Well I thought you guys would be interested in a comparison between the New 100 Series V8 Landcruiser & the Nissan Patrol Ti (Top of the Line)
Now I have had time to drive the Landcruiser for a bit of time, (6000 klms) I think I can give an honest evaluation between the Landcruiser & the Patrol….well, sort of having owned 8 Patrols previously over the past years....
Apart from the fact that the 2 vehicles are about the same size, and are targeted at pretty much the same buyer and that’s about where the similarities stop.
You also have to understand, I am comparing the Top of the line Ti Patrol ($80,000+) against the GXL Landcruiser (Mid spec $65,000) which has to be considered....
The things I like about the Cruiser mainly lay in the engine and gearbox areas, the NVH levels (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) are worlds apart. The Patrol feels quite ancient in comparison to the Landcruisers V8..
Fuel consumption is also a factor worth mentioning, I have been consistently getting 16.0 litres per 100 klm’s around town at the moment, and I can only assume that after it has run in, and I admit I am taking it pretty easy and I am sure that it should only improve, compared with 18.1 litres per 100 klm’s in the patrol, I have been saving nearly $25.00 a week on fuel alone, and with that, it certainly goes a heck of a lot quicker too…
Last weekend I went to the Central Coast to see some relatives, and took note of the fuel usage, and it used over the 200 kilometres I traveled exactly, and used 14.3 litres per 100 klm’s! Don’t forget, this is a 4.7 litre V8!!!
I admit, I drove purposely to see what I could get and didn’t go over 90 kph without the cruise control on…..
Handlings between the two vehicles are also something in which are worlds apart also. The Landcruiser is known for its soft compliant ride in comparison to the Patrol, and I think the latest offering in the IFS configuration at least bridges the gap in terms of handling, and no longer does the Landcruiser wallow around corners as it used to do, in fact it steers so accurately, and soaks up the bumps and corners a lot more steadier than the Patrol does.
No more “pull to the left” syndrome which I have lived with for years.
I am really looking forward to having the Old Man Emu suspension fitted shortly, as if the handling can be even further improved; the Patrol won’t even be in the same league.
Off road is something which is yet to be seen, as I haven’t had time yet to put it through it’s paces in that area yet, but I am looking very much forward to doing it shortly…..
It has been said on many occasions that the IFS is less robust than the live axel vehicles, and to that I concede, I am sure that if push turns to shove, the live axel will probably accept a lot more abuse before something breaks than the IFS would.
Having said that, the cracking in which has been experienced in the IFS models recently have been isolated to only the T/D variation, which has had the suspension modified, the torsion bars wound up 40 odd mm as well as being fitted with a steel bullbar & a winch and with the extra 200 odd kilo’s in weight deficit between the Turbo Diesel, and the V8 engine, this could also go toward the problems experienced.
ARB has recognized this issue and now fits strengthening brackets on all of their suspension upgrades to reduce the possibility of this happening. It has also been suggested that the only ones in which have suffered from this problem have been used in extreme off road driving.
That said, it doesn’t excuse the problem.
Many have also suggested that the reverse gear in the Landcruiser is somewhat fragile, and people have reported that some failures have been reported if used aggressively such as snatching heavy loads in reverse…..this has also been reported that these failings have been on manual transmissions also, and the only reports at this stage have mainly come from Rental Companies, which say’s something doesn’t it…..Lucky I got an auto…
Anyway, there are a couple of other things worth mentioning, is that the vision from the rear is so much safer than with the rear tyre being bolted to the tailgate, I think it exacerbates the problem in the patrol is that the rear barn door column in the middle goes a lot to the reduced vision up the back…It has taken me a bit of time to get used to the tow bar sticking out past the rear end, as there is no spare wheel to protect you from banging your shins on the goose neck which I have the bruises to testify!
I absolutely love the split tail arrangement as once the top is opened, I had forgotten just how good they are as it provides you with shelter from the rain, not to mention the bottom provides you with a handy seat to sit on and have a cup of coffee on…
The head lights are also a fabulous little arrangement, you see it doesn’t sound a buzzer if you leave your lights on, it simply turns them off if you leave them on and remove the ignition key…very handy.
So is the 30 second window delay which after you turn off the ignition remove your keys, you can still operate the windows. One touch auto up or down is also an improvement for all of the windows. So too is the far rear windows are able to be opened rather than be unopenable as in the Patrol which provides a little more comfort for the rear, rear passengers.
I also like the fact that all of the rear lights actually work, rather than have dummy lights which don’t work on the corners.
