Extended drive: TRD Hilux

[Poetic Justice]

First and foremost, I dont rate myself as much of a writer or reviewer. I'm sure there'd be a couple of people around who are interested in this car so here goes.

Well I've had the privlege of having an extended drive of the TRD Hilux. The model driven was the 4000SL which is the higher in the range (there is also a cheaper 4000S available). Price of the vehicle retail is around $69500 drive away with a set of floor mats. One beautiful thing about such a pricey performance car though... being a ute capable of lugging 1 tonne, it doesn't attract luxury car tax.

My first impression? I'd buy a Maloo, or to a lesser extend a Pursuit. I quite like the VE HSV product, and would probably swing that way over the FPV alternative. The only benefits I can ultimately see from this car is the ability to have a bit of balls, carry your gear and cart the kids around at the same time. So in comparison to utes like the Crewman, Cross 8 or HSV XUV (hideous!) I would definitely pick something like this.

The exterior of the car is rather good. They've done enough on the outside to make on coming traffic know that this vehicle is a TRD and not just an SR5. The front bumper styling, though something that you'll either love or hate, is great in my books. The small details like the design of the grille. If you haven't noticed already, the pattern represents the 'R' in TRD's logo. Move on to the side profile.. and there's mixed emotions. The wheels, much like the FPV's weren't really cutting it. Perhaps this is the extent Prodrive have with the two marque's? Hah. They could have been better, though I will appreciate that because of it's 4x4 nature they couldn't have been too much bigger. Next was the black sports bars... they look great, and fit the theme rather than just the normal chrome found on the SR5 (yet another point of differentiation.) The stripes however, we could probably do without and look like they were shared with the F6X. At the rear you'll find a flat step rather than the chrome step on the SR5 - a nice touch also.

Interior... is probably where I was most disappointed. For me it looks as if the guys at TRD got their hands on the Hilux and said "Well, we'll slap some leather seats in it and colour the leather on the steering wheel and we'll be done with it." The TRD Aurion was a far better effort. In the Aurion they got stuck into the door trims, door spears and leather inserts, where the Hilux was left factory. The other failure, and I suppose I can understand that they really can't just do these things.. but the dash remains the light grey colour. At the end of the day, you have around 5 different colour shades inside the interior of the TRD Hilux, and to me it looks a bit messy and not very well done.

As with most Toyota's, there's no audio upgrade, so you're left with the factory unit. The dash remains the same, and the only insignia of TRD is on the gear knob, the seats and the build plate. Otherwise, it's a Hilux SR5.

Performance? Super. You would look at the 225kw figure and not think much of it, but you should really have a drive of it to make your mind up. It's a rather good setup, and I can tell you I wouldn't want it to be any faster. This car is missing in my opinion one very important piece of technology. Traction control. I'm no sissy, but I don't appreciate taking off from every set of lights twice. Once with no grip, and twice to finally get moving properly - and legally.

The supercharger whine is always a good thing, but there's obviously no V8 rumble backing it up. It's cool, but one wonders if you'd get annoyed with it after a while. Give it a squirt at 60km's and it sure boogies. It doesn't throw you back in the seat like other cars I've driven (notably the BF F6) but it certainly goes hard.

I guess at the end of the day if this car appeals to you it is a good piece of kit. At the price I wouldn't be convinced, but that's probably because I don't need a ute, and these days I don't really care much about performance cars as all they seem to do is promote bad behaviour.

In what scenario would I own one? If I lived back on the coast and, like many other gold coasters, had a helluva lot of cash spare for a good powerful 4 door ute.

[Hunter]

Heh, I think the most important question is: how well does such a large vehicle like that handle? Power is nothing if the thing can't go around a corner fast. I'd bet the Holden and Ford utes would rip it a new one around the twistys.

[Poetic Justice]

As you'd expect. But it didn't handle too bad. I didn't get much of a chance to really show it any corners given the wet weather we've had. Nor was I all that confident as I usually am showing such a tall vehicle corners.

[flappist]

Remember it is a ute, a REAL ute, not a two door car with a really big boot that can only carry a few louis viutton suitcases and an esky full of premix cosmopolitins before it is overloaded.

I suspect they will sell exceptionally well........

[Nappa]

i've driven the new hilux quite a lot and found it average. Its a big tough robust ute, however like the TRD aurion i find it rather lacking. In the looks department both cars are fat but when driving the hilux it felt very tinnie and cheap. The Trd is a bit to unpredictable, particualy in the wet, and the interior is pox. That said we have orders out for about 5 months and we are getting good money for them. However i if i had that money i'd be spending it on the HSV or FPV ute.

[Poetic Justice]

Absolutely. We've got orders out also, and agreed with flappist as we've already seen, they will definitely sell well!

[Falcon Coupe]

It looks to be the only Ute in it's class, it cannot be compared to a Pursuit or Maloo.

The Cross8 has awd and would be the closest competitor, that said it would not get to half the places the TRD would.

[DeansXR8]

i read a revue of this ute in one of the major papers and it was talking about the superchager whine..saying how annoying it was & why can't toyota make it quiet like in the aurion.
I was thinking the whine is part of the fun in getting a supercharger, other than the obvious HP gain??
Anyway great little insight into the ute, Thanks.

[Need_a_V8]

But is it worth the extra $$$ over a normal Hilux?

