76 Series low roof - first drive

Doug

I made the comment as a value for money point of view. Run out 100 series going for mid 50K with a high standard fit out. This new 76 series is very basic and I guess will retail about the $50K mark with a low level fit out.

I love the V8 petrol as a towing vehicle and guess the new diesel may eclipse it, but at what cost in a daily driver.

My "perception" of the new 76 is that it is small and narrow without the heavy duty build that the 75/78/79/100 series all brought and it will presumably to take over the role that the standard 100 series performed, I think punters are going to be dissapointed.

Why not a vinyl, live front end v8 turbo diesel 4 door large wagon (ie 200 series) or true 4 door troopy ??? This thing does not come close and is nothing more than a LWB Bundera with a big motor - it just has not advanced enough for the $$'s being asked.

The Cruiser you test drove, from pictures I have seen, is nothing more than the Prado that you see as imports but with a bigger motor. I guess it is not a new vehicle at all but a rebadged other model from overseas. It is just it was never brought here by Toyota.

Utemad

I think it started life as the Landcruiser II LWB in other markets and was never released here.

I am just sorry Australia is being forced to take this vehicle as a fill in four door wagon with a big diesel - guess people will vote with their wallets.

With Toyota throwing so much at Camry/Aurion/Hilux/200 series, the whole 70 series release for this year is pretty average and when a turbo diesel ute is going to retail for $60K on road with air we are being dudded, when in other markets they offer heaps better appointed vehicles. Research, development and innovation of this latest 70 series is next to nil yet you are still asked to pay for it off the showroom floor.

The 76 series is a full size landcruiser and only shares the body from the windscreen back with the old 78 series Prado's.
To be more accurate those models borrowed it off the heavy duty LCs
Underneath they are the same as the other heavy duty 7*
The earlier 76/77 series models were leaf sprung all round.
Where as the Landcruiser 11,Prados and Bundy's were all 4 wheel coil with different axles diffs gearboxes and engines..

This model has been offered to Australia because sales of the troopy to private buyers has been outstripping the commercial buyers and Toyota thought a 4 dr wagon would do even better.
They also needed something to replace the 105 series

As to the dash ,it was not designed to win styling awards and make you feel all gushy inside.
Its like that so you can get deep inside it to fix something quickly,something you can never do in a 100 or even an 80 series.
Its also strong unlike the other 4wd toyota dashes. Ive seen what happens to Prado dashboards after 150000 klms offroad,the plastic clips break and the whole thing gets a 10mm wobble in the middle.

Appointments ,for some the only important ones are strength and durability.
Not everyone want to take an overweight mobile lounge room with IFS into a remote area.

At the risk of starting WWIII (he ducks)
IMHO Toyota has almost always in the last 20 years asked extra $$ for the name.

Why, because they can.

I choose not to where possible, yet my life is still fulfilling and satisfying.
(I don't watch the ads either)

All those moaning about this and other instances of the Toyota money grab have only yourself to blame. You have taught Toyota that they can get away with it.

only my couple of yen's worth.

At the risk of also starting WWII (hehe!) the only ones that moan about the Tojo price tag are the ones who skimp on cost and end up with a Nissan! If you want a Tojo, you pay for it! I did and I'm happy I did! :-D

Cheers
Scoey!

Diff's are much bigger so hopefully they will hack the new diesel.

One thing that I didn't like is the alternator mounted as low as they could possibly get it.

I guess I have to move with the times. Tis sad as I thought I did not have much room in the engine bay of my troopy with the 6.5l, but hell there is not much room in there to work on the engine. Guess I am used to working on an engine by sitting on top of it. At least when things go wrong you feel like you are still King Kong.

Do it easy
The Ape

So ... we could say you're not really wrapt in it F4phantom :)))))

I agree totally

ok now I am going to rant on a bit....

its rare that a car in a certain market segment does not have its own little area that its best at. Value, price, build quality, features, technology or whatever, the sales guy will tell you as you walk in the door what this car does best. but occasionally we get a model that is none of these, because every other car in that price either has as much or more power, features and all the rest. I think this car fits that, for it to become an attractive car I think it needs a price drop so that it can sell on price. It cant sell on value, power, comfort. Perhaps some will justify toyotas long lasting and unquesitonable reliability something that all the other brands also have. I really think toyota are pushing their reliability stakes above all else in an effort to sell us old crap recycled, its as if we are all land hardened aussies, dont like change, have LC's etched into our blood - and like the add our brides got delivered to our wedding on a fj40 tray and so we will pay anything to keep buying the same old. I know the engine is a big draw card but other than that, its insulting to think we would pay so much for so little because its a toyota.

