Toyota Hilux

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i bought my 2020 SR5 hilux last year late october. I used to have holden sedan based utes, always missed the tray capacity. my lst car was commodore vf sv6 which was a great car, but had to move it on due to higher kms & wanted a ute as moved to 1.5 acre property in regional vic. firewood trips, garden supplies, trailor towing for wood and trips to tip, lugging product for my small manufacturing business, maybe some light off roading and weekends away to coast with family I researched every popular dual cab on the market thoroughly, probably too much. i read everything on this site, all other sites, spoke to lots of ute owners,mechanics etc about their likes and dislikes of various dual cabs (though i am well aware of post purchase confirmation, most people would probably say they are happy with their car unless they got a dud, right? nobody wants to feel like an idiot who made a poor decision on a big purchase) on paper the ranger looked better equipped than hilux, and i may have gone with ranger if the hilux update didnt come around i really wanted to love the hilux and it was where my heart was at, but it didnt add up on paper, especially since i am a tech / gadget guy. but the hilux facelift added a few things i felt was lacking against ranger, ie some power, apple car play, adaptive cruise, towing capacity, and i really like the new front grille and tail light design - lets be honest looks are important consideration for many of us. they have addressed the dpf issue but it isnt an issue for me as i do long highways runs every day, it does its burn every 600 or 700 kms and i barely notice. with a 1 hour commute each way every day, its not as cushy unladed as the old aussie made commodore, but its a different beast with different pros and cons, overall much more capable and more suited to my current needs. im averaging around 8L/100km which is fine, i probably do 80-90% highway kms the kids love riding high, 2 kids under 5, they can see everything out the window, they love riding in 'dads ute', however the rear leg room isnt great, and hopefully will be less of an issue once kids out of car seats. (it is pretty easy to hand them stuff, for the mrs riding shotgum, since they are closer to us than in the commodore, take that as a silver lining if you will) I love the higher seating position as i am 6'3" with the usual lower back issues of a 40 year old tall guy, and the more open hip angle, for 40,000+ km per year seems to reduce the load on the back according to an osteo mate. not to mention the better visibility especially compared to my low riding commodore, its a huge difference. the ute has ample power, i tend to leave the drive mode in normal, eco is a bit weak, and power mode seems overkill for most of my driving needs, handy for overtaking though. havent done any heavy towing, we dont have a boat or caravan, but im planning on throwing a couple tonne of firewood in a trailer on my next big wood cutting trip. i test drove the bi turbo ranger XLT, which was nice, felt huge inside, steering was very (too) light, seemed to hunt for gears, and the interior just felt a bit cheap/plasticy especially for a car in that price range. i eliminated most of the other main contenders during online research phase for lacking in either power, safety, bad reviews, on road driving dynamics and personal preference for exterior design. also heard some horror stories about rangers with high kms having engine and trans issues. also the resale on hilux is handy as i will clock up a lot of kms have only done a bit of light off roading aroudn the macedon ranges, jsut getting my feet wet (muddy?), the family enjoyed it, so will probably put on some A/T and add some basic recovery gear like a tow bar redcovery point and some tracks, inflator, the car handled the tracks easily, though i wasnt pushing it really. keen to head out again with more gear and try some harder tracks. have done over 25,000 kms since november, and not a single issue, which is to be expected for a brand new car. everything has performaed as expected, controls are simple and intuitive. ergos are good, i reallyenjoy being in this car and just taking the fam for a drive around the ranges exploring on the weekends. feels like we can go anywhere, but im sensible enough to realise its limits in stock form. my only negatives so far are that they jacked up the pricing on the update, but they did add a lot of value too, and a couple minor annoying things like how the system doesnt remember your preferences for adaptive cruise distance, cruise control standby, lack of rear usb, and rear leg room, steering at low speed can feel heavy for parking. i do miss the remote start from the commodore, an amazing handy feature especially for those frosty sib zero mornings, tempted to add after market but dont want to mess with the electrics so far have been super happy with the ute, and felt like i owed it to this site to write a review since it was the best resource i found during my research, and also becasue it seems at least in VIc there arent many of this model around yet due to supply issues so thought it might be appreciated, even though its only a mid life update.

