Anybody have a Toyota Hilux :)? (not O/T)

Sep 14, 2007
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After watching too many episodes of Top Gear on Dave :eek:, and generally being in love with such cars - i am seriously considering buying an old Toyota Hilux at some point in the future :eek:. (not for a while yet as i still can't drive - but trying to plan ahead and think of these things before i actually need to!) Although it would be my first car, my mum has very kindly offered to pay the insurance :eek::D - so that's one less cost to worry about - i was wondering about the practicality of it as a horseperson's car. The space in the back (would like the pick-up model) looks good for transporting feed bags, hay bales, bedding and the like from place to place without getting your seats mucky :p, it seems to put up with a reasonable amount of on road and off road torture, although i'm not sure about it's towing limit - but wouldn't be too keen to get a trailer license any time soon :p (got to tackle the normal one first!). In general, just as literally something to drive up to the yard and back, lug about the heavy stuff that my mum would moan about having in her car ;) and the fact that they don't die on you when they hit 6yrs - it seems like it would be an OK car to have - does anyone else have one and how would you rate it as a horseperson-friendly car :)?
 
I have one, and its just fantastic!!

Its a 94, black 3L, manual(rare) ssx limited.

I can fit 10 bales of shavings or 14 bales of easibed in the back with seats down. It has never let me down on dodgy roads, has driven over and threw everything ive aimed it at. (including 2miles down a flooded road where the river came above my lights!!). I can fill it with very heavy things and it just keeps pulling no problem.

The old owner towed a 4ton boat with it (not sure how legal!?!?) And used to carry his quad around in the back!! One day he was driving threw town when a scooter lost control on ice, he swerved to miss hi, hit 5 cars, wrote 4 off and he had a scratch on the bull bars!!(OPPS)

However have you seriously looked into this? The 2.4/2.5l are renowned for blowing the heads regularly and your lucky if you get a good one. The best to get is a 3l import which are ridiculous to insure. (Im 24 and mine costs £600 to insure) Its rubbish on fuel, expensive on tax and tyres. Also be wary of buying them unless you've checked under the rear bumper, as loads are used to back boats into the sea and are rusting away under neath!!

Anyway like I say I love mine and I did actually look into it seriously cause of TopGear:eek: (even though always loved them!!). I wouldnt swap it and i always feel safe in it. However before you run into any decision seriously look into cost of buying, keeping and running one. Ring around a few insurance companies as it wont be as easy as you think to insure, especially if its an import!! But good luck and I do hope you join the Hilux owners club soon, as their the best!!
 

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Thanks for all of the advice :D! Looks like the insurance would be a whopper :eek::eek:! (the 3L engine sounds rather thirsty, too :p)
 
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I do and it's a 94 Toyota Hilux Surf SSR-G Turbo 3L Automatic Japanese import, it's 14 years old and very tough and reliable and I love it, its great to drive and very comfortable and has a large, long boot, although these 4x4s do not have as much headroom inside as others there is still plenty of space for horsey stuff, and it drives up hills effortlessly. Its a 3 litre automatic though and quite heavy on diesel, although I have heard that these are better than the ones with smaller engines. It took me a while to get used to the automatic gears but now I find it so much easier than manual operation. I haven't used it yet for towing but do plan to. I have heard though that if something goes wrong with the computerised electrical circuit board it can cost a fortune to replace it, and places like Kwikfit aren't equiped to set the tracking. My insurance is around £50 a month and tax is about £185 a year (£100 for 6 months), but I did get an insurance quote for £46 a month but didn't bother changing. They are good cars if you can afford to run them and you can pick up the older ones quite cheap now. Norwich Union and Direct Line will insure the imports and also a company which I think is called Cherry Tree or something like that, but I had to get an alarm and immobiliser fitted to get insurance cover. It did actually belong to my plumber OH but he has a van now and I liked the Hilux so much I bought it off him. Ideally though, if I could afford it, I would like an eco, fuel efficient, less poluting 4x4 (as long as it was a Hilux!).
 
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I had one. (95 3ltr auto jap import) It was fun to drive....found inurance wasn't too bad (direct line) just had to have proof of having an imobilizer being fitted. I didn't think it was too juicy on fuel to be honest as I've had cars that were worse....as long as you don't drive it like an idiot it's not that bad. Off road and towing was a breeze.

However....if something goes wrong then you are stuffed!! Being a jap import means it's hard as hell to find spare parts and when you do they cost you a fortune unless you get lucky and find someone who is breaking one for spare parts and can buy your bits off them.


I've been told by my O/H to say that if you buy a Gen 1 then it's hands on tools (they are always breaking down)
Gen 2 hands on head (as they always have odd problems you can't figure out)
Gen 3 hands on hips (as they are hairdressers cars)

Don't ask! lol :D

Edited to say that mine died a slow and costly death. ECU problems among other things that were just too costly to get repaired....cost to repair would have been more than car was worth so sold it for spares and repairs! lol Have a frontera now so I can go straight to scrappy and pick up spare parts for it easily.
 
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