Overview
WE took the chance to affix the Gray Nomad brigade and head for the Purple Centre towing a big camper trailer with the newest Toyota Landcruiser 300-Collection GX for a two-week, 6000km sojourn of pitching a tent, no telephone service, mud, flies, barbecues and dramatic surroundings.
It was bloody terrific.
We had been completely at residence within the procession of assorted caravans and campers being towed predominantly by Toyotas, with a handful or Isuzu and Ford fashions sharing the scene.
Few different makes had been seen on the principle or tough distant roads as much as “The Alice”, then on to Yulara, Ormiston Gorge, Gosse Bluff, Simpson’s Hole, Ellery Creek Huge Gap, Standley Chasm, Kata Tjuta and environs although some assured people had been towing with Jeeps, Land Rovers and even a couple of Chinese language makes.
Toyota “owns the outback” as they’ve an unsurpassed repute for reliability and there’s a vendor in almost each whistle cease the place you may get components shortly and cheaply if required which we did after the rear windscreen copped a stone bouncing again from the trailer on the tough Oodnadatta Observe to William Creek and Lake Eyre.
In hindsight, these rock tamer mudflaps make sense…
The bottom ‘Cruiser 300-Collection GX sells for a not insignificant $97,990 excluding on-road prices, inserting it two grand lower than the high quality however smaller and 4 cylinder Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu from $99,990 + ORC.
Because the “entry” mannequin with cloth upholstery and rubber mats, the GX is not any cringe because it incorporates a complete array of security, consolation and comfort options and shares most of its underpinnings with all the opposite 300-Collection variants. It appears just about the identical, too.
However the GX has a wider monitor than all of the others and rolls on extra accessible 17-inch all terrain rubber, scores the locking centre diff’, full time AWD with selectable high- and low vary augmented by a crawl perform and 6 drive modes, similar floor clearance and off-road margin capabilities.
Up to date this yr, the brand new GX positive aspects improved tech’ and infotainment options, extra “luxurious” package, wi-fi Apple and Android telephone connectivity and the newest model of Toyota Linked Companies.
Of specific profit for lengthy distance towing is the mannequin’s adaptive cruise management, auto LED headlights, keyless entry and ignition, distant air-conditioning activation, reverse digital camera with information traces, street signal recognition, and downhill help.
These options are further to dual-zone local weather management, electrical park brake, new digital driver’s cluster and centre display, multi-terrain system, and a full dimension spare wheel.
Tow particular particulars of the GX embrace a weight of 2495kg – the lightest 300-Collection, a good GVM of 3280kg, a 110-litre gasoline tank, 11.8m turning circle, and brakes of 354mm on the entrance with four-piston callipers and 335mm on the rear with a single-piston calliper.
The suspension is double wishbone up entrance with a stabiliser bar and a inflexible axle on the rear held by 4 hyperlinks.
For the journey undertaken, the desire could be for the 300-Collection over a Prado (or anything) because it makes lighter work of towing because of its highly effective 3.3-litre 227kW/700Nm twin-turbo V6 turbo diesel engine, bigger dimension, roomier cabin and bigger elements just like the brakes, and suspension.
Each 300-Collection and the Prado 250-Collection share the identical TNGA-F ladder chassis and each tow 3500kg most.
Connected behind the GX was an off-road succesful camper trailer with giant, heavy-duty tyres, strengthened under-tray and safety, heavy gauge chassis, large disc brakes and a big fold-out tent on high.
Inside was an built-in camp kitchen with every part besides a dishwasher, devoted 12-volt electrical system and huge alloy toolbox atop the entrance of the chassis.
All up, trailer weight (ATM) was simply over 1000kg with 60 litres of water and filled with tenting stuff which is nicely inside the ‘Cruiser’s capability.
Driving impressions
Justifiably known as “The Swiss Military Knife of Automobiles” the Landcruiser 300 Collection is totally at residence towing within the outback, one thing instantly apparent upon setting out.
It’s snug, quiet as soon as the specified tempo is about, highly effective and might eat enormous distances with ease inflicting minimal fatigue on the occupants.
On our journey we wafted alongside on the pace restrict with the home windows down and no music enjoying to totally have interaction with the countryside and its smells, the balmy climate and the sounds of the bush. It was virtually a seminal expertise.
The large ‘Cruiser barely felt the tonne it was hauling save for a slight tugging sensation over greater undulations. It retained spectacular acceleration for overtaking and hills made little or no distinction to the chosen tempo the powertrain solely sometimes down-shifting from tenth or ninth gear to a decrease cog.
We left it in D (Drive) and Regular mode your complete time as not as soon as was the GX discovered wanting on- or off-road in efficiency phrases and it was conducive to the relaxed mind set we had adopted for the journey. Manoeuvring in tenting spots is facilitated by the nicely weighted steering, spectacular turning circle for such an enormous automobile and reverse digital camera with information traces.
All dynamic features of “the rig” are enhanced by the ‘Cruisers general competence together with braking, cornering, steering and stability.
Our every day distance goal of roughly 500km handed imperceptibly as dialog ebbed between the federal election being held on the time, the 360-degree panoramic Australiana view and myriad different fascinating subjects to blather on about.
We spent hours within the ‘Cruiser however had been prepared for motion after we acquired to the place we had been heading… a worthy measure of any automobile’s qualities to eat kilometres painlessly.
Gas use hovered across the 14.5 litres per 100km mark, giving us a protected 700km vary between fills (we carried a 20-litre jerrycan of diesel simply in case).
By the way, gasoline on the journey was priced from $1.67 a litre at residence on the NSW coast to $2.89 a litre at King’s Canyon.
We adopted a two-hours-on, two-hours-off driving protocol to restrict fatigue and it really works a deal with, with the desire being for the passenger’s seat…
Our solely two gripes with the ‘Cruiser are the tremendous annoying adaptive cruise management with nook pace correction that takes a chunk out of your set pace on the slightest divergence from straight. After momentarily slowing, the engine must speed up once more to the set pace which might’t be optimum for gasoline effectivity and is ridiculous in addition to annoying.
The opposite gripe is the default-on intrusive lane maintaining help that may be a requirement for a five-star ANCAP ranking and dangerous for towing.
The ‘Cruiser might do with a cooled glovebox and louder horn to keep off the tens of millions of feral goats plaguing components of the outback.
The fabric upholstery within the GX is wise and comfortable, the rubber ground mats are a necessity outback, the sleek relaxed and quiet drive is welcome on such a visit as is the supple experience and nicely weighted hydraulic steering not forgetting the house the automobile supplies which is positively expansive.
Now, for our subsequent journey… how far-off is the Tele Observe once more?
