Agreed. I'm changing my Prado for a Grenadier. She has done some awesome trips over the years and I'm really going to miss her 150 litre fuel tank and turning circle (especially on tight tracks), but her 2.5tonne towing and average performance (the D4D is efficient and reliable, but don't expect it to react quickly or with gusto)) had to change...That's a great summary @SirJimR. Thank you for posting. I did have a giggle about the Mahindra as Magic, the Ineos dealer in Perth, is also the Mahindra dealer and both showrooms are side by side.
I too went through a similar exercise earlier in the year when I was considering bailing out. I took a more "rivet counter approach" and compiled the attached spreadsheet. I only compared station wagons and to the extent possible picked the most comparable models to the Trialmaster which I had ordered (LC300 excepted). I didn't attempt to price in manufacturer supplied accessories or consider after market ones, but that would change the prices markedly if I was getting everything to the same spec.
My headline conclusions:
Cheers
- If you want out of the box range go Toyota. But I think real world fuel consumption figures will change the table order significantly and I suspect that Toyota are a tad optimistic with their official consumption figures.
- The Wrangler is clearly a different beast and targeted to the technical recreational market rather than long distance touring, towing and commercial ones.
- If I was budget constrained I'd get a Prado and accept the clearance/angle limitations.
- The Everest betrays its dual cab ute heritage and marketing spin with limited payload at max tow wt.
- Though a petrol the Nissan Patrol doesn't stack up too badly by the numbers.
- Ultimately it confirmed that the Grenadier, out of the box, best matched what i was looking for in a new car to replace my Discovery 2.
Steve
A 300 GX was on my list....a mate is eyeing one up as we speak, trading his fully kitted Prado for one
Not in Italy, for instance... The Rubicon costs here 86,900€, the Land Cruiser 81,450€ and the Grenadier (full price, not the discounted for the very first orders) 78,485€Hi all, thought it would be fun to put up some competitor vehicles that I considered before pulling the trigger on my order.
I'll list some Pros & Cons, as well as a link to the specs on CarsGuide for each.
Essentially - I chose the Grenadier because it takes the best of the below and combines it into a cohesive package that does it all and better.
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon:
https://www.carsguide.com.au/jeep/wrangler/2023
Pro: Cheaper than Grenadier
Pro: ZF gearbox
2023 Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series LC78 GXL (wagon):
https://www.carsguide.com.au/toyota/landcruiser-70-series/price/2023
Pro: Cheaper list price than Grenadier
Well the latest is they are now referred to as oil burners. Whether it's substantiated or not is up to the owners.With the demise of the G Professional there are no equally robust alternatives, the Y61 would have been the closest, now the closest would be the Y62 but a different vehicle really, and if Toyota spent more money on development and engineering and less on advertising, the reliability myth might actually be real. For instance the 79 series gearbox is fragile, you can't tow in 5th gear, it has the same front diff centre as a Hilux plus all the design flaws like the narrow rear track, its starter motor is under the inlet manifold in the V, creating a water trap, and it takes 2 days work to change the starter motor. ( good luck doing that in the bush ).
The 200 series has the same starter motor, but it is automatic, so no ability to push start.
The 300 series has a hot V design,( 2 Turbo chargers in the V ) massive heat with nowhere to escape, towing in a hot climate like Australia, good luck with that, I could only imagine how brittle the gaskets will get over time and how hard it would be to keep things lubricated in the top end with all that heat, lots of wear.
I actually don’t think they look that alike. The biggest similarities are in the front and second row windows and slab sides, the rest is quite differentSpot the difference!
G-wagon
I actually don’t think they look that alike. The biggest similarities are in the front and second row windows and slab sides, the rest is quite different
The Grenadier driver knows how to park correctly?Spot the difference!
G-wagon
He does it every morning, grabbing his coffee, parking spaces are for plebs, sometimes he just double parks!The Grenadier driver knows how to park correctly?
Got to love the old Iron Pig. Shame there's not many left...pig to drive, pig to park
4 you say, hold my beer...I have posted it before - but I love it.
A family of 4 all sit together up front
View attachment 7821501
Hmmm… is that a Defender behind the Gay Wagon?Spot the difference!
G-wagon
The left one is nicer. Definitely.Spot the difference!
G-wagon