Spaniel Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) Hi I seem to have talked the wife around into looking at getting a double cab. Not only for shooting and the dogs but we are looking at doing some camping next year with the kids so a double cab would be ideal, Been reading up on the L200 and Navaras etc and all seem to have various problems which have sort of put me off of them at the present time, but what are the Fords and Mazda double cabs like in comparison, any one got one of these plus anything i need to look at when going to purchase one, particular faults with various manufacturing dates etc info would be appreciated Thanks Edited September 8, 2011 by Spaniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) I've got a Ranger super cab which is a two +two. All the benefits of the double cab but with a bigger bed. Edited September 8, 2011 by ack-ack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Have friends with various trucks and by far the most reliable has been the Ranger, if you can afford it go for the 3.0 over the 2.5 as obviously have more poke and not so long in the tooth when accelerating. As for interior quality basically ford standard but a bit chunkier. I was going to buy the ranger, after a lot of research, until work changed and I needed a more fuel efficient motor. I have no experience of the brand new ones but would assume they are just as good. The ford and Mazda are the same thing and have been for years but not to sure bout the interior on those. When compared to the hilux and navara you get a lot for your money. Dont bother with the L200 your asking for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landrover Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 "Dont bother with the L200 your asking for trouble" why is that then,to be honest i think most vehicles have there faults,new or second hand,if buying second hand look at the service history,it'll give you some idea as to wheather or not it's been looked after,also the bodywork.If there is no service history walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 . I was going to buy the ranger, after a lot of research, until work changed and I needed a more fuel efficient motor. I have no experience of the brand new ones but would assume they are just as good. The ford and Mazda are the same thing and have been for years but not to sure bout the interior on those. fuel efficiency is one thing that lets the ranger down, that and comfort and spec till you get to very new ones. Your choice depends entirely on your budget and with pickups you have to buy on condition and how well maintained they have been. I'm on my 2nd L200 the first had usual problems but was bought at auction and had led a hard life, that said cost me not a lot to run over the three years I had it. The latest was a bit more money £6K but one owner full history and its just been serviced over the 20K since I've had it, 30 mpg average and pretty comfortable. I'll swap it for a new shape at some point but there was a 4k difference in price when I was looking for a truck one year newer to have a new shape. Compared to a hilux an 05 L200 was about 5K at least cheaper than the equivalent hilux which was too much to make it realistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Unless you're a follower of fashion and delight in paying a fortune for something aesthetically twee but totally useless unless you intend camping in the Sahara or African Plains (look out for Kent!), but need something as reliable as if you actually were, then have a look at the Ranger XLT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted September 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Thanks guys. I think i will be looking at something around the £5k mark to be honest. I dont care much about having leather seats all that stuff to be honest, just something which will get me about shooting and camping. I have a company car well people carrier but the slightest damp surface and the thing just gets stuck...which isnt going to be any good when we start going camping and i spend more time trying to get the thing out of the mud. The truck I have noticed locally is a Ranger XLT Thunder 2.5 93K on the clock on a 04 plate Price £4,989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pestbry Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 3 yrs ago i bought a Hilux twin cab, full service history never been offraoded or towed. This had only done 39000 odd miles, was very clean to say the least. The reason i bought it was it has all vinly floor covering plastic door panels and the only thing electric on it is the 2 alarms My wife uses this on a daily basis and i use it for shooting and towing the caravan, its so easy to keep clean if its gets muddy and is multi purpose. The amount of people that ask me me do i want to sell it goes on, they even knock my door to ask if i want to sell it. In nearly 4 yrs of owning it the mileage is 66000 and only bought tyres wiper blades and next week a cv boot It took me months of searching to find a good 1 but i love it Bry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 I've got a Ranger super cab which is a two +two. All the benefits of the double cab but with a bigger bed. I had a 4x2 one from new (on offer) the back was ok for my son up to say 13 yrs old, then it's abit tight on long trips. Mine was totally reliable for 9 yrs. Now an old 03 L200 for the last 2 yrs, recently fitted a new head and gearbox/clutch - good truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Last time i was in Africa I was given a ford ranger to drive about in and it was the rainy season in mozambique.....the electronic 4WD button kept failing and leaving me stuck in the muddy puddles until it decided it was going to play ball! also i found the interior wasn't very hard wearing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted September 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) Reading some on line reviews they say the rangers can suffer from injection pump and glo plug probs, and there are some issues around cam belts at 60K and big end bearings at 90k. The problem with on line reviews and that no matter what you look at there is always some negative comments, and one with the Ranger come across these issues? Cheers Edited September 8, 2011 by Spaniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 generally the only people that post are those who have problems, you don't hear about the ones that are fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Spot on Al4x. As for the ranger, the keeper I do alot of work with has one, lovely truck, full leather (a bit fancy for him haha). It has had some serious abuse, and in 18 months nothing has gone wrong, its an 06 plate, and is a very nice truck, I do drive it a fair bit, and I would buy one, before that he had the Mazda B2500, which was brand new on a 52 plate and got sold 18 months ago as it was knackered (it had a very very hard life though). Beofre that he had 2 defenders, and wouldnt want another as there is no room in the cab. In the truck we can shoot out of the window, carry everything on the back seats, and have everything else in the buck. We had a stack of pen sections towering over the cab a few weeks ago. To back this up, another keeper we both know and help out also has a Ford Ranger double cab. Good truck, buy one. But change the tyres (BFG AT2s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 I've been happy with the Ford Ranger I bought a while ago. As Al4x said they are a bit thirsty it seems but apart from that no bother as yet. I paid £4k for my 2002 model. I had three L200's and two of them gave me grief. The best being the old one ('98ish I think?), the two bad ones on 54 plate. Strangely the worst was the FSH, main dealer purchase with under 30K on the clock. Total bag of ****! The Mazda seems better value for money. Probably because they're the same thing made by Mazda so Ford want to make a cut of the profit?! Another one to look at is the Isuzu. They have quite a good reputation too. Avoid new Navara's like the plague but then for £5k, you won't be getting one of those anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 For £5K you could have a 25 year old, rotten to the core, battered to ****, full of holes, oil spraying Defender 110 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) For £5K you could have a 25 year old, rotten to the core, battered to ****, full of holes, oil spraying Defender 110 I'm actually amazed it hasn't been suggested yet the fundamental bit is some of these trucks have an easy life and some a very hard one, as pickups have got more civilized I think the ones that have lived off road are easy to spot but also beware of the ones that have lived at 90mph on the motorway. They can look mint but I think thats what causes a load of issues particularly on the newer navaras as they can do that speed day in day out, lugging a 4x4 like it puts excess strain on all sort of parts that aren't designed for it Edited September 8, 2011 by al4x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Me too, that's why I got in there first!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted September 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 Plus I dont want to be repairing a 4x4 I want to be driving it, so deff. the Landrover is out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had an glowplug problem with my Ranger, I think the glowplugs come on every time you start, whereas the L200 only come on when the engine is cold. They give the image of all failing at once but I found they fail one at a time, same on the L200 if the glowplugs are turns on x3 times in the cold to help fire up. Besides using a test meter the normal sign is one or more cylinders not firing up at first. The engine sounds like an old aero engine in a B/W war film with engines chugging into life - if it does that check out the glowplugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Plus I dont want to be repairing a 4x4 I want to be driving it, so deff. the Landrover is out Thats all part of the fun of owning a 'real' 4x4 oil and mud. Guess you need a clean Toyota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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