Should you buy a cheap Chinese ute in 2022? | Auto Expert John Cadogan

[@davidferry548]

I bought a GWM twin cab in 2010 it was a great vehicle for what it costs I kept it ten years then gifted it to a kid doing it a bit tough and trying to start his own lawn mowing business and two years later it’s still on tbe road.

[@macfin4862]

Still see quite a few of the v240s out on the road.

[@fitness23711]

Hi John, I bought a Cannon X. 2022. Very happy so far. Driving about 6 hours about 6 times a month. Out rural NSW, mostly on asphalt/bitumen roads. I had a Land Rover Defender for 11 years which I sold to buy my GWM. My father has a recent VW Amarok dual cab Ute and my brother in law a 2021 HiLux dual cab. I have clocked up about 10000km so far without any problems. I bought the Cannon X for its safety, warranty and excellent level of comfort. Also good value for money. The $50k I saved I have invested. After driving for six hour my back still feels normal. Thanks Kind regards AM

[@kirovfactory]

my mate has the cannon and I got a V6 Amarok. Although mine only cost less than $10K than his Cannon, literally everything except the engine is better in the Cannon, including the 8spd ZF

[@jamesbentleigh2043]

I love my Cannon X , Excellent car no problem at all, I think it is the best car for 2023, I sold my Ford Ranger it was too expensive to run!!!

[@andrewsleat1005]

I had a LDV T60 Ute and was 4 years old. was a great Ute and never played up. last December a Domino car did turn right in front of me at 60 Kms. Domino's cars went backwards 10 meters. The T60 airbags deployed and saved me. I could open my door as the hit was on the right side. new price was 33k and pay out was 27k after 4 years not bad. Great ute

[@trevorwilson2966]

i dont believe the pay out price

[@Matt-dz6qn]

@@trevorwilson2966smells like bs to me

[@cnvdh3514]

I've been on this planet for 33 years and this is the first time someone has explained pitch and yor in such a way that I actually understand what they are 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thank you man

[@anakinskywalker4113]

Hi John, As an independent mechanic with 12 years under my belt down in Melbourne Most dealership service departments are incompetent. I would not trust them. Under consumer law you can have your vehicle serviced at any licensed mechanic as long as they follow the service booklet instructions. I service new cars all the time and bypass the dealership if there are problems I deal with the manufacture or importer direct. I tell them the vehicle is sitting in my shop and I will put it on tow truck and send it to them or I will perform the repair work at their expense if it is under warranty. I don't take NO for an answer. This BS of dealership servicing is just that BS! All they care about is making $$ with inflated parts pricing and serving that is sub standard. They usually get the apprentice to work on most cars. I get quite a few issues where the dealership has stuffed up because they are incompetent mechanics who just go by what the books says & don’t bother road test a car after doing work to it.

[@kenezos]

Which part of Melbourne you from mate?

[@anakinskywalker4113]

@@kenezos out west in Werribee

[@The_Travelling_Jonoberries]

Most dealerships have 1 mechanic and the rest are apprentices

[@anakinskywalker4113]

@@The_Travelling_Jonoberries which causes problems because they are sometimes left alone too long & bugger stuff up. I have fixed many cars that had been to the dealership spent hundreds of $$ and failed to fix an issue. Which has taken me 15mins & about $50 bucks for a spring washer or something else relatively minor to fix the issue. I see this quite often they just don’t road test the cars to properly check they have ironed out all the teething issues. I properly road test all the cars I service for a least 15-20mins at normal operating temperature. If you don’t do this then things get missed. They are also under pressure to get cars back at a certain time which makes for even more issues because they rush through jobs. Big no no! I give customers a service loan car & will take as long as I need to do the work correctly & safely. I do not promise a certain time. I will ring them when it’s done for collection. I don’t take on any extra cars unless I have enough service loan vehicles to give out. 1 vehicle in 1 loan vehicle out.

[@gypsy_on_drugs1285]

majority of brands require a technical report to be sent regarding the vehicle having problems which you're unable to do at an independent.

[@joebeckhenryedwardthompson485]

I bought a GWM Cannon X. I think your advice John is spot on. I’d previously bought a used Ford Ranger with 100,000Ks on. It looked like it had a gentle life and I genuinely think it had. However, in 2 years ownership it set me back $5k in odds and sods going wrong. I sold it and bought the GWM. I’ve had it a year and I’m really happy with it. It has its odd moments with the media player which are annoying but outside that it’s been rock solid. Time will tell but so far so good.

[@Owhunter-ki3fn]

Rangers are the worse new Ute have a look at tritons next

[@beau_de_jour]

@@Owhunter-ki3fn are rangers that bad seriously? i wonder why they are so sold in Oz. better stick with hiluxs you reckon?

[@Silvolde]

I think the GWM cannon is not cheap. It’s just that the others are way too expensive. Bought our cannon X 4 month ago and to say I am happy with it would be an understatement. Absolute pleasure to drive with great safety features and one of the best 360deg cameras I have seen.

[@AP-ow5vu]

Yeah I agree, 28K for the 4wd version would be cheap but they're around 36k. The Thai built competitors are over priced at 55k+

[@Will-nb8qk]

Real life reviews I’ve heard first hand is very positive.

[@kirovfactory]

my mate has the cannon and I got a V6 Amarok. literally everything except the engine is better in the Cannon, including the 8spd ZF

[@cc8530]

Next time I’m in the market to buy a 360 degree camera I’ll buy this vehicle. Is this the new metric for buying a ute? LOL

[@trevorwilson2966]

lets see how its going in 4 years time with 200000 on the clock?

[@BlenderBends]

Having purchased GWM Canon X ute 18 months ago when they first launched and using it as a work truck to tow a U17 (1.7T excavator ) for work. I can say it's been 18 months on trouble free motoring and ownership. To the point it's almost boring as to nothing happening. I know everybody wants to hear how the wipers have fallen into the foot well during a shower and the roof bends inward at 100kmph, but nope it just keeps going. Its had 4 capped price services at $360 as I'm now on 45000km. It gets used as dad taxi, work tow wagon, and general run about Ute. I don't intend to go to dingo piss creek in it and have just used it in SEQ with 3 dealers within 20 min drive as per 90% of these purchased Utes. All very boring. The designer is Andrew Collinson who worked on the Ford Ranger in Melb. before heading up the Global design team for GWM. All the reviews said Ranger and Hilux was the one to buy. But they seem to be "paid promotions." And I'm sure they are great. But I couldn't see 30k more of my hard earned cash in value. The Triton was an Asthmatic under powered wheezy Ute and Dmax was well, a Dmax IMO, If this Ute is worthless in 5 years time that fine by me as one of the kids will have it for a camping wagon when they start to drive. I don't expect to sell it and get anything back. I treat cars like white ware these days. Cars are worthless really in the long run. But this Canon X has done what's required of it with not a single warranty claim or issue. Where it is Made is a moot point as all cars are made by the same brand of robots in factories. And people can say they won't buy Chinese Made products as they type that on a Technology device made in the same place. Happy to comment back here in 12 months with an update. Buy what you like and be happy with the purchase. Im ok with this brand and model.

[@klano8443]

My gripe with Chinese products is they would like to see our demise and where paying them to do that.

[@fakejake8965]

Exactly my experience with Cannon-X

[@seegee7728]

Just sucks that the chinese treat us with such contempt , i couldn't spend that large amount of money to aid the CCP.

[@noelcastle3986]

Can I suggest you let us know after 5 years ownership, time and care of the vehicle will really start to show the true quality of the vehicle and if you want to trade it in on a new one will it be worth anything .

[@youreaknob]

@@seegee7728 privately owned company. Vw own 5%. Not owned by ccp unlike LDV. Also made in Thailand the same as ranger and hilux.

[@dannygeed9322]

After significant research, I bought a Cannon L in May 2021 (Feb 2021 Built) and its been great. On 20,000 km now and no issues at all, plus I tow big boats with it. Not sure how it will depreciate, I bought it for $36k with a towbar and in black, now it is almost 45k for the same!

