Towing

Mitsubishi has joined the crowd of medium SUVs offering two-wheel drive instead of four.Why drive all wheels when two will do? It's a trend driving one of the fastest-growing segments of the car market.Almost all the popular SUVs are available with two-wheel drive, saving drivers thousands of dollars compared with their all-wheel drive stablemates.The difference here is the Challenger started life as a serious 4WD with a low-range gearbox, a full chassis and off-road capability, unlike most of its rivals which came with single-range all-wheel drive and more car-like underpinnings.And the Challenger 2WD is propelled by the rear axle not the front as is the norm.But while eliminating the transfer case and front drive line saves $5000 and about 120kg, there is a compromise or two.Stability is similar to the 4WD on high-grip surfaces, but this five-door wagon's high centre of gravity and relatively rigid suspension make it skittish on loose gravel and slippery surfaces, where it is heavily reliant on traction control to maintain directional stability.Clearance is unchanged and more than enough, but don't let anyone tell you a rear-drive Challenger will go where the 4WD will go.It's not supposed to, but with high clearance, it will clamber around the bush and potter around the paddocks as long as conditions are dry. It also retains a 3-tonne towing capacity, the highest in its class.Unlike its rivals, the Challenger is diesel only. The 2.5-litre engine is responsive and flexible, although there is no escaping its diesel origins accompanied by plenty of fan noise under load. Output is 131kW and 400Nm in the manual, with the same power but 50Nm less torque in the automatic. Fuel use is 8.2 litres/100km in the five-speed manual and 9.6 litres/100km in the five-speed automatic, a drop or two less than the 4WD models.Within the Mitsubishi stable, the Challenger sits between the Outlander and the Pajero. It is based on the Triton, but with a smoother-riding multi-link coil rear suspension, although it feels more rigid to drive than most of its car-like rivals.Styling is clean and functional. It looks and feels compact, with a commanding driving position. The interior is car-like, albeit with a high floor and low-geared steering.There are two versions -- the $36,990 manual and the $39,490 automatic. Equipment includes front airbags, stability control, traction control, emergency brake assist, 16-inch alloy wheels, a steel spare, cruise control, trip computer, side-steps and a five year/130,000km warranty and roadside assistance plus a 10 year/160,000km powertrain warranty.weeklytimesnow

The next-gen Colorado will talk the torque for Holden in the four-wheel drive pick-up market.It still has a mountain to climb if it's going to knock the Toyota HiLux and Nissan Navara off the peak but the new model will give the Red Lion the tools to tackle a much bigger slice of the market.With 470Nm on tap from the 2.8-litre turbodiesel it has bragging rights only bettered by the Navara and a look that should find a place with tradies and families alike. Now all we need is the pricing .How much the Colorado costs is the key part of the equation — and it's one Holden won't answer until closer to the mid-year launch. Expect the 2.5-litre turbodiesel to undercut the existing 3.0-litre engine's starting price of $31,490 for the 4x2 single cab with tray and $34,490 for the same model with four-wheel drive.Holden is pitching the new Colorado as a lifestyle range and has fitted Bluetooth, a pair of 12-volt sockets and USB/iPod connectivity for the sound system.New, fuel-efficient turbodiesels will finally give Holden a point of difference from the Isuzu D-Max. The vehicles will still share the platform, much as Ford and Mazda do with the Ranger and BT-50, but the Colorado will be the only one with the 2.5-litre and 2.8-litre engines, fitted to two and four-wheel drive version of single, space and crew cabs.The smaller donk is matched to a five-speed manual and is good for 110kW/350Nm. That gives it an on-paper edge over the base Triton, Nissan Navara D22 and Ford Ranger. Step up to the 2.8-litre mill and there's a 132kW/440Nm with the manual gearbox or 470Nm with the six-speed automatic.This is not a macho, in-your-face design in the vein of the Ford Ranger and should have a broader appeal because of it. That fits, given Holden is pitching the Colorado as a lifestyle vehicle rather than a straight-up workhorse. The Holden design team worked on the styling and the slanted honeycomb grille gives the front end a bit of presence.It's a different story at the back — short of the badge and tail lamps, fleet managers are the only people who will pick one pick-up from another. The view inside is more SUV than work ute and the switchgear is easy to operate. The biggest criticism is the pair of 12-volt power sockets are both in the front — that won't please the device-carrying passengers in the back of the crew cab models.Holden says the Colorado will have "class-leading" safety.  Topping the ANCAP rating in this segment are the five-star Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50 duo.The existing model is a three-star vehicle, so it will be a major step up in safety and again follows Holden's push to market the Colorado as a family friendly vehicle. Standard equipment includes ESP, front and curtain airbags and brakeforce distribution for the ABS anchors.It looks and sounds like a truck but drives like a big SUV. Holden is still finalising the suspension set-up but the evaluation test loop Carsguide undertook with the 2.8-litre models shows they're finessing a fairly competent package. Just as much work has gone in to the accessories, which range from a snorkel to a windowed canopy that secures the Colorado's role as a camping campaigner.Add in the fact the Colorado can tow up to 3.5 tonnes and it suddenly appeals to everyone from equestrians to boaties. Four-wheel drive models use a dial to select 2WD, 4WD and low-range 4WD and it wo rks well. The six-speed automatic is the pick with clean shifts, though there was a plume of diesel exhaust smoke on downshifts when some of the vehicles were travelling uphill.It only affected two of the seven Colorados . and they were test mules, so I'm giving Holden the benefit of the doubt until production units come on line. Corrugated gravel roads around Lake Eildon were dispatched without an interior rattle, squeak from the suspension or whiff of dust.The build quality looks good, espec ially for a pre-production vehicle and while there's plenty of grey plastic, especially in the rear of the crew cab, that's a common trait of vehicles in this class and makes cleaning that much easier after a weekend adventure.

