Toyota Hilux – a Top Seller Among New and Used Cars and Bakkies for Sale in South Africa
Some of the best second-hand cars for sale in Pretoria can be bought on Zambezi Drive, Montana. Your first stop, however, should be RFS Auto in Zambezi Drive, where an extensive range of pre-inspected quality used cars are on offer.
One of the favourite used cars for sale at our Zambezi showroom, which will come as no surprise, is the Toyota Hilux Xtra Cab 3,0 D-4D. With a versatile cab-and-a-half configuration on which VAT can be claimed back (unlike a double cab), the model is very popular. It also looks very smart when fitted with the optional alloy wheels and the distinctive Durabar towbar. The previous-generation Hilux may have been around since 2005, but it has been updated regularly and, although Hiluxes are certainly not luxury cars, they have the bullet-proof Toyota reputation for reliability. The never-say-die diesel engine delivers a useful 120 kW. They never stay on our Zambezi Drive showroom floor for long, such is their popularity amongst used cars.
Farmers love this model, thanks to its large cabin with storage space behind the seats, yet with most of the single cab model’s load box intact. The engine is a bit agricultural nowadays, but that adds to its charm. It is a vehicle that has been made for hard work and with enough power and good economy, it will likely truck on for years on end without calling it quits. The controls are agreeably light, so it isn’t hard work to pilot, even if the ride is typically Hilux – stiff. It drives just as easy in the city as on the open road, save for some jitteriness on dirt roads. It will work day and night with a load without complaint and should be extremely reliable, if regularly serviced. Both rear-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive derivatives are offered and either provides ample ground clearance, even if the rear-wheel-driven model will not be able to venture too far off the beaten track, despite the differential lock.
Considering how useful the extra space behind the seats can be for contractors and farmers, one has to ask why more people don’t trade in their single cabs for Xtra cabs. One test drive in the Toyota Xtra Cab should be convincing enough. The additional storage space is useful for hiding valuables, such as cameras, laptops, surveying equipment, and more – things that cannot be stowed out of sight in a normal bakkie. You can even install a lockable roller load box door, and then it is a superb utility vehicle suitable for farms, construction sites, holidays, and even mine sites.
When it comes to interior finishes, the Toyota Xtra Cab doesn’t stand back for other vehicles in the same market segment. Plastics are hard but tough and it has a logical layout of controls, strategically located and placed in such a manner as to be easy to use, even if you are donning your construction gloves. Of course, it is more “commercial” than luxury, when compared to the brand-new Hilux or some rivals, but, you most probably don’t buy the Toyota for its interior finishes, and it makes up for the lack of luxury with reliability. Farmers, for one, will prefer the simpler interior to fancy trinkets and trivialities.
The Toyota Hilux is still amongst the highest-selling vehicles in South Africa. Everyone, from farmers to business people, in addition to travellers and adventure sport lovers, appreciate the power, reliability, and performance of a Toyota Hilux. If you prefer the double cab Hilux, you will also not be disappointed. It is spacious and well-suited to urban, off-road, and long-distance travel. Whether you want a bakkie that can serve as family vehicle or simply want enough space to have three passengers along when taking your dirt bikes to the track, or perhaps want space for the kids when going to the dam, the double cab version is extremely popular.
You will find that Toyota Hilux now comes in 4×2 and 4-wheel-drive double cabs. That being said, the manual transmission only has five ratios and the automatic, four, which may seem trivial, but it does hurt efficiency and performance somewhat, compared to modern rivals.
The Toyota Hilux models discussed are but only a few of the Toyota models for sale. We offer an extensive range of used cars for sale at our showroom in Zambezi Drive, but with our online facility you can browse at leisure and thus have ample time to make an informed buying decision.