Would you buy a Landcruiser?

it might be a straight 6 rather than a v8. both engines are similar size and power

@thisisnotaspoon No one should be compelled to vist Peterborough. That’s a cruel and inhumane punishment.

I get this is a Good Deal for you.

But do you *need* the adventure trailer / camper thing? Are there alternative caravans which would do the job and could be used behind a more efficient and compact vehicle?

While towing a huge trailer, multiple bikes and kids, off-road, I can see the appeal. But what is the other 95% of your time going to need? Are you around town, using smaller parking places? Other things can be more comfy and better on road etc.

Fuel is only going to get more expensive, are you sure you want that cost and a growing niggle that the planet really doesn’t like a V8 land cruiser of carbon emissions….?

IME, most people own ‘more’ vehicle than they really need.

“Seems to be the vehicle of choice for ex-pats in Gulf states – justified by dreams of off-road trips into the desert; actually used to drive to the mall.”

Same in Australia. Most of these things are never driven off road and live (like most Australians) in large towns and cities close to the coast. Most of the off road trips they take could be driven in a normal car quite easily. You can get into the absolute middle of nowhere in a Kia Rio. The logical solution is to buy a towbar and a trailer for the Focus.

But if I were the OP I’d still be tempted.

Brilliant things in the right environment. We typically used 100 series for work when I dug holes in the Pilbara. They are a bit basic on the road and have the turning radius of a small country.
How well do you know the guy selling this as it sounds like an absolute bargain….

If you do go for it. Buy a compressor and a really good digital gauge. Single most important thing for mucking about on sand tracks is getting it right down low (and back up for when you want to go to Coles!)

High lift jacks look the part but can be bloody deadly as well. It’s a bit like the classic do a skills course comment on here but a basic 4wd drive course is a)good fun and b)good for confidence when you inevitably get bogged.

We had courses through work. I still got bogged….

7p a ltr ? Is it 1970 in Australia still?

So long as you stick to graded roads a Subaru Outback or the like would be fine but on my recent trip my sister still managed to find places that we needed to turn back from not far from the coast in new south Wales, so hardly dipping our toes into what Australia has to offer. A landcruiser would have no problem but the wallow on my nieces is enough to make you seasick on the road.

Go for it!

If you can afford it and its a good package, do it. If it’s more capable than you need, well you’re not going to worry about getting stuck or reliability, do it.

Or, spend more money on something with less ability.

Nieces husband has one & is all set for selling up in Brisbane & taking a year to travel around Oz with wife & kid.

We did that BEFORE kids 😉

A chipped TD5 with gas injection and a 1000km range tank and Hi-tough axles was perfect.

25,000km around the country with no real issues.

Sister and BiL had exactly the set up you’ve been offered OP. They took my 2 nieces out of school for a year and did a figure of 8 round Oz and had a ball. We then visited and the 6 of us did a West Coast road trip which was amazing.

Do it, especially at that price!

My BIL restores land rovers as a hobby. Including everything as old as Mark 2’s. Think he has four in the go at the moment. His workhorse for daily use is a Landcruiser. After 15 years and 250k miles, he’s just replaced it with another. Our own CRV refuses to die at 190k despite my own efforts.

And if you get tired of it…. can sell it to me in a few years when we move back ha.

Put a roof rack on your Focus. No one needs an SUV just to move bikes and people.

Not in the U.K., even with our shitty roads. Aus, though, the Focus would be suitable only for shopping trips – I’ve seen what Aus roads are like on telly, and seen enough warnings about what you need once away from ‘civilisation’.

They are a bit basic on the road and have the turning radius of a small country.

Good thing the OP’s living in a large, mostly empty continent, then…

Anyone seen the price of the new models and these are second hand? Jesus 😳

Good thing the OP’s living in a large, mostly empty continent, then

Terra nullius?

Good thing the OP’s living in a large, mostly empty continent, then…

Australia has one of the most urbanised populations in the world. Unless OP is one of the outliers in LandCruiser ownership, the car is going to be doing most of its driving in towns and cities.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanization_in_Australia

I think the OP is keeping the focus for daily stuff and the Landcruiser/Trailer is for weekend outings/camping etc.

I have only done a short trip to Aus, but it did involve a lot of dirt roads to access crags. Hire cars are awesome and can go anywhere with enough will, but if I actually lived there and regularly drove dirt to get to the fun stuff, then a bit more ground clearance and ability would be better. So a 100 series Landcruiser, yeah. Maybe a LPG conversion too?

The sort of fun stuff my nieces partners get up to:-

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1V_IG0RDMa/?igsh=aGFheml2bXNnMzlh

A landcruiser would have no problem but the wallow on my nieces is enough to make you seasick on the road.

🥺

I wouldn’t buy another Landcruiser. I had an automatic Colorado. Coolant got into the gearbox via the radiator and hosed the gearbox completely.  I went to the Isle of Wight and struggled to get back (no broken cars allowed on the small ferry) – hardly the Outback. This is a fairly common problem with the design. Maybe a manual won’t have the same issue? As a car for the farm it was ok until it wasn’t.

Yes if I lived in Australia and went into the bush a lot. Having spent part of last year driving them up very steep gravel roads in Spanish mountains pulling a trailer they are great fun and appear pretty bomb proof. Have a great time and adventure, wish I’d had one instead of a Holden estate when I was in Aus.

Argh nearly fell through…

Had been watching endless youtube vids on 100 series, watching people use them off road and upgrading. Got quite excited until….

Missus said she’s decided against it. He plan was to hire out the camper trailer for a bit of cash then just decides she CBA as it’s too complex to organise insurance for hiring (and expensive). So last night I gave up hope.

