hi mate , I had a new Ultimate ( top spec diesel Ute - 80k with all options including 3 k roll cover that fills with dust !) V6 for 5 months this year we bought 3 for  management at work  and although powerful , they use oil like no car I’ve ever seen and with no low range are not great in sand ( got bogged on 15 psi at Wilbinga - yes 19 inch rims so shit tyres but still not good) no room in the back for my 16 y/o son , gave it to another staff member and went back to my 2016 Jeep overland! I’ll wait till next year and trade that on a SRT Jeep. Amarok not for me. 

I was driving them back in 2013. They were the 2.0l diesel twin turbo manual version. Gutless as in the sand and kept getting bogged on small sand hills that the prado in front was just basically idling over. To avoid getting bogged we were hitting everything at speed. I guess they would have improved since then but by how much I don’t know.  

 further to the above mate, the Ultimate was a beautiful car to drive around town , tows like a train with 180kw/550nm and luxuriously appointed but no low range is an issue (it really is and having very low 1st and 2nd does not cut it despite what they tell you ) and the leg room was intiolerable for the missus with my older son in the back , the oil use even has a section in the owners manual ! also the rear diff pinion seal leaked at 15,000 ks on 2 of the 3 we have , not good enough , fortunately my Jeep overland hadnt been traded in so i took it back and passed the Amarok onto a staff member with no kids and no off road aspirations.

Hi Andy

I have had two amaroks for the past 6 years. I am holding out trading my current one for the hope that a manual V6 comes onto the market. In my opinion the Amarok is a good vehicle, with some detractions. The fuel economy I get from mine is far superior than any other ute on the market. Towing my 7.3m barcrusher I get better economy than some of my mates utes who aren't towing anything. I am unaware of any other utes who have better leg room in the back. None of the utes are going to be as roomy in the back as prado's, jeeps etc, but they are not utes.

Yes the current 4cyl model does lack power (especially when towing a boat), but the ride comfort and creature comforts are excellent. I have had plenty of 4wd experiences in my two utes, and yes they do drive a bit different than other utes on the sand, but there is plenty of power to drive through sand, which is not really needed if you are driving correctly.

Having said that I have no issues going where other vehicles go, and especially with the rear diff lock and low range I have yet to be stuck. They do have low ground clearance, and the lift kits I have installed have helped in raising them, but have reduced the drive comfort slightly.

As said above, I want a manual V6, so I can have the full high and low range option when 4wd'ing. I am very dubious about the crawler gear in the current auto versions. I have spoke to some VW salespersons, who were unable to provide any real information on its performance in the sand. You can take one out for a test drive for the weekend to see its performance in the sand and towing, so contact your dealer to arrange this. If a manual one doesn't come out soon, this is what I will do.

I hope the above helps, if you have any further queries PM me.

Cheers

Matt.

When dropping that kind of coin on a ute, I don't think you can go past a TD Hilux... Its not the flashest or most powerful but in 5years time (assuming you depricated it for a business) it will be worth $10-15k more than anything else.

If its power, room and towing ability and not a finacial driven decision, then go the Ranger... I vowed 10years i would never own a ford but the Ranger could be the car to change my position. It tows like a 200 series and has tons of room. But, its a big car to drive and park around town!

I looked at the V6 Amarok only 6 weeks ago, and it is kitted out as a nice ute and drives almost like a car, But my business head couldn't get over the rate which VW's drop in value and the high servicing costs.

Not what you asked for, but my 2c worth anyway...

 I'm looking at utes for work at the moment. I ruled the Chinese utes out for another generation and need a ute with dual ratio for fishing, so I ruled out the VW. I like the D Max and realise I can buy the top spec and add a bar, lift, tyres, winch and canopy for under 65k. I wouldn't touch a Colorado as they only put that motor in because Isuzu wouldn't come down to the VM price of that hand grenade they call an engine. On the other hand, you could live it up and buy a Merc. 

 Where you launch your boat Andy you need a proven sand performer. Ive been told by plenty of people how good the amaroks are on test drives but none of them went on to purchase one. 

 Thanks for the feedback fellas some great write ups there. So I'm angling back towards the Ranger, I've had pricing on an XLT with the same extras as the Amarok and they come in around 4k cheaper. Another reason is I've owned a Ranger for a while now and in my opinion they're a good car, as with every car they have their weak points like some of the interior trims and dash plastics. But never had a problem with the drive train and only recently replaced the battery. They are good on the sand and an  excellent towing vehicle. 

if i was in your position id be looking as hard as i could at the dmax, engine is unbreakable. 

 My 9 month old work hilux has copped an absolute beating and pretty sure it’s the only thing that would of taken it. Picking up a brand new one tomorrow and hope it goes as well. Just doesn’t like the boat if there is any headwind. 

 not too sure about the coin involved but i have seen quite a few iveco dual cab 4x4 and from shows on tv i have seen with them they rate their off road capabilities quite good. they are more like a small truck rather than a ute tho

https://www.drive.com.au/new-car-reviews/hsv-sportscat-vs-volkswagen-amarok-v6-ultimate-head-to-head-review-118597.html?ffref=watoday&trackLink=SMH3