2001 Nissan Patrol GU or 2005 Fortuner G?

[111prez]

this is an offshoot of a discussion on the fortuner test drive tread

due to the long line for the fortuner, napaisip tuloy ako.

which is a better buy: the 2001 nissan patrol 4x2 3.0L a/t GU or the 2005 toyota fortuner 2.7L vvt-i?

here is my quick sum up of the two

1. interiors. its almost even with a slight edge to the nissan patrol. the advantage of the fortuner is the ample legroom and front facing third row seats while the nissan has leather seats, power assisted front seat adjustments. both have climate control but i find the rear aircon vents of the nissan better

2. exterior. advantage here is to the fortuner but the nissan does not look that dated.

3. mileage. this is where a lot of opinions i got varies. some say the nissan can only do between 6 to 7 km/l. others say it can go 9 to 10 km/l city driving. as for the fortuner, some say it can only do 5 km/l but other feedbacks (from thailand) indicate that this between 8-9km/l. assuming that fuel mileage for both are equal, then advantage goes to the patrol owing to the lower cost of diesel

4. maintenance and engine. i have no feedback on this except that maintenance for diesel engines is more expensive. as for the engine, both are the latest for the two brands. i assume that the ZD engine in the nissan is their latest while the vvt-i is the latest for toyota

5. resale value. this came as a surprise. it was dead even with a slight advantage to the fortuner only. i asked two friends in the used car business and the resal value of a 2001 patrol and a 2005 fortuner three years down the line or in 2008 is dead even with a slight 50T advantage for the fortuner. this came as a surprise for me

6. others. the patrol will cost less than the fortuner which frees up a lot of money for new stereo, speakers, woofers, concept one rims and even initial repairs and maintenance (new fuel and air filters). as for the fortuner, well since it is under warranty, you cannot do anything with it unless toyota does it for you

so, which is the better buy? what do you think?

[BlueBimmer]

how much pala 2001 patrol? i vote the patrol mas capable n even if 4 years old e malamang mabango at presko pa yan. reliable pa.

[ssaloon]

if you can wait for your fortuner unit (i heard that the waiting line is 10 months long), don ka na since mas bago.

[mbt]

mas fair comparison kung yung 1.5-million 4x4 Fortuner 3.0 diesel versus a 2003 Patrol A/T (converted to 4x4). if it's the gas fortuner versus the patrol, talo yung patrol talaga since off-roadability is no longer considered.

between the two, buy only the patrol if you care about off-road capability. yun lang naman bibilhin mo sa patrol e. if you are not interested in that, get the fortuner, no contest:

1. SPACE: Advantage: fortuner. although the patrol is much, much longer than the fortuner, it has a high floor and makes very poor use of that space. the Fortuner is much more spacious in the second row, and especially in the third row (the Patrol's third row is hopeless). the doors of the Fortuner also larger, and ease of access to the third-row is much better for the Fortuner (miserable for the patrol).

2. POWER: advantage: fortuner. the Nissan ZD30 makes a bit more torque, but the Toyota makes a bit more power. call it even i guess... but the Fortuner is significantly lighter than a Patrol, which tips the scales at more than 5000 pounds. i will bet that the Fortuner 3.0 will have better on-road performance than the Patrol 3.0.

3. HANDLING: advantage; fortuner. the Fortuner has independent front suspenders, as opposed to the Patrol's front live axle -- which contributes to higher unsprung weight and is generally less ideal for pavement. in bad weather on pavement, the Fortuner's full-time four-wheel-drive with a center diff has it all over the Patrol's rear-wheel-drive (can't use part-time 4WD on pavement). the large dimensions of the Patrol makes parking and maneuvering more difficult. however, they really don't feel too different to drive (both feel heavy and truckish)... but i'll give this one to the Fortuner.

4. STYLING: advantage: Fortuner. subjective, but while the Patrol is powerfully-proportioned, the Fortuner has more elegant exterior styling and a more memorable, if plasticky, interior.

5. BOTTOM LINE: what makes the Patrol great off-road severely compromises it on-road. if you want a truck and will be using it like a car, get the Fortuner (although don't get me wrong, i'm certain that the Fortuner will be no slocuh off-road).

if you want maximum toughness, maximum tolerance for abuse, and maximum off-road performance, get the Patrol... and live with the compromises.

[111prez]

how much pala 2001 patrol? i vote the patrol mas capable n even if 4 years old e malamang mabango at presko pa yan. reliable pa.

for the fortuner, at the end of the day, you pay about 1.35M for the 2.7L variant if you input the IHF, IHI, price increase, etc

for the patrol, i can get it for 1.15M which frees about 100T to 150T for the addons and check up

[BlueBimmer]

hmm pwede rin if ur gonna be driven then patrol..if ur gonna drive urself then fortuner..

[kimpOy]

Fortuner ako...
may problema ang Turbo ng Patrol (small cases lang baka lemon) also 90K ang turbo for the patrol and walang surplus ito.

[boybi]

i'd prefer to buy brand new if i have the money.

patrol is a VERY reliable and tough vehicle. sabi nga ng isang friend ko, "sa lahat ng naging sasakyan ko, itong patrol lang ang hindi ko masira-sira". i own a GU patrol and i can vouch for its reliability. its been with me for 4 yrs with 120,000kms on the odometer, and wala pang major na nasisira either under the car or inside the hood.

pero iba pa rin ang brand new. the problem with buying used cars kasi is you don't know the history of the car, unless you personally know the previous owner and you know how he treats his cars.

if you can wait, go for the fortuner.

[111prez]

i'd prefer to buy brand new if i have the money.

patrol is a VERY reliable and tough vehicle. sabi nga ng isang friend ko, "sa lahat ng naging sasakyan ko, itong patrol lang ang hindi ko masira-sira". i own a GU patrol and i can vouch for its reliability. its been with me for 4 yrs with 120,000kms on the odometer, and wala pang major na nasisira either under the car or inside the hood.

pero iba pa rin ang brand new. the problem with buying used cars kasi is you don't know the history of the car, unless you personally know the previous owner and you know how he treats his cars.

if you can wait, go for the fortuner.

sir boybi -- tama ka naman with respect to the history of the car. of course, i can always bring a mechanic with me to check up the interior, engine, underchassis, etc.

its also true that nothing beats buying a brand new car but what my friends told me about the resale value was a real eye opener. i dont intend to hold on to the fortuner or patrol for more than 3 years. the longest i held on to a vehicle was my 1997 pajero tdic local version which i had from 7 years and was very happy with it. with about 90T km on the odometer, i felt it was time to let it go

by the way, the patrol i am talking about only has 40T km on the odometer. i assume that the digital odometer is accurate and cannot be tampered with. or am i wrong?

to sir bluebimmer -- okay lang sa akin mag maneho ng patrol or fortuner. it does not matter. makaka adjust ka rin naman, hehehehe

[mazdamazda]

ipero iba pa rin ang brand new. the problem with buying used cars kasi is you don't know the history of the car, unless you personally know the previous owner and you know how he treats his cars.

my exact sentiments.