Land Cruiser 100 V8 4.7 fuel economy

Thats what I got not what I expected.

From what I heard they refuse to drive past a service station with a van on. :)
Dave.

Hi Axle,

Thanks that's interesting since Toyota dealers have always pushed these as 'tow vehicles'! What makes you think they have poor oil flow in the bottom end? I am only looking at petrol 100's because they are SO much cheaper than diesel to buy.

Not cheap if they don't last, A race engine builder explained to me where they need improvement, Wont go into detail to many, "nothing can go wrong with Toyos

around here!


Cheers Axle.

I thought 30 to 45L/100km was bad, but 30 to 45L/km!!, now that's something!

Oops! 30L/100km

The ONLY reason was the initial cost of buying one. I have seen a 2006 with 150k’s for $30k! A similar diesel would be what $50k that a hell of a lot of $ for buying petrol.

Yes, on 1st glance, the cheapness of the petrol V8-powered rigs when secondhand, does make them initially look attractive.

However, there's a good reason they are cheap, when secondhand - and there are more things to consider, than just the fuel consumption.

V8 petrol-powered rigs are much harder to quit when you want to move it on - and if you buy one relatively cheaply secondhand, you will virtually have to give it away when you want to trade up again.
In other words, they have very poor resale value, and they are difficult to sell or trade - at any time.

The only time you might come out in front is when an oil surplus develops and petrol drops substantially in price at the bowser (as it did in early 2016).
However, these price drops are relatively rare, and it didn't take long in 2016, for oil prices to recover.

The only other time you might consider a petrol is when there's a major difference in price at the bowser between petrol and diesel, due to a period of high diesel demand - or some local price rorting by oil companies.

Unfortunately, if you decide that petrol has a major price advantage in your local area - you'll rapidly find that diesel and petrol prices very nearly equalise in price, once you start to travel to rural and remote areas.
That's when the initially-apparent advantage of V8 petrol engines, starts to disappear.

Finally, because of the huge thirst of the V8 petrol engines, your fuel tank range starts to become a problem in rural and remote areas.

You have to start carrying extra fuel (more cost burden) - or you have to pay top dollar for fuel top-ups, because you have no choice but to stop at every servo, regardless of the price they are charging.

Well I think I am persuaded NOT to buy a petrol LAndcruiser! The question now is WHAT to buy!? And do I need a V8? Probably not. The Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 diesel has plenty of power, around the same price for a 2013-15 Overland.

It is a problem to know what to buy, in todays lineup of used 4WD's.
But technology has improved in many areas, whilst going backward in others.

No, a V8 is not necessary any more, even for towing - all of the 3.0L diesels today are very capable at towing. I have my doubts about the long-term towing durability of the 2.0L to 2.4L diesel engines.
These engines are usually turbocharged to high levels - dual turbos are common - and dual turbos are additional complexity and cost that you don't need.

The Jeep Cherokee V6 diesel appears to be quite a satisfactory engine - but the Jeeps are hit-and-miss with their build quality and reliability.
You get a good one, they are quite O.K. - you get a bad one, you have the Car from Hell, that will break you.

Fiat-Chrysler are a company notorious for poor customer support, and I suspect they are wracked internally with poor company morale, due to the constant European/American management changes and the fact that Americans and Europeans outlook on many things is totally different.

Engine design technology improved substantially between the late 1990's and around 2015 - but the recent addition of complex DPF's to diesels is a major backward step, so it pays to avoid anything with a DPF.

If you want a wagon, the choices are limited. To my way of thinking (simplicity and robustness), the 105 series Landcruisers are the pick of the bunch for trouble-free motoring and a good body size.
However, it's getting harder and harder to find a 105 in good shape, and for a reasonable price.

Prados are notoriously over-priced for what they are. The Isuzu MU-X appears to me to be a good 4WD wagon, but good used examples are scarce.

A mate just bought one that had been stolen, and claimed he got a fantastic deal on it. It needed some interior repair because the druggies had ripped the interior around, as they always do, because they're convinced there are demons hiding in the car, out to get them.
It didn't cost a great deal to repair, and he reckoned he's ended up with a top 4WD, for a lot less than the market value.

