Honestly I would buy a Toyota lite ace, 4w drive, diesel, truck. The cab are large and comfortable for foreigners, They are holdup well with few problems, and if you do have a problem, you can get them repaired any place.
Sorry for leaving this thread hanging. No truck yet, but I have allocated 1.8M iissshh. And still researching whats the best truck as most of them fits my budget. Not really after for the top if the line. Il wait for some comments here..
I knew somebody is going to bet for Hilux haha you are right. But that Ranger 3.2 is priced well than a barenaked top-of-the-line Hilux.
I bought a mid 2000 Ford Escape and had some issues which needed parts which were not available here although the car was assembled in Philippines but Ford has closed their plant from what I've heard. Finally got parts from US and fixed, great car. Earlier this year bought a Bongo that was a new rebuild in Cebu. Four wheel drive, which I need, diesel, seats 3 uncomfortably. Pretty good truck, have had a number of electrical issues which local (Siquijor) repair people have resolved without much expense and fairly quickly. Over all pleased with Bongo.
I'd go for the brand-new pickup. Locally built, service very easy, warrantied, cheap to run, easy to drive/park... Having said that, I've just bought a re-built Mitz Pajero for 300,000p, circa 1998 (according to the seatbelts), bought from a local who lives in EJ Blanco Extension and runs a workshop around the corner, he's given me a 3month warranty, runs very well, but I really want a Hyundai Tucson for around 600,000... Incidentally, how much will you pay for the brand-new pickup? (Thanks, this is my first post...)
Jeepney obviously! Be sure to get the optional side windows, they will be handy in rainy season. Turn signals and brake lights as well if you want to spiff it up a bit.
I don't know, but I assume he's talking about one of the small locally-made ones that I see lined up outside a showroom just down the road from me outside Amlan village. Dozens of them, all white.
Maybe multicabs....those are junked vehicles from Japan that get pulled from the junk yard and reassembled here. The are easy to fix here....but they can't carry much of a load and I wouldn't really call them a "truck".