[@ozymandias7940]

Ahhh really loved this video, thank you. Very well delivered, informative and to the point without any BS. Long story short, I've wanted a 4x4 ute for donkeys years but as an average Joe who earns $60K gross per year and pays rent, short of winning lotto there's no chance of ever being able to buy a $80K plus Hilux or Ranger. No way Josè and there's no way I'd buy a 2nd hand one that's been thrashed to hell and back or used as an amphibious vehicle for the last 5yrs. So for me, a GWM with all the fruit you can think of for $50K less than a Ranger sounds pretty good. It will spend 99% of its life on the black stuff, never go bush and only tow a 6x4 trailer to the tip twice a year!

[@Will-nb8qk]

That’s it mate, some people just overthink it way too much. The price and warranty should be enough to take the plunge if it is your home vehicle that isn’t expected to do too much heavy lifting.

[@clintonbutton712]

Finally, some one who is prepared to say the truth about towing limits. I am in an industry where this is a great problem, that scares the heck out of me as a person who shares the roads with them.

[@minar0x]

i cheered the clowns on for outsmarting me and towing engineering. look back at the accidents and being booked.... not my fault, i drove a cross6 and cannot have these problems

[@justpassingwind]

John your comments about the $20000 depreciation in resale value is valid, but you also have to calculate the additional interest costs plus the potential higher insurance cost that a higher priced vehicle may require.

[@wzk921109]

He knows all the facts, he doesn’t want to acknowledge he’s biased.

[@damianchurchill6982]

The insurance rates on the Chinese vehicle is high because insurance companies can’t get parts

[@lesfox2010]

@@damianchurchill6982 Yes, we've experienced that with a 5 yo Foton we got rid of at work. Something went wrong with the Ad Blu thing, we couldn't get the part and no one knew how to fix it as no one could read the computer properly and mechanics could not get any details. So for a relatively minor issue the little truck became a write off. So we bought a Hino to replace it. Has it's own issues, but they can be worked with....

[@tazmahi8173]

​@@damianchurchill6982 that's not true. Our Hilux is more expensive than the cannon

[@hobo1704]

​@@tazmahi8173what's the difference in value of the cars..

[@dreadlord7526]

I bought an LDV and it wasn’t because I think it’s amazing. I have had it almost 2 years with no issues. It’s not exciting, it’s ok in most areas. I just couldn’t justify Covid prices for used Rangers and Hiluxs.

[@conmanumber1]

75 grand here in New Zealand for Yota Hi lux or a Ford Ranger which is shit and a fraud is not funny.

[@gureno19]

I bought a used KZN165R Hilux for 15k in good condition...and I guarantee you that it will be around longer than your LDV 🤣

[@MussaKZN]

@@gureno19 KZN165r yep.

[@rezolute4249]

@@gureno19 may as well bought a john Deere probably would drive nicer.

[@crxdelsolsir]

@@rezolute4249 John Deere? Lol I am guessing you have not heard John Deere preventing repairs being completed other than by themselves. Look not only at product durability (low maintenance/repair) but also honest construction (open architecture for repairs) and longest manufacturer support (oem parts). Unfortunately Japan is the one of that exells in all these areas.

[@ozvega6883]

My 2018 LUXE LDV T60 cheap Chinese UTE gave me nothing but Good vibes, great memories, it is super reliable, with the 35k that I saved I tlwent to New York, I took my family to Disney Land in L.A, UNIVERSAL Studios, Mexico, man the trip and memories are for ever, the LDV runs like new, after 4 years was the best decision to buy the Cheap Luxury UTE + the full electric LDV UTE is ready to land in December or early 2023 🔥💪 I can't wait

[@TheBandit7613]

I have a different point to make. We need to stop buying China products. China is not your friend. China is buying up property yet you can't buy property in China. China is waging economic warfare. China is a Communist dictatorship. We should never be doing business with China to begin with. We need to stop allowing non-citizens to own property. Here in the US we have not allowed Chinese vehicles yet. We'll have to wait and see. Manufacturing must be moved out of China. China is the enemy. Eventually we will regret ever doing business with them.

[@arwedlang3702]

Once again, John Cadogan. your report is more than reasonable and basically, I agree. I did buy a new Cannon X, and towed my van around Australia absolute trouble-free. This Cannon X replaces a top-of-the-line Isuzu Ute. Frankly...I will never buy another Isuzu Ute again......! Yes, there are MANY reasons as to why!

[@jed2055]

I'm confused. Many comments here are assuming the video supports buying cheap Chinese brands I watched all of it intently and got the distinct impression this auto expert is saying sure, go ahead and buy new, cheap but it's on you if you expect good support. Remember the majority of this video is about one owners issues with a Chinese vehicle. Yet, most of the comments here are positive for Chinese Utes/4WDs. Am I missing something?

[@craigjay769]

I have a GWM and love it. I have had fantastic service from the dealers. I would definitely recommend it. That said, one of your best videos I have seen with valid points.

[@cranegantry868]

Do you work for GWM?

[@craigjay769]

@@cranegantry868 no

[@Aquarium-Downunder]

My 82 year old Mother got a 2022 Haval Jolion back in June and she loves it. "She was still driving taxis, hire cars ect when she was 75. Mum and Dad had a fleet of taxis and hire cars" She also whoul fix her own car when we were kids. she came home from work one day back in the 70's all black andmessie after changing the arm on a Ford Falcon fuel pump to fit her HQ Holden on the side of the road. The only other cars she liked were the CX5 and Honda, Hey the Haval was $20,000 cheaper, At 82 who gives a shit about resale.

[@millsaddy4739]

I drive a Chinese car. It cost me 4 thousand dollars - had 5 months rego, only 48,000 km on it and a 2013 model (I bought it back in 2018). I have to agree with the spare parts issue - every car the same as mine in Aus has hit a kangaroo in the exact same spot so there is nothing at the wreckers to fix my aesthetic fog light or bumper. Having said that, the thing is still driving at 200, 000km and apart from little things going wrong - like the fuel line deciding to unclip on a full tank, drain my tank and leave me stranded in the middle of a rural area on a 40 degree day (lucky it didnt start a bush fire). Aside from these simple fixes - its a goer. I saved a lot of money. Looking up the same model now - the resale value is ridiculously good - they now want 6 grand for a car like mine, sometimes seven or eight, with the same or higher mileage. I'd actually make a profit. Unfortunately I dont have the heart to sell it to someone in case it dies or given I only paid 4 grand myself. My advice - if you do not care about keeping up with the Jones', or air conditioners, or aesthetics like the lining in the doors, you will save money. Mine has earnt its keep in as far as getting to work every day. It could break tomorrow and I still win. But if you are after something that will impress your friends - big fat no. I also have a dilemma of buying my children vehicles, as this car of mine unfortunately has a low safety rating and I refuse to let them drive it alone. I also refuse to sell it to any young drivers for this reason. I hope that helps.

[@dougdownunder5622]

Or giving money to an evil regime that wants to enslave Australians is not a problem.

[@rrrrrrrr1033]

Po

[@malcolmtalkbull7119]

Thank you for supporting the CCP. May they continue their global spending spree.

[@ivanwalker6459]

Sounds like my kind of car. Cheap, does the job, don't care what anyone else thinks of it.

[@MultiScatters]

What’s wrong with Isuzu utes John ? I have driven many Racv Isuzu road service vans and they far exceed in (quality, comfort, reliability and service)the whole lot of what you’ve mentioned.

[@carlostavaresjr958]

I think the point is do you research, come up with a use case, what works for you, and know or manage your expectations. You get what you pay for but that can be ok if your expectations are in check.

[@byronnightingale5550]

I have as much interest in these silly half car half ute play things, as I would in a box full of barbie dolls. It's your down to earth, no bull$h!t mindset you convey your video that made this video well worth my time, and why I continue to watch your videos. It says a lot about you.

