Toyota hilux

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Cinderellarockafella

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I am about to buy a 4x4 to tow a horse trailer. How do people find the Toyota hilux? How does it do on fuel? Are there any advantages or disadvantages?

Thanks
 
The hilux is quite long with a trailer on the back, it takes a bit of getting used to the length when parking it etc otherwise it tows well enough. Prefer a Kia Sorento myslf.
 
Up until a couple of years ago I was driving an L reg imported Hilux Surf and it was brilliant! Heavy on fuel though as an automatic and quite a powerful engine, but nothing ever went wrong with it. I could take it offroading where a tractor couldn't get to in the winter around the farm! I never towed a horse box with it but had livestock trailers etc with it and it went fine. It's still going strong to this day!
 
We bought one after watching top gear. The car was bought 6 months old and within 2 years has needed a new radiator and a new engine. Toyota had shocking service, because the car was an import they wouldn't have anything to do with it and we had to wait 12 weeks to get parts shipped from Thailand!
 
Also had an L reg auto petrol import, was absolutely fabulous! A little wallowy if you're not used to bigger 4x4s, but the family loved it especially my (at the time) 21yo self!
 
I've had two hi luxs. They are v long to tow with and being a pickup you need to put weight in the back. The newer one I had was v heavy on diesel. Their towing capacity is surprisingly low. 2.5 tonnes for a newer one, 2.2 for an older one. A Kia sorento can tow 3.5 and is good on fuel. Lots of endurance riders use pickups as towing/crew vehicles because of all the stuff they need taken around to crew points. The Nissan paverro seems to be v popular.
 
I have got a smililar post going in AAD - I was asking aboutr dog crates but it has broadened. The Nissan Navarra is copping a slating and I have now been recommended an Isuzu.
Do let me know what you go with, and how it works out?

PS Towing clinic man...where do I find him?
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I will be competing at endurance in soon so was interested in the boot space of the hilux. Are there any other 4x4 that have good boot space and are more economical on fuel?
 
Our L200 is great for space and is fairly cheap on fuel too (we replaced hilux with this). At the moment we don't have anything on the back as I'm still picking up haylage bales regularly, but we have the cab attachment which means the boot is massive.
 
I did a ton of research on which 4x4 to get and ending up with a Landrover Freelander, which spent more time in the garage than on the road and was just so slow, after being used to high power diesel cars I missed the smoothness and speed.

Ended up with the Nissan Xtrail, and at 140bhp it certainly shifts for a 4x4! Boot space is massive and with the seats down its a vast amount of space.

xtrail.jpg




It has a 4wd/2wd selector switch so you can leave it in 2wd for day to day driving, and reap the better economy for it. I got the SVE edition as I like gadgets and comfort, it has heated leather seats, powerfold mirrors, electric adjustable seats, 6 cd changer in dash, the biggest sun roof youve ever seen (its almost like a convertible LOL) and in the muck and snow its supurb.

Came top in fifth gears roundup...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR7kHC6yiQI
 
I have an imported Hilux, manual 2.4 (so not the bigger engine) but it's still fab! Drives more like a car than the old Discovery and tows well - will literal tow anything anywhere in low ratio.
 
tankgirl1 said:
Just watched the top gear series of vids, and have concluded that I want a hilux! Have they ever tried to kill a proper landy defender though? Because a red defender is my 'One day Rodders' ride :D
Click to expand...
I think the whole point was how tough the toyotas are and they survive in all the hardest envronments and are the vehicle of choice when its a question of life or death if you break down!!!
landrovers have been discounted by most serious users from aid agencys, mining companys to the taliban ,you only need to see the daily news to see them all over the world in places that soon kill a landrover ...
 
I don't know anything about towing with a Hilux, but a friend gave me a lift in one through the thickest snow and I've never felt so safe in all my life .. we could've been on the driest tarmac on the sunniest day ... :D
 
Cinderellarockafella said:
Had a look on a car website and the L200 seems to be much more expensive that hilux, do you know why this is?
Click to expand...
Are you comparing like for like model wise?? they all do a basic practical spec ie toyota call it HL2 mitsubishi 4work 4life etc and blingy type ones with lots of added junk and shiny plastic with silly childish names like invinsible or barbarian!!!
same truck underneath but about 5k more, Im fairly sure they are all about the same list prices but often there are deals and offers like pre reg so its a case of shoping round.
hope this helps..
 
Not a great deal of wisdom to add but we have one, basic model, 3 years old and it awesome. Goes anywhere, tows very well and despite it size I find it easy to drive in town and park. Only downsides: the pickup section is so big I struggle to get stuff out coz I'm short and we put proper tyres (bfgs
 
Pressed buttons too early!
Proper tyres on straight away as towing a stock trailer full of fat lambs in the wet one day was a little hairy, however the nobbly tyres have sorted that.
 
CobSunshine said:
I did a ton of research on which 4x4 to get and ending up with a Landrover Freelander, which spent more time in the garage than on the road and was just so slow, after being used to high power diesel cars I missed the smoothness and speed.

Ended up with the Nissan Xtrail, and at 140bhp it certainly shifts for a 4x4! Boot space is massive and with the seats down its a vast amount of space.

xtrail.jpg




It has a 4wd/2wd selector switch so you can leave it in 2wd for day to day driving, and reap the better economy for it. I got the SVE edition as I like gadgets and comfort, it has heated leather seats, powerfold mirrors, electric adjustable seats, 6 cd changer in dash, the biggest sun roof youve ever seen (its almost like a convertible LOL) and in the muck and snow its supurb.

Came top in fifth gears roundup...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR7kHC6yiQI
Click to expand...

Have pulled several of these out of the mud when the going gets a little slippery with my Trooper!!
 
We have a Nissan navara (top gear drove one through the channel to France) and love it. Cheaper and higher spec than the hilux, better fuel economy than the sorrento (we had one of those briefly but it needed over £5k worth of work to make it safe).

Wouldn't change our Nav for the world now. It also got us to the yard in the snow when other 4x4s had to be abandoned on the main road.
 
I have hulux surf and I love it. Would be happy to buy another. I have driven a variety of 4x4s and this is my favourite by far. Had it nearly two years, and delighted with it. I HATE driving but even I like this car.
 
Yes the Nav is part time 4x4 which helps with fuel economy. We hardly ever use 4wd.

If you look at the nav avoid the older D22 engine as they have reliability issues. Would far rather have a nav than a ford ranger, in fact I wouldn't touch any sort of ford.
 
We have a 2011 Hilux, it's obviously long but then so are most pick ups and reversing camera helps with parking. It's nice and comfortable with more rear seat leg room than many pick ups. It's pretty average fuel wise and tows well. Turning circle is much better than our previous Mitsubishi. Most of all it feels very robust and well built.

Son is on his second Ford Ranger, initially had a an 09 model and now has a 2012 new mode which is bigger with lots of gadgets. It's very comfortable and also tows well. The fuel consumption is similar to the Hilux, perhaps very marginally better. All in all the Ford is perhaps fancier; heated seats, fan cooled sandwich/drinks box etc but I do think the Hilux feels like it is sturdier and perhaps more workman like.
 
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