Your questions answered: Should I downsize from a Toyota LandCruiser to a HiLux?

From electric trucks and new Tesla EVs to Toyota LandCruiser and Suzuki Grand Vitara SUVs, this week’s mailbox certainly has the variety nailed.

We’re also looking at the downsides of buying a high-mileage second-hand EV and whether a regular city-focused SUV can cope with the rigours of rough roads.

There’s plenty of the mainstream, too, from Toyota RAV4 Hybrid queries to buying an SUV to explore the country.

Question:

My question is: Is this all that remapping is cracked up to be, never driven another 200 Series so can’t compare? We lived in the Pilbara for 20 years and have only owned LandCruisers. Our previous was a 2006 which we put 130,000km on it, sold it at 200,000km for this current car. We found the 2006 model very comfy for long drives, 15 hours to Perth but after getting the 200 Series even more comfy and can do it in one hit if needed. The 200 Series is a serious fuel hog when towing our caravan though. General driving most 13-15L/100km, towing probably 20-25L/100km.

Nothing wrong with the 200, bit big for the oldies to get in/out of but do love it. Country born and bred so always a diesel man. Keen to hear your thoughts and
comparisons. – Rob W

Answer: We’re assuming you’re talking about horsepower at the wheels rather than what the engine is actually producing. Only because those standard outputs are too low for a V8 200 Series, but they sound about right for testing the car on a dyno.

Remapping the computer (or ECU) of a car always has compromises. If you’re making more power, then you’re almost certainly using more fuel or bypassing some of the emissions hardware designed to clean the exhaust gases. Sometimes an ECU tune of a turbo car will involve running higher boost pressures, which in turn can mean more turbo lag, which impacts driveability. Others will be paired with a new exhaust system, which could impact the legality of the vehicle from an emissions perspective (it seems plenty of people do it, which suggests the authorities aren’t great at stopping it).

Short story is, don’t believe anyone who says they will improve every aspect of the car by tuning the ECU. Something always has to give…

With that in mind, it looks as though fuel economy is one of the compromises that has been made with your engine tune. While 20-25L/100km is not out of the ordinary for a LandCruiser towing a heavy load, 13-15L/100km seems high for regular driving, unless all you’re doing is slower stop-start driving.

As for the HiLux, a mild hybrid is expected next year. We know very little about it but would expect it to lower fuel use slightly. Even the current 2.8-litre HiLux should use less than 10L/100km for country cruises, though. But you’ll be stepping backwards on comfort – and grunt – from the LandCruiser.

Question:

Just got back from a trip through Flinders Ranges, Oodnadatta Track, Giles Track and Plenty Hwy towing a camper trailer. The vehicle has an Ironman two-inch lift and a range of ARB accessories.

The issue is, at 12 years old I would like to replace it. While it’s reliable, it is starting to show its age. I routinely use 4-high lock, but very rarely low range. Also has a roof rack where I carry camper spare wheel and a second spare for the tug.

To cut to the chase, I would appreciate recommendations on what I can replace the GV with. Base requirements: medium size, five-door, two-tonne tow capacity, genuine 4WD, can fit bull bar and roof rack, up to $70K. Finally, wife will not consider a ute despite her having a very nice vehicle for our non-touring use. – Rod G

Answer: There’s not a whole lot in the more compact end of the serious off-road market, especially since the Vitara went soft. The Suzuki Jimny is the closest thing, but the three-door model doesn’t have much space, the engine is wheezy and the tow capacity just 1300kg.

That leaves you looking at the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Isuzu MU-X, Ford Everest or Toyota Fortuner, each of which is a fair bit bigger than your Suzuki. The Everest is the best (and the most expensive) while the Pajero Sport is showing its age but is a tad smaller and still very reliable.

A left-fielder could be a Subaru Forester or Outback with modifications, such as a suspension lift. Neither has low-range gearing, but you say you don’t really use that. You’d need to do a suspension lift (slightly trickier with independent suspension) and put some added protection underneath. But the simple all-wheel drive system is good and the bones of the car are solid.

Question: I think you mentioned a new model of Tesla coming out at the end of 2023. Is this correct and, if so, is it a variant of an existing model? – Ian

Answer: The online rumour mill suggests a heavily updated Tesla Model 3 will arrive late in the year. There’s been nothing official from Tesla.

Getting info out of Tesla about anything can be challenging – and getting any sort of heads-up about an upcoming new model is virtually unheard of. With the exception of models coming into a new segment (such as the Tesla Cybertruck), the company is a bit like Apple in the way it just announces things and puts them on sale almost immediately.

But given the leaked images and informed speculation we’d expect some sort of major change to the Model 3 by late in the year or early 2024. Expect something similar with the Model Y, although that will likely be a lot later.

As for what the update entails, our best guesses are there will be improvements to efficiency and/or range as well as an overhaul of the interior and exterior styling.

Question:

Answer: It sounds like it may have been used for ride share duties, which on its own doesn’t pose any major issues. But we’d be checking for scrapes and scuffs around the boot and back seats. Again, no biggie, but something to be aware of.

Any EV battery degrades over time and there would likely be some mild degradation on a car with 57,000km. In its 2022 Impact Report, Tesla revealed that its vehicles on average lose 12 per cent of their battery capacity after 322,000km of driving. Assuming the degradation occurs evenly, then the car you’re looking at may have lost about 2.1 per cent of its original capacity.