[@hamishholmes3213]

our new base model GW cannon, as a tow vehicle for our business, has been running like a dream …very economical in 2wd eco mode & goes like a rocket in sport mode :-))

[@SharrodVisuals]

I Iove cannon. Best 4x4 I’ve owned by far. People don’t understand until they drive one.

[@midac7069]

We have had a T60 since it's release in Australia and it's been really good vehicle in every way! I wonder when you'll catch up with reality.

[@mattj9089]

We bought a cannon first week we had it towed my brother in-laws 60 series LandCruiser form Noosa and up the range to Toowoomba Qld effortlessly. Up to 21000ks and still going beautifully.

[@ohdearearthlings1879]

I have owned a 2013 Great Wall for six years. It cost me $10,000. It was 3 years old and had 12-13,000 k on the clock. It occasionally gets a visit from the mobile mechanic and sometimes I remember to put air in the tyres. It gets left out in the weather to rot. Sometimes I use 4wd in the paddock, when it is wet. It now has 28,000 k on the clock. If I pushed it in the duck pond, I have already had value for money. I am thinking of giving it a visit to a Great Wall dealership for its next service.(I have not put a tow ball on it.) The other two utes are unregistered Ford Falcon paddock utes.

[@MrZodiac011]

I got a 2022 T60 Max Luxe back in the middle of April, around 6 months ago. The only issues I've had so far are minor things I see tons of people complaining just as much about on the Rangers, Navaras, BT50's, Tritons, etc. I've also heard quite a lot of people tell me at least one or two of the pricey, well known utes like the ones I mentioned, are awful and full of problems. LDV probably isn't the best with customer support and servicing, but I've heard someone complain about every manufacturer. That's pretty much the reason I went for it and got a new one instead of buying a an 8 year old Ranger for the same price which has high KMs and probably got issues. You end up spending a lot on repairs for second hand vehicles, you are half the time better off getting a new vehicles, at least when you're spending $25,000 or more. That's just from what I've seen with my Dad, relatives and friends. I've had most people seem intrigued when I told them about my car, the occasional close minded person tell me I did a stupid thing, even though nobody I know has even heard of LDV, outside the ones that have them, yet they tell me they are bad simply because "low price and chinese manufactured". Your Land Cruiser breaks the same way when it hits a kangaroo.

[@Will-nb8qk]

Yeah its weird the whole chinese made attitude across all things. All men are sexist

[@klinebrink]

Spares in south africa for the steeds is crazy cheap dono about the p series

[@jimbokilo]

Dad needed a new farm ute. Budget was 20k... I laughed. I said to just get a chinese one new for a little extra and huge warranty... Spent too much time in dealers with him trying to show him... Dumbass went with a 15 year old Hilux from a friend of his, for 25k... I drove the thing, felt like it was falling apart. The Speedo was off by 15kmph... So they were doing 115kmph in a 100 zone. They had to get it fixed and ended up spending I reckon close to $30k in the end for a way too old and beaten Hilux. They want to get it repainted too... Which will cost them $3k.... Should have just got a GWM or LDV for what they wanted.

[@Cloud30000]

A hard lesson I learned: when I purchased a half ton pick up (‘Merica), I looked at the quality, reliability, customer service, immediate value, and so on, with one exception; I was planning to keep it forever and drive it into the ground, so I ignored resale. Fast forward a few years, and a soccer mom taking care of her dog ran a red light and totaled my vehicle. No worries, her insurance will cover it and I will get a new or lightly used one with the payoff. Unfortunately, that payoff is based on resale value, so what was originally such a great deal turned into so much depreciation that I only got enough to pay off the remainder of the loan, and had to start shopping completely out of pocket. That Chinese UTE may seem like a great deal, but turn into a very expensive lease if you need to pursue an insurance claim.

[@davidpalmer9780]

I think you purchased the wrong insurance.

[@MrGrattou]

Just buy the same used ute you had

[@dougdownunder5622]

Great point

[@jed2055]

Weird story Siff. What's "Merica"? You could have paid many thousands for a "different" ute, still get it written off and then pay many thousands more for a replacement no matter what the reimbursement was. Sorry Siff, but your story does not work out monetarily. For one thing, many people prefer their vehicle to be written off so they can get a new one and in your case as the ute you bought was cheap new it is easier to write off. Do you understand that? You should have been insured for replacement but you weren't. A small part of the money you saved should have gone towards replacement insurance. That's on you. Also most people don't go around getting the vehicles written off. My story: Many, many years ago when I owned a Nissan 120Y. I was at my local Nissan dealer in Brookvale, NSW to buy some little part, nothing big, when I overheard the price quoted to a Nissan 4WD owner for a new gearbox. This was back in the late 70s. He was quoted $2400! I could not believe it. My whole car wasn't worth that much. These big companies have been ripping off Australians for many years and still do today.

[@Cloud30000]

@@jed2055 Ahh, I see that you do not have experience with how insurance works in the U.S.A. Their is no “replacement coverage” offered by any carrier here, it is always a cash payout of “market value” minus deductible, going to the lean holder (outstanding loan) first with the remainder given to the insured in the form of a check. Also, the Ute depreciated much faster than the initial cost savings at purchase due to how the Ute market values used models of that particular Ute in the U.S.A., so if I had gotten a different model Ute I would have lost significantly less money to depreciation. Thus, the cost to replace was significantly more than the payout I received. One insurance coverage option we do offer is GAP coverage, which will pay off any remainder in the loan if the insurance payout is less than the outstanding loan. So, I could have opted for a much longer term loan (e.g. 8 years) and no down payment, and put the difference between the large monthly payments and the small monthly payments (along with the down payment) in a savings account; this would end up providing me with a larger backup fund in case it was written off and needed replacement. However, it would mean a lower credit score at least until the long term loan is paid down to the point of the remaining debt being less than the “market value” of the vehicle (at around the 5 or 6 year mark) when it is no longer beneficial to separate the savings and instead should be used to pay off the rest of the loan. It would also cost about an extra 1% of the total loan in additional interest paid over the course of the loan, though this is pretty trivial compared to the extra money saved in the case of getting written off in that period of time. GAP insurance rates are the big question, as I’ve never used it (always using large down payments) and I’ve heard it can double the cost of insurance which could quickly eliminate the benefits of this approach. In the end, I pay attention to depreciation now, as it’s easier to replace a $100k Ute when the insurance gives you $90k than it is to replace a $50k Ute when the insurance only gives you $30k.

[@peterb8468]

The Great Wall problems years ago arose from being imported and sold by Ateco who couldn’t provide the support and were just out to make a quick buck in initial sales. Current vehicles are actually sold by GWM.

[@nigelclarke1721]

10 years with my v200 4x4 greatwall. Its had a hard life towing a tandem trailer and its still going. Parts are REALLY cheap if you can wait, from China. I bought a 4x4 selector motor and when I go to the online store it says, also fits ford ranger and bt50 lol.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

These are work vehicles, who can afford to wait a month for parts ?

[@carskangaroos9340]

You wonder why companies like GWM haven't gotten traction over the past few years when you have been bagging them out on KZbin for the past how many years when people who are sceptical on taking that step to getting into one then see your videos that turn them off and away. I'm not disagreeing with you that the old ones were pretty shitty but I wonder if you've actually gone and sat inside or driven the new Cannon X. They literally drive nicer and smoother than any ute I've been in comfort is next level and features are crazy for a ute, they've been around for 2 years and I think that's pretty good time for things to go wrong with owners already hitting that 80,000-90,000km+ mark. I think GWM/Haval is at it's turning point now of being that old Hyundai Kia ordeal where they went from cheap hit or miss cars to getting up there. I'm not saying they're perfect, neither is anything else on the market but you can't turn around to people and tell them I don't know why they're not up there when you've been turning a lot more people than you think away from the cars. The way I see it is you're basically turning down that small business that is willing to thrive and improve without giving them the opportunity to prove themselves. Look at the X200/X240 and go to your local GWM and hop in that then see how hard they're actually trying to please the Aussie market. I got my Cannon X I love it I'm not expecting a smooth easy line but hey, invest in them and they'll come back even better. Can't kick them to the dirt all the time unless they're actually stuffing shit up. Honestly hear and see more shit from Toyota and Ford stuff up but people turn a blind eye on them because they're the golden child of utes.

