100 series cruisers

trips? up and down the coast on the blacktop? Thru the centre where it can be 400ks+ between fill ups? If the first, go for petrol and get lpg put on. Relatively simple and cheap $2300 on a Cruiser (recently had it done and it's paid nearly half back within 5 months) if the second go for diesel.

Unfortunately Toyota charge a HUGE premium for their Turbo Diesel motor over their V8. Coupled with 5000Klm service intervals it takes many years of driving to recoup the extra $ spent buying the diesel version.

For the type of driving you have mentioned I would go with the V8.

Landmark in Bourke have gone to V8 cruisers, after having TD's, and cheaper to run, faster top speed, and no front A arms cracking.

The cover 6-800km a day, buying, selling, and taking customers to look at stock.

A customer also has stations outback, and his last 3 week trip around them saw him average 130kph between el questro, and Bourke, on one of his normal 3-4 week trips across properties.

Might be interested to know they also tried nissan patrols, and they were all back to thier own cars within 8 weeks, due to failures, waiting for parts, chassis and body cracks, and a deal with Ford on exploders saw them after 3 suspension chnages per car in 3 months, be pensioned off, and go back to 100 cruisers also.

Also have some interesting details reagrding tyres from these people as well, but thats for another thread ;-)

For me, the decision is not one of economics, but performance. I want that area of performance that only the T/D delivers, crawling up and down rocky hills etc, so I bought diesel. If all he's doing is driving around roads with a little bit of off road, the V8 would be fine, and a lot cheaper. The LPG option is also good - put the tyre on the back, and you end up with a big gas tank and your original 90 litre petrol tank. I agree with the outback point made above - LPG isn't very available in remote areas. Petrol consumption increases much more quickly in the rough stuff than diesel too. Either would be OK by the sound of it - at least he's got the brand right..... :-)

I went through exactly the same questions July last year as to whether to ge tthe diesel or the petrol V8.

I ended up with the V8 for the following reasons,
- car was significantly cheaper than the diesel
- diesel is 10c a litre more expensive approx in Melbourne
- most driving was goign to be on normal roads from home to work
- cost of service intervals on the diesel compared to petrol
- actualy did a spreadsheet of estimated kilometres and worked out it would take almost ten years to get the cost of the extra money for the diesel back
- i enjoy the extra pickup that the petrol has
- has 145 litres of fuel and gets about 700kms in mainly city driving
- i get further on highway by about extra 100+ kms
- car is great, works very well on road and handles the offraod stuff pretty well too
- been high country Vic a few times
- been to Robe

All went great.

Mark

This is the official word from Toyota regarding the "old" Prado - I can't find the email regarding the 100 Series,but it was similar.

Dear Mr XXXX,
Thank you for contacting Toyota and allowing us to respond.

The service intervals for current and previous Prado models as follows, Diesel, replace engine oil every 3 months or 5,000kms, oil filter every 10,000kms which ever comes first under normal operating conditions.
Petrol, replace engine oil & filter every 6 months or 10,000kms which ever comes first under normal operating conditions.

Fuel consumption for current Prado as follows, Petrol 3RZ 2.7ltr A/T 13.1 3RZ 2.7ltr M/T 12.5 1RG 4.0ltr A/T 13.8ltr 1RH 4.0ltr M/T 13.8ltr Turbo Diesel 1KZ 3.0ltr M/T 11.4ltr 1KZ 3.0ltr A/T 12.6ltr all per 100kms tested to Euro type ADR 81/01 test standard.

Previous model consumption tests not available as there was no requirement for vehicles over 2.7 tonne GVM.
Overlander magazine performed consumption tests which are available at www.overlander magazine.com.au Hope this is of assistance.

Regards,

Ian Chenney
Customer Relations Adviser
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited

You may be correct on the resale value, but as the car starts off $10k cheaper it ought to get more at resale.

Secondly i was also able to secure a price that was quite good at purchase time as well which i couldnt get on the diesel, yes you may say thats for various reasons.

Lastly i dont have the dollars or energy to build up more than one vehicle to the type of capabel tourer i am goign to turn this into over the coming years, and tus plan to keep the vehicle for a good ten years probably.

By the time i get aroudn to selling it i intend to have taken it an awful long way through an awful lot of stuff and if it has much value left by then good luck to me.

Next day car will be back to a sedan but i will keep the cruiser for weekend and offraod work once it comes out of lease in a few years.