How Good Are They ??

[JAY_LEE200TDI]

Hi People .....

Well i have been looking at getting an Hilux S but need to know how good they are On / Off Road .

I own a Disco 200tdi at the moment and can not get to the bottem of the problem with play in the steering and it's had everything new and still like it so maybe it's time to go ...

On Road i need a 4x4 to do long trips + handle very well with no problems ..

Off Road i need something that will match my Disco and do any Green Lane and the odd trip to somewhere like bala and not break..

What are the good and bad points about them as i would be looking at a 3.0td Auto if i got one ... Are they prone to rot like a Land Rover .... Thanks

[Koi]

Hi and welcome

In my opinion they handle better than a disco, better off road and not prone to rot or any of the silly little faults you get on a disco.

[Chainsawdude]

Mine is nearly 20 years old and not a bit of rot on it at all, ive not had a disco to compare but i sure love my surf...well apart from i got no diff lockers which kinda sucks but still, its still the best thing ive ever bought

[Team Japan]

Welcome to the forum!

The first thing to remember is that you're on a forum full of enthusiasts, so people here are bound to think that the surf is best.

That said, I've had mine almost a year now and I'm very pleased with it. Mine is a 93 3.0 auto.

On road, it definitely is better than the similar aged discoverys. Two of my friends have them, both 300tdi, and my surf leaves them in the dust on the road. It's altogether smoother and quieter too, even before they put mud types on theirs, and feels much less agricultural. Only down side is it's a bit thirsty on the diesel. I recently drove mine from Cambridge to inverness to see my dad, and it sat on the motorway at 80 quite comfortably all day. The only thing I'd change would be to add cruise control next time I do a trip that long.

Off road, well I regularly go green leaning with my two discovery friends. They both have 2-inch body lifts and mud tyres. I have a 2-inch suspension lift and all-terrain tyres. The ground clearance is better on mine, but it does overhang the front & rear very slightly more, making the discos slightly better through ditches. On the whole though, there's nowhere they can go that I can't follow, even though their tyres are better.

As I'm sure you know, the disco has permanent 4x4, with a centre diff which can be locked. The surf is more like the old series landys with 2 wheel drive (rear) for the road, and when 4 wheel drive is selected the front and rear axles are locked together. So when I'm in 4x4, its the same as them locking their diffs.

As for rot, I expect there are a few rusty examples around, but nothing like as bad as discoverys. Before I got my surf, I went to look at a disco and the whole boot floor was almost completely gone. You could have stuck your feet through it like Fred Flintstone. And the guy still wanted 1600 for it! I have to admit, I stripped 4 teeth out of my front diff recently, which goes against the rugged hilux reputation, but apart from that it's been just fine. In the same time period, my friend has had to do a ton of welding on his disco, his fan belt turned itself inside out and came off, he's had to replace the bearing in the drivebelt tensioner because the squeaking was doing everybody's head in, and all the bushes on his anti roll bar have disintegrated. Oh, and you can't open the passenger door from inside without doing some sort of magic dance.

Overall, I think the surf is more reliable, smoother and faster on road and at least as good off road! Just spend a few quid extra to get a decent one and you'll never look back!

Cheers,

Andy.

[JUDWAK]

welcome dude
disco owner hey well if you get a surf you will have a rott free 4x4 and you will be off roading in comfort
a disco is a lot lighter than a surf but thats because most of it has rusted away
anyhow compare to a disco there a lot more robust seals keep sealed water stays out side too
and in my opinion toyota are made better than most cars

[farmerboy4]

ive has 3 300tdi discos, a 2gen surf and now 3rd gen surf. both 3.0 autos. disoos were auto and manual.

surf had nicer engine for towing when combined with autobox, they do handle better. and no rot or rust.

disco is better on fuel, slightly simplier, nicer interior and seating postion. they are better off road and can legaly tow more on road.

although when towing same weight surf pulls better, disco handles the weight better.

so on road you will be inpressed, but off road it will not get the same places as a disco.

im not saying there bad off road just not in the same league as a disco

[JUDWAK]

i have put this too the test me and a mate went out off roading at a quarry
he was in a disco and me in the surf
he out did me on a lot of things but the surf did hold its own
i only got stuck twice were has the disco got stuck a few more than me but it could go up the lose chippings better than i could
and the disco got towed home by me
and there was only my 2.4 surf that could pull out a 110 landy
pulled better than the discos and the 3ltr defenders i was shocked my self but its a heavy 4x4 is a surf
only bad thing with a surf is the fat arse
i have full mud tyres on too

[TonyN]

......and the disco got towed home by me........

This is the biggest reason to go Jap... you'll always get back.



The Disco gets slightly better MPG, legally tows heavier trailer and has better articualtion on the front, front and rear overhangs arn't that much different if the Surf has +2" rear coils.

Value for money, reliabilty, corrosion, looks, comfort, power (3.0 especially), coolness, load area length (slightly lower headroom though) the Surf wins hands down.

[slobodan]

I went to a Disco once, they played a lot of soul, I thought it was a Casino but I couldn't find the roulette wheel.
Funny place Wigan.

Oh yeah, had both, I like the V8 Land Rovers. But I've had the Surf for a couple of years without any problems.

[puddlesurfer]

I took my surf off road for the first time earlier this year (had it a year) and I was amazed by it's capabilities - mine was standard with normal road tyres (they're supposed to be AT's but are more road bias) I only got stuck once and that was user error!

This is me stuck:

http://s828.photobucket.com/albums/z...1072010275.jpg

The engine never missed a beat I just couldn't get out because I'd dropped into a rut behind a huge lump of submerged concrete!

[Vultch]

Reliability, .......i had a range rover classic vogue, loved it...when it worked, friends have discos i like but they are money pits, there is no comparison in terms of reliability between the surf and a rover, just turn the key, it starts and drives.

[Apache]

I went to college in Wigan. Plenty of pies, but there was no surfing there.

Discos were plentiful, but it was 1983.

[slobodan]

I went to college in Wigan. Plenty of pies, but there was no surfing there.

Discos were plentiful, but it was 1983.

And you didn't go to Wigan Casino?

Ah, only open 'til 81

Wigan Casino

You youngsters...

[Apache]

I was a regular at Bluto's cellar bar, and the Beehive (where they had chicks underpants pinned to the ceiling). It used to be a great night out, Wigan.

I was there '82 on. Missed it by a year!

[Bogus]

I went to college in Wigan. .

They have a college in Wigan ??

Bogus