The Toyota Hilux is becoming ever more popular in Australia, with a long list of variants and gaining critical acclaim in Australia and other countries, and the introduction of the new model will only cement its reputation in the highly competitive pick-up segment of the market. It was only logical therefore, that living in Thailand, I went ahead and purchased a variant that isn’t available in Australia – a brand new Hilux Revo Prerunner Smart (Extra) Cab. Now before you scoff at the name, (dare I throw in the names that other manufacturers come up for some of their models – Stavic, Touareg (toe-rag), e-Tron) you should know that the Hilux Prerunner is historically one of the most popular picks here in Thailand and rightly so. I paid 864,000 Thai Baht (approx. $AUD38,230) and the dealer through in a bucket load of accessories including a dash cam, window tinting and car cover. The equivalent in Australia is probably the SR5 Hi-Rider. The Revo Prerunner sits above the Standard and Z Edition, but below the overly expensive (in my opinion) Revo Rocco (which the Oz Rugged is based on) The Prerunner is a 2x4 but has the same 216mm ride height as the 4WD. It’s powered by the economical 110kw 2.4L diesel, as the bigger 2.8L is only mated to the 4WD variants here. I opted for the 6-speed manual to go with it, mainly due to it being 50,000 Thai Baht ($AUD2,270) cheaper, and I’m old school. However, in hindsight, the auto would have been nice given the congested metropolitan roads, the fact that you have to look in seven different directions at intersections, and that many Thais drive with reckless abandon, (don’t get me started about them on motorbikes). I’m lucky to get out of third gear around town and have only slipped it into sixth on a trip out to the Chonburi countryside on a good highway to visit some caves. (Note that the Motorway speed limit here is 130kph) The Smart Cab is the same as an Extra Cab in Oz, and comes with a padded bench seat behind the front seats, though has no seatbelts in the back. It’s ok for the kids and on short trips for adults - forget it if you’re over 6-foot-tall and packing a pot belly! The missus claims I didn’t pick the double cab so that we couldn’t pack in the parents, cousins, nephews, nieces, the nosey neighbour, resident soi dog and fighting cook. I genuinely wanted the longer tray for payloads (and up to 6 of them can go in the tray anyway – no seriously, legally a maximum of 6 can travel in the tray here!) There’s a lot to like about the Prerunner. I opted for the High Spec (as opposed to Entry and Mid) which comes with the Bi-LED headlights and LED taillights, Theft Deterrent, Immobiliser, Rear Camera, VSC, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assistance control, Cruise Control and Toyota Park Assist. Entry is with the Smart Key (push start & entry) and inside, the any-colour-you-like-as-long-as-it’s-black cabin is appointed with leather steering wheel, leather/synthetic seats (driver’s seat has electrical adjustment), 8-inch touch screen with 4 colour display, 6 speakers, Auto Air and a handy cooler storage glove box. The steering wheel has controls for audio and information and you can choose what you want to display on the instrument cluster including digital speedo readout. The Multimedia System is a cinch to use, but oddly, only Apple Car play is featured as Toyota Thailand doesn’t want to enable Android Auto, even though it’s there - I can hook up my Android phone but only via an app and it won’t display apps or maps on the touchscreen. For long trips we hook up the wife’s iPhone. Hopefully, Toyota Thailand will update the software to enable Android Auto as it’s my only grumbling point. Outside, the Prerunner sits high on 18-inch wheels giving it excellent visibility from behind the wheel, except for the thick A-Pillars which makes it hard to see how many motor-scooters are taking shade at the side or coming at you around corners when you’re on the move. The new aggressive front makes it stand out from its predecessor, especially with the new grill design and the horizontal bar design daytime running lights. All Revo Hilux models have a vertical fog light design, which one cousin in law naming it “moo-pah” claiming that the tapered molding makes it look like it has the tusks of a wild boar. Hmmm, ok, I can see his point and I have refrained from naming it “Gul’dan” – besides, trying to explain the orc from an on-line role-playing game to my Thai wife who maintained a deadpan wtf-are-you-talking-about-face was risking temporary insanity. What’s not to love? Well, navigating down the narrow side streets or sois, as they are called here, can be nerve wracking, as is trying to park it. Even at the larger shopping centres, the car spaces don’t seem to be quite big enough to accommodate the 5.325m length and 1.855m width. All hail reversing camera and Toyota’s Park Assist. The 6.4m turning circle is also pretty ordinary, which has led to some anxiety when attempting a (legal) U-turn at a break in traffic on a dual lane highway as I wasn’t sure whether the wheels would end up in the gutter before completing the turn and being run down by approaching traffic. Overall, driving the Prerunner is effortless, though around town on some of the ahem, less well-maintained streets of Chonburi makes it a little jittery at low speeds; with a load in the back this disappears and the ride is as smooth as an iced Beer Leo on a tropical summer’s eve. I do like it when I need a burst of speed for overtaking, though the 2.4L turbo diesel packs less punch than the 2.8L it does have some kick-ass, though not of Tesla proportions. I have no complaints about the economy either, which I can check constantly on the touchscreen display. I’m looking forward to a long, contented relationship with my Hilux Revo Prerunner and have just had a 1,000km check done through the local and super-efficient Toyota dealership. I would certainly recommend picking this model specification to my fellow ex-pats here, and that the SR5 Hi-Rider in Australia is a worthy option. Unfortunately, Toyota Australia’s website doesn’t go into detailed specs for it, so perhaps an editorial footnote may clear the air.

