Ute Reviews

Smarter than ever, with more comfort and convenience, the new mob of dual cabs are finding ground as family wagon and family four-wheel drive substitutes. Today's four-door utes are just as handy for camping trips as for day-to-day load carrying and highway hauls.And without the garish 4 x 4 decal down the tail of this top-of-the-tree Mazda BT-50 SDX, not many would understand this handsome little bloke has decent four-wheel drive ability — along with that load carrying ability and passenger-carrying comforts.This latest crop, at least in the higher specs, look like a fancy (albeit practical) ute without attracting the attention of the anti-4WD brigade.This 2007 Mazda range is not all-new, unlike HiLux, Navara and Triton rivals. Rather the BT-50 is a big revamp of the B-Series range, using the same chassis and reworked body.All new this time around are engines, transmissions and styling which is good and not-so-good.The good includes the 3-litre turbo diesel engine, producing 115kW and 380Nm of torque from a low 1800rpm. Steering, ride and handling are better. Payloads are up. And the reworked cabin is brighter.But where the rivals have all-new, bigger and wider bodies, Mazda's revamp leaves a smaller, more confined cabin.There is not the shoulder room across the front, there is not the shoulder nor leg room in rear for five adults; compared with the HiLux, Triton or Navara. And the attempt to give the styleside tray a little more styling bulk looks a little tacked-on.Yet the Mazda is not out of the game. It has one of the biggest of dual cab styleside trays, the pricing is right, the build is good and the BT-50 a more refined machine than its predecessor. This Mazda is again an honest machine, this time with fresh appeal.The restyle cannot disguise the old cabin size but there is a fair job of making the BT-50 look bigger and bolder. There is some extra chrome touches for door handles, mirrors and across the bigger grille.The best of the rework is inside. Here the Mazda folk have given the ute a car-like interior, bright and usable, with a two-tone colour scheme and silver-finish accents the highlights.A modular audio unit, with all the bells and whistles on the SDX model, sits pretty in the centre of the dashboard. It adds to the more modern airs of the BT-50. There are dual airbags, more storage spots plus electrics for mirrors and windows.Front seats are comfortable, if perhaps a little high for some drivers.It is a quiet cabin, much more refined and, while there remains a deal of sensible plastic, much more car-like.But there remains that under-dash handbrake lever, awkward for many in town or country. Centre-mounted handbrake levers are that much easier to use when halfway up, or down, a steep slope — especially on a dirt track.The rest of it works very well, easy and firm controls, all very sensible. The new instrumentation panel is pretty flash.The new diesel is a charmer from the get-go, sounds straight up as if it wants to work until the cows come home.It is quiet and, once off the line, quite quick. Best of all is this motor's flexibility, whether heading up the highway or across the paddock.Slotted into fifth, it cruises at 100km/h for a lazy 2000rpm.From here the Mazda is happy to drop back to 80km/h without stress and then accelerate past the 110 km/h mark without a complaint or gear change.All this town and highway work, over 500km, for 8.5 litres per 100km which bettered the factory figures of 9.2 litres per 100km.And later, across the creeks and the paddocks, the BT-50 shows it is a fair farm truck. Here it crawls with the best of them and has decent clearance and visibility for four-wheel drive work.First-low is OK for the slow work; this manual version has the traditional stick for shifting from two to four-wheel drive.The Mazda handles the big off-road holes and bumps with comfort although dirt road ride can be a bit lumpy — and there's a little forward-aft pitch — when there's no load out back.While out back, there are just the four tie-down hooks in the tray and a decent load area coming in at 1530mm long and 1456mm wide.The Mazda dual cab handles, steers and brakes pretty well for a ute although those all-new rivals (HiLux, Triton and Navara) with wider tracks and long wheelbases may offer a touch more in driving dynamics.And others may offer more in bits and pieces — such as Nissan's six-speed manual or rear power window on the Triton.But the Mazda stands up for itself with keen pricing across the range.The Mazda BT-50 is an honest worker with enough charm and capability to suit family or farmer.

