Contemplating a Patrol Ti-L

Meandher

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Jun 22, 2020
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Never thought of a petrol tow vehicle previously. The old BT50 has been a great old truck and still has relatively low mileage for its' 8 year vintage. It is a plodder, does everything right and gets there, eventually, but can get very tedious on hills with a load on the back. Thought of a new Cruiser, but the Toyota tax and Toyota sales arrogance ( its a Toyota, we don't do deals, if you don't like the price, then bugger off and buy something else) puts me off. A DPF is something that does not suit the way the car would be driven 80 "% of the time and so I would be stuck with a 2015 vehicle if i did not want that device. That being said, even a high mileage top spec unit ( and even down to a GXL ) puts the price anywhere between $75-90K for a 5 year old car with plenty of miles on the clock. Cannot envisage paying that kind of coin for an old vehicle with sod all warranty.
Been reading up on the Y62 series 5 Patrol and doing a bit of research. You can get a top of the wozza Ti-L vehicle with 5 year warranty for around the same price and, substantially less if you take the lower spec, but still decadently luxurious Ti model. You can buy a tankerload of fuel with the $30 grand plus price differential on a VX or Sahara Cruiser and don't have to deal with self righteous plonkers at Toyota.
With this in mind, i took a test drive the other day and they are a big, but brilliant vehicle with power to burn. Very impressed with how it drove and the amount of kit fitted standard. Yes they get less mileage around town, but am led to believe that towing a 3T 'van they get around the same fuel consumption as a diesel Cruiser. Still way more than the BT, but not much more when towing.
Can anyone who owns one on the site, or knows someone that does, give me any real world experiences and perhaps confirm ( or otherwise) what i have already found?
Unfortunately, the Government throwing around instant capital tax write-offs for this year has seen these flying off the forecourt at a rate of knots and created a demand outstripping supply situation, with the associated " we have them, you want one" syndrome that turned Nissan salesmen into Toyota ones and, whilst there are deals to be done, there is a span of over $15K for the same car at different dealerships around the country and a 2-3 month wait.
This would, perhaps, be the last major purchase of my life for this kind of value, so it is important to be happy with my choice, or it could be a very expensive mistake. I am 9/10ths the way to pulling the trigger and about to roll the dice. All (constructive )input gratefully received.
 
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BJM

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Got a guy I know in the same cpark here in Bowen ,will try and get some info out of him today,what do you specifically want to know
 
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Meandher

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Jun 22, 2020
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Got a guy I know in the same cpark here in Bowen ,will try and get some info out of him today,what do you speciffically want to know

Just would like some no bull and unbiased commentary on how they go.We tow 2.8T and, unfortunately, don't tow often enough at the moment due to this Covid nonsense. That will turn around, hopefully, but in the interim, buying the Cruiser with a dpf fills me with dread and the petrol Patrol appears to suit our driving needs both around town and when we hitch up. I know I will get 14-16l/100, but being retired these past 3 years don't do the mileage anymore to make 50% more fuel costs a major negative purchasing issue. Not intending to move the old BT on and will keep it until it becomes unreliable and use it as the shopping centre daily, as it owes us nothing and will give us bugger all if we sell it anyway. The local Coles is frequented by touch parkers and all 4 corners of the Mazda have been bounced off more than once, so not intending for any new vehicle to go anywhere near the great uncaring and unwashed.
The Patrol is a monster. It is huge in all dimensions. I guess each to their own, but just after some dialogue on how they are to live with, that doesn't invoke the childish comments that reignite the Patrol/Toyota, mine is better than yours prepubescent commentary. I see these idiots daily on the forums with their bad spelling and even worse grammar and not interested in the merits of uprated suspensions and changing wheels and tyres straight out of the box and bragging how much you paid, just because it makes the size of your willy appear bigger to the converted and like minded.
 
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BJM

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Just talked to the guy I know,standard 2016 TI v8 towed a 2.7 ton Vanguard van loaded,plus the Nissan loaded for 30000 ks around Aust last 3 years ,av fuel 20.4 lph .up hill down dale ,plenty of torque for hill work,towed in very high temps no problems ,etc etc.Said latest model more fuel efficient.Didnt have a bad word to say. Very comfortable but large.Tend to agree re dpfs in diesels, by the look of things diesels will be no more in a few years anyway.
Just had a chat to another guy here TIL 2018 around same lph towing 3 tons JB van ,said just order it,! Only problem he has had is the springs have sagged.Nissan put more pressure in adjustable rear shocks ,then too hard.
 
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DRW

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One couple in our willowRv group have one and they are touring Australia with 3 kids and a new van around the 3 ton mark, they have similar fuel figures. The had a Jeep GC same as mine but did two brand new transmissions so unloaded it, I had one firmly in my sites a few months ago I’m just so over stinking diesel but they recently went from $71k to $86k overnight so I’m off them for now but might look at a second hand series 5 in time.
 
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Drover

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I would like one just the price is way beyond me...............................
 

Meandher

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Jun 22, 2020
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I would like one just the price is way beyond me...............................

Yes, they aren't a cheap vehicle - just cheaper than a Cruiser is all. DRW is right, the price has seriously escalated these past few months and they are going quickly because of contractors and small businesses getting them as company cars and getting the tax write off immediately. These type of buyers seem to be the ones that dont care a stuff about how much fuel they pour in as, in the end, the Government pay for it as well as the straight out of the packet modifications to exhaust (for no other reason than they just "luuurve that sweet V8 noise") , suspension and the pulling out of perfectly good sound systems to put in more expensive ones. That doesn't tend to be the case with new Cruiser purchasers, from what I am reading, but there is a palpable tosser element to the new S5 Patrol fraternity it seems.
 
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rags

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I’ve got a friend with the Patrol, well set up and sounds good. He is towing a 20 ft likeeveryothervan caravan with it and it does go exceptionally well. He does prefer the premium fuel to keep it running and achieves around the 20-22 lt/100km econo range when towing. If I had a van somewhat bigger than my 12 ft expanda I may consider one.
i do understand that you need a degree in mathematics with a specialty of physics to understand how much can be carried and towed at the same time as it is not as simple as good to tow 3500kg.
This YouTube link explains it somewhat if you can tolerate John Cadogan
 
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BJM

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Interesting video does change things a little! I might add the over weight towing combinations are everywhere.!
 
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Drover

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I prefer to buy the show ponies, cheaper, some nong has bought the bling paid the price so I can buy and save heaps, Toorak Tractor kitted up, no hardwork......2 yrs old 40 or 50 K, put a smile on my face...I ignore the Utube and FWD blogs as they are full of sh*t most times, Facebook pages are wanks, more bling interest by folk who's tool box is a phone. And most have no ideas of weights, even the blogs are often wrong.
Go the Nissan...any change Ill PM my details.
 
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BJM

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Remember manufacturers put the ton tow limits on their vehicles to suit the specs or sales potential even in the same model.Utes towing 3.5 tons , no discs on the rear in most,highly stressed 2 litre engines,chassis still bending ,caravans overweight from factory,well overweight combinations on the road.The list goes on and on.The RV industry is still a huge growth industry,b———-t direct from vehicle and van dealers in spades and will continue forever until a Govt industry wide crackdown is enforced in a multitude of areas.