- Noise suppression
This test was simple enough. During our quarter-mile test runs we ran a decibel meter inside each vehicle to record noise intrusion (engine, wind and tyre roar) into the cabin during full-bore acceleration. An average dB figure from the runs was calculated and that’s what you see here…
- Turning circle test
In our Road Tests we quote the manufacturer’s turning circle figure, but for Bakkie Shootout we wanted to verify it for ourselves. Afterall, an agile to bakkie to get in and out of tight parking spots and maneuver easily in urban situations is wonderful thing to have. Here’s how they turned out …
- Dealer network
No rocket science to this one. The manufacturer with the most dealerships wins. A bigger dealer footprint means better support nationwide. *Please note the dealership numbers were correct at the time of writing.
- Resale value
This is a biggy for anyone committing themselves to a new car. How much will I get back when I want to sell? We got our researchers to contact at least three major dealerships from each brand, saying we wanted to sell a low-mileage (±10 000 km) example of each Shootout entrant that was not more than a year old in the case of the older bakkies. Prices didn’t fluctuate, nevertheless, we averaged the figures from all our responses. The standout was the VW Amarok; which, owing to V6’s rarity and desirability, commanded top dollar according to our enquires.
- Fuel Consumption
When each vehicle arrived we reset their trip computers. The figure stated is from the start of Bakkie Shootout right to the moment we wrapped photography. So, across a mix of on-, off-road and performance driving, this is how the stack up …
- Parts pricing
A big thanks as always to MAPO International for collating prices for our standardised parts pricing basket. Noteworthy here is our top pick, the Toyota Hilux Raider, with a parts basket (R12 543) that’s much more affordable than the top-of-the-range Legend RS back in December 2020 (R26 474). Another advantage to buying in a bit further down in the range.