The seats also in the Landcruiser are much more firm and supportive which makes for more comfortable touring.
Other little niceties are the crutch vent which keeps your private parts cool when you have the air or heater on, the interior light delays also add to a little nice touch as well, and not to forget to mention the overhead console which has not 1 or 2 sunglasses holders, but 4!! I also like the fact that the CD player has the stacker in the dash, rather than down the back which was a real pain.
The Landcruiser also has a Voltmeter and an oil pressure gauge which is also handy, as well as a lockable glove box which has a light when you open it….and not only that, the driver and the passenger both get vanity mirrors which light up when opened…..very good for me to check my hair is lookin good…and that centre console is big enough to carry your mother in law in!
One thing I find better also is the petrol tank configuration, no more transferring fuel from one tank to another, all it takes is the flick of a switch and your gauge shows what’s in the auxiliary tank and uses the appropriate fuel tank. Only one filler cap is also a welcome addition.
Room inside both the cabin and the luggage area has a lot more room also than the patrol….all of the things mentioned above are not in the Patrol, and I had forgotten just how handy those little things were…
Ok,
Now the things I think the Patrol is better at are the…..the….the…I’m thinking….Only kidding… :whoops:
The Patrol with it’s flared guards is something I particularly like ( only on the old model…) and I am sure I am going to miss, as over the past few years, I have come to grief a few times with the guards and having them replaced and painted seems a lot less stressful than having the body fixed if something gets dented.
I also thought the reversing light in the patrol was brighter than the Landcruisers, despite the Patrol only having 1 reverse light compared to the Landcruisers 2! I suppose it’s an easy fix though, I will just have to stick in higher wattage globes.
I also miss the outside temperature gauge, and I still find myself looking up for it on a hot day.
I am also miffed that the front window in the Cruiser is too close to the dash, which means that I couldn’t fit my Magellan GPS 315 I have with the flat base, so I will have to get the window bracket instead…or upgrade the GPS… ;p
Other than that, I think I can confirm that I have made the right decision and the more time I spend in it, the more I fall in love with the sound of that V8 under acceleration.
So, that's my honest opinion between the Landcruiser & the Patrol
Next week it goes in for the complete Old man Emu upgrade including torsion bars, a colour coded Sahara bar & a set of the new beaut IPF HIR driving lights.
Then, it will be perfect....only diff locks to go.
Now I have had time to drive the Landcruiser for a bit of time, (6000 klms) I think I can give an honest evaluation between the Landcruiser & the Patrol….well, sort of having owned 8 Patrols previously over the past years....
Apart from the fact that the 2 vehicles are about the same size, and are targeted at pretty much the same buyer and that’s about where the similarities stop.
You also have to understand, I am comparing the Top of the line Ti Patrol ($80,000+) against the GXL Landcruiser (Mid spec $65,000) which has to be considered....
The things I like about the Cruiser mainly lay in the engine and gearbox areas, the NVH levels (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) are worlds apart. The Patrol feels quite ancient in comparison to the Landcruisers V8..
Fuel consumption is also a factor worth mentioning, I have been consistently getting 16.0 litres per 100 klm’s around town at the moment, and I can only assume that after it has run in, and I admit I am taking it pretty easy and I am sure that it should only improve, compared with 18.1 litres per 100 klm’s in the patrol, I have been saving nearly $25.00 a week on fuel alone, and with that, it certainly goes a heck of a lot quicker too…
Last weekend I went to the Central Coast to see some relatives, and took note of the fuel usage, and it used over the 200 kilometres I traveled exactly, and used 14.3 litres per 100 klm’s! Don’t forget, this is a 4.7 litre V8!!!
I admit, I drove purposely to see what I could get and didn’t go over 90 kph without the cruise control on…..
Handlings between the two vehicles are also something in which are worlds apart also. The Landcruiser is known for its soft compliant ride in comparison to the Patrol, and I think the latest offering in the IFS configuration at least bridges the gap in terms of handling, and no longer does the Landcruiser wallow around corners as it used to do, in fact it steers so accurately, and soaks up the bumps and corners a lot more steadier than the Patrol does.
No more “pull to the left” syndrome which I have lived with for years.
I am really looking forward to having the Old Man Emu suspension fitted shortly, as if the handling can be even further improved; the Patrol won’t even be in the same league.
Off road is something which is yet to be seen, as I haven’t had time yet to put it through it’s paces in that area yet, but I am looking very much forward to doing it shortly…..
