Which Ute To Buy

[warps]

I've had my 2.5 TDi pathfinder for a year and 36,000km now without a hitch. That includes belting around mine sites, towing the rally car interstate, beach and bush 4WD'ing. The only criticism is that the back shocks are a bit soft for towing - it tends to bounce a little.

As for the new navaras / pathfinders being unreliable - that's utter crap. Every brand has the odd dud - that's what warranty is for. just coz you might see one in a workshop doesn't mean they are all cops.

Those who say not to tow with a manual probably don't know how to drive. In the long term, clutch wear can be a problem if you're doing hill starts all day with 2 tonnes on the back, but I've never worn out a clutch in any of my towing vehicles, and they've all been manual.

The Tdi has heaps of power for towing and general driving. It needs a few revs to keep up with traffic at the lights (if that's important to you) but once on the boil, it has no trouble keeping up or overtaking.

I've also heard good things about the Mazda BT50 and the new Mitsubishi TD's.