And to add to your dilemma, government incentives mean you should probably also consider gas. And if you're after this last option, the Ford XR6 E-gas is the only place to turn for an LPG dedicated factory fitted ute.Holden offers a dual fuel system, but this isn't factory fitted. Although the rebate is still available for this option. It was in the form of the Falcon XR6 Cab Chassis that I had my first experience with a gas-powered car.At $36,390, this ute is $1400 more than the petrol equivalent — but with the government rebate of $1000, it works out just $400 more expensive. A lot of people purchasing this styled ute use it for transporting motor bikes or jetskis.Others have to invest in storage boxes or side sections to be able to use the tray to store equipment. That means there's the added price of about $1500. Otherwise, you'll have to invest in some rope.You can choose which type of tray you want. This flat tray costs $5000.There are some noted differences when driving an LPG vehicle.Firstly, it's important to find where you're supposed to fill it up. And on this model it was a bit of a search, and almost required the overalls on, just to find it. For future reference, it's on the passenger side under the tray. And refilling requires a lesson or two as well — it operates a little differently to the way petrol tanks work.Luckily when it came time to re-gas, there was an LPG convert refuelling who was kind enough to give me a quick guided tour.Now the obvious benefit of E-Gas is the saving in running costs. To fill up with 60 litres cost just $30.But you should take into consideration that while LPG may be just under 50c a litre, fuel consumption is higher.This XR6 has a claimed consumption of 15.1— litres per 100km, but in real-world testing, it didn't drop below 20-litres per 100km. To allow for this, the 90-litre tank is bigger than most petrol ones, so you don't have to make more gas stops.Another downside of a gas tank is reduced power. This Ford ute produced 156kW at 5000rpm and 370Nm at 2750rpm compared to the petrol's 190kW of power and 383Nm of torque. You do notice a drop in performance and the four-speed auto gearbox also contributes to this.An extra gear at least would have come in handy. The five-speed manual transmission seems like a better option. On the inside, the ute has all the comfort of your Falcon sedan, minus the space in the back of course.There is some room to store bags behind the seats, but not a great deal, although it does have more room than some other utes.There's also a problem with vision when checking your blind spot on the driver's side, so care must be taken.While reduced power may be a downside, it's not all bad news. If you do your sums, running on gas does mean you'll save money.Ford's figures claim the saving is about $35 a week, but with a higher fuel consumption and in real world testing, it seems to be more like $20 a week.However, that still represents a saving of more than $1000 a year.And unless you directly compare a petrol to the LPG, you don't really notice the difference in performance.It still drives comfortably and if you slip the transmission into manual mode, you can extract a decent acceleration. While going with the gas option in sedans often results in the loss of boot space, there's no need to worry with a ute. The gas tank is located under the tray, allowing all the regular use.This ute was quite easy to drive around town, although added weight on the back might change its mobility. The XR6 Cab Chassis comes with half-tonne suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels, traction control and Electronic Brake-force Distribution.After a week in this beast, it seems a chick in a ute is a bit of a rarity on Sydney streets.Not surprisingly, these tend to be most practical for tradesmen. Chuck the work gear on the back and often the dog can even come along for the ride. And when you're off hours and heading to the pub with mates, you can get out of designated driver duties because it's only a two-seater. Well, it worked for me on a girls' night out at least.

But putting the Triton through its paces over 3500km of harsh desert tracks and long, winding roads in outback South Australia proved that while this SUV may not have the best "face" for the bush, it does have the grunt and performance it takes to get the job done. It also has the space and the comfort to make such a long trip a breeze.The Triton has grown ... significantly. Mitsubishi boasts it has more space than ever before, easy to see with its dimensions of 1780mm in height, 5174mm in length and 1800mm in width. This new beast from Mitsubishi -- built in Thailand -- is now more in line with the undisputed king of country motorists, Toyota's HiLux.The new dual-cab Triton is available in basic GLX, sporty GLX-R and the luxury GLS, all with very good four-wheel-drive credentials built around a strong chassis.The engine choice is the V6 3.5-litre petrol or the 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. For our bush trek, the diesel GLX-R was the weapon of choice. The 3.2-litre, double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine has turbocharger and intercooler, and common-rail injection. It delivers 118kW of power at 3800rpm and 347Nm of torque at 2000rpm.It has a tonneau and a sports bar, and costs $41,990 petrol (auto $43,990 and diesel $44,990).Among its few downfalls is its lack of cruise control, something Mitsubishi Motors Australia pleaded for and now believes will get some action on in the near future. While we're on the grumbles -- and there are so few that this one has to be somewhat manufactured -- the hard tonneau cover failed to adequately seal, letting dust into the tray. Mind you, the bulldust on Mount Eba Station was so fine it even managed to penetrate the zipper of a suitcase stowed in the back, so it was a big ask that the hard tonneau cover keep every fine particle out.The smooth styling of the skin of the new Triton was definitely hiding a beast of a powerplant, which threw out all the grunt and power required for our challenging trip.And the fuel-use, despite Mitsubishi expecting slightly better than the Triton returned on our 3500km trip, impressed us no endThe Triton returned figures of 11L/100km. And it never climbed above 11.9L/100km, even when we were clicking along at reasonable speed, in 4WD, on outback station tracks.

