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Right, but seeing trucks obviously not set up for towing or hauling is becoming more common nowadays. With the level of luxury trims available on some trucks no

by 6SixTy 13d ago

Right, but seeing trucks obviously not set up for towing or hauling is becoming more common nowadays. With the level of luxury trims available on some trucks now, it's obvious that they aren't a necessity anymore. This is on top of trucks prioritizing 4 door models and taking bites out of the truck bed

ebbi 13d ago
Same trend here in NZ. People buying utes/trucks just because they want, not because they need. They're not as big as the American F150s etc, more a Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger. And they're often driven by reckless road ragers, often modified with uncertified suspension, bush lights turned on at night blinding oncoming traffic, and wheels extending past the fender flares. These vehicles are often financed to the hilt, so spending money on certifying the modifications is out of the picture, so a lot of these are not legal to drive on the roads.
- 6SixTy 13d ago
  Remember that the US is it's own market with different regulations and has a complicated history with imports, so no Hilux. Though it does look like the Ranger is externally the same between NZ and US. I'm not counting maybe 1mm as different. I am somewhat familiar with a Ute since I've seen Subaru Bajas before. Not old enough to see Subaru Brats around or El Caminos. It does seem like those people are emulating Americans though a lot of those mods are passable without certification, and it's up to a cop to pull over people using bush lights (they probably won't).
  - ebbi 13d ago
    My comment wasn't necessarily to talk about model parity across markets - more to highlight the growing trend of people buying large utility vehicles with a tray as a fashion statement (for lack of a better term) than for its utility. > "a lot of those mods are passable without certification" Not true. Besides the bush lights, any changes in suspension and wheel size require a certification, with a LVVTA cert plate attached to the vehicle. There is definitely a case of double standards with police enforcement. 'Boy racers' with modified coupes and sedans - typically lowered, with larger wheels - get way police scrutiny compared to utes with obviously illegal modifications like colored lights, and wheels jutting out past the fenders.
    - 6SixTy 13d ago
      My bad, I meant in the US.
  - anon7725 12d ago
    > so no Hilux Isn't that just a Toyota Tacoma?
    - 6SixTy 9d ago
      Tacoma is longer and wider by about 100mm. The Tacoma shares a platform with the Prado, no 2 door/2 seat option (anymore), no chassis cab, no diesel. Heard that it uses C channel frame, while the Hilux is fully boxed, so the payload is significantly better on the Hilux. Sell sheet for the Tacoma vs the Hilux on Wikipedia states that there's an increased focus on ride quality over the Hilux, which was developed for the US market.

by 6SixTy 13d ago

ebbi 13d ago

Same trend here in NZ. People buying utes/trucks just because they want, not because they need. They're not as big as the American F150s etc, more a Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger. And they're often driven by reckless road ragers, often modified with uncertified suspension, bush lights turned on at night blinding oncoming traffic, and wheels extending past the fender flares. These vehicles are often financed to the hilt, so spending money on certifying the modifications is out of the picture, so a lot of these are not legal to drive on the roads.

6SixTy 13d ago
Remember that the US is it's own market with different regulations and has a complicated history with imports, so no Hilux. Though it does look like the Ranger is externally the same between NZ and US. I'm not counting maybe 1mm as different. I am somewhat familiar with a Ute since I've seen Subaru Bajas before. Not old enough to see Subaru Brats around or El Caminos. It does seem like those people are emulating Americans though a lot of those mods are passable without certification, and it's up to a cop to pull over people using bush lights (they probably won't).
- ebbi 13d ago
  My comment wasn't necessarily to talk about model parity across markets - more to highlight the growing trend of people buying large utility vehicles with a tray as a fashion statement (for lack of a better term) than for its utility. > "a lot of those mods are passable without certification" Not true. Besides the bush lights, any changes in suspension and wheel size require a certification, with a LVVTA cert plate attached to the vehicle. There is definitely a case of double standards with police enforcement. 'Boy racers' with modified coupes and sedans - typically lowered, with larger wheels - get way police scrutiny compared to utes with obviously illegal modifications like colored lights, and wheels jutting out past the fenders.
  - 6SixTy 13d ago
    My bad, I meant in the US.
- anon7725 12d ago
  > so no Hilux Isn't that just a Toyota Tacoma?
  - 6SixTy 9d ago
    Tacoma is longer and wider by about 100mm. The Tacoma shares a platform with the Prado, no 2 door/2 seat option (anymore), no chassis cab, no diesel. Heard that it uses C channel frame, while the Hilux is fully boxed, so the payload is significantly better on the Hilux. Sell sheet for the Tacoma vs the Hilux on Wikipedia states that there's an increased focus on ride quality over the Hilux, which was developed for the US market.