If it’s a Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive you’re looking at then you can expect the claimed range between charges to drop from 455km to 445km (in both cases you want to knock about 10 per cent off for realistic range). Either way, expect the car you’re looking at to travel about 10km less between charges than a brand-new one.

The other consideration is the warranty. Teslas have a sub-standard four-year/80,000km warranty, so you may not have the factory warranty for much longer. That said, the car also has to adhere to Australian Consumer Law (as overseen by the ACCC) and that may cover you for longer for some issues/failures.

Either way, we wouldn’t be overly concerned about high-ish kilometres on an EV. Do the usual checks and make sure you crunch a good deal and you’ll hopefully end up with a good vehicle. Also see our advice story on ‘What to look for when buying a used electric car’.

Question:

Answer: We’re not aware of any issues with cars draining their batteries if they’re unlocked. Sure, in some instances it could be a problem if a proximity key is left inside and it’s trying to ‘talk’ to the car. Or, obviously, if the ignition is on.

Some Holden Commodore owners had issues with batteries being drained if they kept the key in the ignition and left the car unlocked.

But if you’re just leaving the car unlocked with no keys we don’t think it would be an issue. Certainly our own experience – as well as that of friends and colleagues – suggests you should be fine to leave the car unlocked from a battery perspective.

Question:

Anyhow… Thinking of my next car. It won’t be a BMW. The price I paid in 2015 is now closer to a Kia or Toyota price. I am thinking seriously about either a Sportage or a RAV4. Also wondering about a hybrid version. I would like to include: leather seats, driver’s memory seat, adaptive cruise control, very good lights (my BMW has auto high/low beam, which is great), good air-con… Probably AWD too. Also, I want a spare wheel – preferably full-sized.

Which would you recommend and at what model/level? The Kia Sportage or the RAV4? Or is there something else that I should look at?

Oh, by the way: I like the simplicity of the Toyota Hybrid but if you believe plug-in hybrids have advantages I am open to hearing about them too. Would like to go fully EV but the price is a deterrent and the necessary infrastructure is a concern too. An EV would be ideal for about 80 per cent of our use. But the road trips… – John P

Answer: Forget about a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the wait lists are too long (around two years) and it doesn’t have a full-size spare. The Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER is a great back-up, but you’ve also got the spare tyre issue – and the wait lists are out to about six months.

That leaves the Kia Sportage, which is terrific as a diesel, something that would work nicely for your long trips. Also consider the Hyundai Tucson, which is the same thing beneath the skin. There’s a Sportage hybrid coming early in 2024, too.

As for an EV, we reckon your trips would be doable with some forward planning and factoring in some nice long coffee stops for recharging. Download the PlugShare app and check out the charging stations. You’ll need to filter it by plug type (the icon in the bottom right corner that looks a bit like a wine glass); the ones you want are CCS/SAE and Type 2. You could even throw three-phase in the mix too if you buy an adapter. And if you’re open to a Tesla then click on the Tesla (fast) and Tesla plugs as well.

Question: I have a 23-year-old Nissan Pathfinder and have never used 4WD in 15 years. I live on a dirt road used by log trucks and very up and down, muddy. 70 years old, only on age pension, have saved $20,000, no family or friends to ask help, no bus so have to have reliable car, 20km to really small town with no mechanic as of 2022.

Answer: Most mainstream models will deal with a gravel road and the bumps and mud that that inevitably entails. They may not dispose of them quite as effortlessly as a higher-riding 4WD, but they won’t go falling apart, either.

So, yes, the Hyundai Venue will deal with that sort of terrain. As would a Kia Seltos, which will get another couple of years of warranty.

Neither will have all-wheel drive at that price, although it sounds like you won’t need that.

One thing to keep in mind is that your Pathfinder had a 4WD Auto setting, which allows it to run in 4WD all the time, even on bitumen. It was handy for situations like yours where some extra traction was needed occasionally.

Like many city-focused SUVs, the Venue only ever drives the front wheels, so will never give you that extra traction if the road is a bit muddy. Another thing to keep in mind is what spare tyre it has. Your Pathfinder has a full-size spare, but many modern SUVs don’t bother.

Another option to get something that might do the job easier is a second-hand car. Plenty of options there. A Subaru XV or Subaru Forester would be a terrific choice and you should be able to get a relatively new one for your budget. It’d be worth getting an independent inspection prior to purchase to make sure you’re not buying someone else’s problem.

Question: Have any of the heavy truck manufacturers talked about slide-in, slide-out batteries for their trucks? Maybe the EC (or even the Australian government) should designate (legislate?) standards for such batteries in the same way as they have specified mandatory USB-C for phones. Seems a no-brainer to me. If not – why not? – Graeme B

Answer: An Australian company called Janus Electric has been working on battery swap technology for trucks for years. The technology can be fitted to existing trucks and is claimed to allow battery swaps in about four minutes. The company is currently working on installing the battery swap stations on major east coast trucking routes. Therein lies the challenge: ensuring enough battery swap stations to make it viable for trucking companies.

And, yes, you’re right that a standardised system for such swaps could make sense. But most truck manufacturers (Daimler, Volvo, Tesla, for example) are working on permanent batteries in their EVs. With ultra-fast charging it could also be viable for major trucking routes.

Then there’s hydrogen, which is another way of getting clean power into heavy-duty vehicles very quickly.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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