It pushes out 260kW plus of power and 510Nm of torque which combine to catapult the ute forward at a considerable rate of knots.Holden is loathe to say just how fast that might be, because it doesn't want to be seen to condone speeding - but let's just say that it's pretty damn quick.In comparison the previous 5.7-litre V8 produced 240kW of power and 470Nm of torque.With the arrival of the new VE Commodore imminent, the days of the VZ ute are numbered.But it will still be some time before we see a new ute and Holden isn't putting a date on it.As the price of fuel continues to rise, the term V8 is becoming something of a dirty word, at least with those unable to afford the extra cost of running one.But the people attracted to these cars normally have a relatively high disposable income.That's a good thing because they'll need it, especially as the SS has a thirst for the good stuff.Although the SS will run on standard unleaded, Holden the quoted power figures are are based on 98 RON premium.With standard you're sure to notice a loss of power and it will probably have an impact on fuel economy too.The Holden's main competitor is of course Ford's Falcon XR8 ute.The XR produces similar power output figures from its 5.4-litre V8, but the XR is a little heavier than the SS.The main point of difference between the two vehicles is that the Ford gets traction control which is an absolute god-send in wet weather.With no weight in the back, these cars can become skittish and putting your foot down at the wrong moment can see the back overtake the front.Both vehicles, however, get ABS and performance brakes.Our test SS ute was fitted with a standard six-speed manual transmission.A four-speed auto is optional.We'd like to say the SS's 6.0-litre V8 is smoother than its predecessor and most of the time it is.But there is still a fair amount of drive line vibration that comes and goes, especially when sitting in top gear.Previous models have been plagued by the same problem.We were, however, surprised by the fuel economy figures that we got from the car.Holden claims an official figure of 14.6 litres/100km for the manual, but we managed to get almost 500km from a single 64-litre tank of fuel at a rate of just 11.6 litres/100km - without making a conscious effort.Standard equipment includes two airbags, climate air, sports suspension, leather wheel and shifter, cruise control and a roof mounted spoiler with integrated brake light.You also get a body kit with 17 inch alloys and 235 series rubber.With independent rear suspension, these utes are designed with play in mind rather than work, but the SS will still car a 650kg load in the back.A soft tonneau cover is standard.Holden SS ute is priced from $41,490 before on road costs.That's $3000 less than an SV8 and heaps less than an SS sedan at $51,790 which makes it the cheapest entry point to a V8 engine.

But at more than 5m, it's almost too long to fit in the garage, has minimal rear seat legroom and a bouncy rear suspension, drinks copious amounts of petrol, won't pull sixth gear up long uphills and rumbles at 110kmh like a runaway freight train but Aussie blokes just love the dual-cab Holden Crewman SS.It is possibly one of the most aspirational vehicles for a certain large group of Australian males.That's because the SS Crewman is a bet each way, a cross between the sporty, macho SS sedan and the practical Holden ute.Crewman SS removes the need to have two cars in the garage - one for work and one for play, rolling both into this "hybrid" work/play truck.The $47,690 SS version scored a 6.0-litre V8 this year to comply with new emissions regulations (ADR 79/01). The old 5.7-litre V8 was too dirty and needed too much work to make it pass.The new engine, code named L76, offers more of everything except pollution and is going to be the range topper in Holden's forthcoming new VE Commodore lineup.It's a hearty big banger even with an overhead valve system out of last century.Output is an impressive 260kW with 510Nm of torque on 98 premium fuel.But the six speed manual gearbox it too high geared to fully realise all this potential. It's dulled down to the point of being annoying, especially when a downchange is needed on an uphill run. Plenty of 1.8-litre fours actually accelerate in top up the same stretch. But they don't sound like the SS Crewman which delivers aural stimulation in truckloads.Performance in the lower ratios is strong and the SS Crewman will never be found lacking in the acceleration department.It also handles OK to a point until its considerable mass, long wheelbase and commercial vehicle rear suspension conspire to muck things up. The tray is a useful size capable of taking a couple of trail bikes with the tailgate down. A plastic tray liner would be handy.The interior is basically a lift from Commodores SS and is functional and stylish with plenty of room in the front and a swag of features.

