Trail Utility Vehicle

[05XE]

OK. You are theoretically looking at 4x4 trail vehicles, NOT a traditional 4-wheeler. What shall you choose?

Why? You need something smaller than your frontier, but bigger and more capable (towing / payload / people) than a 4-wheeler.

The first person that ripped the golf club bag holders off the back of a golf cart and added a cargo box unknowingly created an entirely new vehicle market.

(in random order)

1. EZ-GO. The ST trail vehicle was the first of its kind. EZ-GO has been making utility vehicles longer than anyone else. They are well respected for their well made machines. There's a reason most golf courses choose EZ-GO.
http://www.ezgo.com/trail/st4x4.html

2. Club Car. The XRT trail vehicle is a beast. With the all aluminum frame, it'll never rust. Club Car is EZ-GOs direct competitor. They were the first with a 4x4. Their machines are made to be used hard.
http://www.clubcar.com/products_land...y=Recreational

3. Kawasaki. The Mule trail vehicle came on the tails of EZ-GO and Club Car. It is extremely similar to Cub Car's XRT. You may have seen the Mule being used on TLC's "Little People Big World." Kawasaki has been making 4-wheelers forever, and the Mule is of the same quality of their 4-wheelers.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/SubCategory.aspx?id=15

4. John Deere. First they had the Gator. It was a rough and tough vehicle with no rear suspension available in a 4x2 or 6x4. Now they have the High Performance Gator, built to rival EZ-GO, Club Car, and Kawasaki. The Gator is well respected for it's durability and industrial toughness. They updated this for trails.
http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCa...hp_series.html

[carphreak]

i like the looks of the gator. it seems to be more suited for offroad too.....

[jojo]

i like the yamaha rino 660
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/...41/0/home.aspx

[flyboytb]

http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-...er/Models2007/

8" front and 9" of rear travel would seem to do good off road. also 1750lbs towing.

[LFD270BEN]

go deer and go diesel those yanmars never die !

[mustard23]

get this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VOLVO...QQcmdZViewItem

[stevet47]

yamaha rhino

[mdawg4x4]

I'll try this again adifferent way. My original post got canned evidently. For the price, I would buy one of these. They aren't street legal in the states, but are everywhere in Japan. They are being imported and sold a several locations around the USA. The best part, they are enclosed and heated.

minitrucks41.jpg minitrucks13.jpg

[carphreak]

Originally Posted by mdawg4x4

I'll try this again adifferent way. My original post got canned evidently. For the price, I would buy one of these. They aren't street legal in the states, but are everywhere in Japan. They are being imported and sold a several locations around the USA. The best part, they are enclosed and heated.

Attachment 4965 Attachment 4966

i have actually seen some of these with a lift kit. these things are driven legally on the roads all over asia.

[05XE]

I have personal experience with these japanese mini trucks... I was in Japan for 3 years, drove one around our base for various reasons... (it was our company's truck)

They are TINY inside. If you are under 5'6" you'll be fine, Even then you'll be tight with your legs at 90 degrees to the pedals, and your back almost 90 degrees to your legs. The three cylinder engines are barely adequate for the vehicles, and that is with the stock 13" wheels and tiny tires. They can be lifted a couple inches, but stock ground clearance is... low. Putting larger wheels/tires on this thing would bog it down big time... especially on tough terrain. Trust me... On the road, it takes like 20 seconds just to accelerate to 60. With such low clearance and that wheelbase, getting stuck under the middle is possible. The center mounted engine is right under your ***, and is hot as hell in the summer. Skid plates for this thing would have to be completely custom fab. The commmon model name is hijet, pronounced high-jet. There is virtually no give in the rear suspension, those leaf springs are as good as i-beams... even then your payload is limited to 750 lbs (passengers incl).

I myself thought it would be so cool to bring one back to the US and use it as a utility vehicle.

Good luck getting parts at a reasonable price. I know that the import/mod company is a parts supplier also, but expect to pay premium for them.

The built/quality of these trucks is about the same as a hyundai accent, but morphed into a truck.

I did dream of having one for myself here, but I popped that bubble long ago after really thinking about it.

I know no one would do this, but don't even think about using it on the road unless you really want to die in a crash. Japan does NOT have the safety standards we have in cars. To import a japanese vehicle... like a supra... all the glass has to be replaced, the doors have to be reinforced, ...and a list of other mods.

The cost to import a 6 year old hijet is more than the thing is worth. They are mainly fleet trucks, and they are used till they're worn out. Also get used to shifting with your left hand.

Otherwise, its a cool little truck.