"MegaSuper" (megasuper)
04/14/2015 at 02:19 • Filed to: None
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"MegaSuper" (megasuper)
04/14/2015 at 02:19 • Filed to: None | 0
| 8 |
Are these common, uncommon, rare, or insane?
Is it one of those cases where the base model is everywhere ,but a crazy HSV tuned one is very rare?
Do people generally see these as a smart buy if you want something fast, being that they have lots of storage space, or is it considered stupid because it's just a 2 seater and it looks like you couldn't afford a "real" sports car or something?
MOST importantly: Do people actually buy these in white and try to register them as construction vehicles/company cars? I don't know if they're actually perceived as "work-doers" or just silly toys.
TheHondaBro
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 02:27 |
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Looks like sales are plummeting so much that they're ready to kill it off.
http://www.news.com.au/national/retir…
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MegaSuper
> TheHondaBro
04/14/2015 at 02:31 |
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Yes, I realize the entire brand is on life support. Pretty sad ;_;
I don't mean currently to be honest. I just meant what the name "Ute" conjures in the mind of an Aussie or Kiwi.
For example: You say "Corvette" in the US, people have that stereotype of the half-balding middle-aged guy with a hairy chest and gold chains. You say "Corvette" in the UK and people think, "Hmmm, wacky guy who wants to be different by having a car you can only get in LHD but at least he can get more groceries faster than anyone else."
You say "Audi TT" in Germany and it's "YES! DESIGN ICON FOR THE AGES!" You say "Audi TT" in the UK and it's "Oh…it's your wife's, right? Because you couldn't find a good Miata, right? Right? It's not yours, right?" *Rolls eyes* I always thought the term "hairdressers car" was so stupid as an insult. What does that even mean? I know a lot of male hairdressers.
j.davism5
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 02:56 |
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Holden commodore utes and thier falcon counterparts are like arseholes. Everyone here has got one, or had one at some stage. Xr6 turbo and SS utes are most common, followed by their NA 6 cylinder siblings. HSV and FPV utes are rarer, but not massively rare. They are somewhat common place in comparison to even a porsche boxster. Overall, we're actually pretty well of down here, our median wage is around 75k (about 59k USD atm). Tradies and blokes without kids tend to have the utes, but may are shifting towards hilux and ranger both because of tax benefits (diesel running costs are lower) and lifestyle (4 doors). most owners of SS and XR series utes are below 40. HSV and FPV utes are more like 50, as they can cost up to 70k loaded. an ss ute by comparison is about 42k.
Australias tastes have changed, and we have a more competitive market place than anywhere in the world per capita. Everyone has thier finger in the pie, and the droping of import tariffs over the last 2 decades, combined with high labor costs has destroyed the industry. I'm sad to see them go, but in saying that, I've never bought one. I've spent a lot of time driving them, but fortunately I've had the cash to spend on somewhat more exotic machinery.
toadterror
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 04:10 |
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Hi, from NZ -
It's pretty run of the mill to be honest! Probably see two or three on my way to work. HSV Maloo's are a but rarer but you see them around. The real unicorns here are the Ford FPV Tornado!
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toadterror
> toadterror
04/14/2015 at 04:19 |
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And yes, you see lots that are work Utes - (company cars). We don't really consider them to the 'coupe' or performance option though, more of a best of both worlds kinda deal - we're all about the station wagons down here
Chech
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 06:07 |
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Man, people don't even worry about getting them in white to company register them. As long as the ownership is held by said company it could be lime green and be a company car.
I see them everywhere, every day, base to Maloo. The bloke that restores Lindsay Fox's cars drives an SS ute daily. He's currently got a first gen Mercedes SL roadster in his workshop, to give you an idea of the quality of car he works on.
Holden and Ford utes are commonplace. Probably not as common as Hiluxes anymore though.
450X_FTW
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 08:45 |
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My buddy that lives in Australia knows how much I love the Maloo so he's always taking pictures of them, almost daily, and posting them to my facebook page just to make me jealous since we can't get them here in the US for less than $80k
twochevrons
> MegaSuper
04/14/2015 at 09:15 |
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In New Zealand, 'regular' Ford and Holden utes are everywhere. Being 2wd and without much ground clearance, they're not much good as farm trucks, but they're very popular amongst tradespeople and the like – you can bet pretty good money that a builder or plumber is going to show up either in a ute, or a cab-over van like the Toyota Hiace.
Performance (and performance-modified) utes have a bit of an association with suburban and rural working-class types – " bogans " – in the same way that modified trucks do in the US. You usually see them with bed covers on, so who knows whether they actually get used for hauling. I've always viewed them similarly to how I view 'luxury trucks' here in the US – in my eyes, you could get the same features in a much better vehicle by buying a car, but to each their own.