Late model Fortuner

Do they drive like a Hilux? Or nicer?

Nobody has one?
Or am I being ghosted?

don't have one.
take one for a test drive.
i suspect they handle better than a hilux. tho thats not hard when you rid of leaf springs
the last time i saw one up close it looked a lot lower than i would have thought. possible they have a lower 2wd version.
they are basically a modern surf.

Farter in law has one overseas. RWD & a smaller engine than they offer here.

In short, yes the drive is pretty hilux like.

The rear end is coil sprung, where the hilux is leaf spring, so theoretically ride comfort & handling should be better.

Wheelbase is a bit shorter so turning circles should be a bit tighter, and I imagine its a bit lighter too, so overall performance should be a little better.

The suspension setup in my farther in law's one is definitly on the hard side. Suspect they set the suspension up for the larger engine 4wd one we get here (perhaps with the weight of common accessories like a towbar to), and used that same suspension in the smaller engine, RWD version that is a lot lighter.

@ tweake.

I think Toyota has only ever offered the 4wd version. - I think they want to encourage buyers that don't need the off road ability into the likes of the Highlander.

Farther and Law's one overseas is 2wd (Rear). Same ride height as the 4x4's on that one. Ground clearance is quoted at 279mm (I think toyota only measure between the axles, so don't count the rear diff etc. so don't compare this number with other brands, of try to drive over a 250mm block of concrete. ). Regardless it is fairly impressive. Perhaps the one you were looking at had be lowered? (Unlikely for a vehicle like this, but perhaps somebody had the coils swapped to drop it 50mm to fit in their garage?)

They ride very harshly to be honest. We test drove new models recently and they were noticeably harsher than I expected. Despite suspension changes, they are very much a Hilux with a boot. Also the rear seats (both second and third rows) were uncomfortable. The interior materials were also average. The Ford Everest was nicer in every way. However we ended up buying neither of those :-)

had someone come to work in one. it looked like a station wagon people mover rather than a 4wd.
funny enough the highlander looks more like a proper 4wd.

i think the soft roader market has really eaten into the suv market. frankly awd or semi-awd bigger car works really well with our roads.

Have heard of a few build quality gripes with those Fortuners theyre not up to Jap assembly standards, a few rough edges and areas not painted very well. It may have been a problem with one particular example but then again it may not be, they seem cheaply made. Whether this affects the overall durability of the vehicle its probably too soon to say. Not as well put together as a Landcruiser.

If you’re looking for a body on frame type SUV then have a look at the Isuzu. I tried both and found the Isuzu to have a better ride. Also more space, particularly in the boot where the seats fold into the floor instead of to the side and taking up room in the boot. Third row legroom also much better in the Isuzu.

Infotainment is probably better in the Toyota, but nothing wrong with the setup in the Isuzu. Overall I’ve been bloody impressed with the Isuzu and was quite underwhelmed with the Toyota.

WELL THE way things are going your utes and heavy suv,s will be on the scrap heap cos you wont be able to afford to run them, with the price of fuel rego and any other charges these bunch of wallys can dream up.

I'm a Toyota believer, but I'd spend a few bucks more and go Prado.

The ride quality of the Prado is undeniably better, but $17,000 is more than a few bucks to me.

Also the fortuner would be a bit quicker as it is lighter with the same engine.

Thanks for the information everyone!

MU-X hasnt been updated yet like the dmax has, probably be a good buy when they release the new one

Current government appears to be quite concerned about the regressive impact of hiking fuel, rego etc etc. (Hits the Poor family with a van / minivan especially hard), and appear to be putting the effort into swaying peoples new car buying decisions instead. (No way the hypothetical poor family could afford a new, or even fresh import used car. so they aren't directly impacted).

I think that the Fortuner brought this year would be great from a low depreciation point of view. Currently Fortuners experience very low depreciation anyway.

Somebody who buys in the remainder of this year gets:
- Recently face lifted car, which includes substantial engine Power & Torque upgrade, Tow rating upgrade, and supposed DPF issue fix. Will be a lot more desirable when they come to sell than a 2020 fortuner.
- In 2022 the fortuner will pick up an $2000 - $2500 fee due to it's emissions profile (Clean car discount / feebate policy). Gives the 2021 buyer a cira $2k jump on the depreciation curve.
- In 2023 - 2025 (I think), the Clean car Standard will ramp up. I pick this will add another cira $3k to vehicles in this class, on top of the fee above. Note that utes get a cheaper fee than SUV's even when they share a platform and drive train, so I would expect proportionately more Utes than ute based SUV's to be sold than today.
- The fortuner being toyota's cheapist low range SUV ($18k cheaper than the prado), will likely be sourt after by those in the used marked, who are solely looking for a toyota with a particular capability (Say low range gearing, rear diff locker, or 3.1T tow rating). Such buyers may not be as phased by shortcomings of the vehicle like poor ride comfort, cramped 3rd row etc as new car buyers.
- Come 2030 - 2035, it is a good bet that non plug in vehicles will be banned from being imported. Will mean that those who want a traditional diesel load lugger / tow vehicle (say their house isn't connected to grid power) will no longer have the option of buying new, and will need to buy used, increasing demand in the used market.

The net result of all the above is that somebody that buys a fortuner now is likely to experience fairly low depreciation, and I doubt running costs will spike in teh next 20 or so years due to government policy.

Of course need to be at peace with the fact that the fortuner is regally reviewed (check out the aussie shootouts) as one of the weaker offerings in the segment. Who would have thought that toyota could produce a low range, 7 seat 4x4 suv, that is a lot cheaper than a prado, and sells poorly.

Personally I quite like my farther in law's fortuner. Despite having the smaller less powerful engine than the NZ fortuner, it goes pretty good, and the auto in in (6 speed I think) is really nice. Perhaps unfair to compare, but I have a similar size Lexus RX in NZ. Obviously a softroader, rather than a full frame SUV, but the ride in the fortuner is jarring in comparison.

Biggest issues with the fortuner are:
- Can't fit adults (even small ones) in the third row for more than a few minuets without them complaining (tried that).
- Can't fit large adults in the middle of the second row.
- Setup where third row seats fold to the side sucks. - but at least they can be unbolted and removed.
- Window profile and third row seats that fold up give blind spots.

Other than the above, the car is pritty good. The Air con crank's too, which is one of the most important thinks in cars in my farther in laws location.

I have a 2017 HiLux and hired a Fortuner a couple of W/E ago definitely softer riding so more comfortable otherwise it was like driving my ute.