Should you buy a cheap Chinese ute in 2022? | Auto Expert John Cadogan 

Still see quite a few of the v240s out on the road.

Yeah I agree, 28K for the 4wd version would be cheap but they're around 36k. The Thai built competitors are over priced at 55k+

Real life reviews I’ve heard first hand is very positive.

my mate has the cannon and I got a V6 Amarok. literally everything except the engine is better in the Cannon, including the 8spd ZF

Next time I’m in the market to buy a 360 degree camera I’ll buy this vehicle. Is this the new metric for buying a ute? LOL

lets see how its going in 4 years time with 200000 on the clock?

I have a different point to make. We need to stop buying China products. China is not your friend. China is buying up property yet you can't buy property in China. China is waging economic warfare. China is a Communist dictatorship. We should never be doing business with China to begin with. We need to stop allowing non-citizens to own property. Here in the US we have not allowed Chinese vehicles yet. We'll have to wait and see. Manufacturing must be moved out of China. China is the enemy. Eventually we will regret ever doing business with them.

My gripe with Chinese products is they would like to see our demise and where paying them to do that.

Exactly my experience with Cannon-X

Just sucks that the chinese treat us with such contempt , i couldn't spend that large amount of money to aid the CCP.

Can I suggest you let us know after 5 years ownership, time and care of the vehicle will really start to show the true quality of the vehicle and if you want to trade it in on a new one will it be worth anything .

@@seegee7728 privately owned company. Vw own 5%. Not owned by ccp unlike LDV. Also made in Thailand the same as ranger and hilux.

i dont believe the pay out price

@@trevorwilson2966smells like bs to me

He knows all the facts, he doesn’t want to acknowledge he’s biased.

The insurance rates on the Chinese vehicle is high because insurance companies can’t get parts

@@damianchurchill6982 Yes, we've experienced that with a 5 yo Foton we got rid of at work. Something went wrong with the Ad Blu thing, we couldn't get the part and no one knew how to fix it as no one could read the computer properly and mechanics could not get any details. So for a relatively minor issue the little truck became a write off. So we bought a Hino to replace it. Has it's own issues, but they can be worked with....

​@@damianchurchill6982 that's not true. Our Hilux is more expensive than the cannon

​@@tazmahi8173what's the difference in value of the cars..

my mate has the cannon and I got a V6 Amarok. Although mine only cost less than $10K than his Cannon, literally everything except the engine is better in the Cannon, including the 8spd ZF

75 grand here in New Zealand for Yota Hi lux or a Ford Ranger which is shit and a fraud is not funny.

I bought a used KZN165R Hilux for 15k in good condition...and I guarantee you that it will be around longer than your LDV 🤣

@@gureno19 KZN165r yep.

@@gureno19 may as well bought a john Deere probably would drive nicer.

@@rezolute4249 John Deere? Lol I am guessing you have not heard John Deere preventing repairs being completed other than by themselves. Look not only at product durability (low maintenance/repair) but also honest construction (open architecture for repairs) and longest manufacturer support (oem parts). Unfortunately Japan is the one of that exells in all these areas.

'Egregious' dude. 'Egregious'...

You mustn't be hard to please if you think a GWM is the nicest Ute you've driven 🤣

Rangers are the worse new Ute have a look at tritons next

@@Owhunter-ki3fn are rangers that bad seriously? i wonder why they are so sold in Oz. better stick with hiluxs you reckon?

Or giving money to an evil regime that wants to enslave Australians is not a problem.

Po

Thank you for supporting the CCP. May they continue their global spending spree.

Sounds like my kind of car. Cheap, does the job, don't care what anyone else thinks of it.

What’s wrong with Isuzu utes John ? I have driven many Racv Isuzu road service vans and they far exceed in (quality, comfort, reliability and service)the whole lot of what you’ve mentioned.

Which part of Melbourne you from mate?