This morning she’s changed her mind again. It’s all go. She said if it’s looking like we’re not getting the use out of both the car and trailer we could always sell on. So I showed her examples of Landcruisers which have done 300-400,000 kms and still commanding high prices, if we bought this one at 150,000 we’d have no issues flipping it (so to speak!).

I’m waiting on the guy to send her a pic (for now) and ask if it’s petrol or diesel. As much as I’d love a V8 the TD makes more sense but they’re both gonna be thirsty, I get that.

PaulyFull Member
Sister and BiL had exactly the set up you’ve been offered OP. They took my 2 nieces out of school for a year and did a figure of 8 round Oz and had a ball. We then visited and the 6 of us did a West Coast road trip which was amazing.

Do it, especially at that price!

Well we did 6 months round Europe post covid shenanigans…. But some touring around WA would be amazing, such a vast expanse of land, essentially half of Aus is WA. I’d be happy just chucking my camping gear in the back and some little over-nighters, let alone big camping with the kids and bikes!

For the school run , no chance.
For what you want to do, definitely. Built like a truck, designed to to huge mileages . Relatively easy to DIY as everything is big.
Spares are bonkers cheap in Dubai for some reason.
Expect 20mpg at best out of the deisel.
Long range tanks are available, lift kits , roof tent , bull bars and off you go .
Mate drove his around the Sahara ,and the Tibor forest with no problems.

Dude I don’t even like taking my Focus to pick the kids up. School parkers have no common sense or parking ability…. it seems. Kids ride to their schools anyway.

5labFull Member
it might be a straight 6 rather than a v8. both engines are similar size and power

Diesel 201HP and 430Nm 2.4 tonne

Petrol 235Hp 435Nm 2.2 tonne

So close really. In my head I’m thinking I’d love the V8 but really, I’d probably be just as happy with either.

There’s always the Cybertruck if you want something a bit unique.

Elon: "The new Cybertruck can briefly serve as a truck!" pic.twitter.com/WbZX1FHQS5

— AtheistTexan (@TriTexan) April 27, 2024

Late response, sounds like you’ve made your mind up.

We have a ‘21 prado. I know it’s not a “proper” ‘cruiser, but it does allow us to get places a “normal” car wouldn’t. This weekend we’ve been camping near Oberon, to the west of the Blue Mountains. This morning I woke up at 6, hopped in the car and (naughtily) collected some fallen wood for a camp fire from deeper in the forest. Went through deep muddy puddles, over lots of rocks, and had zero worries about getting stuck or breaking something. This matters when you have a 2 year old in the car with you and zero phone signal!

If you get out and about in Aus, a Toyota is worth having. We bought ours because they last well, and when they do break, spares are available and cheap enough.

In short, for $30k, I’d have it for the car alone.

Anyway, I’m off to bed, I’m knackered 😃

Sorry – meant no ill by dissing the Prado saying it’s not a “proper” ‘Cruiser. 🙂 If the deal was a Prado it’d probably be just as good and I’d be just as excited. Or any other solid 4×4 really.

Yeah everyone says you’ll find parts, or someone can cobble something up at least to get you home, if you ever break down out in Woop Woop.

Glad you could have a fire. Still TFB here. That’s the best part of camping!

I’ve made my mind up… Think wifey has too. Just gotta be careful and avoid pi55ing her off….. Last time she promised me a car was on completion of my degree…. I wanted a Caterham kit and she PROMISED……..And, no doubt I’ll be sent on missions to pick up something “big” from so and so’s house cos “you’ve got the big car” 🙂

Visions of Simpson’s “Canyonero” here.

Surely in Oz it should be a Ute with a detachable camper for the bed?

It’s essentially a ute. With a fixed canopy :s

Ok so a bit more info…

It’s a 105 not a 100 series

4.5l Twin Cam Petrol unsure of trim level, but manual.

Has had some upgrades but I’m messaging the son as his Dad’s still over in Tassie. Son drove it today to keep the battery alive while his Dad’s away. Will send me the rego tomorrow so I can search for info.

The new LC has just been ‘launched’ in the UK starting at £75k!!!!! 4×4’s are mental prices nowadays.

The 4.5petrol won’t be cheap to run but like my 3.2V6 Cayenne if you buy them cheap enough (£500 in my case) and only use them very occasionally then their fuel economy doesn’t really factor into the man maths equation.

So in summary – get it bought.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-japanesecars/new-toyota-land-cruiser-launched-in-uk/48459

The new LC has just been ‘launched’ in the UK starting at £75k!!!!!

thats the prado rather than the true landcruiser. The real one is only available as an import, at the rather eye-watering prices from autotrader above

It’s a 105 not a 100 series

afaik the 105s are a bit lower trim, more sturdy than the 100s – count yourself lucky its not the (130bhp) diesel

Well I’ll drive it to and from work, but I only do 3 shifts a week and I’m 15 mins away.  Max speeds are only 70kmh mostly and I don’t use the freeway often.

Annoyingly I’m car-less at the moment. Focus had a coolant leak which thry fixed but had to order two other hoses in and the car went back for that today. Now they’re telling me my rear brakes are less than 1% and need doing asap and told not to drive it but they can’t do until next week.

I am also going to a rave in a millennium falcon replica somewhere in Perth on sat night. May the 4th etc… Someone else driving though…

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tj2cSAPzFzFyScHm7

Yes. Rented an old beat up one in Chilean Patagonia years ago, it was absolutely bullet proof and great fun to drive. Very comfy over long distances on very poorly kept “roads”. Perfect for the Australian outback I’d say.

Pics! (if this works…)

105 Series 4 5l petrol

Looks okay but it’s the oily and metal bits underneath that matter.

I follow TJ & Mac in Oz who tinker with LC’s – this is what $11k of 60 series buys for comparison.