Dicovery 3 TDI

Hi GaryInOz
We have 4 landcruisers GXL diesel ... we love it! Simply perfect but we can't find any landcuiser Diesel ... We will love to have the new model but it will take too long! We need "the truck" NOW!
We are a touring company based in Kangaroo Island so ... no hard work in the bush! We are interessed on th possibility to use the 3th row ....
We don't carry many tools, toys or spare stuff ....
We are running day tours only!

Luca

Go for a GU Nissan then, but AVOID the Discos as they are either unproven new models, or proven to be unreliable old models. Considered a TD Terracan?, TD Pajero?. Both can come with 7-8 seats IIRC...

TD Terracan would be a good "stopgap" measure until the new Toyo's come on line Cheap and will do the work...

I personally love the Terracan and the pajero but they don't have enough space for 6 pax. + driver ...
The same for Patrol .... we rent it sometime but personally I think they are too dangerous to drive on gravel ... the 3 lt. turbo diesel try to send me strait in to the bush at every corners (in 2wd) .. in 4wd is a bit berret ....
I'm personally a TOYO fan .... I drive every day 100 series on gravel/mud/dust .... the strait diesel is not the most powerfull and fast 4wd but it das the job !! How you can spot echidnas at 150 km/H ... ????

ops ... better .. nor berret!

Lease another Toyota???? IIRC you can lease directly from Toyota.

Should be able to be written off as a business expense.....

Buying any new vehicle may not be in your best business financial interests anyway. Would be worth spending a bit of time with your accountant, or perhaps someone on this forum with experience in business leasing or accountancy may be able to give you further advice.

My company use 110% of the vehicles ... 100.000km/year ... At 350.000km the 4wd is retired! NO OPTIONS ....
We send them every day on tour ... they have to start every mornings!
We wash them every day before the pickup, the tour is about 250/350 km. on bitumen/gravel road.
We have international tourist on board .. the pay big $$ ... the pretend a good tour!
I now I sound a bit like a "nazi" but believe or not I'm italian!

Luca

Thanks Baz!

Luca

Big difference between pottering around a local council area towing a relatively light piece of machinery, and letting people drive the vehicle in offroad conditions hundreds of km away from spares.

Discos are simply not designed for Australian 4WD conditions and extremes off the showroom floor. Sure, you can mod them up, beef up the weak spots and so on, but why not simply buy something that WILL take all Australia has to offer, tried, tested, common as sheep s**t, and proven, with no parts supply issues should you ever need them...

Let's start of with the basics, what sized tyres does a Disco take, and can you get them in Innaminka? Weipa? Normanton? Katherine Gorge?

Light you say, try 2.5 ton +, it's a 1 ton HAKO on a car trailer with all the gear they need for street cleaning and 4 blokes in the car, so not that light also the car they are replacing is a 3.0l Patrol, it tows OK, but stopping is hard on the patrol all that weight tends to push the Patrol so it has to go.

Baz.

Hi All,
According to GaryInOz all Disco's need beefing up before using in Aust. Maybe so, Maybe not >>

If the others are so showroom ready.
Why ,therefore are there so many questions about after market stuff, turbos Spring lifts and humungus tryes all to be fitted to ToySan which are supposed to be Australia ready??

In the words of Pauline....Please Explain!

Now sit back & wait for the flak to arrive!!

Disco

Noting of course that the mines take standard Toyotas and Nissans and use them with no mods at all for years....

Noting also that Australia is one of the major markets for LC's in the world (bigger than the US market for them and comparable to the middle east market), and they are pretty much specifically designed for us....

Yes you can beef up a LC or Patrol, but you don't HAVE to, to deal with Australian conditions, they are OK to begin with. Mechanically simple and easy to do "bush fixes" on. Not so for the electronically commandeered Disco's...

New Toyota LC and 70 series with a V8 TD should be plenty powerful enough. The only reason for upping the power on the old NissToys is because our EXPECTATIONS of how powerful a vehicle should be have changed, NOT because of any inherent need for more power.

Fellas - remember he is atlking about Kangaroo Island. Impossible to be more than about 50 km from base, roads are pretty good (if covered with ball bearings) and grades are gentle.

Luca - if its the luxury trade can you put a BMW or Merc 4WD in the fleet for the interim? You'd need to make sure your tyre dealer has a couple of spares in stock.

Just a thought
Max

Thanks Robin!
We need the replacement 4wd in March .....
I tryed to ask for a 2nd hand 4wd until the new TOYO are around but the policy of the company is clear: ONLY NEW CARS!
The boss in Melbourne is paying the car ....

Luca

p.s. I'm driving an 80 series ...... love it!

What ... with 350.000 km on the clock? Good luck!