@@kenezos out west in Werribee

Most dealerships have 1 mechanic and the rest are apprentices

@@Travelling_Jonoberries which causes problems because they are sometimes left alone too long & bugger stuff up. I have fixed many cars that had been to the dealership spent hundreds of $$ and failed to fix an issue. Which has taken me 15mins & about $50 bucks for a spring washer or something else relatively minor to fix the issue. I see this quite often they just don’t road test the cars to properly check they have ironed out all the teething issues. I properly road test all the cars I service for a least 15-20mins at normal operating temperature. If you don’t do this then things get missed. They are also under pressure to get cars back at a certain time which makes for even more issues because they rush through jobs. Big no no! I give customers a service loan car & will take as long as I need to do the work correctly & safely. I do not promise a certain time. I will ring them when it’s done for collection. I don’t take on any extra cars unless I have enough service loan vehicles to give out. 1 vehicle in 1 loan vehicle out.

majority of brands require a technical report to be sent regarding the vehicle having problems which you're unable to do at an independent.

My mitsubishi dealer couldnt get OEM front parking sensors for my new car, and arranged an alternate product. As soon as the alternate failed, they didnt want to know about it. Wont be back to buy another, if you cant look after me on a $50 sensor you can get lost, its such a low cost item to screw me on. I went to the company that did the install, and thier supplier comp'd me both the part and the install

As my son said if you want some cheap shit thing to bash the crap out of . Buy it.

Who's to say the Chinese dealer wouldn't offer the same customer service? Projecting much? You really need to review the spec. sheet on both the LDV and GWM vehicles.

Some of us can't afford a $90K Hilux or Ranger. It also really depends what you intend to do with it, a GWM or LDV might fall to bits crossing the Gun barrel highway or driving off road to Cape York. Hilux is marketed as 'unbreakable' so I guess it's built tough to go almost anywhere. Unfortunately, it's well out of my price range.

2011 triton 280k 3 engines 1st replaced under warranty overheating issue block, 2nd same at 90k not covered on 3rd now

That’s it mate, some people just overthink it way too much. The price and warranty should be enough to take the plunge if it is your home vehicle that isn’t expected to do too much heavy lifting.

i cheered the clowns on for outsmarting me and towing engineering. look back at the accidents and being booked.... not my fault, i drove a cross6 and cannot have these problems

You don't know???? LOL as you said many products are made in china these days but there is a big difference. you need to consider the products are designed and built by chinese owned companies and their tech or western global companies.

Musso looks like a good buy, its grill is just ugly AF.

Caveat Emptor

It's all about the money

@@BubblesTheCat1 thing is, some utes can tow a bloody airliner but that doesn't mean its a good idea to tow one to Dingo-Piss Creek.

- they meet the testing requirements, for issuing the label, It should be asked: How can the authorities set the bar so low - as to endanger everyone...

@@MrRandomcommentguy (or at any speed other than "the bare minimum" - meaning the "huge weights and masses" - . lol - PS it isn't that hard to pull a dead weight on the flat in any auto ute, anyone who gets suckered by the marketing "bros" - gets their desire, no doubt.

It's all anti brand propaganda mate. No difference to get parts these days. Maybe it used to be when it was a third party import. Now both LDV and GWM are factory backed

I was the same. And totally agree. Drove the Ranger and it had a 2010 Mondeo interior with no rear air vents for kids and rear Drum brakes. The full bogan WT was 70k .The Hilux was good, Very easy to live with. but poverty pack is 60k SR5 65k and Rouge 77k. Amorok Drove best with V6 but its ten years old at a min with no rear Airbags. LIKE WTF VW Aust. So when I drove the Canon X. It just made sense. leather interior , 4x disc brakes. ZF box. 7 year warranty. Drove like other Utes, but not 30k worse. So either the mainstream are brands are gouging buyers at 70k or GWM have some mystical production line that runs on fairy dust. I wonder if John will do a Video titled " Should you buy an Expensive cheaply made Thai made Ute in 2022?

Totally agree! I drive a Rexton G4 full spec that is half the price of a Merc GLE (40k less). Rexton has an original 7 speed Merc gearbox, a 2.2 D clone Merc engine, a 4x4 on demand Borg Warner transmission. Bosh engine management. Who is to blame if those go bust? Ssangyong? ZF and Aisin deliver gearboxes to all the automotive brands. Borg Warner transmissions. Bosh engine management electronics. And so on! You have to do a piss poor job not to deliver a decent running car when you buy off the shelf components from major manufacturers. And you can replace faulty ones with those also! Depreciation is a thing if you sell you car early (4 - 5 - 6 years). After 12 - 15 years the Merc GLE is still 2X a Rexton but now only 2k more! Only one dealer in town. Next one is 200 km away. Who cares? A reasonably qualified mechanic with a good OBD2 scanner is what you need, as Scotty Kilmer constantly demonstrates! No problems after 3 years in a Rexton at 15k/year.

