Cruiser 200 series

[Reel Blue]

Toyota will have no trouble selling the new cruisers. I have a turbo diesel cruiser with IFS and to suggest it is a toy is a joke. It is more comfortable than my VZ Commodore with lighter steering, better brakes, less road noise and less bumps. It makes a patrol look very agricultural. On the road and on gravel roads its handling is far more predictable than the rigid front axles found in the standard diesels and older models. I have lived in Western Queensland for the last three years and never found the vehicle wanting in any way and a lot of that was off the tarmac. Obviously the rigid front axle will be better if you are climbing extremely rough terrain covered in boulders and washouts where ultimate wheel articulation is required. Not too many people want or need this. (However, many may be surprised where you can take an IFS cruiser.) The majority will go for the smooth ride, people capacity, long range touring capability, predictable handling, power and towing capacity with economy. (Turbo diesel anyway)

[BenDover]

Yes, i agree. Highway and dirt roads, and very mild 4x4ing. It all comes down to what you want to do with your 4bie. But there is no way an ifs can go where i want it too. And i hate having limitations on where i can go and what i can do, after having owned an ifs. BUT... I still think toyota or all company's should be giving people the oportunity to choose if they want an ifs or live axle (especially for that kind of money) but all we have these days is HERE'S AN IFS 4X4 IN DIESEL ONLY, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT. And we are running out of options. Thats why i have to strip down a 4x4 and spend loads to rebuild it the way i want it.

It sucks...

[MY-TopEnder]

I personally wouldn't be surprised where an IFS Cruiser would go... i know from first hand experience that Toyota do not make a very good IFS Setup. Their diffs are weak, and travel is very restrictive. I've had to go to the extent of fitting air lockers to an IFS Surf/4Runner to get it to keep up with a GQ Patrol of a similar age.

The other major factor is ground clearance. Although they're on par from the factory, a 2" lift is about as much as you can get under a Cruiser without major modification. You can easily get 3" under a Patrol reasonably easy.

I do agree though it comes down to what you want it for... If you're towing a van around the country... sure a 200 will do it better than a Patrol, but if its getting out on the weekend and putting it up some fire trails or medium tracks then a Patrol will go further stock every time.

Not to mention i'd rather bend panels on a $60,000 truck than a $80,000 truck.

[BenDover]

The only thing you can do with ifs. Is take out all your bump stops to get a bit more travel/ shocks to suit. And for ground clearance! fit a superlift (which drops your wishbone arms down under the diff and gives you no more travel than standard.) The first bit of suspension travel needed and its screwd. And ive seen 3 tip and roll due to wheels in the air. They where not impressed either. IFS are deffinately toys in my books. And i will never own 1 again.

[hungry6]

I was quietly looking forward to see the specs of the new 200series, the $$ doesn't seem to worry me, but the thing was that they have been going on about the towing capabilty of the new V8 diesel. at 3500kgs it not really impressive when the old 100 series have been doing it for a number of years.
Well I better get my arse down to VW and order a toureg. All the waiting for simply hot air and more $$$$.
But I have to say they have taken to the complaints about cruiser service cost though.

[the lobster]

I don't like buying into a toyota vs nissan debate, but I'll say this. No other brand can match the reliability of Toyota. It's as simple as that. That's why Toyota sell more cars than anyone else, that's why Toyota's cost more and that's why people are still prepared to pay extra. You can argue as much as you like about capability, IFS and the rest of it, but at the end of the day a Toyota is much more likely to get you back from wherever you've been than any other brand and that's why they sell so many cars.


Enough of that. $80k is a lot for a new cruiser. I'd be much more inclined to get a new 70 series wagon (which replaces the STD 100 series) starting at $53 990 for a base model and $57 490 for a GXL, both with the V8 TD. Not as pretty as a 200 but a hell of a lot better value IMHO.

matt

[gawby]

I delivered some the other night at Gladstone and drove one down the street and then into the holding compond and what a treat.
Anyone could drive one of these without any problems.
Very good vision all round, light as a feather steering and finished well inside and out.
The way they are opioned up i think you would be getting a fab vehicle.
Garry, your wife would have no trouble driving this around and you would have a real good vehicle to tow your new boat with.
Graeme

[ozscott]

Look - if your life depends on the reliability all of the time...ie doing long lonely outback runs for a living then you would have to go the vehicle that is most reliable and still pretty competent off road...but I like a vehicle to have soul and steering that allows you to feel the road and until TOYO can engineer a big dollop of each into their cars, I wont be going there.