[@mrkring1526]

You mustn't be hard to please if you think a GWM is the nicest Ute you've driven 🤣

[@petercameron8832]

Yeah good listen, have a two wheel drive GWM ute - eleven years basic petrol motor. Still going well and do not need any thing better. If it died I would buy again.

[@Ilikeurmominminiskirt]

Sorry mate, right there with you, BUT I've got a Great Wall since 2013 and loving it. I also got an H6 last year and my wife loves it. Also, you make a fair good analysis but every time you get to what you assume is evidence of a brand being unreliable you just CAN NOT DELIVER and rely on saying "for some reason" without actually knowing but assuming. Sorry mate, GW may not be the most known, but yes it is for the price you pay as I said, I got one 9 years ago and it's still rolling and I am really happy with that. Cheers.

[@towarzyszbeagle6866]

The battery in my mobile phone died while it was plugged into the head unit of my Triton using Android auto. It must have caused a surge when it happened because afterwards the circuit that runs the reverse camera was fried. Mitsubishi replaced the head unit for me without hesitation. This kind of service is part of why I chose a Mitsubishi. I can't wrap my head around why people buy top spec LDV and other Chinese Utes when for about $6k extra you can get a well specced ute from one of the largest manufacturers, that in its current iteration (L200) has a proven track record. It's just cheaping out at your own peril.

[@ashc5728]

My mitsubishi dealer couldnt get OEM front parking sensors for my new car, and arranged an alternate product. As soon as the alternate failed, they didnt want to know about it. Wont be back to buy another, if you cant look after me on a $50 sensor you can get lost, its such a low cost item to screw me on. I went to the company that did the install, and thier supplier comp'd me both the part and the install

[@chuckmaddison2924]

As my son said if you want some cheap shit thing to bash the crap out of . Buy it.

[@davidpalmer9780]

Who's to say the Chinese dealer wouldn't offer the same customer service? Projecting much? You really need to review the spec. sheet on both the LDV and GWM vehicles.

[@ozymandias7940]

Some of us can't afford a $90K Hilux or Ranger. It also really depends what you intend to do with it, a GWM or LDV might fall to bits crossing the Gun barrel highway or driving off road to Cape York. Hilux is marketed as 'unbreakable' so I guess it's built tough to go almost anywhere. Unfortunately, it's well out of my price range.

[@adamliddell5303]

2011 triton 280k 3 engines 1st replaced under warranty overheating issue block, 2nd same at 90k not covered on 3rd now

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

That was the old advice, never tow anything heavier than the car...Makes sense to me.

[@benking2271]

Interesting take seeing there are only 13 used GW Cannon's on Carsales for the whole country, and all of them are at or above what they cost new!! If they are crap, people aren't trying to sell them in a hurry!! I drove one a while back as was very interested, the only issue was availability, which was 4-6 months at the time. I daresay sales would be triple if they were readily available

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

I have a Chinese vehicle, albeit a miniature 2 wheel electric one. Parts of it are of remarkably good quality, and other parts are made from pure Chineseum, like the famous quote from Maxwell Smart, "missed it, by that much"

[@travelwithtony5767]

They may be assembled in Thailand, but all of the factory tooling is manufactured in Japan and a duplicate of what the factories in Japan use, including the robotics which do most of the assembly….so they are just as reliable and as well built as the ones assembled in Japan.

[@hobo1704]

Exactly. This guy has no idea

[@alexsimmons1803]

Being awarded costs by the court doesn't mean it won't still cost you a lot of money, it just means the cost to you will be a little more favourable than they might otherwise have been. The costs a court approves are unlikely to be the same as the costs you'll be billed for by your lawyers.

[@morrisjvan]

Many (most) things we buy today are Chinese. Your electronics, your toys, your furniture, your tools, your clothes. Everything that used to be made locally or from traditional markets is now imported. So why would anyone think that Chinese motor vehicles will be the exception ,and not be mainstream in a few years ?

[@luke9576]

You don't know???? LOL as you said many products are made in china these days but there is a big difference. you need to consider the products are designed and built by chinese owned companies and their tech or western global companies.

[@maxwood192]

A great video, My friend used a Great Wall pickup for building trade , approx ' 5 years ago, it was used hard, honest it just fell to bits, he now has a Hi ace van. I bought a older Hilux surf from a Toyota dealer, it a 2.7 petrol motor, paid too much for it as we do. 21 days after purchase it blow the head gasket. The dealer pulled the head off and said that they had to grind the head and block. To grind the block the whole motor has to be pulled to bits , so basically I got a reconditioned motor. Bill was approx $2000.00 for engine reconditioning, plus 3 days work by Toyota workshop. I had not taken a purchase warranty on the car, so they wanted me to pay a extra $2000.00. I refused , then decided because I was getting a reconditioned motor so I paid another $1000.00. They agreed as long as I signed a letter saying that they would not have to spend any more money on the car. That was completely Illegal, with the NZ Consumer Protection Act , I still should be covered to some extent. I love Toyotas , but they can still be crooks.

[@bickybits]

Happy with my 9 year old Great WAll. Worked it no problems. Less depuration than Range Rover

[@samham9426]

Sorry guys but most things are built or made in China anyway. Everyone has forgotten what Kia reliability and warranty was like when they came to Australia. GWM is way ahead of the quality Kia was offering back then. I bought a GWM Cannon and so far it’s been absolutely amazing and has features and tech way ahead of the known brands basic models. No regrets.

[@harls9287]

“Agregious bastards” what a wonderfully thought provoking expression. Well broken down and articulated John.

[@AutoExpertJC]

'Egregious' dude. 'Egregious'...

[@Low760]

The original great wall utes were 1999 rodeo's with a 2005 Navara Front on it, they were very budget. The newer ones, well they bought the colarado factory in Thailand.

[@Mark_Bridges]

I was told by a great wall salesman in (approx) 2009 they were an older model Triton. Most of the cabin and ute tub looked identical to previous model Tritons, too.

[@Low760]

@@Mark_Bridges odd given you could literally put the window glass from the great wall in a tf rodeo

[@dav4x487]

@@Mark_Bridges look up 2009 Great Wall interior, 2005 Holden Rodeo interior and you will see that they are identical aside from a slight difference in the steering wheel. The only thing that the Great Wall had from Mitsubishi was the licence built 4G69 petrol engine.

[@Mark_Bridges]

@@dav4x487 Sure, it was probably his comments about the engine that I remembered.

[@chulkcha]

Everyone compares the Cannon X with the top of the range SR5 or Ranger Wild track. The reality of it is they compete at different level. The Cannon X is $40k and the SR5 or Ranger is $70k. The Cannon competes at an entry level ute where the Toyota and Ford can't compete.

[@paulg3336]

5:21 On top of that , you would have to take a head gasket , powder it and snort it for the asbestos to be a problem. Asbestos danger is a highly media hyped load of bovidae coprophilia (coprophagia?). It is only free asbestos fibre particles that are a problem .The mineral itself is not toxic in the chemotoxic sense, as it is inert , which is one of the reasons why it is used. The effects it causes are due to the fibres acting as little needles which irritate the tissues (mainly lung) that it comes into contact with.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Yes, there is some hysteria over asbestos contained in gaskets trapped inside motor vehicle engines. Laws around this need to be updated.

[@ritual64]

Content! Go John. Thanks for the recent reports, always appreciated mate. Not in the market at the moment but these things are great to know.