I'm confused. Many comments here are assuming the video supports buying cheap Chinese brands I watched all of it intently and got the distinct impression this auto expert is saying sure, go ahead and buy new, cheap but it's on you if you expect good support. Remember the majority of this video is about one owners issues with a Chinese vehicle. Yet, most of the comments here are positive for Chinese Utes/4WDs. Am I missing something?

Yes you're right. For many folks, we buy vehicles to drive them until they basically won't go anymore "drive 'em them 'til the wheels fall off" and then sell what's left as a parts car or tow-away. So "re-sale" value just doesn't come into it. In sheer dollars and cents, it is far far cheaper to drive old vehicles, do some of the basic maintenance yourself, and then get rid of them when they're no longer economic to keep going. My latest car is a European metal (folding) roof convertible. I bought it at 16 years old for 95% discount off the price-when-new (I paid $3,500 instead of $38,000). In the 5 years since buying it I have had to pay a few thousand in maintenance and repairs, (and most of that was entirely "unnecessary repairs" demanded by NZ's useless and corrupt "WOF" annual inspection scheme. Ostensibly for 'road safety' but really a make-work scheme for neighbourhood mechanics to demand extra unnecessary work). Even so, it is still cheap motoring, and by the time I'm finished with this car, I won't much care how little I get in "re-sale" value. I cannot imagine living in a universe where I have so much spare money, that I would pay $38,000 for a new convertible to drive around it.

If you want info on mahindra utes John Rooth has Been off road and touring testing one for over a year on his RU-vid Chanel

I run a 2006 Ssangyong Musso ( from South Korea) for farm and town. 260k and its fine. BTR gearbox Merc 5 cylinder diesel. Bit heavy on fuel. Spare parts easy. Local dealer OK. I would consider another Ssangyong Ute, if price was a priority and depreciation less important. For me, nothing from China at any price, in the current unfriendly climate.

More shit

mahindra have been making vehicles since the 50s. so they make them well. i know someone that bought one and he has had no problems with it. yes the seats aren't that great if you have a large arse like i do but it rides well has, enough power and has features many base models from the big brands dont have and costs 2 thirds the price. they also produce more tractors than anyone else. thier first vehicle was a licence built copy of the willys jeep.

I got given a d90 it was so bad I lefted it in the driveway until my musso was ready

Do you work for GWM?

@@cranegantry868 no

I dont support companies that use forced labour and support genocide. But thats just me, by all means if you dont have an issue with those minor details then happy motoring

After sales support is never "fantastic" even with the best. You must be salesman with a dealership.

@@Rampart.X I’m certainly not, I know it seems hard to believe there are good news stories out there!

If you dont care that LDV is state owned in China with taxes going to the government to be spent by the CPC on various unethical enterprises and practices in China, then that's on you. There are other choices that are cheap such as Mitsubishi. The taxes that Mitsubishi pays will go to a government that is much more benign than Chinas and won't go the same way of the warlord like the yanks have. I don't support nations that build up a war machine and threaten people with death if they dont change their views about how they want to live.

@@sofascialistadankulamegado1781 if it’s good enough for Walkinshaw to be involved with, who am I to judge 👍🏻

Yeah its weird the whole chinese made attitude across all things. All men are sexist

Spares in south africa for the steeds is crazy cheap dono about the p series

Dad needed a new farm ute. Budget was 20k... I laughed. I said to just get a chinese one new for a little extra and huge warranty... Spent too much time in dealers with him trying to show him... Dumbass went with a 15 year old Hilux from a friend of his, for 25k... I drove the thing, felt like it was falling apart. The Speedo was off by 15kmph... So they were doing 115kmph in a 100 zone. They had to get it fixed and ended up spending I reckon close to $30k in the end for a way too old and beaten Hilux. They want to get it repainted too... Which will cost them $3k.... Should have just got a GWM or LDV for what they wanted.

These are work vehicles, who can afford to wait a month for parts ?

Don’t compare the ldv to the gwm. Chalk and cheese.