It has been said on many occasions that the IFS is less robust than the live axel vehicles, and to that I concede, I am sure that if push turns to shove, the live axel will probably accept a lot more abuse before something breaks than the IFS would.
Having said that, the cracking in which has been experienced in the IFS models recently have been isolated to only the T/D variation, which has had the suspension modified, the torsion bars wound up 40 odd mm as well as being fitted with a steel bullbar & a winch and with the extra 200 odd kilo’s in weight deficit between the Turbo Diesel, and the V8 engine, this could also go toward the problems experienced.
ARB has recognized this issue and now fits strengthening brackets on all of their suspension upgrades to reduce the possibility of this happening. It has also been suggested that the only ones in which have suffered from this problem have been used in extreme off road driving.
That said, it doesn’t excuse the problem.
Many have also suggested that the reverse gear in the Landcruiser is somewhat fragile, and people have reported that some failures have been reported if used aggressively such as snatching heavy loads in reverse…..this has also been reported that these failings have been on manual transmissions also, and the only reports at this stage have mainly come from Rental Companies, which say’s something doesn’t it…..Lucky I got an auto…
Anyway, there are a couple of other things worth mentioning, is that the vision from the rear is so much safer than with the rear tyre being bolted to the tailgate, I think it exacerbates the problem in the patrol is that the rear barn door column in the middle goes a lot to the reduced vision up the back…It has taken me a bit of time to get used to the tow bar sticking out past the rear end, as there is no spare wheel to protect you from banging your shins on the goose neck which I have the bruises to testify!
I absolutely love the split tail arrangement as once the top is opened, I had forgotten just how good they are as it provides you with shelter from the rain, not to mention the bottom provides you with a handy seat to sit on and have a cup of coffee on…
The head lights are also a fabulous little arrangement, you see it doesn’t sound a buzzer if you leave your lights on, it simply turns them off if you leave them on and remove the ignition key…very handy.
So is the 30 second window delay which after you turn off the ignition remove your keys, you can still operate the windows. One touch auto up or down is also an improvement for all of the windows. So too is the far rear windows are able to be opened rather than be unopenable as in the Patrol which provides a little more comfort for the rear, rear passengers.
I also like the fact that all of the rear lights actually work, rather than have dummy lights which don’t work on the corners.
The seats also in the Landcruiser are much more firm and supportive which makes for more comfortable touring.
Other little niceties are the crutch vent which keeps your private parts cool when you have the air or heater on, the interior light delays also add to a little nice touch as well, and not to forget to mention the overhead console which has not 1 or 2 sunglasses holders, but 4!! I also like the fact that the CD player has the stacker in the dash, rather than down the back which was a real pain.
The Landcruiser also has a Voltmeter and an oil pressure gauge which is also handy, as well as a lockable glove box which has a light when you open it….and not only that, the driver and the passenger both get vanity mirrors which light up when opened…..very good for me to check my hair is lookin good…and that centre console is big enough to carry your mother in law in!
One thing I find better also is the petrol tank configuration, no more transferring fuel from one tank to another, all it takes is the flick of a switch and your gauge shows what’s in the auxiliary tank and uses the appropriate fuel tank. Only one filler cap is also a welcome addition.
Room inside both the cabin and the luggage area has a lot more room also than the patrol….all of the things mentioned above are not in the Patrol, and I had forgotten just how handy those little things were…
Ok,
Now the things I think the Patrol is better at are the…..the….the…I’m thinking….Only kidding… :whoops:
The Patrol with it’s flared guards is something I particularly like ( only on the old model…) and I am sure I am going to miss, as over the past few years, I have come to grief a few times with the guards and having them replaced and painted seems a lot less stressful than having the body fixed if something gets dented.
I also thought the reversing light in the patrol was brighter than the Landcruisers, despite the Patrol only having 1 reverse light compared to the Landcruisers 2! I suppose it’s an easy fix though, I will just have to stick in higher wattage globes.
I also miss the outside temperature gauge, and I still find myself looking up for it on a hot day.
I am also miffed that the front window in the Cruiser is too close to the dash, which means that I couldn’t fit my Magellan GPS 315 I have with the flat base, so I will have to get the window bracket instead…or upgrade the GPS… ;p
Other than that, I think I can confirm that I have made the right decision and the more time I spend in it, the more I fall in love with the sound of that V8 under acceleration.
So, that's my honest opinion between the Landcruiser & the Patrol
Next week it goes in for the complete Old man Emu upgrade including torsion bars, a colour coded Sahara bar & a set of the new beaut IPF HIR driving lights.
Then, it will be perfect....only diff locks to go.
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