From Land Rover To Toyota

[vic575]

Hi there,

I have just joined this forum.

I was formerly an owner of a new Land Rover Defender, Land Rover enthusiast and member of a Land Rover forum.

I have come to my senses.

I have just traded in my 57 reg Defender and have on order a new Hilux HL3 3.0.

Having been bitterly disappointed with my last two new Defenders I began to look around for something better.

I have found it. A toyota Hilux Double Cab.

My Defenders have been totally unreliable, badly built and noisy, uncomfortable and very uneconomical.

How does 25 mpg sound.

How would you like to buy a twenty-odd thousand pound Defender and have:-

Raining in - soaking wet carpets

Paint work needing re -spraying

Leaking axles

Clanking gearbox

Knocking sound from underneath.

No legroom in rear

Tractor like feel.

It was only when the urge for something better lead to a test drive in a Hilux that my eyes were opened.

Here was a 4x4 pick up with the refinement, bullet proof build quality, economy I always thought didn't exist.

It really has been a revelation.

I wish I had known this last year before buying my third terrible Land Rover.

But thats the thing with Land Rover enthusiasts. They can't see the truth that Land Rovers are so bad. It's like a disease. Fortunately I have got better.

So now here I am as a new Toyota convert.

Toyota Prius [ loan car]

Toyota Hilux HL3 3.0 [on order]

[Boro Sera]

Hi and welcome

It's a real shame that you can't spend 20k on a car and guarantee a good one nowadays !

Good luck with the HiLux.

[T600]

Welcome to TOC.

They don't make those TATAs like they used to, do they? ;)

[jerry phipps]

Welcome to the club ;) Sounds like you have make a good choice in car. Hope that your Toyota is a more reliable car for you

jerry!!

[vic575]

Thank's everyone for the welcome.

It is much appreciated.

As you can see I had many problems with my Defender and the one before that.

I don't know how they get away with it.

Problems aside, the Hiux is still so much better than a Defender. I am still amazed how refined, quiet, economical, roomy, reliable, comfortable and well built the Toyota is. Why didn't anyone tell me how good they are before I wasted money on Land Rovers.

Recently Land Rover passed the four million vehicles built mark.

Toyota have built over ninety million vehicles. I guess this says it all.

Land Rovers ethos has always been 'We know its rubbish but lets not change it or improve it - they will still buy them'

Toyota's approach seems to be 'Lets not rest on our reputation - we can make it even better'

The difference in quality really is worlds apart.

As I wrote in my last Land Rover Forum post;- Better Toyota than Tata.