Volkswagen Amarok 2019 Review - Still King of the Pick-Up Utes 

It’s alright, Edwin! Every view and comment is appreciated and it’s okay if people don’t agree or don’t like VW. What’s silly is that if you like something they don’t, they assume you’ve been paid to say it, which isn’t true at all.

Yes those tossers dont know what they are missing. They have to drive what some lame ass mate tells them to

Thanks PB. Did you end up buying the Forester? That’s actually the subject car of the video we are filming this week.

@@chasingcars yeah I took one out for a 24 hour test drive last week and put down a deposit on a 2.5i-Premium when I returned to the dealer. Just waiting on delivery now. The five-year warranty plus the 12-month service intervals vs six months on the second hand Outback we were looking at made it an easy choice.

That’s definitely a compelling ownership proposition. Haven’t had more than a few minutes’ seat time in the new Forester, picking one up tomorrow and looking forward to getting some content done on it. Look out for the video!

@@chasingcars Look forward to seeing your views on it.

Thanks, Faz! Will do!

Thanks Malcolm. It’s an interesting question, I think. They’ve been available for a while here but at vast expense and some believe if the F-150 and the others were built in factory RHD and factory backed, they’d be cheaper and thus in higher demand. I’m not so sure: dual cabs have crept up in price where a Ranger Raptor or X350d Power command 90k on road prices but that very top end is struggling a little. I think Australians are probably demonstrating some buying smarts in refusing to pay six figures for a very agricultural class of vehicle that, while flexible, aren’t great to drive or especially comfortable.

I agree and as I’ve mentioned in this video (and others) if I was going to have people - especially children - in the back seat regularly, I couldn’t buy an Amarok. But for myself, I don’t yet have kids and I usually only have one passenger, so it’s not a big deal. Depends on your circumstances.

That’d be it!

Too bad the back seats are shit

What makes it bad off road?

Haha, thanks Ted!

Whenever Ford Australia decide to provide us with one. We’ve tried - believe me! Everybody else works with us.

Chasing Cars well if ford decide to give you one, try to get XLT, Wildtrak, or raptor as they are the best sellers and the ones most people are interested in.

Yeah, jeans define how much you know about utes

We have four trims of Amarok V6 in Australia - this V6 Core model is just the most basic of the set, hence the durable cloth seats.

I thought it was more important to show that it can be roughed up!

"Truck?" Are we changing the channel name to "Chasing Cars and Trucks" now?

Yes, because somebody’s clothes show how much they know about a car. Muppet.

@@chasingcars I think you missed his joke.... loosen up Dear

I got another one.. #SHOWPONY !

If dieselgate offends your ethics, that is fair enough and you don't have to buy a Volkswagen. But the scandal has been so widely publicised and Volkswagen so deeply criticised for it - including by Chasing Cars - that it's now time to move on in our view. It doesn't justify a mention in every review. -Tom

@@chasingcars If you think that Volkswagen has suffered enough without having solved the problem altogether, it's the same as leaving a killer loose until his trial ends. The fraudulent chip is killing people.

I don’t know enough about the operation of the various trials to give you a legal commentary, but what I can say is that no automaker in the world has faced criticism like that which Volkswagen has received for Dieselgate. I doubt there is anybody in the market that isn’t aware of it, so I think people are equipped to now make an informed choice about whether it matters or not. And as far as I am aware the current range of TDI engines is not impugned in any way.

I could care less, the emissions would have passed here in Australia because of our very relaxed emissions laws anyway. VW gave people better cars but falsely advertised the CO2 figures to get around rules in Europe and California. It cost these governments and states taxes, that they would have received from people if the cars were less efficient. So really they saved people money. If you want to check your carbon footprint, go vegan, stop air-travel and buy a bike. I'll keep buying and driving Volkswagen Auto Group cars in the meantime.

We like the Amarok - but I'm a motoring journalist that does this every day, not a fanboy. For the reasons I set out in the video, this vehicle remains a dominant force in this class as the most balanced choice. Just because an outlet has the gumption to say a vehicle is the best - not just give everything a 7-8/10 like the majority of car sites - doesn't mean they're VW operatives. It simply means we've decided that out of everything, this is a good car. As for a real-world comparison: we're a small outlet with three employees. Working on it for the future, but we're modest about how much we are able to pull off. Three of those vehicles have been reviewed individually and honestly on the channel as you know as you've commented on them. Here's a quick summary: 1. HiLux Rugged X: We took that to Flinders Ranges. Likely reliable, easy to get parts, capable off-road, but extremely agricultural and unrefined on-road. Slow. 2. Colorado Z71 Xtreme: We took that to Coober Pedy. Strong four-pot. Entertaining off road thanks to its LSD. Good cabin. Decent on-road manners. 3. Ranger Raptor: Wouldn't know more than my trusted colleagues' opinions. Ford Australia isn't responsive with providing us one. If they provide, I'll go in-depth, but for now, my view is that it is the best off road, and very slow - if compliant - on it.

@@chasingcars Hats off to Chasing Cars and its team of 3.. for all your hard work and reviews on RU-vid. I am a subscriber to the channel and appreciate your reply, Tom. With more feedback from your viewers..whether positive or negative.. only can help the channel grow.. you all get a direct response to what your viewers like or dislike. Other Australian RU-vid channels like Car Advice, Drive and 4x4 Australia are good examples of this. It's only through thorough comparison reviews.. consumers like myself and many others.. can get an understanding of our available market choices and hence make better educated decisions. Please try to do more comparison reviews especially of vehicles in the same category or class.. your views and subscribers will only grow further.. stop individual reviews in future especially when it's been done already on the channel !