[@Deatomizer]

Can I say, I really like this chilled version of John. It's more intimate and focused. The company I worked at years ago bought a few Great Wall Utes because of the cheaper purchase price when compared to the top brands. Needless to say, they've since been replaced by Rangers and one Mitsu. Apparently, they were great for the first year but after that they were always down a ute due to mechanical issues and it was costing the business to much money in the long run.

[@travelwithtony5767]

I made the mistake of buying a used BMW X5 in 2010, and when I took it to a BMW mechanic to get the radiator replaced, he suggested I replace the OEM one with a Chinese one if I wanted to pay half and wanted it to last more than the 15K miles the original lasted…

[@freethinker4991]

I believe it all comes down to were you what to drive the vehicle. I drove a Navara DX out to Birdsville and on the way I damage two rims and tyres. There were plenty of spares rims and tyres for most Toyota in Birdsville but nothing for a Navara DX I had to wait 3 days for a rim to be shipped in. If you are only driving your ute in your local area and have a good relationship with the dealer a Chinese vehicle is as good as any.

[@labourlawact7826]

Tiers?

[@freethinker4991]

@@labourlawact7826 thanks Dyslexia have fixed

[@labourlawact7826]

@@freethinker4991 ☺👍

[@chrissmith-ck8cn]

man i disagree with most of your post but i like this one , thanks

[@jasonsexton5017]

I get why peeps buy those LDV Max Luxes, they're what 41K if you've got an ABN. An equivalent main stream is gonna run to 65K-ish. If you're a one man show, leasing over 5yrs @ say 6.5%, that's like $800 per mth verses almost $1300. I know that's a simplistic finance example but still that's night & day if you're just starting out & trying manage cash flow, but still need something that looks smart-ish customer facing wise & ok for the daily grind.

[@EnShinNoi]

If it's a work vehicle, another thing to consider is a more expensive vehicle will further reduce your tax total. So that $20k gap will end up being a $15k gap over 8 years.

[@kadmow]

- deductions are moot if one is already fully invested in their business, the flip side is free cash (owner drawings or wages or whatever, is what you get to choose what to spend it on long tern (after tax of course) lol... Chasing a deduction is a bit of a deadend, unless that finances your retirement.

[@EnShinNoi]

Sure, it's obviously going to vary depending on the person/business.

[@ktmhaka]

For me, I look at Chinese utes like the Chinese motorcycles that have been in the market for the last 20 years, take them from the showroom, strip them, then put them back together properly and then consider riding them.

[@a.gordon.1385]

I bought a GWM Cannon. I am a 4x4 accessories fitter (suspension etc). My ute is no worse (or better) put together than all the Thai ones. I know because I've been right over it underneath. The quality of the fixings and chassis components is no different to the rest of them. They're all pretty much the same .

[@mrkring1526]

@@a.gordon.1385 Except you're supporting the CCP

[@a.gordon.1385]

@@mrkring1526 GWM is privately owned unlike SAIC (MG, LDV) which is Chinese state owned. Unless you mean just buying Chinese products in general is supporting the CCP. It would be quiet a challenge to live a normal life free of Chinese manufactured items or containing Chinese manufactured components.

[@jinsei1202]

Fun fact. The parent of Ldv, Saic, used to own Ssangyong. After a few years of ownership they ditched the Koean company without honouring $ billion investment commitments in 2010. Now they build their own 4x4. Most Korean general public believe their 4x4 technology has been plundered from Ssangyong. Test drive a Ssangyong Musso before placing an order on Saic T60 and you'll thank me the rest of your life.

[@jinsei1202]

The bizzare designs of the Kyron, Actyon and Stavic were all approved while Saic was in leadership. These otherwise solid cars were ruined by the exterior and resulted in Ssangyong sales plummeting underground.

[@Quadrajettison]

@@jinsei1202 SAIC weren't ruining and looting Ssangyong at the time you say, allegedly. That happened later. If Ssangyong was a Chaebol, they would be much stronger. Fascism.

[@rambleon3698]

I think you've mistaken SAIC for Mahindra.

[@jinsei1202]

@@rambleon3698 Before Mahindra, it was Saic from 2005 - 2010.

[@gill7087]

If I was to use the logic that sales figures alone without context are the final and only arbiter of the quality, potential or realised of a vehicle I would really wonder at the quality or fit for purpose of something like a Ionique 5 who sold less than 400 in Australia for a year. But of course that’s all they released and the final 100 sold via internet were sold in 6 minutes. The GWM cannon was in 7th place in sales next to the BT50 in 2021 after release in 2020, selling more that 800 a month. The total ute sales for the GWM cannon in 2021 was 18,300. So what happened next? Guess where Covid started? Since then production plummeted and you can’t get one in Australia unless you want to wait from 6 months to 12 months depending on model. I spoke to Haval dealers and they verify that they just can’t get enough to sell. I recently managed to get one to drive as I was looking to sell my BT50 and frankly I thought in some aspects it drove better than the new BT50/Isuzu. It definitely was a better drive than a Triton which pitches back and forth on undulating roads which was a shame as otherwise I liked it. I tried the Amarok (drove better than some cars but no features, cramped back seat and NO REAR AIR BAGS?). So Ranger and Hilux. Not bad but poverty pack $60k on road? The interior of a Corolla is nicer than both and Hilux rear tub is quite small as is back seat. (Not Amarok small though) so GWM has Borg Warner transfer case, ZF gearbox, engine has been around for years, Isuzu chassis and Toyota copy steering. I haven’t got hold of a new Ranger/Amarok yet but top of the range is $90k plus and Wildtrak is $75 plus. Poverty pack is $60 plus on road. They would want to be a bloody lot better than the current models for those prices and my suspicion is they won’t be. So maybe 80% of a Ranger at 50% the price isn’t a bad deal.

[@BlenderBends]

I was the same. And totally agree. Drove the Ranger and it had a 2010 Mondeo interior with no rear air vents for kids and rear Drum brakes. The full bogan WT was 70k .The Hilux was good, Very easy to live with. but poverty pack is 60k SR5 65k and Rouge 77k. Amorok Drove best with V6 but its ten years old at a min with no rear Airbags. LIKE WTF VW Aust. So when I drove the Canon X. It just made sense. leather interior , 4x disc brakes. ZF box. 7 year warranty. Drove like other Utes, but not 30k worse. So either the mainstream are brands are gouging buyers at 70k or GWM have some mystical production line that runs on fairy dust. I wonder if John will do a Video titled " Should you buy an Expensive cheaply made Thai made Ute in 2022?

[@cosminc4834]

Totally agree! I drive a Rexton G4 full spec that is half the price of a Merc GLE (40k less). Rexton has an original 7 speed Merc gearbox, a 2.2 D clone Merc engine, a 4x4 on demand Borg Warner transmission. Bosh engine management. Who is to blame if those go bust? Ssangyong? ZF and Aisin deliver gearboxes to all the automotive brands. Borg Warner transmissions. Bosh engine management electronics. And so on! You have to do a piss poor job not to deliver a decent running car when you buy off the shelf components from major manufacturers. And you can replace faulty ones with those also! Depreciation is a thing if you sell you car early (4 - 5 - 6 years). After 12 - 15 years the Merc GLE is still 2X a Rexton but now only 2k more! Only one dealer in town. Next one is 200 km away. Who cares? A reasonably qualified mechanic with a good OBD2 scanner is what you need, as Scotty Kilmer constantly demonstrates! No problems after 3 years in a Rexton at 15k/year.

[@PhillipCrossRoycecrossgroup]

Hi John, I know a number of happy "dudes" that run numerous LDV utes for their businesses, turning them over every few years. LDV do good deal for quantities. Key is to keep them turning them over. Anywho I wouldn't recommend buying them second hand.