You'd be a happy little Vegemite if you bought a new Nissan Navara ute seven years ago — because it is still pretty much the current model.And better still, there's another two or three years in the old dog yet. Mind you, Nissan has tweaked Navara considerably since it was launched last decade and it scrubs up pretty well.However, there are dark clouds on the horizon with four red-hot competitors fresh on the market or coming this year. They are the new Mazda BT50 and twin-under-the-skin Ford Ranger, new Holden Colorado and the new Isuzu D-Max.Toyota performed major surgery to the look and price of Hilux in the middle of last year. But the rock-solid Navara should have it covered especially given the latest 4x4 dual cab refresh.The price of the top-of-the-range ST-X 550 4x4, V6, turbodiesel with standard seven-speed auto drops a few thousand bucks to $62,990 and there's an additional, similar V6 ST-X at $56,990. But the 550 gets leather, Bose audio, satnav, a hard drive and a reversing camera.The four cylinder ST models (from $46,800) gain a more powerful turbodiesel and vehicle dynamic control is standard across the range along with three point seat belts for all passengers.Navara ST also gains 17-inch alloys, a five channel Utili-Track load system, dual zone climate control, optional five-speed auto and six air bags. Base RX Navara retains the older powertrains but gets additional safety kit.That  sweet V6 turbodiesel in ST-X is a 3.0-litre unit with 170kW/550Nm while the four pot in ST is a 2.5-litre with 140kW/450Nm.The V6 is only available with a seven-speed auto transmission offering "manual'' sequential change mode. The four is available with a six-speed manual or a five-speed auto again with sequential manual change mode.Doesn't get the coveted five star crash rating — it's a four star vehicle. Won't get five until the next generation with a totally new superstructure. However, Nissan has put in more air bags, three point belts and stability control to elevate Navara's rating to the highest it can achieve. A reverse camera is only on the top of the range model — should be on all of them.Despite its age, Navara scrubs up pretty well with a neat dash design and easy to use controls although it's all hard, dark grey plastic. The seats lack lumbar support and even the 550 only has electric seat adjust on the driver's side.There's plenty of room for five inside and access to the rear seats is fairly easy through decent size rear doors. The high end models additional kit is impressive especially the Bose audio and satnav. But the leather is superfluous. Plenty of storage options and no issues for larger occupants.We couldn't pick the difference but there is a new face, new bonnet, new bumper, repeater lights in the exterior mirrors on some models, sundry lights and new colours.We got to tow 2.0-tonnes behind the ST-X 550 and barely noticed. Maximum towing capacity is a whopping 3000kg. The 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine is a gem — smooth and nearly silent with excellent performance spoiled by the poor throttle action which gives it a dead feeling in the mid-range.The seven-speed auto is imperceptible when changing cogs. But for the money and for general application, the 2.5 four is pick of the bunch offering plenty of performance, strong throttle response and fuel economy of 8.5-litres/100km. Mention must be made of Navara's ride quality which is arguably the best in the class offering a supple ride but retaining the ability to cope with heavy loads. The dual cabs have a large tray and the square-set styling pays dividends of a practical nature.The Navara 550 was overpriced at launch 18 months ago and nobody wanted to know. Extremely favourable exchange rates will have helped Nissan with sharper pricing that may give the higher end Navara's a leg up for 2012 but we reckon the ST four pot is the one — it ticks most of the boxes and costs a lot less.