It's similar to the sedan but has a different rear suspension, longer wheelbase, ute back and weighs a bit more.But the essentials are the same – 5.4-litre, DOHC, V8 with 290kW/520Nm output and it's available with a six speed manual or optional six speed auto.One for the fast worker.Superb performance especially in the higher rev range – not as much a "wild thing" as F6 Turbo Tornado. Six speed auto a worthwhile addition for just $1250, almost as quick as the manual, easier to drive in the city. Twin outlet exhausts look the business, sound unreal. Optional hard tonneau cover gives sleeker look, quieter too and carries neat wing. Additional security, has imposing bulge to match bonnet bulge. Engine management changes on BF model allow engine to meet Euro 3 emissions regs. Brakes are the best in the business – six pot Brembos up front, opposing piston Brembos down the back. Traction control a welcome addition to all FPV utes, reduces possibility of unexpected lurid, tail out oversteer. New stripes stop short of bonnet and roof but lift the appearance. There's no mistaking Super Pursuit for anything else. Has new 19in alloys with ultra low profile Dunlop SO9000 rubber – sticks like glue, steers like a race car. Auto's sequential shift mode is fun, operates the right way – away for down, pull back for up changes. Interior has minor upgrade with BF, looks good – metallic fascia, sexy upholstery with deeply bostered seats – hard squabs though. Opening hard tonneau is a pain – two key operated latches. Limits load carrying capacity – not that you'd carry anything in a high performance vehicle such as this. Not bad on the juice – 13.0L/100km average is achievable. Costs more than $10,000 less than GT-P sedan.VerdictImpressive package, not as entertaining as the F6 Tornado turbo six. Sounds better, looks fabulous. Not for work - just a show pony.

All four big local guns are fighting back. The new Mitsubishi 380 has already hit the street. Next year Holden will launch the VE Commodore and Toyota will release the Avalon replacement. Ford is also fighting back, but with a different approach.Improvements under the skin of the Falcon range include a new six-speed automatic and fuel savings across the board.Ford's approach with the BF has been heavy on engineering and light on styling.It's no surprise, because the BA was a big body switch from the unloved AU Falcon.But it also gives Ford the chance to reply to Holden's new VE Commodore.Though Ford is yet to confirm it, we can expect to see a BFII in the second half of next year with some styling changes.A key part of the BF upgrade is the new ZF six-speed automatic transmission that is optional on some models and standard on the top-end cars.This self-shifter is the same unit, with some small changes, that is used in the top-shelf Jaguars and the BMW 7-Series.The base Falcons will continue to use an upgraded version of the four-speed automatic.The Barra 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine was significantly upgraded when the BA hit the road, adding dual camshafts with variable timing, but new camshaft phasers can now operate independently.The camshafts can be controlled more accurately to reduce fuel consumption as well as to improve torque delivery.Power lifts by 8kW to 190kW at 5250 revs and there is 3Nm more torque for a total of 383Nm that kicks in at 2500 revs.Ford promises fuel consumption improvements of about 5 per cent on Falcons with the four-speed automatic and up to 11 per cent with the six-speed auto.Styling changes have been limited to new bumpers, tail lights, new wheels and some interior seat and centre console tweaks.The XR6 is available with a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic as standard. The six-speed auto costs an extra $1250.It has 17-inch alloy wheels, colour trip computer and sound system control screen, airconditioning, cruise control, XR sports seats, body kit with front fog lights, electric windows and rear split-fold seats.Standard safety gear includes driver and passenger airbags, anti-skid brakes and traction control.Electronic stability control has been introduced for XR6 Turbo, XR8 and Fairmont Ghia models. ON THE ROADYou won't pick how much Ford has improved its new Falcon unless you drive one.Only Ford fanatics would pick the different BF front bumper or tail lights.The new paint range, including the loud Menace coat of the XR6 test car — a bright shade of plum — helps some of the new XRs to stand out. But all this is minor.Slide inside and there is not much to indicate the improvements either, except for the number six on the new automatic gearshift. That is the biggest news about the BF upgrade.The transmission is terrific and has put a gap on its Australian rivals.The ratios give a great spread, allowing punchy take-offs yet still quiet cruising, and the actual shift is smooth and refined.The touch-change manual mode really encourages you to take control, with almost instant shifts and full manual control.Unlike a lot of cars, including Tiptronic Porsches and the Audi S4 we have just driven, the Falcon will hold right to the red line without making an unwanted automatic upshift.And Ford sets the touch-change lever for push-forward downshifts, the choice of BMW and other driver-focused companies.It is well worth the $1250 over the regular four-speed automatic.The power pack in the latest Falcon is as impressive as most European cars.This engine is much sweeter than we expected and has been well matched to the new transmission.The combination is also economical.There is torque from little more than idle and the in-line six is eager to rev to its red line, unlike earlier Falcon sixes.The development of the 4.0-litre engine just shows how quickly car companies can move.Only five years ago, you had to buy a V8 to get such punch.The upgraded Falcon engine is smoother and more refined at all engine speeds.One of the first things you notice about the BF is how quiet it is inside — a big improvement.The XR6 is still as much fun as ever to punt along a twisting road and has good steering feel and little body roll in turns.The ride is quite comfortable and absorbs most of the bumps and lumps with little fuss.The seats are good, but the steering wheel still feels clumsy.The centre console and dashboard were upgraded substantially from AU to BA in 2002 and is still a local leader with its quality colour screen and good plastics. But the stereo buttons feel a bit light and cheap.It is also a bother that some of the buttons are hidden behind the steering wheel.These are small gripes in a car that is very impressive and a cut above its opposition.

