Nissan Navara ST – Sean Willmott

Lots of good points despite spec difference meaning we weren’t really comparing apples with apples.

The transmission proved something of a novelty at first but on the Coromandel twisties, great fun. Why would you have a manual? So you can use the gears in brake mode which means your discs don’t smell like they’re melting.

Black interior a little foreboding, and integrated info touchscreen clear and functional but not ‘ woo woo’ cool. Engine felt a little asthmatic compared to the other two, especially when cruising. Seemed to hold its own off road and in not open road environs however.

Connectivity by far and away the best of the bunch. Once again, excellent sound system and road noise well damped. Interestingly, lowest specification level compared to the other two but the interior was plusher, with softer materials making for a much more comfortable interior.

Steering was – OMG when is this Playstationsized steering wheel going to have an effect? Oh, there it is. More turns lock to lock than I prefer, though this didn’t seem to be an issue off road. The Navara was quite at home on “I think there’s something solid down there” surfaces.

This was the only ute where I was aware of the back end. Not in a bad way, just aware that it was attached and that you definitely notice the fact that it is coil rather than leaf sprung.

Certainly a good pick for an honest workhorse ute, rather than a show pony.