The way I bought my minitruck was kind of interesting ...
it was like reserving a puppy out of a future litter.
Basically you put down deposit money [ like $ 1000 ] to register/reserve your place in the "litter". I got pick # 2, out of a container of seven [ the usual amount of minitrucks that will fit in a 40' container is seven, if you stack them up properly ]
Then, afer the "litter" arrived, and after the dealer took care of Canadian Compliance, and BC road registration, and after # 1 made his selection, I got to pick out my choice. This litter had mostly Suzukis, but the Daihatsu I picked was in slightly better shape [ 56,000 Kms, minimal rust on the bed, more power on the road than the Suzis, and no obvious mechanical issues ].
After doing further research, I figure I lucked out, as I saved thousands of dollars over what a "FULL SERVICE dealer would charge on a LOT, and I have now become convinced the Daihatsu suits my needs even better than the Suzukis.
I will be buying another Daihatsu soon, but this time will be going for the fully enclosed van, so I can haul the wife, the dog, the camping gear, and the guns around, without having to lock up or tie down someone or something in the back, in the open pickup bed. Either that, or make up some sort of canopy with locking storage.
These are great little rigs ... the oprerative word here is LITTLE.
Obviously, with 660 CC putting out roughly 45 HP, you are not going to be screaming down the highways. If you have ever driven one of the older VW vans, the acceleration is slightly better in the newer/lighter minitrucks, but the top speed is about the same.
I use mine mostly for errands around town, and the wife unit uses it for gardening ... sort of a powered wheelbarrow ... and to haul 10 bales of hay out to the hay burner. We get our hay from Heals Range, and it is $7.00 a bale, pick up in the field, and $ 10.00 a bale , pick up in the barn. Obviously, the 4WD LO RANGE comes in handy and the hijet has proven it will motivate 10 bales of hay out of a rougth field quite easily.
On the hiway, the electric push button 4WD HI/2WD transition is totally seamless, with only a bit more gear noise, and of course, harder turning of the front wheels on dry pavement. Without a load, the rear end of these trucks are pretty light, so even on wet pavement, the 4WD will really improve the traction around the very steep, very sharp switchbacks leading up to our our rural acreage. On those few weeks of the year, when Fantasy Island is actually is slightly snowbound, it is almost impossible to make it to our place without a decent 4X4, and the hijet has proved itself ... it is so light it goes almost anywhere. If I was ever to want to try really deep snow, I'd bolt on some WIDE 12" ATV tires running at very low tire pressure. If you are really serious about off road, there are even TRACK kits to turn the Minitrucks into MINI snow groomers.
All in all, I'd say this is the most versatile vehicle I've ever owned ... and I've had :
1 ton 4x4 Pathfinder converted Ford E-350 van with a 460 [ 12 MPG ]
Diesel 4X4 "BURB" with aftermarket Turbo [28 MPG ]
Diesel Landcrusher [ UNBELIVABLY good gas mileage ]
[ 3 ] Suzi Samurais [ including on lifted with SOA and 30" tires ] - best vehicle OFF road, great gas mileage, no cargo capacity, and about the same highway performance.
[ 3 ] Toyota 4X4 Vans, set up with 27"/8.50/R14" BFG AT ot MT tires - 30 MPG, fantastic on road comfort [ 6 speaker stereo/AC, PW, PLUSH interiors ] and very very capable OFF road ... as long as you watched the approach angles with that long protruding snout ]
The only other vehicle I might like as much as my current Mini Truck ride, are the JDM/RHD Mitsubishi Delica deisel vans. There are lots of these up for sale here on Fantasy Island ... but they cost twice as much, there are only a few shops that really know how to work on the motors, and they don't get any better gas mileage than the GAS powered toyota vans.
SO, after nearly a year, and 6,000 Kms on my Daihatsu min truck, aside from a tuneup, oil changes, and disposables like filters, the only issue I've had with mine is replacement of one CV boot [ $ 150 ] and finding out the hard way, that the gas gage reads high [ at 1/4 tank, parking on a hill, or trying to drive up a STEEP hill, and the gas takeoff at the front runs out, and you starve the motor [ $ 75 tow out of the booies back to the shop ]. Now I run a TRANSPARENT fuel filter, and carry a spare 5 gal can of gas ].
Of These are just my thoughts on the subject,
but of course,
as with any opinions you find on the internet, YPMMV.
[;{)
LAZ
