Best for: value for money
The Hilux is a long-standing member of the Toyota stable and has garnered a reputation for being versatile, dependable and reliable – and it’s the only pick-up that has really challenged the Ranger for European sales.
Regardless of trim, the Hilux is comfortable and well-appointed inside. It rides and handles with some level of sophistication, too, but it can’t match the Ranger for touring comfort and body control. There’s plenty of wind and road noise as well.
You can have the Hilux with a 148bhp 2.4-litre or 201bhp 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.
The 2.8-litre lump is by far the better of the two and has plenty of real-world performance and good level of refinement, considering the bulk it has to haul around.
There’s also the Ranger Raptor-rivalling Hilux GR Sport, which gets trick suspension and more aggressively styling, but with the same 2.8-litre engine as the standard car, it can’t quite entertain off-road like the Ford can.
Cargo carriers will be pleased to know that the Hilux has a better carrying capacity than most of its rivals and, as with the Ranger, you can choose between single- and double-cab bodystyles. There’s also an extended cab, or Extra Cab, as Toyota calls it.
The Hilux can tow up to 3500kg and carry a payload of up to 1000kg. It’s loadbed is slightly shorter than the Ranger’s at 1555mm.
You will pay around £31,000 for an entry-level double-cab model, but the slightly dearer and well-equpped Invicible X is the version you want.
