Extended drive: 2005 Toyota Hilux 3.0d 4x4

[mbt]

vhenok,

di naman, the Hilux makes great sense as a work truck, especially for a corporate fleet. hindi nga lang masyadong comfortable para sa driver, pero kung pickup truck talaga yung kailangan, halos lahat naman ng pickups talagang trucky and feel and ride.

It just doesn't make any sense as a daily driver if you don't need the pickup bed for serious hauling.

[vhenok]

vhenok,

di naman, the Hilux makes great sense as a work truck, especially for a corporate fleet. hindi nga lang masyadong comfortable para sa driver, pero kung pickup truck talaga yung kailangan, halos lahat naman ng pickups talagang trucky and feel and ride.

It just doesn't make any sense as a daily driver if you don't need the pickup bed for serious hauling.

yup, agree po! thanks for d info & sorry for the confusion....

eto nga kasi misconception of using the pickups eh....

[mbt]

if i remember right, mas malambot yung D-Max ride. Pati Strada.

Kasing talbog ng Nissan Frontier yung Hilux na ito hehehehe

[number001]

In Thailand, a similarly equipped Hi-Lux would be outfitted with a 16" alloy like the Fortuner's (265/70 R16 7JJ ). I guess the victim of Toyota's costing cutting measures for the PDM (Phil. Domestic Market)

[carlocaraddict]

argh, the Hilux doesnt have ABS, rear defogger and passenger side airbag.

[cardo]

interested lang tagala ako sa safety ng hilux... I feel its the only thing holding it back. engine, style points, everything is no contest hands down a winner!!!! but safety? any reviews on safety? how does the absense of abs/ebd affect offroad in the rain/mud? hows about braking distance etc? 1 airbag only?

Shift on the fly ba ang 4x4 ng hilux? Hi-Low ba ang 4x4 setting nya? 4H? 4L? and ano
yun max speed when 4x4 is engaged?

I must admit, having a black hilux with beige interior is not very conveniet option coming from a detailing standpoint esp. if you are an adventurer... Hirap imaintain ang black paint, tapos dumihin pa ang beige, lalo na cloth interior pa. I know, I have a black+beige car hehehe.

nakakatempt talaga magswitch to real 4x4 truck lalo pag dumating ang flood season again...

kumusta yu pagbackup? mahirap ba? yun rear window nya maliit talaga. tapos ganun pa kalaki at katangkad yun car, talagang wala ka makikita sa likod mo lalo na't lowrider car naka tailgate sa yo? he would literally go right underneath should he hit you at the rear.

regarding the ride harshness, I think its normal in a truck. it is expected. it would exceed expectations if it was atleast SUV-like softness . Actually, mascomportable ang mga newly redesigned pickups. We had a 97 strada and it was a backbreaking endeavor for trips to the province...

I wonder how the hilux would fair against the triton and new ranger????

[number001]

Mbt, carlo, did you observe if the 3.0 D4-D appeared "smoky" (excessive and visible white smoke emitting from the exhaust during idle and acceleration).

Below is what I observed from a 3.0V Fortuner. What do you think?

I observed a Fortuner 3.0V today and I noticed that the exhaust is quite smoky and it emitted more smoke (carbon-particles) during acceleration. Is this normal for a diesel this new? I can only imagine the view of what the back of this vehicle would be like as the diesel engine gets run-in with more mileages covered.

And no, I'm not putting the vehicle down. I'm just trying to raise this concern. A sales agent is offering me a 4x4 and I'm still in the process of deciding whether to get it not.

btw, this was observed in a hot sunny afternoon, with the car on a stand still idle and driven away afterwards.

[carlocaraddict]

Mbt, carlo, did you observe if the 3.0 D4-D appeared "smoky" (excessive and visible white smoke emitting from the exhaust during idle and acceleration).

Below is what I observed from a 3.0V Fortuner. What do you think?

it was not "smoky" during idle and acceleration.