[@rodneyburrows2684]

I have a gwm ute paid $33500.00 in April 2021 (base model) it has a ZF 8 speed gear box and borg worner 4x4 all the infotainment and electronics is Bosh. Have been to Fraser Island Double Is point in Qld and put it through its paces... I saw knuckle heads driving Prados , Rangers BT 50'S in the salty water line of the surf. Some poor prick will buy these 2nd hand one day.. my ute was cheaper than a 2nd hand BT 50 and ranger They were around $45000.00 with 160000.00 on the clock and out of waranty my ute has 7yr unlimited, it is no Ford Ranger or Hilux, Iam a fisherman who wants to put a $70000.00 ute on the beach, if i get 7 yrs out of it with a few issues and go on the beach and look after it but flog the crap out of it who bloody cares i will get my use out of it... in 1975 my dad was laughed at and mocked at the factory he worked at for buying a Toyota Corona he had the last laugh on those pricks.

[@bodoburson]

Hi John, In the company I work for in Australia we have gone down the Chinese vehicle road. Mainly for our on road sales team that are on the road a lot. The vehicles perform very well although we have experienced real problems with the infotainment system and phone connectivity with voice clarity a real issue with our mobile sales team unable to communicate via the vehicle system that is a must have for our business. This seems to be across all Chinese makes and models.... GWM, Haval and the like and have been trading in for Japanese for this important but small feature that needs to work well for todays on road sales Guy or Gal

[@PROCOPO]

As for the low sales numbers there’s no mention about the lack of supply due to the “Covid” pandemic I have a GWM X Ute and can’t complain and I know it’s 20-30k cheaper than other brands but my expectations were exceeded.

[@madmick3794]

I work in a home and business delivery capacity as part of a group of 14 drivers. All our vehicles ours, not the companies. Our work mate has had the floor fall out/rust out within 18 months on 3 LDV vans in a row though has been given a replacement vehicle every time. He is currently asking for his money back from Von Bibra in Southport SE Qld.

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

I do wonder how it is legal for car makers to quote towing capacities that render the vehicle combination inherently unsafe...

[@peterhess6039]

Caveat Emptor

[@labourlawact7826]

It's all about the money

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

@@labourlawact7826 thing is, some utes can tow a bloody airliner but that doesn't mean its a good idea to tow one to Dingo-Piss Creek.

[@kadmow]

- they meet the testing requirements, for issuing the label, It should be asked: How can the authorities set the bar so low - as to endanger everyone...

[@kadmow]

@@MrRandomcommentguy (or at any speed other than "the bare minimum" - meaning the "huge weights and masses" - . lol - PS it isn't that hard to pull a dead weight on the flat in any auto ute, anyone who gets suckered by the marketing "bros" - gets their desire, no doubt.

[@crxdelsolsir]

With people valuing price, looks, change, trends, more than traditionaly high held values such as durability, longevity etc you will always have people gravitating to these products. No matter what you say to reason out the cheaper option, that very mentality is why we have higher and higher turn over of consumer goods, low replacement value discouraging repairs, killed the virtually all repair industries and killing the environment (higher waste).

[@paulmcintosh5589]

Longevity doesn’t make for more sales, if your toyota from old lasted 20-30 years you could have bought 4 or 6 in that time for the same price, toyota have gone down this path now, cheaper parts cheaper made components makes you replace or repair after 5 years, nothing lasts like it did. Actual Japan built is still the best quality finish and lasting.

[@Seaby41]

Agree. We care so much about people and the conditions that they work under we make ourselves completely uncompetitive in the world market. But we have no issue buying things made under horrific conditions in CCP China. Best thing for them apparently. If it's no good for us.. It's no good for them. Stop trading with CCP China. Pay more, get better quality, have people consider decisions more carefully instead of based on fashion. Create a service industry to better maintain goods. Hopefully a market for upgradeable goods would be created. Like a PC or hi end stereo system. Who knows. Maybe we might even be able to make things here. We'd also end the world's biggest problem the Chinese Communist Party as a bonus. Not to mention the amount of social and psychological issues it would fix to boot. Good times. Vote 1 me.

[@Seaby41]

@@paulmcintosh5589 maybe they might have to compete on service and upgrades instead if the market could be convinced not to buy a car everyone they change a quarter panel on the new series...

[@batmanlives6456]

Great video John Back in the dark ages … when I was growing up the rule was that the toed should not exceed the towing weight Which is the rule I have always followed… Thanks for clearing the air on the ridiculous tow limits they have today

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

I'm about to have a succulent Chinese meal for dinner. Think I'll watch this while I eat.

[@lowkeyconvert8971]

'chinese' food in australia is not reflective of real and authentic chinese food. it's getting better.

[@jamesmedina2062]

that is a dubious statement! The Chinese never export true Chinese food, rather only what they can pass off as Chinese food.

[@lowkeyconvert8971]

@@jamesmedina2062 lol, that comment tells me you have no idea and you base your ideas off stereotypes, assumptions and just outright negative bias. maybe actually visit china before you act like an expert on chinese cuisine. it's a vast country and there are regional differences when it comes to cuisine. and what i meant was that 'chinese food' abroad is really more like 'westernised chinese food.'

[@jamesmedina2062]

@@lowkeyconvert8971 yes you agreed with me! Thank you!

[@jamesmedina2062]

@@lowkeyconvert8971 Also my point had nothing to do with what life is like within China but rather how loyal its export of culture is via its emigrants. Some cultures remain intact and others get totally reworked to appeal to the target audience. I am basing this on the vast array of regional foods from the vantage point of an international chef.

[@mattm00ey]

I would never(until they take over) buy something named Great Wall.

[@45orangedonnietherussianmo96]

Says someone who got f'd by GM

[@hobo1704]

​@@45orangedonnietherussianmo96what's that got to do with anything muppet..

[@MitsubishiPajeroAus]

Have a 2012 great wall just put in new box diff and drive shaft, the only hard part was getting parts.

[@brendanmarkwell4725]

I’ve owned a T60 Trailrider for 3 years since new, it has been great. The after sales support from my local LDV dealership has been fantastic. I hardly think the automotive industry and/or certain manufactures have conducted themselves in ways that deserve such allegiance as to discredit LDV to the degree some are. Granted, if a Ford badge warrants you to part with twice as much of your hard earned, good for you. Personally, I’m very happy with my purchase and the level of service support I have received in contrast to some of the stories shared on this channel from the “trusted” brands, has me still feeling it! 😉

[@trenttreffery3443]

I dont support companies that use forced labour and support genocide. But thats just me, by all means if you dont have an issue with those minor details then happy motoring

[@Rampart.X]

After sales support is never "fantastic" even with the best. You must be salesman with a dealership.

[@brendanmarkwell4725]

@@Rampart.X I’m certainly not, I know it seems hard to believe there are good news stories out there!

[@sofascialistadankulamegado1781]

If you dont care that LDV is state owned in China with taxes going to the government to be spent by the CPC on various unethical enterprises and practices in China, then that's on you. There are other choices that are cheap such as Mitsubishi. The taxes that Mitsubishi pays will go to a government that is much more benign than Chinas and won't go the same way of the warlord like the yanks have. I don't support nations that build up a war machine and threaten people with death if they dont change their views about how they want to live.

[@brendanmarkwell4725]

@@sofascialistadankulamegado1781 if it’s good enough for Walkinshaw to be involved with, who am I to judge 👍🏻

[@tfsupp]

Your right its not just the chinese manufacturers not honouring warranty. I've given up on Hyundai as they have managed to avoid fixing the very rough idling (known issue) so if the dealer in ferntree gully thinks I'll buy another car from them, "tell them they are dreaming" thanks to the nice smilling service dept that just dont follow though, even to the point that they continually failed to even itemise the issue again & again on my paper work. (O dont worry its on our records) Of course its partly my fault for not placing us elderly & high risk customers for not chasing up more visits to the dealer when they were deliberately told to keep it untill fixed, which they conveniently seemed to forget each service. Well done Hyundai.

[@tfsupp]

@vanya thank you for the information, but if you read correctly you will see i never said they were Chinese, in fact i said not just Chinese.