@@youreaknob - I would think that most buyers are cross shopping the GWM and LVD utes and most comparisons have them going head to head against each other. Lets see the next gen Triton and Navara (which will be twins now but mainly Mitsubishi based albeit with a Renault engine), the one key advantage that Triton has right now is SUPER SELECT II which is about the best of the best you can get in terms of 2WD/RWD bias AWD, 4x4 High Range with Locked Centre Diff for full 50/50 torque split and 4x4 low range, that said next gen Triton will have a Renault engine, well it should be better then the turbo lag monster it currently has.

@@351tgv have you read the GWM specs? Don’t go off some bs RU-vid review where the testers don’t understand the tech. I payed $33k for a Ute with centre locking diff. Zf 8 speed borg Warner transfer and Eaton diff locks. It steers itself and breaks when in traffic. Not owned by the ccp and is made in Thailand. Hilux probably consists of more Chinese product.

Exactly. This guy has no idea

Says someone who got f'd by GM

​@@45orangedonnietherussianmo96what's that got to do with anything muppet..

The new GWM Cannon is 5 star the old Steed was 2 star I think. The Cannon is top for safety with the new BT50 and Dmax. Ford should pass.

Before they paid the bribes you might mean?

@@johnwade1095 they just followed in mazda and Isuzu footsteps. Ford will need a bigger bribe.

Tiers?

@@BubblesTheCat1 thanks Dyslexia have fixed

@@freethinker4991 ☺👍

I think I would enjoy John's comedy plaid out in British style comedy skit like Benny Hill!

'chinese' food in australia is not reflective of real and authentic chinese food. it's getting better.

that is a dubious statement! The Chinese never export true Chinese food, rather only what they can pass off as Chinese food.

@@jamesmedina2062 lol, that comment tells me you have no idea and you base your ideas off stereotypes, assumptions and just outright negative bias. maybe actually visit china before you act like an expert on chinese cuisine. it's a vast country and there are regional differences when it comes to cuisine. and what i meant was that 'chinese food' abroad is really more like 'westernised chinese food.'

@@lowkeyconvert8971 yes you agreed with me! Thank you!

@@lowkeyconvert8971 Also my point had nothing to do with what life is like within China but rather how loyal its export of culture is via its emigrants. Some cultures remain intact and others get totally reworked to appeal to the target audience. I am basing this on the vast array of regional foods from the vantage point of an international chef.

Longevity doesn’t make for more sales, if your toyota from old lasted 20-30 years you could have bought 4 or 6 in that time for the same price, toyota have gone down this path now, cheaper parts cheaper made components makes you replace or repair after 5 years, nothing lasts like it did. Actual Japan built is still the best quality finish and lasting.

Agree. We care so much about people and the conditions that they work under we make ourselves completely uncompetitive in the world market. But we have no issue buying things made under horrific conditions in CCP China. Best thing for them apparently. If it's no good for us.. It's no good for them. Stop trading with CCP China. Pay more, get better quality, have people consider decisions more carefully instead of based on fashion. Create a service industry to better maintain goods. Hopefully a market for upgradeable goods would be created. Like a PC or hi end stereo system. Who knows. Maybe we might even be able to make things here. We'd also end the world's biggest problem the Chinese Communist Party as a bonus. Not to mention the amount of social and psychological issues it would fix to boot. Good times. Vote 1 me.

@@paulmcintosh5589 maybe they might have to compete on service and upgrades instead if the market could be convinced not to buy a car everyone they change a quarter panel on the new series...

I think you purchased the wrong insurance.

Just buy the same used ute you had

Great point

Weird story Siff. What's "Merica"? You could have paid many thousands for a "different" ute, still get it written off and then pay many thousands more for a replacement no matter what the reimbursement was. Sorry Siff, but your story does not work out monetarily. For one thing, many people prefer their vehicle to be written off so they can get a new one and in your case as the ute you bought was cheap new it is easier to write off. Do you understand that? You should have been insured for replacement but you weren't. A small part of the money you saved should have gone towards replacement insurance. That's on you. Also most people don't go around getting the vehicles written off. My story: Many, many years ago when I owned a Nissan 120Y. I was at my local Nissan dealer in Brookvale, NSW to buy some little part, nothing big, when I overheard the price quoted to a Nissan 4WD owner for a new gearbox. This was back in the late 70s. He was quoted $2400! I could not believe it. My whole car wasn't worth that much. These big companies have been ripping off Australians for many years and still do today.