Dont get sucked in, and just a reminder, the euro diesel corolla has more torque than this thing, they can get stuffed cause this engine was outdated 4 to 5 years ago by 3.0L diesels. Its a marketing excercise and thats it.

That also said - $50-60K for a series of vehicles that comes without GPS/satnav (cheap as these days and a lot on this forum seek to have this in a tourer), no climate or digital control airconditioning, crap stereos and speakers, limited adjustable seating - have to pay heaps extra for lockable diffs, no bluetooth connection etc etc - you can buy a HSV and nearly a Disco with all the trimmings (traction control etc) for this kind of money - dunk a computer in a Discovery has same outcome of dunking one in a Toyota, so reliability tilt is questionable these days.

Yeah but I think you guys need to understand who are the biggest buyers of the 70 series cruisers......mining companies, hire companies, farmers and govt departments. None of these guys need any of the accessories that you say are missing.

I will still agree with you in saying that they are a lot of money for bugger all when compared with other brands but hey if people will pay that....why not. No different to half the companies making 4x4 accessories and charging big $$ just for the name.

Hughsey

I agree to a point - I work for a government based mineral exploration/mapping department that does extensive fieldwork - every accessory I mentioned would make our jobs more functional - same with the big mining companies for above ground vehicles.

If farmers etc don't need these accessories then Toyota should not masquerade these trucks as being anything else and price accordingly. After 30 years and hundreds of Toyotas on fleet we have recently left the brand due to stock supply issues, range of accessories allowed to be fitted and lack of basic safety items like SRS airbags our WH&S are demanding. Our Govt has just also introduced a no V8 policy as well - bye bye Toyota

Sure Allan

But the point is our market is accepting featureless, technology less, utilitarian vehicles at groosly inflated wagon prices

The whole thing is a big compromise - I would love a ute for my beach use, but refuse to pay the ballooned prices for one when I can be in a well appointed wagon for the same price

I think toyota could get these out the door at 25 - 30k ea and still turn a dollar.

What I should also add is that the Sahara is far better equipped thn the GXV and in fact, the GXV was little different than the GXL at the time, in terms of equipment or general fitout, for $30K extra. Only difference was V8 and IFS...which most don't like anyway and I broke after only 3 months..
I really was a sucker and Toyota are still laughing at idiots like me...
Don

Don, I think you are spot on. Unfortunately for people seeking value for money and a Toyota, this company is very very good at marketing and extracting maximum $$ out of our wallets for desirable models. I would not mind betting that they do something cute with the 200 like they did when you bought the GXV (by putting the V8 in the GXV only). The 200 may only come with the V8 diesel in the Sahara spec only initially or something like that. They also did not make a TD available when the 100 first came out either, they did not need to, plenty still bought it.

I just bought, apparently the last, 100 TD Sahara (for a sizeable chunk off RRP) and plan on having it four years by which time the initial rush will be over, early problems sorted and a Series 2 200 with some extra fruit available at a sensible negotiated price.

I remember drooling over the GXV in '98 but ended buying a fully loaded Jack Monterey (which by that stage had been on the market about 8 years and just had a major facelift) for $48K. Last time (2002) I went the second series of the 3.0Di Patrol, got a good deal and avoided the (unknown at that time) early model engine issues.

Based on my recent experience I wholeheartedly agree with you and would not buy the first series of any new model and certainly not of a Toyota.

OT

Having said all that, I will probably end up with a 200 anyway....
If you have noticed my other posts, I am currently in UK with wifes family until early '08 after which I am back into it. Currently my heart says Disco 3 but my head says Toyota...and there won't be any spare 100's by the time I get back and anyway, I just cannot get myself into buying a superseded vehicle, however sensible or otherwise, that may be...probably why I got ripped off with the GXV...
I have even been thinking lately of a Merc ML320 CDI because of the good service I get from a dealer in UK after having bought a second hand E Class...3 years old..but I know that the ML won't really cut it in the Oz outback..the Disco will and so too the Toureg with optional air suspension...but, in the event of a failure..??? Almost every bugger has a Toyo or a Nissan..so what to do??

IMHO the Disco 3 is by so far the best 4By on the market it's not funny, and good value too, particularly 2nd hand. The mags have proven them to fail in hard touring conditions and the backup is thin on the ground. It was a close 2nd for me and my decision came down to factors other than the vehicle itself. Depending on what you want it for the Merc GL is here now too with the 3L V6 oiler, it looks good too but a brand new model so it needs to be sorted.

OT