[Closed] Hilux. Anyone got one.?

My brother in law has a new shape one. its the 3 litre auto diesel and he loves it. He gets about 33mpg. I too have thought about one!!

They're great, I wish I could afford one (no work at the mo and no real prospects currently 🙁 ). Buy if you can but given a choice go for 3.0 turbo diesel over 2.4, the latter has a history of blown gaskets if taken on a very long drive. It's also worth knowing Hilux Owners Club is great.

I've used them a lot over here in aus. Particularly off road. Old models like a 2004 are great. New models are cr@p. Poor ground clearance, engine problems in wet and muddy conditions. Buy the 2004 model, I would.

The 3 ltr is also known for blowing head gaskets, but still a solid car. Amazed anyone can get 33 mpg from one, my brother has had 2 (a 2.4 and a 3ltr (pre 2000)) and neither got more than 24mpg.

I've owned mine for 13 years now - wouldn't be without it. In all this time, the only time it has failed to start is when the aftermarket alarm immobolised it.

I get about 24 mpg.

We used to have a Surf and it was bomb-proof. 3 litre is definately better than the 2.4. We tried a new one and wasn't that impressed + they are MASSIVE and you feel a bit anti-social driving it

Is it going to be used off road?

The latest version does not ride as well as the TG version off road, the turbo is harder to feed the power in when things get muddy, but newer version is far better on road though.

Weight carrying, the older version can carry a heavier weight load too and feels far more robust.

They have 2 of each on the farm I help out on and its the old versions that get used first for any sort of off road work.

the wife's works have had 2 Hiluxes. they hold the honour of being the only vehicles to have been retired (approaching 300,000miles on the clock) and sold on from the company... rather than sent to the scrappy after a couple of years like the other vans.

they do alot of work on construction sites, very often before work has started. for example they where up on Scout Moor doing pressure tests ahead of building the windfarm. They've been hit by contruction trucks, turned on their side when on the moor, fallen down foundation trenches... and they've gone on and on!

I drove quite a few of them with work for 4 months, as well as a number of Land Rover defenders.

I don't know what engine sizes they were but both old and new versions I drove made LOTS of noise going nowhere - a bit gutless. And compared off road with the defenders they seemed hopeless! They just lacked the grunt, but probably had the smaller engines. But solid enough workhorse, and more comfy to drive than the land rovers.

We use to have Hilux's at work great vehicles now we have to have Mitsubishi L200 and they are no where near as good. Every one says the Hilux pissed all over the L200.

I've had 2 in Oz - years ago. Tough as old boots. Only thing wrong was rust caused by launching boats into sea.

Would buy another if I needed a ute.

Kit - depends which models and years you mean, some of the early hiluxes with the flatbed backs has something like a 1.8 petrol engine in them, and the later 2.4D was also fairly gutless, but you rarely need guts in a situation you'd put one of these in - i.e. you'd have low range and trundle. They're not designed for beasting about on road.

They've been hit by contruction trucks, turned on their side when on the moor, fallen down foundation trenches... and they've gone on and on!

Christ, what sort of morons are employed at that company? (your wife not included, of course...) 😆

Christ, what sort of morons are employed at that company? (your wife not included, of course...)

no offense taken - the missus is based in the soils lab, and doesn't go on site.

2 of the guys that do (and have the most crashes attibuted to them) are f***ing morons. and the only reason they are working there, is they are brothers who related to one of the directors (they are the younger brothers of the director's wife). one of them wrote off one of the vans before he worked for the company, after nicking the keys from the other one to go for more beer... and being drunk himself...crashed... driving ban. etc. yet was given a job 'to keep him out of trouble' 🙄

The 2.4 unit in mine feels under-powered on occasions, especially when over-taking which can provide trumpeter's lips moments, but it reaches 60 and 70 easily without the sensation of going that fast. It wil happily sit at 80 on the motorways. It's a four-cylinder non-turbo diesel which is why it's such a reliable unit but means that it's no racing machine.

It's still on its original bulbs as well.

The primary reason for buying it over other pick-ups is that the vinyl interior is much easier to keep clean than the valour interiors of other pick-ups.

The only modifications I've made are installing a boot liner - essential, a new radio as I wanted a CD player and alloy wheels as the original wheels were rusty and the rims were leaking air.

As I say; I wouldn't be without one.

had a 2004 double cab. So presume similar to what your looking at, great motor, the D4-D engine is pretty good got a bit more than 30mpg mostly motor way driving though and not booting it.

the bed in the double cab is a little short for getting more than one bike with out spending a little time placing them though is great for just chucking them in if your not worried about bikes sitting on top of each other.

regret selling it but was moving abroad.

I had a 2.4 non turbo for a couple of years in Oz. Coped with everything mining exploration in the bush could throw at it. Never failed, just went on and on. Snow chains on the tyres in mud, water on the bonnet through rivers, no wonder folk bought these over Landrovers. Toyota Landcruisers were also very popular but I didnt think they were as tough. We have a Hilux at work, its outlasted anything else in the fleet.

Rickmiester- snow chains in mud? why? Snow chains for snow and ice, ok, but mud??