Ask an expert

I am considering buying a two wheel drive Great Wall ute.
Is Great Wall a good buy, or should I be prepared to pay a bit more for another brand.
The vehicle would be for general driving, no off road etc. The only time we get close is going up the mountain car park for skiing.

The Great Wall Ute makes some good arguments in its favour but unfortunately it has just as much going against it. It is affordable, basic and looks the part (looks almost like the old Isuzu's) but it only manages to achieve a 2 star ANCAP safety test rating which in today’s standards is not acceptable. The diesel engine lacks performance low down, especially when pulling away, so it might not be a good choice for towing but on the motorway and when the revs are up it performs well. A good second-hand Mazda BT50, Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger or Nissan Navara might be good alternatives to consider in this price range and is likely to have either a 3 or 4 star ANCAP safety crash test rating - 4 star is acceptable but 5 star should be preference especially when buying new. Crash test results can be viewed at Rightcar website.