[@penponds]

A friend of mine (here Western Australia) today asked my opinion on picking up a low mileage Ssangyong 4WD because it has a Merc diesel. I said I guess it depends on prices and alternatives. If you can’t afford anything more expensive right now, the depreciation argument is kind of moot. Spending more money in the long term versus not having the type of vehicle that’s essential right now. There’s no decision to make. You buy what you can afford. We live in the present, not 7 yrs in the future! There’s a reason why “cash (or at least a great credit score) is king”!!

[@Quadrajettison]

those merc licenced diesels well maintained are bulletproof

[@anniefu5858]

​@@Quadrajettison

[@ithinkurf]

My mates parents had a musso. It shit a gearbox 3 months pout of warranty. They wanted 25k for a new gearbox.

[@aussiebaz5363]

Very good. Well constructed and informative, the less theatrics you include in your discussions, the more interested I am, moderation is the key I think. I bought a 2015 poverty pack Triton 2.4 petrol 2 wheel drive tray back new for $20,000.00 with a bull bar and tow bar included. It's a gem, my run-around vehicle as a Plumber in a country town. It's gutless, with no torque to speak of, and is thirsty, but handles well and it has brakes that exceed the power by a huge margin. It does the job, cheap and reliable. The Chinese equivalent was no cheaper and I'm sure far less reliable with a lower resale value. I'd still get $15,000.00 for my ute, not 100,000k's yet, so excellent value indeed. You make lots of sense young John, good on you.

[@alankahler]

I’ve owned a foton Tunland since 2015 it’s been a great truck without any issues I’ve always maintained and serviced it myself since it was purchased it’s only been back to the dealer for the first service. I plan to drive it until it’s dead so don’t care about the resale value plus I saved $10k from not buying a Hilux

[@damodoesall6240]

Whats the fuel economy like?

[@alankahler]

It’s ok hard to tell as it’s always loaded up with tools so it’s Heavy almost 3ton

[@goldfools5445]

I also have a 2015. 200k on it now and doesn’t use a drop of oil or water. My Mechanic can’t believe it. He still reckons it’s piece of crap as he is a Nissan man. But every service I ask him to go over it and find any faults or upcoming problems and he admits that it seems to be outlasting his skepticism. We are gold prospectors so the car spends a lot of time on outback tracks or makes it’s own through the bush. There are a lot of my friends and associates who have stopped their laughter now. I would still rather have a new ranger , can’t afford it though.

[@edanhale9962]

I worked for a car dealership as a mechanic and we serviced ldvs I've never seen problems on a car as bad as ldv on occasion it would be cheaper to buy a new crate engine than fix the problem you might be saving on the retail but definitely not on how much its going to cost in repairs I'd recommend staying away

[@robinaboy]

Interesting to use sales numbers as a gauge of quality. I think there’s probably a bit of ego involved. If your mates are driving Hi-Luxes and Rangers, you’d be very brave to rock up to the campsite in a Chinese truck. The big-brand utes are a status symbol, and for good reason, but I don’t think that means the Chinese ones are therefore crap. I have two good mates who bought Great Walls in the past 12 months and they rave about them. Far more modern electronics than the big brands, good to look at, good on fuel and good clearance. The only thing I’m worried about is neither have taken them off-road. They’ve done some beach driving but no serious 4WDing. I’ll have to jump on the forums before making a final decision. I bought a top-of-the-range 2017 BT-50 brand new in 2018 with bullbar, canopy, snorkel and tow kit for $58K. To buy the equivalent brand new today is about $72K. I feel that is a ripoff so I’ll be looking at the Chinese brands and the Triton for my next vehicle.

[@arwedlang3702]

You are so right Robinaboy!.........well said!

[@tictactoe325]

In your explanation of towing capacity just demonstrates why all caravan/ camper van/ anything above a 6x 4 trailer must do a towing course to get accredited to tow something. I’ve been driving since a wee tacker and didn’t know about the tip forward yaw etc. The sideways stuff I did, but not the forward stuff.

[@andrewarnott6112]

Sounds like a good case for a korean bulit sanyong musso if a budget ute is your thing.

[@smartassdroid5149]

Musso looks like a good buy, its grill is just ugly AF.

[@edwardbishop1176]

I have a 17 year old DMax in Thailand. Very reliable and the dealer support is great and inexpensive.

[@glentight]

Utes are difficult to find pertinent numbers for, private vs fleet/business sales... I won't pull numbers out of my arse (2,4,5 & 7 hurt), but I would suggest that the percentage of private sales for the chinese utes is significantly greater than that of the "established" marques.

[@MonstaAU]

There are more than a couple of stories on waiting on spare parts from the Chinese manufacturers - a couple of mechanics that post videos online have both had some issues including the wrong parts sent when providing the VIN.

[@chriswording8638]

It's all anti brand propaganda mate. No difference to get parts these days. Maybe it used to be when it was a third party import. Now both LDV and GWM are factory backed

[@redoz9768]

They might be cheap and seem like a good buy at the time, but just wait until you need parts for them. Even basic things like filters and brake pads.

[@justicelowbrow]

Ford had to replace my mates Ranger under warranty last year as it had gearbox issues and they said it might take 6 months for replacement parts.

[@bruceandmargaretbrooks5043]

​@@justicelowbrowyour mate was not the only one.2023 model with under 8000k on it the box been replaced twice.this is not a isolated case

[@pamnuman1619]

I have a friends that bought a Great Wallk ute and travelled around Australia with a campervan. After nearly 9 years trouble free he bought a Tritan because they bought a caravan and needed more grunt. He always bragged about how good it was.

[@danmoloney6966]

What's a great Wallk and a Tritan?...never heard of them🤣

[@spartan5921]

There are always plenty of stories about poor customer support from all stealerships and manufacturers. During your very informative discussion I noticed that you mentioned the sales from 10 years or so. Part of the problem can be definitely found in the vehicle designs in the early days, there was definitely no Italian or German to guide the body design 😀. Another reason which is very simple, can be attributed to the common mentality of "If it is made in China, it is rubbish", or "Buy Australian not a Commie car". I have to admit I would not have a Japanese or American car for what they did to us during WWII and what the USA does to us now, but that is me. Reality speak, why do you want this type of vehicle, what can you afford, what is your risk assessment of the service and warranty? Then you need to consider how long you will use it, is it a taxable item for business, what resale if any after you have used it? Carry On... After diesel gate adventure with VW, I had heard there is a diesel gate issue with the 2.4 and 2.8 of Toyota with an 800,000 person last count about June of a lawsuit here in Australia. The USA was also mounting one and they just love litigation there. Ford are still the worst with their dealerships not honouring anything other than basics and you have to fight them every step to get that. Mazda are just plain over priced as are Honda and Nissan, well they just can't get their act together and build a decent vehicle anymore. Your info on towing John, that should be made into a mandatory teaching class for persons who think that ... "I've retired now, I'm old and I need to join the nomadic tribes that roam the country". They buy anything rated to tow 3+ tonnes and throw a house behind it and then proceed to load it way over the limit and then drive at 65-70 k/ph with the damn thing swinging all over the place. They have never driven on the country roads at best and now they are driving a vehicle out of their league and towing what amounts to a small semi in length. God help us all, they will be the death of many.

[@davenorman8251]

I have a friend who is an avid pig hunter when he purchased his GWM cannon I gave it a 10 day warranty at best...that was almost 2 years ago..it ain't pretty but it is still going.

[@rogersmith5371]

Whilst I don't know a lot about the ute market, I suspect there is an element of snobbery that holds back the sale of all Chinese brand vehicles. I recall a former head of VW sneeringly observing that no one aspires to a Hyundai when in fact they are one of the top selling brands along with their cousins KIA who as we know have won a swag of COTY awards over the last few years. A Chinese brand ute is like buying the supermarket brand product - it marks you as being cheap so people tend to avoid them. I accept that there may be some quality control issues just like there were with Japanese brands and Korean brands when they first arrived on our shores. Dealer support and parts supply are essential for achieving market penetration and the Chinese makers will have to work hard with price and warranty to overcome the snobbery factor.