@@jed2055 Ahh, I see that you do not have experience with how insurance works in the U.S.A. Their is no “replacement coverage” offered by any carrier here, it is always a cash payout of “market value” minus deductible, going to the lean holder (outstanding loan) first with the remainder given to the insured in the form of a check. Also, the Ute depreciated much faster than the initial cost savings at purchase due to how the Ute market values used models of that particular Ute in the U.S.A., so if I had gotten a different model Ute I would have lost significantly less money to depreciation. Thus, the cost to replace was significantly more than the payout I received. One insurance coverage option we do offer is GAP coverage, which will pay off any remainder in the loan if the insurance payout is less than the outstanding loan. So, I could have opted for a much longer term loan (e.g. 8 years) and no down payment, and put the difference between the large monthly payments and the small monthly payments (along with the down payment) in a savings account; this would end up providing me with a larger backup fund in case it was written off and needed replacement. However, it would mean a lower credit score at least until the long term loan is paid down to the point of the remaining debt being less than the “market value” of the vehicle (at around the 5 or 6 year mark) when it is no longer beneficial to separate the savings and instead should be used to pay off the rest of the loan. It would also cost about an extra 1% of the total loan in additional interest paid over the course of the loan, though this is pretty trivial compared to the extra money saved in the case of getting written off in that period of time. GAP insurance rates are the big question, as I’ve never used it (always using large down payments) and I’ve heard it can double the cost of insurance which could quickly eliminate the benefits of this approach. In the end, I pay attention to depreciation now, as it’s easier to replace a $100k Ute when the insurance gives you $90k than it is to replace a $50k Ute when the insurance only gives you $30k.

- deductions are moot if one is already fully invested in their business, the flip side is free cash (owner drawings or wages or whatever, is what you get to choose what to spend it on long tern (after tax of course) lol... Chasing a deduction is a bit of a deadend, unless that finances your retirement.

Sure, it's obviously going to vary depending on the person/business.

@vanya thank you for the information, but if you read correctly you will see i never said they were Chinese, in fact i said not just Chinese.

Sad, but possibly true.

Another LDV salesman.

@@Rampart.X Exactly.

I have an older mitsi Triton. Not a Isuzu, Toyota or ford. Does it’s job well with no issues

@@Rampart.X No mate Ive always been a Holden fan. I ordered a LDV in Jan and im still waiting for it

@@BubblesTheCat1 When I take delivery I;ll post a youtube video of what I really think of it. Time will tell.

Exact opposite… Gwm utes atleast are selling like hotcakes

I thought the same. In a perfect world why not make the maximum tow weight half the weight of the tow vehicle and be really safe. Calling people idiots that tow over the tow vehicle weight is ridiculous. When the trailer is set up correctly with electronic brakes etc and the driver is experienced, it is not an issue. It's when the trailer is incorrectly balanced and an inexperienced driver is behind the wheel then John's safety margin is responsible. But not in the real world.

he doesn't like Ssangyong

@@Quadrajettison he has warned of the risks of buying a vehicle whose brand might go broke.

I bought a Musso.....great vehicle

@@marcusfry491 Mussos do look good and seem to be nice inside, quite luxurious. I think they are sold for around $40k. I’d rather buy a Musso.

Do some research on the Musso before buying one, they may have improved but the early one's had a lot of issues.

By them new and run them into the ground.The cheapest car you can own is the current one you have .I got 15yrs out of a new Daewoo(remember them?) 19yrs and counting on 2003 hilux also.I do my own work to them always have and save a motza

I bought a GWM Cannon. I am a 4x4 accessories fitter (suspension etc). My ute is no worse (or better) put together than all the Thai ones. I know because I've been right over it underneath. The quality of the fixings and chassis components is no different to the rest of them. They're all pretty much the same .

@@a.gordon.1385 Except you're supporting the CCP

@@mrkring1526 GWM is privately owned unlike SAIC (MG, LDV) which is Chinese state owned. Unless you mean just buying Chinese products in general is supporting the CCP. It would be quiet a challenge to live a normal life free of Chinese manufactured items or containing Chinese manufactured components.

Hahaha. Gold

Keep trying, I sure as hell won't support any of these Chinese crap boxes