Toyota Hilux (76-05) - Review

the Toyota Hilux is one of the world’s most popular 4x4 trucks and was in Britain the archetypical 4x4 until the emergence of the Mitsubishi L200, which is now the market leader. Single and double-cabs were available until a facelift in 2001, which saw the addition of an extra-cab version with occasional seats in the back. All models are extremely rugged and double-cab top-of-the-range versions are hardly ever likely to have been off-road.

The seats of the Hilux feel fairly comfortable when first climbing aboard but don’t be fooled. It’s not a car-like ride (and to be fair was never mean to be) so those who buy a Hilux for pose value soon realise the pay-off. Those buyers who have discarded their cassettes in favour of CDs will be disappointed to discover that only a radio cassette player came as standard.

The big drawback with 4x4 trucks of the 1990s was that they were invariably underpowered for road use and usually sprung so that your fillings were in danger of coming loose on anything but motorway surfaces. Early Hiluxes suffered both problems. Single-cabs had a 2.4-litre diesel unit pumping out 78bhp and 120lb-ft of torque while double-cabs had a turbo version with 90bhp and 167lb-ft of torque. Even after the facelift of 2001 and the introduction of common rail diesel engines (a first in the sector), only 88bhp and 102bhp were available. As well as the hard suspension, 4x4 trucks suffer terribly in wet weather, bucking and sliding like a muddy horse on the roads. This truck is best at home in the mud.