The 4WD market is overburdened with dual-cab utes, as the manufacturers think that's the only thing that's selling - so they need to build more and more.
Personally, I detest dual-cab utes, I think they are dangerous, with many inherent design problems - but it doesn't stop people (and companies) buying them by the truckload.

The Fortuner is a bit of a "new kid on the block", and there's not really enough around to choose from.
There are a few Ford Everests coming onto the market now, they have fairly good reliability and are generally reasonably priced - but the problem is, they are a Ford, and Ford are notorious for making things cheaper and cheaper as they go along.

I've owned 2 Fords - but I'll never own one again, because I got sick of the "el-cheapo" design of many components (plastic gears in window regulator mechanisms that stripped in 18mths from new - and which couldn't be replaced, you had to buy the entire motor/gearbox mechanism).

Ford cooling system components that don't last, and which, when they let go, destroy the motor, because it runs out of coolant.
I also got sick of Fords exceptionally expensive parts prices.

The Mitsubishi's aren't too bad, but they are cheaply built, to meet the bottom end of the market, and they're generally short on power and size.

At the end of the day, it's the deal you find, that generally sways you into what you buy.
You just have to settle on a range of vehicles that will fit your needs, and then go hard, looking constantly for the "deal" that makes it a winner.

Often, deceased estate private sales, where relatives are selling a recently-passed elderly relatives vehicle, can provide a winner.
I often have major wins at auctions - provided you know about, and can assess vehicles for condition, and the previous owners care level.

However, my last Toyota was a great score from a local Toyota dealer - where the dealer had traded in a fleet, and their yard was overloaded with 6 or 8 of these all-identical Toyotas - and it was the end of a very quiet month, and they were desperate to quit some vehicles, to try and hit their monthly target.

One has to remember that dealers monthly sales targets are a big thing to them, and buying a vehicle at the end of a very slow calendar month for a dealer, is a good move. Good luck.

Thanks Ron. My story is simple. I have a 2006 Range Rover TDV6. I have a 2,8t van. It tows OK, but would prefer more power for hills. I live in Tasmania! The trouble is I believe there isn't a better 4x4 than the Range Rover! Especially the L322. if have owned 2 of them in the last 10 years. Unfortunately I sold a TDV8 a few years ago and wished I hadn't. The trouble with buying an old TDV8 (2008-2011) a good one will be over $50K, any cheaper and it will have many Ks and will need front air shocks etc. Plus then I have to deal with the low tow ball weight on the RR. For some reason they only allow 250kg. (hence my looking for a vehicle with more power and more tow ball capacity) They can tow 3500.

Having owned a 105 series for around 10 years, yes it was a great reliable vehicle....but no way in the world would I want to tow 2.5 - 3 T with it. The thing was slow enough with 1.5 T on the back, and mine was with an aftermarket turbo and intercooler fitted (and they come with thier own issues for motor longevity), would hate to have been towing double that...you'd be going walking pace up any decent hill.

Johnnytasman - O.K., I guessed from your forum name, that Tassie was your location.

If you're wanting to tow a 2.8T 'van around the hills of Tassie, then I'd suggest the only tow-tug you should be looking at, is a diesel V8 200 series Landcruiser.

These beasts are a powerhouse, and they have a huge amount of GCM available, at 6850kgs - which is what you need when you are hauling a heavy load in hilly terrain.

All the others will be at their limit for your terrain, and size of 'van - and the last thing you want, is a vehicle working at its tow limit in hilly terrain.

Don't be put off by high kms on these beasts - as long as it's been good kms, on good roads, and not "hard kms". The 200 series are built like a truck, and last accordingly.

I know a family friend with an early one, it's done 800,000kms and it's still churning along happily on the original donk - although the suspension has been rebuilt three times, and the transmission, once.
To its advantage, it has never done any serious amount of towing, and the bulk of its work has been high-speed, long-distance, bitumen work.

Cheers, Ron.

And thats the diesel V8 let alone the petrol V8.