I bought my 2019 Hilux SR in Janurary 2020 due to its excellent resale and solid Toyota build quality. I prefer the front look of the SR compared to the SR5, especially with the bull bar. The interior is really comfortable and a nice place to be for extended periods of time. Everything is functional and does the job. I do mainly highway kms and it is a really nice place to be for road trips and gets good fuel economy (8.6 l/100 on the freeway). Unfortunately, it doesn't have Apple Carplay but I use the Bluetooth for music and I haven't had any issues with it. The sound system quality is pretty good for a ute. The active safety features are great to have, the automatic braking have saved me from running up the back of someone before when they stopped suddenly in front of me. The adaptive cruise control is very smart, it will automatically brake if the car in front slows down too much and will start accelerating again automatically as I turn the indicator on to overtake. One annoying thing is that the headlights can't be permanently switched off, only auto, parkers or on, which does get annoying if you are passing through lots of tunnels. It is also very handy having seatbelt sensors on all 5 seats, not something I would usually expect from a dual cab ute. The engine and transmission are great. The ratios are great for very slow low range offroading but it revs quite low on the freeway too for better fuel economy. The torque band starts very low down so it is good for 1st gear low range on a steep hill. It is very handy having the soft tonneau on the back, being able to have a dry space that I don't have to really worry about putting stuff in, whilst also being able to take it off and have a traditional look. Just a word of warning, on the J-deck style tub (with the tie downs on the outside, unlike the A-deck on the SR5), you can see the pop rivets for the tonneau from the outside if you squat down, pretty unimpressed with that quality from Toyota. The offroad ability is incredible. The offroad traction control system is amazing and does a fantastic job 99% of the time. I am only running the stock tyres, mildly aggressive AT's and I very rarely have issues offroad. Very impressed so far, rarely need to use the rear diff locker. It performs far superior to a friends MQ Mitsubishi Triton which runs aggressive BFG ATs, as well as a friends NP300 Nissan Navara. The twist knob makes it very easy to change between 2H, 4H and 4L. Sometimes the ride can be a little bit firm in the rear unladen but once you put some weight in the rear it is a very nice ride. Would be nice to see Apple Carplay etc, however, I believe this is coming in the near future. Overall I love my Hilux and am very happy that I chose it over other dual cabs utes, will be keeping it for a while!

My Toyota Hilux WorkMate 4x4 Dual Cab is best described as unexceptionally capable. Now I must qualify this review firstly, I didn't buy this car it was chosen by the bean counters on price, reputation and perceived reliability, of the previous fleet vehicles used by the business the Hilux's (Hiluxi?) had the least issues if any compared to previous Mazda’s, Fords and Nissans. I tended to agree having previously taken a 2009 Hilux Manual SR 4x4 to 290K with not a single issue. OH and whole FBT free thing due to it being a utility. It is branded to within an inch of its life, hence no photos as I'm not sure it would be appreciated in this forum. I used this Hilux Workmate for work and private use. Carting me around during the week and lugging the wife and 2 kidlets in car seats around on the weekends. My line of work doesn't require load lugging but it does require traversing some fairly muddy paddocks in the colder months and generally rough terrain. This was a replacement for a petrol 2WD workmate hilux which was atrocious for a 2015 model. My car was spec'd with an auto and a hard tonneau cover which is actually pretty neat and is integrated with the remote central locking, it keeps items in the tray dry but, is not dust proof which still whips up and in past the tailgate. I have had the vehicle nearly 10 months and put 30K on it in that time from new. It is the base model of the 4x4 dual cab hilux range and is meant to be a workhorse rather than a blinged up ute. The interior is spartan but, functional with hard wearing plastics everywhere, rubber floors, USB and audio jack in the center stack. There is no centre display screen between the clear white dials, unlike the models higher up in the range which is a disappointment given these will likely be used by those that drive for a living and would appreciate the feature. What this car also misses out on is the comfier seats on the higher spec models (Which I think are shared with camry). The seats fitted to the workmate are hard, ok for short stints around town but, on longer drives on rougher roads they can get uncomfortable. Again it’s a work ute built for a purpose. The child seats fit in the rear OK, the passenger seat is moved a fair way forward due to the rear facing seat and my taller workmates can be bit cramped. The eldest is propped in the middle seat and she gets a great view out the front window. I will commend