If you’re looking to buy or rent a pickup truck, then what exactly is it that you want from it? Many would argue that a pickup needs to have space and stability for large haulage jobs, it needs to fair well both on and off-road and it needs to have the power to tow heavy loads as required. Well some of the best pickups currently on the market offer all of this and combine it with the comfort, sophistication and road handling of a crossover car.
The Nissan Navara is arguably the pick of the bunch at this moment in time and here’s why. The Navara has good ground clearance, you can switch between two or four wheel drive depending on the terrain you are driving on, meaning that it performs very well both on and off-road. It can haul well over 1,000 kg and can tow up to three tonnes using the standard 2.5-liter diesel engine. So as a work vehicle it can hold its own and its clean lines and alloy wheels make for a smart looking exterior.
But what about comfort? Well inside, the Navara has comfortable leather seats, electric windows, bluetooth and USB capabilities, air conditioning and overall looks more like a family car interior than a pickup truck. The bottom line is what you get with the Navara is a powerful pickup that doubles very nicely as a passenger carrier.
Another contender for best pickup truck is the Mitsubishi L200. This pickup can also be used in two or four wheel drive modes and has good off-road capabilities, although its haulage and towing prowess falls a little short of the Navara’s. It comes as standard with a 2.4-liter turbo diesel engine and with its curvy exterior lines is far from ugly to look at.
Inside, the L200 is very similar to the Navara, but in some opinions, may have an aesthetic edge over Nissan's rival. Having said that the standard features are more or less identical. The L200 is a good pickup and passenger carrier, but in terms of power, on paper, the Navara is ahead by a nose.
Inside, the L200 is very similar to the Navara, but in some opinions, may have an aesthetic edge over Nissan's rival. Having said that the standard features are more or less identical. The L200 is a good pickup and passenger carrier, but in terms of power, on paper, the Navara is ahead by a nose.
Finally, we have the Volkswagen Amarok, this is the most expensive of the three pickups, but in return you get the best driving experience. The Amarok is widely accepted to be most 'car-like' from the driver's perspective and thus it takes the laurels in terms of a passenger carrier. Selectable or four wheel drive means that it can still do the business off-road, however its 2.0-liter delivers perhaps a little less oomph than its competitors.
As you can see there are several factors that set these pickups apart and in the end it will come down to the specific needs of you, the consumer. Perhaps pickup insurance prices will be the deciding factor!