[number001]

number001,

actually, that was one thing i noticed with the hilux: it emitted very little smoke. even with the engine revved. even with the engine lugging and about to die. at idle. no noticeable tailpipe emissions for the most part.

it was not "smoky" during idle and acceleration.

Ok, thanks for the feedabacks!

[mbt]

di ko lang sure kung shift-on-the-fly yung part-time 4wd ng hilux. yes it has low-range.
backing up is very difficult, i suppose at least until you get used to seeing nothing but the roof of the car behind you!

number001,

actually, that was one thing i noticed with the hilux: it emitted very little smoke. even with the engine revved. even with the engine lugging and about to die. at idle. no noticeable tailpipe emissions for the most part.

[odell]

sayang... ayaw ko na tuloy ng hilux.. hehehe..

hinde niyo ako sinama sa backyard off roading. haha

[singkit]

first time pickup user po ako, kotse gamit ko for the last 10years. recently i bought a brand new hilux 4x2 G automatic. question ko po eh pwede ba o kaya ba nya mag tow ng auto? ang alam ko po ksi 4x4 lang ang nag tow.

thanks.

[mbt]

singkit,

kayang kaya yan. nasa 5000 pounds ata yung max. towing capacity ng hilux. on-road, walang difference na ibibigay yung 4wd sa towing performance.

[singkit]

oh ok. thanks for the info.

[mbt]

Here's my full review of the Hilux...

No Apologies From This Truck
The Toyota Hilux makes no bones about being tough

By Marvin Tan, 29 March 2006

Pickup trucks have always possessed a sense of ballsy gravitas about them, the steed of choice of the modern-day Marlboro man if he ditched his horse. No matter if many pickup trucks haul nothing heavier than pure Manila smog in their beds. For some, it’s about that active lifestyle image that a real manly pickup truck suggests.

In many ways, Toyota’s Hilux pickup would do the Marlboro man proud. For one thing, it’s huge. Bigger than a Mitsubishi Strada. And a Nissan Frontier. And an Isuzu D-Max. Bigger, in fact, than every other truck this side of a Ford F-150. In a market like the Philippines where bigger is unanimously thought to be better, the Eiffel Tower ride height of the immensely tall Hilux will make you feel drunk with power. You’ll be looking out the window at the roofs of lesser sedans. Suddenly, leviathans like Nissan Patrols and Ford Expeditions seem smaller. Only Land Cruisers sit higher, it seems.

With this all-new Hilux, Toyota has specified a full-size cabin with impressively roomy – particularly for a pickup truck – rear accommodations. Yet, unlike pickups like say, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac or even the Nissan Frontier, Toyota didn’t unduly chop the bed to make room for the generous cab. The result is a compact pickup as long as a freight train – almost 207 inches. If bigger is indeed better, then the Toyota is the best in its class. As a bonus, the cushion of the rear seat folds up for when you need more hauling space, and there are two small lidded storage bins under the floor.

The generous dimensions of the Hilux make it a great truck with which to get some down-and-dirty work done. Toyota trucks have always been backed by a reputation for unflinching durability in conditions that would make a bacterium faint, and true enough, the Hilux soldiers on with a sense of inexorable invulnerability on our cratered roads. Hey, the Hilux is after all the chariot of choice of the Taliban, and BBC Top Gear tried valiantly to kill a Hilux and failed. The body and rear seat of our well-worn test unit creaked and rattled like a rattlesnake, but there was nonetheless a feeling of a real tank underneath the stylish skin and that the Hilux won’t so easily roll over and die on a mountain trail or a pockmarked road like say, a Honda CR-V would. Ground clearance is generous. Four-wheel drive is engaged via a good ol’ reliable transfer case lever. And there is that wonderful engine that out-powers everything else in the compact pickup class. With 160 horses and 253 lb-ft of low-end torque, there’s no wanting for power in this truck. Torque is gratifyingly thick at low rpm and there’s locomotive-quality thrust as the tach swings past the middle registers. I estimate fuel economy to be at the 12 km/l mark in mixed city and highway driving.