Toyota for moving the child seat fixing points from under the back seat to a top tether point. The previous model was endlessly frustrating to fit a child seat. As is the trend now with modern utes, the rear window is tiny and with the child seats fitted,impossible to see out of. Thankfully the Hilux has excellent, large, electrically adjustable wing mirrors along with a great rear view camera with static guidelines. The camera is a necessity these days and is mounted centrally on the tailgate with great peripheral vision, to help when backing out from a row of SUV/4wd’s. The multimedia screen is clear and crisp displaying the rear vision camera. The software is getting a little dated these days and has not been updated from the previous hilux. The buttons around the screen are all frustratingly capacitive touch type including the volume controls, a pet peeve of mine (and everyone else) I don’t understand why car manufacturers persist with this type of volume control. There are basic stereo and phone controls on the steering wheel however as a big tease the voice control button only brings up a message that it is not fitted to the vehicle. Thanks for nothing. There only speakers mounted in the front doors, they are ok for a base model car. The bluetooth works well, however the clearer audio streaming from the phone was over USB. It connects quickly with little fuss to the phone upon start up. As a side note I do wish Toyota would just hurry up install apple carplay/android auto in their new vehicles. If sub 20K econoboxes can get them there is no excuse why this $40K plus ute shouldn’t. The Workmate is fitted with the 2.4l 4 cylinder diesel. It is adequate for getting around town with little fuss and will cruise down the freeway fine. It won’t set world on fire, but will keep up with traffic and as to be expected is pretty noisey on the move. The engine is mated to 6 speed auto. It's a pretty good box swiftly changing gears to keep in the torque band however I have found it is not as smooth as the old 4 speed auto and can slur between gears at lower speeds. There is an eco and a power button next to the transmission, they either dull or sharpen up the throttle response. I’m not sure why you would use eco and the power button is handy for the odd quick getaway or to force the 6 speed to hold a gear for longer. There is a sports/manual mode for those inclined to shift through the gears however its not quick or very rewarding and will always default to 4th gear regardless of speed when switched to manual. Which means if you wanted lock it in a lower gear to climb up a hill you first need to shuffle down to 3rd or 2nd after switching to manual. I do find it useful to manually select 1st and use this to crawl around the previously mentioned paddocks as if left to itself in drive the car will cruise to fast with no throttle input. The Hilux Workmate has traction control (which can be turned off) , stability control (which cannot be turned off), antilock brakes, 2wd, hi-range and low range 4wd. Unfortunately the workmate misses out on locking differentials which brings me to a bit of a problem with the “work” ute of the range. On site in previously mentioned muddy paddocks, the over zealous non switchable stability control combines to fight the driver in muddy tracks. Where you would naturally use a little power oversteer and 4wd to pull through a muddy track where maintaining forward momentum is key to not getting stuck, the stability control clamps down in the brakes in an attempt to straighten the rotating vehicle. Lifesaving on a slippery road, frustrating on a muddy track as the hilux slows to a crawl and then struggles fighting it's own stability control. All while trying anxiously to prevent the hilux from getting stuck and hearing the grinding of the stability controlled brakes clamping on and off. On road and away from site it is a step ahead of the previous model however this is a ute made for carrying loads and driving on rough roads. It was never going to glide over bumps like a Range Rover and I wouldn’t expect it to. For a utilitarian model its fine. It’s mostly comfortable on smooth blacktop, which I think can be partially credited to the massive tyres and it is fairly maneuverable for 2 Tonne machine. Externally I am a fan of the black rims / unpainted bumper combination, it’s tough and let's face it most of these will likely be replaced by if not the first, the second or third owner anyway. The tray is a good size, however the high sides of tray make if hard to load big items without the tailgate down, but again taller/bigger is the fashion these days in the ute arms race. No side steps mounted to this car make getting in a decent leap for my 5’11” height and on uneven ground requires use of the hand grips to get in. If you are thinking buying one, tick this option box. Speaking of hand grips, they are big, chunky and you bash your head on them in rough terrain. My taller work colleagues are not fans. My Hilux has been reliable over the period I have been driving it and overall happy with the vehicle. It is built to serve a purpose and it complete’s that purpose adequately if not glamorously like its more expensive cousins.