TOYOTA
LAND CRUSER NISSAN
GU PATROL
I don’t think it really matters which model you
look at — 70 Series, 80 Series, 100 Series —
they all have enviable reputations as
excellent tow vehicles that are reliable,
powerful and backed by the largest service
network in the country. For many years, the 4WD battlegrounds were
fought between Land Cruisers and Patrols,
and this battle extended to the towing world.
The Patrol has an enviable reputation for
having strong drivetrains but some of the
engines developed a bad reputation,
particularly the 3L four-cylinder turbodiesel.
What’s more, I don’t believe it really matters if
you want to go with a petrol or diesel model
— the engines in Land Cruisers have always
been strong, reliable and are good for well
over 300,000km if well looked after.
Land Cruisers have always had class-
leading towing capabilities and the
specifications to match.
My pick would be a 100 Series with the six-
cylinder 4.2L factory turbodiesel engine in
either manual or automatic. These engines
are good for 500,000km with regular servicing
and can be found with less than 200,000km
on them for around the $40,000 mark. That, to
me, is excellent value for money.
The GU Patrol is a genuine workhorse.
Apart from that, the two six-cylinder engines,
the 4.8L petrol and 4.2L turbodiesel, were
outstanding engines and comparable to
anything from the Toyota stable. In fact, it’s
probably fair to say that the two Nissan six-
cylinder engines were more reliable than their
Toyota counterparts.
Today, you rarely see the turbodiesel GU on
sale as owners tend to hang on to them. The
petrol engine model does come up more often
and, while its thirsty, it is a cracker for power
and torque, and has outstanding reliability.
But don’t discount the later 3L common-rail
turbodiesel four-cylinder GUs. Nissan had
ironed out the bugs by the time this model
came out. They are not particularly powerful
or fuel-efficient by modern diesel standards,
but when you can pick one up with little more
than 100,000km on the clock for less than
$30,000, it may well be a good option.