[Noelm]

not too sure how valid all the "hard core" 4X4 people's opinions on Independant Front Ends are, there was a time when even your "Family" car had a rigid rear end, but that changed and I doubt that anyone would accept anything BUT Independant now, same thing will go for the front end, the "I will never change and I know what I am doing" people will just fade away as more and more Manufacturers "keep up" (even Nissan Maybe) then you can all spend $1,000's on converting your newer model 4X4 to the "ols style" front end you liked, but over time, there will be no option, they will ALL be the same, anyone can sprout how this model has a weak diff or that model has a dodgey whatever, but overall, almost all NEW things become the standard over time, like Power steering, who would not want that? or air cond, who would rip it out because thier old 1970 model did not have it?

[Grunter71]

Just read through the specs. I am disappointed with the towing weight. I had heard via the rumour mill that the towing weight limit was going to be over 4t. No reason to look at replacing the old one now.

[FNQCairns]

Nothing wrong with the IFS cruiser it does very well what it is designed for but it does fail off road and not just from a hardcore standpoint either. It is what it is, an urban assault vehicle, with all the mod cons bought 99% of the time by those that will never see much more than a well kept fire trail or the beach when being adventurous, so certainly no not a Toy but it is what it is, no use pretending otherwise.
I would love to justify one for shopping/towing/sightseeing but I cannot, if I would feel uncomfortable having an IFS as my backup car on a meduim hard offroad wander for a week I couldn't justify doing the same to another, they are what they are.

cheers fnq

[Noelm]

I guess in a roundabout way, that is what I was getting at, but I still think that market forces and Customer needs (from the majority) will see other Manufacturers follow suit, it is just a fact of life, changes come, we hate it, we modify what we get to make it more like our old "thing" but it will change, we just have to change with it, regardless of how much it is against our personal needs, the Majority of these Vehicles will never see the dirt!

[PinHead]

I call that model cruiser a managers car (its a rich mans toy). If I were going to spend a big wad of cash on a cruiser it would be on the 70, mind you I think they are just as expensive

an 87k car is not a rich mans toy..how much are the BMW, Merc, Audi and Porsche AWD..plenty of them around the place.

a crappy Holden with a HSV badge can set you back about that much.

[Blackened]

G'day

Greg, have u had a play with the porsche cayenne?

I detail one, have a bit of a drive... very very nice, something about a porsche, you just get excited when you turn the key... same happens with the carerra

Dave

[MY-TopEnder]

not too sure how valid all the "hard core" 4X4 people's opinions on Independant Front Ends are, there was a time when even your "Family" car had a rigid rear end, but that changed and I doubt that anyone would accept anything BUT Independant now, same thing will go for the front end, the "I will never change and I know what I am doing" people will just fade away as more and more Manufacturers "keep up" (even Nissan Maybe) then you can all spend $1,000's on converting your newer model 4X4 to the "ols style" front end you liked, but over time, there will be no option, they will ALL be the same, anyone can sprout how this model has a weak diff or that model has a dodgey whatever, but overall, almost all NEW things become the standard over time, like Power steering, who would not want that? or air cond, who would rip it out because thier old 1970 model did not have it?

If you want strength, independant just can't cut it. Front end wise there is just too much load on CV's as opposed to a solid diff which can make use of much bigger CV's.

There are also rumours around that Nissan will be going to IFS in their new Patrol.

You're right though... its what the market demands. People want a 4WD that will drive like their Holden Calais.

For the record too, i've removed ALOT of the electronic crap from the Surf i have... if its electronic, it'll either break, play up, or cost you a fortune. I've gone back to manual locking hubs, ditched the air con, and removed the electronic suspension crap.