The Real Deal

The Isuzu KB Rider just got better 

- Stephen Smith

People frequently ask me what car I'd buy if I could only have one car and if budget wasn't an issue. It's a question that's almost impossible to answer, and my reply changes depending on the time of day, the day of the month, incoming weather systems and my plans for the upcoming weekend. So I usually cast aside the impractical temptations of Porsche or Lotus, of cars like Subaru Imprezas and Mazda MX-5s, Land Rover Defenders and Toyota Land Cruiser 70s, and head where so many of our fellow countrymen head — to the place of the double cab. For me, as with so many of you, a double cab ticks almost all the boxes. (In fact, the second-most common question I'm asked is which double cab I'd buy.)

And this is why. Family trips are unpredictable, and the packing list can be fraught with tensions. What to leave, what to pack, on what to compromise. And while an SUV is more comfortable than a double cab and has loads of packing space, the bin of a bakkie is unencumbered by that third dimension. You can pack to the roofline and beyond with dirty stuff that you don't want in the car with you, if it comes to that.