[Sprint XR8]

$69500 for a performance ute with a DRUM BRAKE REAR END!!!!!
Whats next fpv ranger,hsv rodeo.....

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by coupex

$69500 for a performance ute with a DRUM BRAKE REAR END!!!!!
Whats next fpv ranger,hsv rodeo.....

So when you drove it the brakes were not up too the task ?

[Poetic Justice]

Brakes were definitely good for me. If it it stops, it stops.

[Aeron]

Originally Posted by coupex

$69500 for a performance ute with a DRUM BRAKE REAR END!!!!!
Whats next fpv ranger,hsv rodeo.....

I could not part with $70,000 for a Hilux that isn't that nice inside and doesn't look that good. $70,000 !!!! I don't know why anyone would buy one for that price.

[snappy]

70k nuff said

[Thornie]

Originally Posted by Aeron

I could not part with $70,000 for a Hilux that isn't that nice inside and doesn't look that good. $70,000 !!!! I don't know why anyone would buy one for that price.

the picture they had in the papaer when there were first talks of it, it looked alot nicer.

[Dazza XLT]

Originally Posted by RaTTuS

the picture they had in the papaer when there were first talks of it, it looked alot nicer.

That's the Top Gear Polar Hilux.
http://www.topgear.com/content/timet...olar-hilux/01/


Put together by http://www.arctictrucks.com/

[M&Ms]

Originally Posted by coupex

$69500 for a performance ute with a DRUM BRAKE REAR END!!!!!
Whats next fpv ranger,hsv rodeo.....

You know there was such a thing as a HSV Rodeo some years back.

[S3SR]

Originally Posted by Dazza XL

That's the Top Gear Polar Hilux.
http://www.topgear.com/content/timet...olar-hilux/01/


Put together by http://www.arctictrucks.com/

yeah this model comes with the gun... well worth the money!

[Dazza XLT]

Originally Posted by S3SR

yeah this model comes with the gun... well worth the money!

Would take road rage to a whole new level!

[Gammaboy]

Originally Posted by M&Ms

You know there was such a thing as a HSV Rodeo some years back.

Was that where the dealer principle told you something wasn't covered under waranty and he had to see how long he could hold on?

[mik]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

So when you drove it the brakes were not up too the task ?

he has a point though, Toyota makes pretences of a high performance ute (TRD) no doubt it goes well but a few laps around any track would against any of the Ford /holden performance ute`s show the Hilux to be a nippy commercial with extra`s, actually i`d put money a stock xr6 ute would see it off over a few laps of any track.

[snappy]

would you put the money on a xr6 racing across the desert,sand dunes,snow two totally differnt vechicles for to different purposes. off the track/road i dare say the trd would smash it.

[Joey_Falcon]

Agreed 70G is a far too steep for what it is.

I got a good advertising slogan for Toyota:

The only thing missing in a TRD is U

[Zed7fiddy]

This, the Prado Grande and the H3 are the only Vehicles on the New SUV market that appeal to me now.

Sure the interor aint that good, but the SR5 Interior isnt that bad compared to the luxy standard interior. and for what it is its awesome!

not sure why people are comparing them to a XR6? two totally different utes serving completely different puposes!

[Sonik]

Originally Posted by snappy84

would you put the money on a xr6 racing across the desert,sand dunes,snow two totally differnt vechicles for to different purposes. off the track/road i dare say the trd would smash it.

Put some stockies on the back and the xr6 would smash the TRD on dunes.

[mik]

Originally Posted by snappy84

would you put the money on a xr6 racing across the desert,sand dunes,snow two totally differnt vechicles for to different purposes. off the track/road i dare say the trd would smash it.

i dare say your right, but 70 big ones does seem a little rich for a mild power upgrade ,a few extra`s for a tarted up hilux and Toyota is pushing the Toyota RACING developments thing big time.

[snappy]

i agree completely 70 grand for a hilux . trd or not i believe is pushing there luck but im just an opinion . The only opinions that would matter to them would be people that have that kind of coin .
I Just stating before don't compare it to an xr6 . compare it to a ranger,rtv or an f-truck
or somthing closer to it. Because we all know there are many different styles of racing not just you standard racing track .They look tough ill give them that.

[PHATXR8]

The lower spec TRD Hilux is priced about $10k less.

Asn for comparing the TRD Hilux to a Commodore or Falcon ute, it's like comparing apples with oranges...

A TRD Hilux you can take off-road on the weekend, say camping or fishing with a boat in tow, pull a double horse float, or a trailer full of wood, or a couple of pallets of bricks(or anything else for that matter). Most Commodore or Falcon utes struggle to navigate a median strip or a gutter, let alone a creek or an icey track while still being able to haul a trademans' or farmers gear during the week.

For what it is the TRD is great. There isn't a really competitor in the same Australian market segment. I reckon hats off to TRD for thinking outside the square and giving the minority of 4wd owners a different choice of vehicle to look at.

As for the who want to compare it to an HSV or FPV on the race track, keep spanking it hard because the only ones who believe your clap-trap are also stroking themselves hard!

[Sprint XR8]

FPV and HSV dont pretend their utes are off roaders,toyota would love you to believe the TRD is a good drive on road. Toyota are targeting HSV and FPV ute purchasers with this so it is a competitor.

[Wretched]

1) too much power for the chassis.
2) Ugly
3) Povo interior for the $$

Conclusion - Typical Toyota, halfway effort.