Darn "gas guzzling" Prados

somewhere betweem 168 and 176 , yep

not bad considering the 100 series carries 135 lol

I don't have logs, but I do whingeing the first time I paid $20 for a full tank in my first car, a 2.8L VB Commodore, somewhere around 1982 I guess. I was clearing about $170/week back then.

Proportionately, fuel cost as a percentage of my weekly income is less. But hey we didn't have mobile phone bills, internet, cable TV, kids school fees, mortgage, etc, etc, etc to pay as well.

We're getting squeezed all sorts of ways ... not just fuel.

Must be driver I would say, as the V6 prado's on trips with me have been getting better than that sand driving loaded, like in the Simpson last year, where the V6's u7sed 10 lt more than the diesels for the same trip, east west in the Simpson.

On one trip on LCOOL last year a V6 grande even returned 13lt per 100km after doing border track etc sand driving for 4 days.

And of course down here petrol is still 10c a lt cheaper than diesel at the bowser ;-)

"the v6's used 10 lt more than the diesels for the same trip" must be the driver i'd say.
From www.dieselforum.org/didyouknow/cleandiesel.html

"Light-duty, diesels such as automobiles, use 20-40% less diesel than similarly sized gasoline engines, depending on the type of vehicle and driving conditions."

"Diesel's superior fuel efficiency is not only a result of compression ignition, but also as a result of diesel fuel's higher energy content. A gallon of diesel contains roughly 11% more energy than a gallon of gasoline."

Well, believe what you like, Im stating facts, and your quoting a diesel forum.........Some of the V6 owners on the trips mentioned are members here.

But heres a economy run we did afew years ago, which sort of disagree's with the above statement of yours.

http://www.gpsoz.com.au/80Econrun.htm

http://www.lcool.org/trips/double_simpson_2004/fuel.html

Average fuel economy figures from this web site.
4cyl ulp=17.01 l/100km
4cyl diesel=13.68 l/100km
6cyl ulp=17.61 l/100km
6cyl diesel=16.29 l/100km
The 6cyl result is quite close due to old tech mech injection v electronic controlled fuel injection for the petrols. The unstoppable old mechanical still wins out though.

Some further info from www.isuzu.co.jp
diesel= ratio of heat convrted into into motive power:35-42%
petrol= ratio of heat converted into motive power:25-30%
The energy content of a gallon of gasoline = 114000 btu
The energy content of a gallon of diesel = 128000 btu

Very good wart hog, but your cutting and pasting technique still doesnt explain why the vehicles get such close economy in the real world????

That is because in the real world they don't. Have a look at the 4wd monthly tow test between the gruntmeister f250 and diesel troopy and compare them to the earlier issue towing the same trailer with a 4.8 patrol. Don't know what world you're living in but I hope you're happy there.

So your saying my actaul data collected is incorrect, on all counts, and your magazine articles and net forum cut and pasting is actually correct?

Must say though, with double the servicing, extra purchase price, injector and pump maintenance, and diesel being so much dearer, i havent been able to make a diesel add up cheaper to run than a petrol in the toyota range as yet, over the warranty period, but maybe you could cut and paste some other link which makes this possible where you live?

In the Toyata range try the 100series diesel std. As far as your "actual data" collected over your undoubtably small sample group, perhaps a v6 prado with its electronicly controlled injection can come close to an older tech diesel if you tape an egg shell to the throttle pedal whilst the diesel owners drive without attention to economy. It's just there is a large body of evidence that disagrees with your assertion re petrol v diesel economy as do the laws of physics. Energy cannot be made or unmade it can only change its form. Diesel engines are more efficient in changing the greater energy content of diesel fuel into motive power. It would appear the market has grasped this hence the higher resale price of diesel v petrol vehicles. If as you say diesel vehicles do not make economic sense the resale values would plummet.

I do agree you pay a bloody huge premium for the 100 gxl turbo over the v8 and I couldn't swallow that if I was in the market for a lease vehicle. Can't make a turbo diesel sound like a v8 either.

Except of course the 7.3 ltr powerstroke that should slot in nicely when my td42t wears out. In 600000k's time or so.

G'day Willem

$1.35 per litre Kununurra 2weeks ago when I filled up. Probably jump to $1.45 - $1.50 for the tourist season.

Cheers
Wal.