Category: Pick-ups 
Price Range: £40,395 to £56,350
Extreme ruggedness, useful load bay, lots of car for the money
A little gruff on the road, not the greatest performer, interior materials
Though it's a tough off-road pick-up, the Hilux is surprisingly bearable and usable for regular day-to-day transport.
Although the Toyota Hilux pick-up is primarily a commercial or utility vehicle, the role of cars like this is converging with that of more conventional cars so that it's now often used as a family or lifestyle car. The Hilux comes in single-, extra- or double-cab versions, offering two, four or five seats respectively. The two-seat single-cab, and the extra-cab with its occasional rear bench, remain utility purchases, but the double-cab really can be used as a family car as well as a business tool, which is why we'll be turning our attention to it here. Its biggest rivals are the popular Mitsubishi L200 4Life, the Ford Ranger and the Isuzu TF. Only one diesel engine is available. It's a 2.5-litre D4-D turbocharged unit with 102bhp. Trim levels are EX, GX and top-spec VX. Prices are from around £19,000 to £23,000.
