Buying used: VW Amarok (2011-2022) – Probably the most underrated dual-cab on the market
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VW Amarok? Ew. They’re just a pretend ute aren’t they? No real carrying capacity. Euro vehicles are way overpriced for what you get. And they probably fold like a lawn chair when you take them off-road. That seems to be a lot of folks’ perception when you throw the Amarok name into the ring anyway. But the thing is, none of that is really true. Like, at all.
They can carry north of 800kg. On par with the big names in the category. There’s also not much difference pricing-wise compared to the HiLux and Ranger; and off-road they’re easily as good as any other dual-cab on the market. Probably better than most, in fact.
But hey, the misconceptions about the Amaroks mean that on the second-hand market they can be had for a relative bargain. Which means you can pick one up, throw some suspension and barwork at it, get an engine tune (which’ll give it more than enough to make a 300 Series Land Cruiser hold its pocket when walking around the prison yard), and install a lithium dual-battery system. Then have yourself a take-anywhere-in-the-country tourer for less than a new Ranger. And have more power and solid off-road abilities.
As for reliability? The V6 turbo-diesel platform (easily the best engine out of any of this generation’s dual-cabs) has been used in multiple vehicles. From Audis to Porsches. And are known for their reliability and longevity. Examples are getting around with half a million clicks on the odometer, which says it all really.
If you’re in the market for a new-to-you ute that’s powerful, comfortable and way more capable than most people realise, then take another look, and a test-drive, of a Vee-Dub. They’re much better than you reckon.
The number one with a bullet drama on the 4-bangers is the EGR cooler. Which was constructed from one-ply tinfoil and welded together with a politician’s promise. These things are hot garbage and are practically designed to fail. There are a few methods of getting rid of them and making the cooling system basically immune from leaks, but unfortunately none of them are legal.
Allegedly they involve a pair of blanking plates, a short length of rubber hose and using the cooler as a discus at your next athletics event. But again, illegal. Plus we would never advocate such recklessness.
It’s a similar story with the DPF. They work great until they don’t (they usually give up from anywhere between 80K to 180K). They’re a filter and, again, are designed to fail. A new one is around the $2500 mark from VW. Or you could spend less than that and get a tune and make the DPF disappear. Netting power, economy and reliability in one hit. But that’s only if you’re using your vehicle off-road only, Officer. It’s illegal to do so, even though it makes so much more sense – but again, definitely not suggesting you should do anything like that. Really, we aren’t.
Other than that, servicing is king (goes for V6 models too). VW say they should get fluids and filters every 15,000km. But the experts reckon for Aussie conditions you’re better off sticking with every 10,000km. Timing belts MUST be done every 105,000km and fuel filters every 60,000km.
As with the 4cyl models, the EGR and DPF systems are prone to failure. Hardly an Amarok only problem. All vehicles fitted with them suffer. Although the EGR coolers on the V6s do not have the same shoddy construction as on the fours.
2016 and 2017 models (the first two years of production) are prone to leaks from a coolant tap in the valley. Fixed on later models with an uprated part. If looking at one such vehicle, find out if it has had the upgrade fitted.
These engines run off a timing chain, so won’t need the 105K major services the four-pots cop. But it’s worth repeating that timely servicing is really a non-negotiable.
For vehicles that see regular off-road use, be aware that the bi-Xenon lights do not handle water crossings well. And are prone to damage. Similarly, the taillights can allow water ingress. Which, through black magic and sheer maleficence, can cause all sorts of problems with the entire vehicle harness. Long story short, make sure things are sealed up before water crossings.
Speaking of water crossings, while not really a problem per se, closely inspect any vehicle with any snorkel that’s not a reputable brand – particularly stainless items. Number one: stainless snorkels are loud – as in, a grown man yelling in your ear whenever your window is down loud. Number two: there have been a fair few reports of a couple of inches of water being found in the bottom of the airbox after rain on staino-equipped Amaroks. They may look cool but are probably best avoided.
VW, in all of their wisdom, added a function that when in reverse the gearbox transmits precisely bugger-all power to the wheels. The idea is that it saves wear and tear on the diff, but it also means if you’re backing a trailer up a steep driveway or trying to reverse out of a bog on sand you’re boned. The feature can be tuned out, but it’s worth being aware of.
There really isn’t too much you can’t do with Amaroks on the aftermarket. Pretty much everything is available and is not necessarily more expensive than the Japanese-ute brigade. One quick tip would be to take your `Rok to a specialist, of which there are quite a few around the place. They know what works and what doesn’t, and will be able to offer specific advice as opposed to taking it to a generic off-road workshop who may not be aware of the vee-dub’s quirks – for example, in putting this yarn together one expert informed us that the V6 Amaroks have a 3in exhaust from stock, and that any aftermarket exhaust will only really help the sound, not power. So yeah, take it to someone who knows the brand to avoid costly mistakes.
For us, first cab off the rank would be a tune. 250HP and 600+NM is regularly achieved with no other mods, making it one of the best bang-for-buck mods. From there we’d throw on a Rival front bar, winch and some Bilstein suspension, with some 265/70R17 AT rubber (largest you can legally fit). A lithium battery system behind the back seat to keep the fridge chilly and a long-range tank to get us a little further out into the bush and we’ve got the makings of a vehicle we could happily drive for the next ten years.
The arguments for the Amaroks, particularly the V6 versions, are pretty bloody strong. They don’t have the boat-ramp-champ cred of a HiLux or Ranger, but you can rest easy that neither of those vehicles will come close to having the power, real-world torque or comfort of your ‘Rok.
As mentioned, the key is finding one that has been serviced religiously and isn’t throwing any whacky codes. DPF and EGR codes can be “fixed” pretty easily and are useful bargaining tools, especially if it’s on the market cheap.
Realistically, they’re comfy, powerful and represent excellent value as a used buy. There are plenty of examples out there that have never been off-road, let alone driven in anger. If that sounds like a bit of you, we can only recommend you take a few out for a run and see if they tick the boxes for you.
Keep in mind there are a lot of variations in price between 4cyl, V6 and different model variants, so take these prices as a rough guide.
How can you get the 2011 4cyl engine options so wrong? TDI340 = 2L single turbo with 90kw and 340nm. TDI400 = 2L twin turbo 120kw and 400nm both manual only, and then the TDI420 = 132kw and 420nm auto only.
I thought the automatic version did not have low range. If so this is a least worth a mention, or a comment that for example, the low gear is so low that …. Or traction control is good but … Or what whatever the conclusion might be.
DPF / limp mode problems are a big and expensive issue on some models, even with low kms.
You have said nothing about Low range only available in one transmission and the other transmission has traction control.
Not worth the mention if someone wants auto , not manual.
Come on !