The dual-cab light-commercial ute is fast-becoming the 21st century's family wagon and just because it's got a tray, doesn't mean it's a hose-out workhorse.Although capable of plenty of hard yakka, the new Mazda BT-50. Mazda's BT-50 has often played the poor second cousin to its Ford Ranger twin and the segment's reigning monarch, Toyota's HiLux, but there's less reason for an inferiority complex now.We had all three recently back to back and it was a close run thing, with the BT-50 ending up in third but in a photo-finish.This is where the Mazda scores well - priced from $48,810 for the six-speed manual, the price rises to $50,810 for the same number of ratios without a clutch pedal - several thousand below the equivalent Ranger.The XTR model is not even the flagship (that's the GT, which is more likely to stand for Grunty Truck than Grand Touring or Gran Turismo) but it gets cruise control, Bluetooth phone link, dual-zone climate control, power windows and mirrors, side-steps, 17in alloys, front fog lights, three 12-volt outlets, a leather-wrapped gearshifter and steering wheel and satnav.There's a good-quality sound system with single-CD for the six-speakers to utilise, as well as USB and Bluetooth connections, with steering-wheel-mounted controls and a 5in LCD colour screen that also displays the satnav.The 3.2-litre in-line five-cylinder engine is chief among the technological highlights, packing 20 valves and an intercooled turbocharger - peak power is 147kW at 3000rpm and torque of 470Nm is on offer from 1750 and 2500rpm. The engine is fed by common-rail direct-injection system with a high-pressure fuel pump delivering fuel at 1800 bar (200 bar up on the outgoing engine) and piezo injectors.The five-cylinder engine - a first for something with a Mazda badge - claims a thirst of 9.2l/100km, which gives it an easy range in the realm of  850km from the 80-litre tank.  Running the six-speed auto is probably the better option, with the massive torque making it unlikely you'll missing swapping cogs yourself, such is the ability of the auto.If you want a traditional look to your LCV then Mazda is not the place to look - Mazda has gone where Mitsubishi did with the Triton. While it's kissing cousin the Ranger has adopted a squared-off traditional aesthetic, Mazda's load-lugger has taken the family look from the passenger car brigade and stretched it across the front of a big ute.Few seem to like it, but plenty don't - given the ads for the BT-50s hardly feature a vehicle without a bullbar and other accessories, I figure I'm not the only one who's not a fan. The cabin is less confronting, with more space than the outgoing car, particularly in the rear, which has been endowed with a more comfortable backrest angle.A five-star NCAP rating has been awarded to this workhorse - aside from the engineering work on crumple zones and crash performance, the BT-50 has six airbags dual front, front-side and full-length curtains), stability and traction control (with anti roll-over function) and trailer sway control.The trailer control system uses the same tricks as stability control (braking individual wheels and adjusting engine torque) to counteract any fish-tailing by a towed vehicle. The front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and load-limiters and all five seatbelts are lap-sash jobs. There's also a rear diff lock on offer for the 4WD models.These machines are wasted on tradies - anyone who stepped out of a 20-year-old work ute would be double-checking these things had a rear tray. The interior is comfortable and refined for the most part - the children did get a little grumpy at the ride in the back, as the tray wasn't weighed down with a lot, but at least there are proper side-steps for clambering in.Seat comfort is reasonably good, as is the cabin space - the driver has good fields of vision and is only let down by the absence of reach adjustment on the steering and rear drum brakes, which work fine but might be a little old-tech for some younger new car buyers. The pay off for the firmer ride than its Ford twin is crisper steering and better body control - where much of the segment resorts to leaning heavily and torturing front rubber, the Mazda feels more capable.It also shrinks around the driver to some extent, feeling smaller than the 5.3m length and 1.8m width listed in the specs sheet. Four-wheel drive can be engaged at speeds up to the state limit, with the back-up of a locking rear diff - although that's only going to be required when the going gets seriously rough, as there's no shortage of off-road ability with 237mm of ground clearance and an 800mm wading depth.The workhorse side of this vehicle offers decent capacity - the payload is over 1100kg and the maximum braked towing capacity is 3350kg, with old-school leaf springs under the rear.

