Looking at getting a surf 1996 and up, 3.0DT or the 2.7. What one will be cheaper to run and what sort of power do they put out, and what is the Fuel Economy like! Will be traveling about 60-90km a day on the open road and maybe some road trips. Thanks.
elvis58,
Nov 19, 10:09am
I have a granvia with a 2.7 in it, good motor, ok performance but economy is shocking. Mines 2wd and even driving like a nana it's shocking.Mine runs 3rz feand auto.
mugenb20b,
Nov 19, 10:14am
3.0 litre intercooled turbo diesel has awesome power and torque, BUT, as mentioned many times before, the cooling systems need to be 110% at all times or they WILL crack heads ($2500 to $3000 job). Their biggest downfall is radiator viscous fan hub failure. 2.7 litre petrol is OK, won't break any speed records, but it's very simple, basic, reliable and cheap to maintain. Thirsty, but will be cheaper to run than a diesel if you do short trips (less than 30k a year).
thejazzpianoma,
Nov 19, 10:15am
Are you actually going to do any off-roading in it!
thejazzpianoma,
Nov 19, 10:16am
At the risk of opening the age old can of worms. Having the cooling system in tip top condition helps but its not a guarantee that you won't crack a head. The heads are also more prone to cracking if you do any heavy towing.
If I had to have one I would have the Petrol.
serendipitous6,
Nov 19, 10:32am
Thanks. Wont be doing much off roading in it, and when I do it will just be crossing paddocks or on the beach. Anyone know the L/100km!
franc123,
Nov 19, 10:35am
I wouldn't have either for doing that job, they are a dreadful choice for a long distance commuter.If comfort and power with reasonable economy is your desire you would be far better off with a large car, as well as saving a bucketload on the purchase price compared with a Surf (as with similar Terranos/Bighorns etc) the running costs are simply too high to be worth considering unless offroad ability was needed, in which case even still there are better options.With diesel you also have to consider RUC's and the fact they need servicing twice as often on average as with petrol, it will also cost more in tyres compared to a car.
thejazzpianoma,
Nov 19, 10:41am
I agree with the poster above, they are a terrible choice for what you are doing. Thirsty, not very safe, only averagely comfortable and they lack power for passing etc.
If it were me, I would be going for a VW Passat 4WD wagon or a Volvo XC70 4WD. They are MUCH MUCH better cars for your purpose, you have comfort, reliability, good economy on the open road, excellent safety and they will deal with wet paddocks with ease.
franc123,
Nov 19, 10:49am
A RAV4 or Escudo/Vitara could also be an option if a bit of extra ground clearance is preferred, clearly they aren't going to behave as nicely as a Passat or Volvo on the road but a Surf won't either.
mike77,
Nov 19, 12:47pm
Don't let the neh sayer's put ya off, But I reckon they're right - to a degree. I brought a 3 lite V6 mitsi, at the same time my mate got the surf your looking at. His economy is pretty much same as mine, 12 ishL/100km driving like a nana. But don't be surprized if you use alot more dependig on where / how you drive. As for those puss box options like the volvo / rav4 . wah wah wah . as soon as ya get on the sand dunes or other spots off road, and want to go further, you'll be glad to have a centre diff lock, and more expensive tyres. I've been amazed where I can get to just with tyres ($205 a corner for 31" fitted)and a stock wagon.
So yeah, it all depends on where you want to go / do, and how much emphasis you put on comfort, ability and economy.
mike77,
Nov 19, 12:58pm
Sorry, to your original question, 2.7 or 3.0, horses for courses I reckon, 2.7 is a camchain, easy maiantainance, just fill it up. For the same price/age/condition, I'ld buy a diesel of that model anyday of the week, but the petrol ones seem a shit load cheaper.