It sure takes the leg work out of changing gears, especially in city traffic.Continually punching in a big, heavy clutch pedal in the manual can be a real pain, even for the purist.The F6 Tornado is the utility equivalent of the turbocharged Typhoon sedan.Think gale-force winds and you won't get either of the force-fed models confused with others in the range.This is the first time FPV has offered an auto with its cars and it's certainly been worth the wait.The lightweight, compact ZF six-speed automatic transmission is the same basic unit as that used in the standard Falcon.But a performance version has been developed specifically for the FPV range with upgraded clutches featuring extra plates in each clutch pack to achieve a torque capacity of 600Nm.That's a good thing because with 270kW of power and a massive 550Nm of torque on tap the turbocharged 4.0-litre straight six produces even more torque than the V8 – and lower down the rev range too.The auto heads a list of changes in the BF series all of which add up to a more refined, much more liveable day-to-day vehicle.If there is a performance hit with the auto and there is bound to be a small one, then it's a price we're happy to pay – given the convenience.Of course it should be borne in mind that the auto is in fact a sequential transmission which means you can change gears manually anyway.The tranny adapts to different styles of driving and is designed to hold gear in corners, with a transient rpm limit that allows the engine to momentarily exceed the rev limit during upshifting.The achieves an engine speed that is closer to the rev limit than would otherwise be possible.The hard, sports suspension can be harsh at times, but I guess that's the price you pay for flat, precision handling.We're partcularly pleased to see the addition of traction control for the first time in the ute which tends to become a handful in the wet.Even with it fitted we still managed to send the car fish-tailing across two lanes of the freeway as the rain came down.We'd been taking it nice and easy until that point, but the big mistake was deciding to accelerate at the same time as we went to change lanes.Fortunately, the electronics caught the car before things got too of hand and the car went into a spin.Other than some eye candy, the other noteworthy change with this model is the addition of upgraded brakes.Four-piston Brembo front calipers are now standard on all models except GT-P and Super Pursuit which feature Premium six-piston Brembo front calipers.The sophisticated traction control system along with four-channel ABS has been specifically tuned for sports-oriented drivers and exploits the benefits offered by the electronic fly-by-wire throttle system.Commendably, FPV continues to offer a complimentary full day professional driver training course with every new vehicle purchase.Fuel economy in our test vehicle averaged 13.8L/100km.At a recommended retail price of $52,780, the F6 Tornado is the cheapest but by no means the least vehicle in the FPV range.The six-speed auto adds $1250 to the price.