I have always understood that it is best to drive a Falcon in "third" at speeds less than 80 km/h and towing only in "third". Would you recommend simply driving in "Drive" regardless of speed or towing and let the transmission "sort it all out"?

Like it or loathe it, the new Mazda BT-50 ute is here to do business offering tradie and "lifestyle" punters a choice of body styles, three equipment grades, two turbodiesel engines and two transmissions.The prices for the Thai-made truck range from $32,590 for the XT Freestyle cab-chassis 4x2 manual up to, gulp, $52,710 for the dual cab GT auto. Cheaper single cab-chassis arrives further down the track. Most current BT-50 sales were in base spec' single cab-chassis to tradies but Mazda wants a larger slice of the lifestyle pie this time putting greater focus on dual cab 4x4.A new one tonner is a rarity, they only go through generational change once in a blue moon. The new BT-50 marks a decided shift in styling direction away from a utilitarian and boxy workhorse look to a more rounded wedge shape. It's big (200mm longer than before) and bold and polarising especially around the rear with almond shaped tail lights that leave nobody in doubt it's a BT-50.Turbodiesel only in 2.2-litre four pot and 3.2-litre five pot, just like twin under the skin Ford Ranger.The 2.2 is good for 110kW/375Nm while the five is good for 147kW/470Nm. The smaller donk uses as little as 7.6-litres/100km in base manual spec' while the larger unit goes through 8.4. With an 80 litre tank, both engines will give an impressive driving range. This is the first five cylinder engine from Mazda and goes pretty well.Six speeds in both manual (rubbery) and auto yield benefits in performance and fuel efficiency for BT-50. But you can't get the 2.2 in auto, for some reason it's only on the 3.2.The auto is adaptive and offers sequential change mode while the manual has an upshift indicator to help economical driving. The 4x4 system offers three modes 2H, 4H and 4L selected by turning a knob on the console. The auto gets hill launch assist and hill descent control and a locking rear diff'.It's on a ladder chassis featuring double wishbones and coil springs up front, live axle and leaf springs at the rear. Turning circle radius is reduced by more front wheel steering angle. The body rides on liquid filled bushes to reduce noise and vibration.BT-50 offers passenger car levels of safety and was built to comply with a five star crash rating. The base single cab models get four air bags while the larger models get six. Stability control and other dynamic modulators are fitted. Trailer sway control, flashing tail lights under panic stops and roll stability control are featured on new BT-50.Hectares of cheap, hard, grey plastic greet passengers inside, a glamour inside it certainly isn't. But there's adequate kit and it's easy to use but no reach adjust on the steering. Seats for five in the dual cab model are relatively comfy and there's plenty of room and easy access. The audio is acceptable and though small, the info/satnav screen is handy. Multi-media connectivity is excellent offering Bluetooth phone and audio streaming as well as other plugs and wheel mounted control buttons.The cargo box is larger than before and all models are rated higher for towing and load capacity, all capable of taking a tonne or more. It's a dual skin cargo box but a tray liner is optional.

I've started towing a caravan with my 2006 automatic Nissan X- trail and was wondering if I should have a transmission oil cooler fitted. The X-trail has a braked towing capacity of 2000 kg and my caravan weighs 1300 kg and has brakes. So far I've only done small trips of around 300 km, but next year I want to go from Brisbane to Victoria to see the Great Ocean Road. Previously I have been told that if I was going to tow heavy stuff I should get an aftermarket cooler to cool the transmission fluid. Do you think it is necessary?

