Super cabs play their part

23 August 2003: There has been a virtual frenzy of crew or twin cabs on the Irish market this year, with the lead up to the VRT changes at the beginning of July. This overshadowed the value of the in-between pick-ups, the stretched or Super cab pick-ups.

Michael Moroney reports on his recent test in Mazda's novel freestyle version

The flurry of activity to buy crew or twin cab 4x4’s before the end of June somewhat overshadowed the value of the new stretched cab pick-ups that are available on the market. And the bad news is that stretch cab pick-ups although slightly cheaper than the crew cab versions, are also affected by the change in VRT rates, and as a result prices have risen here too.

But there is some good news. 4x4 importers were preparing for the VRT changes and some over supply of the market took place.

Not all of the twin cabs or stretch cab vehicles are sold, as importers and dealers took the €50 option and registered their stocks rather than watch the price increase by an average of €5,000 overnight on June 30. So there are plenty of good value pre-registered pick-ups on the market, with no mileage on their clocks.

Against this background, what has a supercab pick-up to offer over and above a twin cab version? The first point is the price, and looking at the Mazda version, there is a price difference of €1,100 between the two. The stretch cab version, which Mazda call the Freestyle, comes with a lot of useful features.

It has a novel two-door system, where the smaller rear doors hinge from the rear to give full access to the section behind the driver’s seat. The seat in the rear section is a bench type seat that can be flipped upwards to give good storage space.

The seat itself does not compare well with the more comfortable option in the twin cab version, but the rear load area is longer as a result of the shorter covered area. This are is well suited to being a toolbox and it has the advantage of being part of the secure and covered section of the pick-up. But in truth, you will get a lot more for the extra money in a full twin cab version.

Mazda uses the same engine in the Freestyle version as is fitted to the twin cab pick-up. Mazda build the Ford Ranger and it too comes with a similar cab styling and engine. The engine has more power and torque than that of the Isuzu and the Mitsubishi pick-ups, but it’s less than the Land Rover Defender and Nissan options. The 2.5 litre turbo-charged engine is smooth in operation, but lacks the pulling power of the competition, apart from the Toyota Hi-Lux.

But the real choices come down to a Ford Ranger or the Mazda option. The Ford looks more stylish and has additional chrome sections to add to this look. The Mazda has a plainer appearance, but in every other respect you could say that they are identical. There is little difference when it comes to driving qualities. And the Mazda option wins hands down on price. The Mazda is real value for money in today's market and especially if you get your hands on a pre-registered one.

There were over 600 pick-ups registered in June of this year and not all of them are on the road. There is a plentiful supply of these vehicles, Mazda’s included at dealerships across the country. The prices are the pre-July 1 prices; that’s a saving of some €5,000 and some will be available right up until the end of the year. These may have a June 2003 registration plate, but that does not take away from the value and the Mazda option proves the best value of all.