Imported one-tonne utes have become the staple of local trades and industries which want a tough work vehicle that can carry a decent load around the job site, and Holden's Rodeo is one of the leading models. The Rodeo showed up on the local landscape in the 1970s when Holden utes began to lose favour with tradies.They had simply become too expensive compared to the imported utes which, despite being a bit rough and rugged, went on to conquer the market.  Local utes have made a comeback in recent times, but they're now more a lifestyle vehicle for people who want a dual-purpose daily driving/weekend escape car.MODEL WATCHThe RA Rodeo hit the market in 2003. It was bigger, more powerful, better equipped and safer than its predecessors.  Built on a tough chassis, the RA Rodeo boasted substantially increased torsional rigidity, up by as much as 60 per cent, and that equates to better crash protection and a more stable platform for better handling.The RA's larger external dimensions translated into substantially more space inside the Rodeo's new cabs.  Holden offered three engines: a 2.4-litre single overhead camshaft fuel-injected four-cylinder (94kW at 4800rpm and 207Nm at 3200rpm), a 3.5-litre all-alloy double overhead camshaft V6 (147kW at 5400rpm and 280Nm at 3000rpm), and a 3.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel (96kW at 3800rpm and 294Nm at 2400rpm).There was a choice of manual or automatic transmissions across the range, and a choice of two or four-wheel-drive, the latter with a choice of two-wheel-drive, and high and low range four-wheel-drive.  All models, except for the entry level DX 2.4-litre two-wheel-drive which has coil front springs, have torsion bars at the front and heavy duty leaf springs down back.Holden offered three models: the DX entry level, the LX and the range topping LT, three body styles, single cab, space cab and crew cab, with a range of two and 4WD variants. In total, there were 56 model variants to choose from.IN THE SHOPAs the Rodeo is essentially a work vehicle it is important to look for signs of damage caused in the daily grind on the job site. Look for dings and scrapes, inside and out.  Be on the alert for wear and tear from big burly bodies. Check for such things as rips in the trim and broken plastics on controls often used and sometimes abused.Not surprisingly for a vehicle meant to carry a substantial load, the Rodeo's ride is firm, although it gets better when there's a load in the back.  Although noisy, the diesel is the pick of the engines. It has lots of get up and go and returns decent fuel consumption. The V6 has even better performance, but is a petrol guzzler.If you prefer the V6 it might be worth switching it to dual-fuel to cut running costs. Holden has a dual-fuel system which is a sequential vapour-injection system that offers equivalent power and performance whether on petrol or gas.CRUNCH TIMEIncreased chassis rigidity proves a stable platform for responsive handling that increases the ability to avoid a crash, and the Rodeo has side intrusion bars for protection in side impacts. ABS adds another level of crash avoidance on the LT which also boasts dual front airbags in its list of standard features. Airbags are also optional on the LX models.HOLDEN RODEO RA 2003Roomy interior with larger cabinStrong masculine styling. Thirsty V6 engineHard ride, particularly when emptyEconomical diesel engine top choiceToo wide turning circleRating15/20 Tough work ute with goodperformance and cabin, but petrol-guzzling V6 engine.

And you need a cowboy hat, of course. No HiLux worth its salt would be seen being driven by someone not in a cowboy hat.OK, that part's not true. You don't have to be a cowboy but it is fun to play dress-ups. But it's not as though you're roughing it in a HiLux – they are built with comfort and looks in mind.This is no clapped-out ute. This is a sleek, classy vehicle that just happens to have a tray on the back and be much bigger than the other cars on the road.The chrome trim looks awesome and the inside could not be more comfortable. All the mod cons are at your disposal. And there's another benefit to the HiLux ... it's a boy magnet.Fellas find out you're driving one and everyone wants to come to check out your car.Sadly, next to this beast, you pale into insignificance.You can preen and pose all you like but the guys are only interested in torque, pull and acceleration.Funny thing about having a ute. All of a sudden you're everyone's best friend ... then it hits you – they want you for your car and its ability to fit stuff in it. I only had the car for a few days, yet I still found myself helping a friend move house.Like the perfect accessory, the HiLux goes with everything. You can dress it up or down. Chuck a kelpie in the back (chained up, of course) and its the perfect knock-around machine.But put on your little black number and the HiLux steps up a notch.The HiLux ads show cars getting out of its way and while the shower head at Semaphore didn't bend Uri Geller-style at my passing, traffic certainly does clear out for you. It may have something to do with the sheer size of you. It's a big car. My little Ford Fiesta looked hilarious beside it in the driveway ... talk about a size complex.But, I have to admit, I did find the massiveness of the HiLux a bit of a pain at times.Finding a car park at Marion shopping centre on a Thursday night is hard enough without having to find one HiLux-sized.But, like all fashion accessories, sacrifices have to be made.And the extra time in the car park does give you more of a chance to make eyes at that cute boy checking you out ... no, it's the car he's looking at, isn't it? Well, I'll take whatever looks come my way.LOVE IT LEAVE ITToyota Hilux 4x2 V6 Extra Cab SR5Price: $37,420LOVE ITRIDE 'em, cowboy. This not-so-little baby is just plain fun. It takes you back to your dress-ups days, running around the back yard on your hobby horseLEAVE ITSIZE isn't everything but it does matter ... finding parks long and wide enough can be a problem as can getting into tight parking spots.