MAZDA zooms toward the top of the ute class with the all-new, bigger and bolder BT50. While there will be discussion about the move toward a more SUV-like style - inside and out - there will be few questions about the on and off-road ability of the new machines as lifestyle dual cabs.The BT50, as with its Ford Ranger counterpart, moves into this growing segment with confidence. The business is still dominated by Toyota's Hilux and the Nissan Navara; now there is fresh competition at this top end of the ute market from Mazda, Ford, Volkswagen's Amarok and the forthcoming Holden Colorado. People-carrying utes are a very healthy, steadily-growing segment of the local market and Mazda is prepared to forget some of the cheap-and-cheerful tradies workhorses to move in for a bigger slice of the top end. There are three BT50 cab styles, two and four-wheel drives, two engines, two transmissions and three spec grades. First up are the dual cabs driven at launch and available from November 1, followed by the Freestyle cabs later that month with single cabs due in early 2012.Final pricing for the 2011 class of BT50s is still under discussion but Mazda Australia promises 'competitive' deals to line up with rivals; prices are expected to rise between $1500 and $5000 across the range.Expect then the volume-selling XT four-wheel drive dual cab around $45,000, running through to close on $60,000 for the top-spec GT version. Few miss out on a pile of gear from air conditioning and Bluetooth to traction control, stability control and roll control.The BT50 sits on the chassis developed with Ford but Mazda, with 50 engineers in Australia for four years, have gone their own way with exterior and interior style (along with damper settings).The result is a ute infused with Mazda's current DNA - the front end carries the CX-7 wagon's big grin, the rear has its own special treatment with horizontal taillights that not only scream around onto the ute's side but also carry on to the tail gate.Mazda reckons this gives the BT50 a 'dynamic, futuristic' look; some are uncertain whether Australia's ute buyers are ready for the future.Mazda has stacked these utes, in particular these upmarket four-wheel drive versions, with a host of electronic driver aids. While there remains a full (and well-tuned) chassis below, an array of gear from stability and roll control to hill assist and hill descent control bring car-like driving and safety dynamics to the BT-50. The 3.2 litre diesel is Mazda's first five-cylinder engine.The aforementioned secondary safety aids - including Load Adaptive Control to plot the electronics' reactions dependent on load and Trailer Sway Control - are complemented by driver and passenger front and side airbags plus curtain airbags. Mazda engineers are confident of a five-star ANCAP rating.This new BT50 is a fair way removed from its predecessor. It is bigger inside and out, quieter and better-mannered on tar and dirt. Engineers have given it taut, passenger car-like dynamics with excellent turn-in to corners (with rack and pinion steering) and top grip on good and bad roads; it is particularly competent on fast dirt roads. The 3.2 litre engine is stacked with torque, handy on and off the road although the six-speed manual shift could be slicker; here the six-speed auto shines. But with either transmission the BT-50 is a quiet, always willing, machine at cruise or crawling speeds. This is yet another of these new generation utes that drive more like a capable SUV than load carrier.Some may find Mazda have zoomed a tad too far toward SUV with the style inside and out (the centre console and its buttons for instance feel a bit dinky) but there is no doubting the new BT50's ability to cruise the highway in a fair degree of comfort or climb a rutted scrub track with confidence.

We recently bought a VW Amarok Highline TD1400 dual-cab utility and have found that it is not compatible with any of our trailers, and we are trying to find information on how and where we can overcome this problem. We have also discovered that there is no temperature gauge on the vehicle, just a warning signal, and are also trying to rectify this as we would much rather be able to prevent any overheating problems rather than finding out too late.

My 100 series Toyota Landcruiser V8 has recently started running hot when towing. Our Toyota dealer has refilled the fan with oil, replaced the thermostat and put on a new fan belt, but all to no avail. We have also put some product in the water that is supposed to seal any cracked head problems, but this hasn't worked either. The dealer now wants to put new heads on it. I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe this is the problem. Do you have any other suggestions?