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What mini truck is the best????

Discussion in 'General Truck Info' started by BIGJER, Mar 26, 2008.

  1. BIGJER

    BIGJER New Member

    I am looking to buy a mini truck..
    Is there any diferance in them and what one is beter??
    I want 4x4 660 engine..
    thanks
     
  2. kmoneil

    kmoneil Administrator Staff Member

  3. pepci

    pepci Member

    I say SUZUKI RULES!!!!
     
  4. BIGJER

    BIGJER New Member

    Is There Any Specific Reason Suzuki Is Better????
    I Just Want To Buy The Best Out There And There Are Many To Chose From...
     
  5. Subaru

    Subaru Member

    Depends what the intended use will be.
    Try and sit in and test drive different models as well-of course......
    Myself I prefer the SC Sambar for the get up and go advantage,and everyone does not have one.My second choice would be a Suzuki with a dump
     
  6. greg0187

    greg0187 Moderator Staff Member

    Agree. Try them out and see what you like. If you want to go by public interest look at the thread count and views of the model sections of the forum.

    1. Suzuki
    2. Daihatsu
    3. Subaru
    4. Mits
    5. Honda
     
  7. Samurai9

    Samurai9 Member

    I would focus on the individual truck rather than the brand. If you are going to use it in the woods, look for a truck that has already been lifted and has big wheels and tires which do not rub, a brush guard, a trailer hitch, four wheel drive, camo paint if you like that, a bed liner, everything working and body looking good, no rust, etc. See if the vehicle has been properly serviced and maintained. FIND OUT IF THERE IS A SPEED LIMITING DEVICE INSTALLED. A good example of any of the brands with all the features you need will beat a bad example of any manufacturer's product or one without the updated features for your use. Improving the wheels and tires, doing the lift, installing a brush guard, etc., can easily add $1,000 to your total cost. Having to repair major mechanical problems can be expensive and tedious even if you are a good mechanic, because of parts issues.

    Sam
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2008
  8. DRW

    DRW Member

    Sam has spoken some very wise advice.
     
  9. Wolfman

    Wolfman Member

    If you do get a Daihatsu, I must add this - mind your clutch. It seems as if we've had a run of clutch replacements in our group, mine included.
     
  10. BIGJER

    BIGJER New Member

    Thanks For All The Info Guys..but I Am New To This Mini Truck Thind And I Want To Get The Best...
    What I Am Realy Looking To Find Out Is The Good And The Bad On The Different Trucks... Ya No Like Ford Vs Chevy/dodge.
    Do They All Have The Same Chassis /are All The Engines Made By The Same Company? And So On....does All Of Them Sell A Dump? Thanks Again Bigjer
     
  11. jimhammer1

    jimhammer1 Member

    In my opinion the "best" is the one you like and is the most mechanically sound for the price you want to pay. "Lemons" come in all varieties. Check it out thoroughly before purchasing.
     
  12. jimhammer1

    jimhammer1 Member

    You might want to check out Jliltd's post on 07/25-07. Good info.
     
  13. Wolfman

    Wolfman Member


    All of the brands except the Mazda are in house built for their respective nameplates. Mazda is a rebadged Suzuki Carry. All trucks are built around the Japanese governments regulations for Kei class vehicles. All will be exactlly the same dimentionally for their year of production, and will have the exact same displacement of engines.

    Engines are built in house to the maker. All except the Subaru are three cyilinder. The Subaru is a four cylinder, and can be found with a factory supercharger. All are mid engine mount, except for Subaru and Honda. They are rear engine. All ride on 12" wheels from the factory, but will have variations in lug nut patterns, etc.

    There is some variation in cab room, so sit in all of them, to see which model fits you best.

    I've heard that Suzukis tend to idle very high when cold. As I've already mentioned with the Daihatsu's, their clutches seem to be weak. Their front shocks are the softest of the group as well.

    The rear engined trucks have the most difficulty in getting lifted, and the Honda is the truck that has more of an all wheel drive type of arrangement, versus the part time systems in the rest of the trucks.

    Overall, these trucks are dirt simple, and extremely easy to work on. My neighbour and I did the clutch on my Hijet with surprisingly little difficulty, and had no issues with hidden, unreachable bolts.

    All in all, it boils down to which truck suits you best. All of them are going to give you comparatively little difficulty. As they are used vehicles, how well taken care of while in Japan will have more to play into their reliabillity here.
     
  14. DRW

    DRW Member

    Wolfman certainly speaks the truth,but.......Suzuki's do rule in the offroad world!!
     
  15. This has been hashed through a couple of times with no clear cut answer. It is the same old Ford, Chevy, Dodge type of argument that seems to generate more emotion than facts often. We have had Mitsus, Suzukis and Hondas and have no complaints about any of them so far. We also have provided Daihatsus to a business partner in the lower 48 who loves them. Each make seems to have its’ individual strong and weak points. I will say that for the best all around compromise machine we have settled on Mitsubishis. So far they have been pretty bullet proof even with 3” lifts on them. Draw back is that they don’t have a diff lock model.
    Probably the best advice was to go about and look at a variety and see what works best for you in terms of how it feels and the deal you can make on it. Kind of like picking a puppy. You can study it to death or you can just reach in and grab one and you will probably wind up loving what ever you get.
    Good luck!
     
  16. MrJPolito

    MrJPolito Active Member

    I know I'm replying to an extremely old post, but I saw this post weeks ago and it's been bothering me ever since. Just looking at the thread and post count of these forums is a ridiculous way to determine how good or popular a minitruck model is. If anything, it shows which models have the most issues.

    In terms of Daihatsu, you can't find any parts or information about any of the currently importable Daihatsu minitrucks, and it's definitely visible with the number of threads that get posted weekly asking for manuals and information and parts on the most basic maintenance topics that people still don't have answers to after months or years of searching.

    In my opinion, every Honda Acty I've had has been the best because the parts are easily findable in the US and repairs are extremely simple to perform and hardly anything has ever been wrong with any of the Actys I have imported. The thread count in that forum absolutely shows this.
     
  17. installater

    installater Active Member

    No to be a wise guy, but why you in a Daihatsu Hijet ?
    Personally the one I'm driving is the best one no matter what make it is
    Regards
    Brian
     
  18. fmartin_gila

    fmartin_gila Well-Known Member

    The best there is does not exist. Each has their own quality's, quirks, problems the same as we all have our expectations, uses, abilities as to what we want. Just go with what you find that you can live with & enjoy.

    Fred
     
    Ohkei Dohkei likes this.
  19. MrJPolito

    MrJPolito Active Member

    If you're restricted to the 25 year old import rule, they're all probably going to be shit anyway. lol
     
  20. Arty

    Arty Active Member

    Fred says it best!.
     

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