[@positivepete4265]

100%. The bogans want a patrol, hilux or ranger so they can hang out with their mates in the bush

[@polotecnic7816]

what a fantastic vid. i only came across it because i wasn't signed in. honest, informative, funny. how KZbin should be. your tools are so clean. great t shirt.

[@georgekaplan6451]

I agree about not having the trailer heavier than the vehicle for long distances at highway speed. Maybe in an emergency for a short distance at no more than 70km/h?

[@shirlprada2447]

Am happy with my GWM Ute 2023 X. Because I know what iv bought without a history

[@task82]

Good video. I would say though, when looking at resale value, you should be looking at resale as a % value, not a $ value. Yes the resale $ value will be less compared to other established manufacturers, but the % value may not be as bad.

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

Yes you're right. For many folks, we buy vehicles to drive them until they basically won't go anymore "drive 'em them 'til the wheels fall off" and then sell what's left as a parts car or tow-away. So "re-sale" value just doesn't come into it. In sheer dollars and cents, it is far far cheaper to drive old vehicles, do some of the basic maintenance yourself, and then get rid of them when they're no longer economic to keep going. My latest car is a European metal (folding) roof convertible. I bought it at 16 years old for 95% discount off the price-when-new (I paid $3,500 instead of $38,000). In the 5 years since buying it I have had to pay a few thousand in maintenance and repairs, (and most of that was entirely "unnecessary repairs" demanded by NZ's useless and corrupt "WOF" annual inspection scheme. Ostensibly for 'road safety' but really a make-work scheme for neighbourhood mechanics to demand extra unnecessary work). Even so, it is still cheap motoring, and by the time I'm finished with this car, I won't much care how little I get in "re-sale" value. I cannot imagine living in a universe where I have so much spare money, that I would pay $38,000 for a new convertible to drive around it.

[@MussaKZN]

I got on the Hilux bandwagon back in 1989. 545k and 33 years later it’s still in my garage never broken down never had a recall. My other 17 year old Hilux is just ran in.

[@rais1953]

Might be about time you changed the oil.

[@jamessmyth5949]

You should never buy something based on lower price because a low price doesn't necessarily mean value for money. Chinese made things, not just automobiles, have long had a history of questionable quality and durability. They may have improved somewhat but once that reputation establishes itself on a particular product, word gets out in the mainstream and people decide after they've finished with it that they're not going to buy a second one, it's very difficult to turn that reputation around. It's disgraceful how many automobile companies treat consumers in Australia with absolute contempt. That's because Australia has pretty weak consumer laws compared with places like the USA. If a particular make gets recalled in the US due to a defect, the manufacturer is under no obligation to effect a recall in Australia even though the vehicle may have the same defect, especially if the defect isn't directly related to a safety issue.

[@peterclark7879]

Hi John I have a 2006 D40 Navara and have towed 3000 kg down the Great Ocean Road, with electric brakes and the right axle and drawbar spacing its a breeze, the to highly geared 6 speed manual that belongs in 'Z' series is another mater. But then my background is heavy transport.

[@johnbambo9036]

Pitch and Yaw and 3 tonnes when towing. Pro tip just don't open the trailer window cause you will be sideways up against that tree in the salt water canal at Dingo Piss Creek (trailer windows are legislated to be on the kerb side of trailer). Also buy the Coastal version of any ute so that its rust tolerant in a salt water environment. Compliance Plate will show CST (Coastal Salt Tolerant) if vehicle has the upgraded rust protection.

[@krisdockers2047]

What ever ute u are currently in ownership of, the only mechanical, financial, logical and sensible action that will matter is as follows, A) look after and service what it is B) use it only within the limits for what it has been built for, and- C) evaluate the financials such as intetest, re-sale, what the risk of ownership costs that you are comfortable with, and MOST Importantly, can you afford it. Otherwise, they really are all the same, Be happy wit what u got!

[@alanbosworth4887]

Hi John, I am an avid watcher of your content in Auustraailia and love it. I would just like to know, have you actually driven a Cannon X? Surely a current 5 star Amcap rating does say something? I agree, not the most powerful but they seem quite adequate for most purposes. From all reports the Cannon X and Cannon L are new models and are attracting a lot of attention. Not all Chinese products are crap

[@rezolute4249]

To put it in perspective the cannon has 120kw the same as the 3 litre version on the older hilux and people were fine with that 10 years ago. It has an 8 speed so it really isn't slow.. overtakes easily. My brother has a brand new wildtrak and to this day tells me this Ute was the best buying decision I ever made.

[@arwedlang3702]

Alan Bosworth, your findings is spot on and I much agree with all your comments: In addition, I may say: The 8-speed ZF gearbox does, in fact, compensate for a huge number of power requirement issues, being so vital. The ZF8 sure achieve that and the combined power resource does make all the difference........!

[@colincameron6263]

Buying Chinese is a good idea for those who would normally buy second hand. If you can not afford a Ranger then it makes more sense to buy a mitsi, That leaves the Chinese as needing a different market, which is that buyer tossing up to go second hand and take a punt on reliability or take the safety net of a new Chinese warranty.

[@philipbatty]

I'm tossing up between a 2016 Navara and new LDV ute. This has only left me even more confused. Great as always though John

[@andrewarnott6112]

Get a sanyong musso, 7 year warranty and korean build 42k top spec

[@apemaster6976]

Chinese utes > Japanese utes. If you want luxury interior and good warranty go ssanyong, if you want good looks and power go ldv, if you want the most complete package go gwm Ute.

[@dav4x487]

Considering the issues that the Renault engine has, I'd personally be steering clear of the Navara. Also depending on kms it could be getting close to needing the fuel pump replaced, which means the engine will need to come out because the pump is located at the back of the engine.

[@dav4x487]

This is a video on the faults that were manufactured into the 2.3 dCi engine. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmLcqXR6iK9ortE

[@paulmcintosh5589]

Korean built is much better

[@urbansurvivor2391]

I saw a 3 year old Great wall Ute for $2500 That was all the information I needed.

[@sapphirepilot]

I run a 2006 Ssangyong Musso. (South Korea) 260k around farm and town. BTR Gearbox 5 Cylinder Merc. Loca dealer OK vehicle fine. I'd buy another on price if depreciation was not a major issue. Goes well quite solid and service is easy. Bit heavy on fuel. I would not buy any vehicle from "West Taiwan" in the current unfriendly climate, if they won't buy our wine etc.

[@georgesoropos1753]

lold at West Taiwan haha. I'm using that for all references to it from now on

[@chriswording8638]

Wine? Mate they are the only country that actually buys $150 billion worth of products from us? Why don't you look up what, Japan, the US, Europe buys from us. You might be shocked

[@adamedgar5765]

I know of another case where an owner (who happens to be a mate of mine) took Newcastle City Holden to the consumer court over a new "rusting" Great Wall ute. He had owned the vehicle for 18 months when he went to court. The dealer was just like the one in the case Rigby vs LDV. My mate also won his case and a new ute was supplied after judgment. I own the replacement ute and note that 8 years after it rolled out of the car yard, the RHS front behind shock absorber mounting point in the engine bay, it has a rust hole large enough to fit ones fist through. This car has never been 4wd on the beach, although it too was owned by a surf club enthusiast who was a part-time lifeguard. The car also has numerous electrical problems...it is an absolute lemon electrically. This also extends to the fuel management system that cannot adequately control the idling of the vehicle...which often stalls due to the inability of the system to keep the vehicle idling. Chinese cars are honestly an absolute pile of rubbish...Even though I am the second owner of this GWM V240 ute, i will never own another one.

[@jed2055]

Fortunately things like this have never happened to the pricier makes. Unfortunately most of us can't afford them. And that lifeguard never, ever took that GWM you bought from him onto a beach . . .. That's your guarantee right there. :-)