On Monday, January 25, 2016 at 8:21:52 PM UTC, Capitol wrote:
David wrote:
Back in the day it was realised that pick-up trucks could be bought by a
company without attracting VAT (and other taxes?) and then double as a
company car - as long as they had a carrying capacity of at least 1,000kg.

Cue the luxury crew cab models we see today with names like Animal.

All good stuff, but I'm casting my eye over them at the moment and the UK
ones all seem to have engines of 2.5 litres or less. I also remember this
from when I was last looking around 2000/20001.

Non-UK versions by the same manufacturers seem to have at least 3.0 litre
engines.

Does anyone know why?
Funny tax rules perhaps?
Initial Google searches get loads of adverts but not much information
otherwise.

TIA

Dave R


Most of the UK ones are turbo diesel. People don't want the
10-14mpg of the 3L+ petrol units. The long wheelbase crew cab plays
havoc with the turning circle. Hence the popularity of the short
wheelbase versions. The truck bed is too short on many to easily carry
8 x 4 sheets. IME the ride is always crap. I suspect a Transit is a
better proposition.

It now seems almost impossible to buy a larger capacity cheap and
cheerful petrol engined new car. The Mazda 5 in the US is 2.4L petrol,
here it is 2L diesel.

Apart from the ride quality the knee room for the back seat might suit Toulouse Lautrec but that's about it