
14 ltrs per 100k's
New oversized radiator
Has driven ALL day towing in excess of 40c
64,000kms of uninterupted (no breakdowns) travel , in the north of WA
Only $32,000l !!



Just my 2cts worth

byf said...

But you killed a turtle

We didn't see the turtle until we stopped, looked like it had been dead for only a day or so
Too busy looking for bait schools

ok said...

Just a quick post to ask all the seabreeze experts there thoughts on the above 4 wheel drive ute? 2.5 litre turbo diesel 6 speed manual. PLEASE HELP. i have NFI when it comes to cars.

I know 2 guys who bought this model and both had the same severe mechanical issue. They both have since got out of these cars at great financial loss.

Have a look at the new 3.2ltr Mazda BT50.

If you are worried about safety pop down to : www.manheim.com.au/passenger-vehicles/auction-catalogue?SaleTypes=NSQ&Location=NSW (cheapest price reserve) If its like Western Australia check out the salvage section. Its a good independent view indication of safety. From some of the cars i seen today no car 4wd is safe mate.My misses just wrote of a car and we were tryn to find it in the state salvage section.

Some of the written off salvage cars there have a 5 star rating but put shivers in mine and the missuses spine when seen the wreckageeses.
A 80 series land-cruiser was there and it was stowed in so much the odometer was sitting where the battery once was. you could see where they had the jaws of life nibbling into the frame and roll cage.

As for front on collisions i think that vans unprotected.
both good cars/commuters
Just remember nothing is safe on the road !!!

If your misses is going to drive it i suggest you purchase some sort of ex army tank ied proof machine.

Not worried about safety to much. If i was so worried about having an accident i wouldnt drive.

The D40's are a good a city forby, a couple of mates have em as tradie utes and they hold up ok. If yr planning on doing any serious offroading then you need to spend a few bob getting it ready.

Like under body protection, cos thier bare as under thier and all the expensive bits are exposed, waiting for a rock to smash the alloy transfer case, or a stick to pop the radiator.. you know what I mean.

Also if you put cheap deisel, like bioD or something in it the fuel pump will last about 10,000k's. And being super high psi pumps thier pricey, and crap fuel is not covered under warranty.

The towing ambition of the small utes outwiegh its capabilities as 3. something tonne is a lot to cart around, especially for a 2.5 litre donk with a smallish clutch.
and clutches arn't covered either.

So if you want a good clean comfortable ute to put the family in and the dog in the back, can't beat it!
but if you wanna thrash it, buy some thing else.

If you are looking at a ute the VW amarock is winning all the tests at the moment, it only comes in dual cab pick up though.
For the Nissan a 6 speed sitting behind a 2.5 l tells me the engine has a very narrow torque band and needs 6 gears to make it work properly.

I have just got a Hilux single cab chassis and am very impressed with it, goes well offroad and on the sand, enough grunt to keep me happy and reasonable on the diesel. I will be getting it lifted and putting some fatter tyres on it but that is almost compulsory for all these utes if you want to go offroad.

The only real one I the category to keep clear of is the great wall, have heard nothing good about them except they are cheap

Or the irrepressible delica

troopcarrier, everything else is for pansies

theDoctor said...



troopcarrier, everything else is for pansies

Factory Dual cab 70 series out this month

Torch said...

Im going through the same dilemma

I had my heart set on an SR5 Hilux but feel they havnt really kept up with the market and are still using their 2005 motor and drive gear in the '12 models.

I think the Amerok is going to give you headaches, 2L twin turbo= dramas when towing. My old man has gone through two turbos on his 2008 2L Pollo...

Im looking in to Ford Ranger 5 cylinder 6 speed 3.2L turbo they look better than the mazda BT50 but same engine/ chassis

2 cents

A mate of mine preps vehicles for the mining companys and thats what they are using at the moment, 5star rating.