Friday, Jan 18, 2013 at 19:27
Nice post, and like you I have a lot of concerns about getting a brand new 200series but in the end, it was the vehicle I wanted, so I bought a new one.
The way I see it:
- Every new model of any vehicle has teething problems. Look at the Nissans, Amarok, BT50, Prados, even Pajeros - just read the owner forums and they all come up with a list like yours. Toyota has a reliable history of sorting these out as the model ages - oil consumption, injector problems, leaking
water pumps, power steering etc etc gradually become more reliable and people stop whinging about them.
- If I bought 2nd hand I'd have no warranty, pay top dollar because of high resale plus stampduty, have to repair/replace bits and have an uncertain history.
- If I bought brand new, I buy a vehicle that has been sorted over the previous 6 years, all the model upgrades such as reversing camera, satnav, leather, fridge, get 3 years factory warranty, Toyota fixed price servicing at $210 a pop, certain history, and I could easily get a discount of $10k off the RRP. So that bit was a no-brainer.
How long will I keep it?
Well, just went through that with my wife's Tiguan - ran out of warranty one year ago - might cost a heap to fix if something went wrong....but so far nothing goes wrong - its all a gamble. But that vehicle is so nice to drive that we can't bear to part with it and it has cost nothing apart from normal servicing every 12 months.
And I've owned a lot of the "bulletproof" Landcruisers in the past that have cost me money:
My 1986 HJ61 developed a head gasket leak at 150,000k - bucketload to fix that. It also needed new clutch and gearbox at 180,000k; new
suspension because it sagged, alternator at 150,000k, etc etc
My HJ47 had a leaking radiator, noisy gearbox at 110,000k; warped the manifold, saggy springs,
My bulletproof HDJ79 busted a front diff doing normal 4wding like the 100series and Prado of the same era. Haven't heard of a 200series doing that yet.
The 200series TTD is a lot easier and cheaper to service than any of my previous Landcruisers.
there is no perfect vehicle - just buy the one that looks the best and goes the fastest!!!!
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Follow Up By: Member - Wamuranman - Friday, Jan 18, 2013 at 19:43
Friday, Jan 18, 2013 at 19:43
Thanks Phil for your worthy and balanced comments.
I still love Toyotas and have not ruled out buying another one one day. But for now after 31 years of Toyotas we choose to make a change. You are correct in saying buy the one that is best for you.
There is not 1 single thing that has prompted this decision...its a multiplicity of a lot of things, many of them small. But combined they have helped us make the decision to try an alternative.
Only time will tell if our decision is the right one.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, Jan 18, 2013 at 23:01
Friday, Jan 18, 2013 at 23:01
A change is as good as a holiday. We often need a new project. Yours will be a lot of fun!
My wife still wonders why I sold a perfectly setup 79series.....And she still wonders why I sold a perfectly set up Prado 8 years before...hehe
But I tell her I am purchasing a lifestyle....not a car!
Have fun with the Patrol and then the big beast!
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, Jan 19, 2013 at 20:07
Saturday, Jan 19, 2013 at 20:07
A good set up 200 series makes a fantastic remote tourer and will be much more comfortable than you old 79 series.
We can cover more ground more quickly and safely due to better
suspension set up than others like the 70 series.
If you want to get some ideas you welcome to look at ours.
The only thing is I would recommend a Lovell 3800kg GVM upgrade, we did a lot of calculating with weights and where to put stuff.
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