owning a surf

[blacky]

having looked at 4x4's for a while i can see no other choice but a surf.i just need a final nudge,what are they like to live with,mpg,insurance,reliability ,spares availability?any info will be gratefully recieved.

[The Duke]

just browse this forum

and see the comments

then join the elite

[SurfnTurf]

Well for starters your life will improve imeasureably........
They are a bit more to run than your bog standard saloon, but then look at what youre getting. The 2.4 will have the best fuel economy and insurace for me was only slightly more than the megane i had previously. Spares are easy and fairly cheap to come buy, and of course, if you ever need to know anything, you've got all the info here for free!

[da SLUG man]

all depends what you want it for... they're good all rounders

not like a land rover, they're more utility and a much harsher ride
not like a range rover... they're so wallowy, so you don't spill your champagne!
nice on the motorway, not the quickest thing ever, but my 3.0 will cruise nicely at 90 and you never know your going that fast.
the shoguns now are such "soft roaders" they're not as versatile and the interior's quite a bit smaller

people on here use surfs for everything, work vans, daily run abouts, motorway and most have been off road and they're not unhappy with the performance

although the surf is heavy and doesn't handle like a car, you can throw it about quite a bit and the only reported trouble really with road handling is usually people who are not used to rwd and lose it on roundabouts... probably best to invest in some UK spec tyres and a UK stereo and that's really about it

for a £50 tank of fuel on road tyres i can get around 300 miles (usually 320) and that's mixed driving. on my M/Ts i'm not getting as good milage

there is a problem with heads on the 2.4s but really it sounds worse than it is beacause you only hear of the bad ones!... if you're going for a 2.4 it's probably best to budget for a head change (just in case) they're £500 if you DIY or around 800-1000 if done at a garage.

spares are available from toyota, or www.milnerconv.com (milner off road) or www.toyotahilux.com (roughtrax) milners do a filter service kit (air oil fuel) for £15

insurance is a bit of a grey area!... shop around... they seem to make up a different price for everyone!... as they're not a standard type approved UK model you'll have to go to an import specialist... but loads do it now (BIG thread on this site)