Off-pavement, the Hilux has the basics right but requires some modifications to make it truly trail-worthy. Ground clearance is mighty, low-range reduction is adequate and wheel travel seems immense – about ten inches at the rear – but that limber suspension can’t make up for the low-grip tires or the lack of a limited-slip differential or a rear locker.

As a work truck, the Hilux is a compelling choice with only the choice of the interior color – easily soiled cream – and the roller-skate-sized tires being just about the only contentious points.

As a work truck.

Otherwise, in the real world of commuting, the Hilux is a difficult dance partner. No surprises there, really. Its size is a liability in gridlocked streets. The freight train length is a nightmare when it’s time to park. Three-point turns were the order of the day in cramped Makati office towers. The Sears Tower height isn’t such a good thing after all when you look back and can’t see any trace of that Suzuki Swift hiding behind the Hilux’s butt. Or for that matter, that Miata lurking under the truck’s right front fender. The clutch is heavy and is a pain in rush-hour traffic. The steering is heavy and doesn’t encourage spirited driving. Rowing the floppy shifter through gates that are whole baranggays apart takes deliberation. Women refuse to be embarrassed by clambering up to the extra-high cab. There’s scant covered and secure cargo space unless you purchase a bed cover or a canopy. There are hints of vibration coursing through the shifter and steering wheel. The exhaust note is decidedly anti-Ferrari, or even anti-Expedition. And finally, the Hilux, at least without a heavy load on the bed, rides worse than the Marlboro man’s bucking stallion. On the highway, the truck constantly pogos up and down sharply. Dentures will fall off geriatric mouths. Pregnant women will give birth prematurely. Spinal columns will crack and backs will break. You have been warned.

To be fair to the Hilux, these beefs apply to most other pickup trucks as well, and what makes them downright painful on city streets are what make them suitable for hauling heavy loads. Or for stuffing a machine gun and ten Taliban troops in the bed – try that with a wimpy Honda Ridgeline!

The bottom line: the Hilux is a proud truck and makes no apologies for it. If you absolutely need a pickup truck, the Hilux should be on your short list. But for everyone else, Toyota will be happy to sell you a Fortuner or a RAV4. I know I’ll be happier living with one of those. Oh, how my spine will love me for it.

[mbt]

(reserved for full specs)

[ninja_cool]

Mga sir tanong ko lang kung ano ba ang pagkakaiba ng 3.0d4d sa 2.7vvti siyempre bukod sa makina and sa 4x4, sa interior ba meron pagkakaiba or parehas lang? at pati ang ride height niya parehas lang din ba? balak ko kasi mag 2.7vvti na lang na hi-lux prang ayaw ko na ng diesel ng toyota. at ano kya ang fuel consumption nito klm/ltr. tulo talga laway ko dito sa hi-lux mganda na plano ko dito pag nakakuha ako lalagyan ko ng 20'" mags di namn ako mahilig pumanik ng bundok, porma lang ang habol ko.

[singkit]

I think walang pinagkaiba except the engine and 4x4 and the hood scoop. Mine's a 4x2 2.7vvti and consumes about 8km/liter - mostly highway - southwoods - makati roundtrip.

[ninja_cool]

I think walang pinagkaiba except the engine and 4x4 and the hood scoop. Mine's a 4x2 2.7vvti and consumes about 8km/liter - mostly highway - southwoods - makati roundtrip.

Sir tanong ko lang lakas ba ng makina ng vvti di ba siya hirap sa arangkada at papanik?

[singkit]

i can only compare my 4x2hilux with 4x2nissan patrol of my bro. sa arangkada, it seems to me mas malakas ang hi-lux because of lighter body compare to the other pero iiwan ng patrol ang hilux sa rektahan dahil mas malakas nmn talaga ang makina ng patrol.

these are based on my observation only - so i maybe wrong technically.

ive never tried my hilux in steep uphill. 2 weeks old plang eh