Toyota TRD Hilux 4000S 2008 Review

Road Test
RRP: $ 59,990
Price as tested: $60,290 (metallic paint)
Crash rating: four stars (ANCAP rating for SR5)
Fuel: 95RON petrol
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 12.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): TBA
Also consider: FPV F6X (it's a stretch, but more here), HSV Avalanche XUV (if you can find one still), Hummer H3T Alpha (if it ever reaches us)

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 1.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

Take a standard Toyota HiLux double-cab 4x4 ute, bang on some snappy mags, tasteful stripes, add a new snout and stick in a leather steering wheel and gear-knob -- and what have you got?

Well, Toyota will have you believe it's a high-performance workhorse. Assembled by Toyota's performance arm TRD, the new hero-ute seemingly answers an unasked question. Certainly, no-one else has bothered to create an overly muscle-bound 4x4 double-cab ute.

Sure, there are more powerful utes -- but they are not 4x4s. And certainly there are bigger, 4x4 double cabs, but the fact is that no other manufacturer has seen fit to lift performance this high in their working-class vehicles.

TRD makes up for a perceived shortfall in performance by screwing an Eaton supercharger onto Toyota's 4.0-litre V6 twin-cam multi-valve donk. This lifts power by almost a third (up from 176 to 225kW) and torque by 20 per cent -- from 376 to 453Nm. It then addresses the suspension and brakes with Bilstein shocks and bigger discs.

The result is a very, very powerful ute, unburdened with the 21st Century niceties of traction or stability control… Or any other electronic driver aid -- beyond antilock brakes and an adaptive five-speed automatic transmission.

The obvious thought is that this is Toyota's answer to the HSV/FPV offerings of sports utes, but in fact, there are more differences than similarities -- the Aussie-built sports-utes are two-door, two seat, rear-wheel-drive V8s with astonishing performance, grip, brakes and car-like finesse, features and interiors.

In contrast, the Toyota's roots are much more utilitarian: four-door, five-seater double-cab, selectable two or four-wheel drive with low-range and a smaller load-bed -- though one which can handle more weight than either of the locally-built show-ponies.

About the only similarity is the availability of superfluous power -- but at least the Australian-built vehicles pay lip-service to road safety. The Toyota doesn't, and borders on dangerous in some circumstances as a result.

A lack of any form of traction control or electronic stability program on the Toyota is either a grave and irresponsible oversight or a cynical cost-cutting exercise, depending upon your standpoint.

Indeed, the Toyota is a long way from the HSV Maloo and FPV utes so beloved of cashed-up bachelor tradies. Unlike the local hero-utes, the only leather in the TRD HiLux wraps the steering wheel and gear-knob -- in this basic version at least. Even carpets are something for which you pay extra.

All this aside, the TRD HiLux is based on the standard SR5 ute, with bolt-on conversions that include 17 x 7.5-inch alloy wheels wearing 265/65 Bridgestone boots, those Bilstein shockers, bigger 338 x 28mm ventilated front brake rotors with four-piston callipers, and the all-important decals -- so your neighbours know that you're King of (if not the Mountain, at least…) the Block.

For the vision-impaired, varying levels of supercharger whine or squealing tyres will announce your impending arrival.

The surfeit of power notwithstanding there are plus and minus points throughout the vehicle. On the plus side, it's a Toyota, which means normally unburstable build quality, mind-numbing reliability, rugged design, intuitive ergonomics and solid resale values.

Interestingly, the factory claims the same fuel consumption for the supercharged 4000S and the naturally-aspirated petrol SR5. Surely, the 4000's free-revving and exuberant engine will see a heavier fuel-burn in the real world.

Despite a big-feeling, bright and airy cabin, the SR5 donor-vehicle hasn't exactly kept pace with its rivals, and these detail short-comings are transferred to the TRD version -- limited (rake-only) adjustment on the steering column, no sun-filter on the screen, no covers or lights in the vanity mirrors, no rear grab-handles, pretty basic (though comfortable) front bucket seats -- and a similarly-comfy rear bench seat with adequate space for two. Three adults had better be good friends.

Door pockets can hold a drinks bottle -- but not a standard Australian street directory. But it's the bigger little things that let the 4000S down. For example, side-steps might look macho and probably save the sills when rock-hopping in the Flinders Ranges, but day-to-day, their principle function seems to be to gather dust and then transfer it to your trousers.

Similarly, that big-tube macho "roll-over" bar is little but a glorified spot-light rack. Flimsy metal mounting plates attach it to the wall of the load-bed with eight Torx screws and it looks as if anything much heavier than a couple of ladders will have it buckling.

Available in two grades, the 4000S and 4000SL, the difference lies in carpeting, leather furniture and a fancier steering wheel and instruments in the more expensive vehicle, which has no external load-bed hooks for a tonneau cover, but does have tie-down hooks inside.

The cheaper S version (this one: cloth seats, vinyl floor) keeps the external tonneau hooks but there are no internal cargo-securing points.

By way of practicality, like all HiLix crewcabs a single dirtbike might fit diagonally across the load-bed, but taking two or three will require that the tail-gate is left down -- thereby renedering useless the eye-level brake-light built into it.

Despite a smallish load-bed, load capacity is nearly a ton, and towing capability remains at 750kg unbraked and 2250kg braked. The S version does get electric windows, dual front airbags, cruise-control and aircon -- and DataDot security.

For near-on $60 grand -- $9500 up on the former range-topping SR5 -- there's no on-board computer, no steering-wheel audio controls, no self-dipping mirror, no side or curtain air-bags -- and no electronic driver aids.

CarSales network has heard of at least one young tradesman who will be paying for his Toyota, long after he's forgotten what colour it was -- within days of picking up his new $60,000 vehicle, a wet roundabout caught him out and he went spearing into the scenery -- until an obliging telephone phone arrested his progress, and any further usefulness of the vehicle.

Our experience is that in two-wheel drive, the ute is all but undriveable on winding wet asphalt and even moderate acceleration on dry roads can see the vehicle slewing sideways. Experienced drivers might taunt the TRD into opposite-lock slides for fun, but a moment's inattention, a sudden obstacle or change in surface represent a much greater opportunity to fall off the road than they should.

It doesn't help that the steering doesn't give a great deal of feedback, and feels more 4x4-oriented than street-tuned.

However, in four-wheel drive, the TRD ute is an all-but-irresistible force -- even on a damp and greasy clay surfaced dirt-road, pointing it up a one-in-two slope and flooring the throttle produces a whining, wheelspinning, earth-ripping demon that rampages to the top in record time -- and with a record speed.

It's good off the road. Very good… And so it should -- it's a Toyota.

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