Also, the 2.7's do have the older transfer case, where most of the diesels have the newer one, where there is a 4wd option without a locked center diff, so you can select 4wd on hard surfaces - i.e. roads up to the ski fields. If that has any influence on ya decision.
ralphdog1,
Nov 19, 2:02pm
Owner of a 3.4l V6 Surf here. Buying one of the above options for 60-90k's a day is madness in my opinion for al the reasons above. However if you must, the Diesel would be the better choice for that sort of distance. Ignore the cooling system if you feel lucky.very lucky.
thejazzpianoma,
Nov 19, 3:22pm
LOL, funny thing is the likes of the VW has a much better 4WD system than the Hilux and with the exception of the likes of deep mud will actually have more traction than the Hilux. (Don't confuse the serious Quattro 4WD system with cheesy "softroaders" they may be lower to the ground but they have serious traction).
Given the Hilux is going to cost you at least half as much again in fuel for starters the extra height and ability that is only an advantage in some situations is pointless when the bulk of the use is on the highway.
mike, I would be with you 100% though if they really needed the ride height etc. Like you summed up. it depends what you are doing with it and in this case the likes of the Volvo/VW is designed for pretty much the exact purpose where as the Hilux is your wifes cutlery trying to be a screwdriver.
thejazzpianoma,
Nov 19, 3:39pm
If you can plough a paddock and scale a 30% sand dune I think its likely got enough 4WD ability for poster 1.
never buy a petrol 4wd just gas guzling and bad performance 3litre turbo diesel for sure.
dr.doolittle,
Nov 19, 5:10pm
YARDI, YARDI, YA.If you like it, stuff what anyone else thinks. PS. I have 2x 3L diesels (1x inter cooled)& are/amvery happy.
mugenb20b,
Nov 19, 6:41pm
And I just picked one up from my AA call out with a blown head. 218 000 kms on the clock. The owner was "very happy" also when I told him how much it's likely going to cost to fix. It was towing a very light empty single axle trailer too.
franc123,
Nov 19, 6:52pm
Yeah Surf or Prado owners generally are until the fateful day when the above happens!And the supposedly bulletproof vehicle they paid through the nose for because apparantely Toyota diesels go forever with nothing done to them instantly needs thousands chucked at it, although at least if you've got an intercooled one the chances of it happening are less likely.There is still the issue of cooling system maintenance and the fact too much heat gets retained in the heads due to an inadequate sized exhaust system to deal with.
intrade,
Nov 19, 11:51pm
i found the 2,7 or 2.8 cant recall petrol surf the best, no problems with diesel crapping them selfs if you buy a petrol and no cracked heads on the straigt 4(like the v6 petrol ).
bubbles244,
Nov 19, 11:54pm
stick a v8 in it. might crack an axle, but the heads are no issue
friendly_prawn,
Nov 20, 6:52am
ewwwwwwwwwwwww but they are euro's
morrisman1,
Nov 20, 8:44am
that 30k a year figure is brown and smelly, thats because you pulled it out of your arse.
A vehicle like the one in question will have a huge cost per Km in petrol form in comparison to the diesel version and this results in a very low break even point. I recall that for a new prado I calculated the break even point to be around the 3000km mark.
I cannot be bothered doing all the sums for this vehicle but I do think it is misleading by suggesting that the petrol will be cheaper to run. In saying that if you crack the head on the diesel then there goes all the cost savings but then you cannot calculate or predict a situation like that
mugenb20b,
Nov 20, 8:54am
2.7 petrol will use 14 odd litres per 100km, 3.0 diesel will use at least 10 litres per 100kms. As well as RUCs and licencing, they will end up being even as far as running costs are concerned. Now, a diesel has got a more expensive oil filter, it holds more oil and will need more frequent oil changes. On top of that, it has a fuel filter that needs changing once a year and a cambelt + hydraulic tensioner that need replacing every 150k (which isn't an expensive exercise). I've been down this track before, and the only way to save money on a diesel vehicle is to be able to do your own maintenance, do reasonably high mileages, be self employed so you can claim GST on running costs or if you are constantly towing heavy trailers.
mike77,
Nov 20, 8:58am
I hear ya, I went for a petrol, cheaper, no big maintenance issues but slightly more to run. But nicer to drive imo.
Then snapped a cambelt and did all my inlets 30k before it was due. Cost roughly the same as having to get a new injector pump for a deisel motor, or a cracked toyota head.
So those big issues work both ways.
steph1211,
Nov 21, 4:03pm
or get a nissan diesel 4wd and have none of the above issues.
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