What did you do to your Puma today?

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Originally Posted by Chops

I think from memory, we paid about $52,000 for ours in Nov 2011.

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You’d have gotten better value for your $52k dual cab compared to my $49k (equivalent).

There is some “local content” in the Malaysian built Defenders - for example you would likely have gotten real LR half leather seats standard and Traction Control. I got no traction control and the seats in my Defender, while they are full leather and reasonably nice, would likely be locally sourced hides from “Klang lembu”! 😁 (water buffalo from nearby town, Klang)

Not sure what else may have been left off my barge, or What other local substitutions would have been incorporated in the build - As compared to what you got in Oz.

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Originally Posted by Tombie

I priced buying a D4 to keep in Thailand for use on my visits...

$196,000aud [emoji35]

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Dont know if it’d do you any good (?) - consider buying in MY and driving it into Thailand?

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Originally Posted by tact

Coming right up...!

Attachment 136981Attachment 136982

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They look excellent tact. Vertical sidewalls. How's the ride on the bitumen? Are they quietish?

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Originally Posted by tact

You’d have gotten better value for your $52k dual cab compared to my $49k (equivalent).

There is some “local content” in the Malaysian built Defenders - for example you would likely have gotten real LR half leather seats standard and Traction Control. I got no traction control and the seats in my Defender, while they are full leather and reasonably nice, would likely be locally sourced hides from “Klang lembu”! 😁 (water buffalo from nearby town, Klang)

Not sure what else may have been left off my barge, or What other local substitutions would have been incorporated in the build - As compared to what you got in Oz.

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Oh, Neil,,, if only [bigsad]

Mine was a very "plain Jane". On talking with the Mrs, we think it was $48, with the extra being bull bar, winch and tow bar stuff etc.

Rubbed back the rear cross member and painted it
only just over 3 yrs old surprised it needed doing so soon

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Originally Posted by Eddie

Rubbed back the rear cross member and painted it
only just over 3 yrs old surprised it needed doing so soon

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That’s a warranty job [emoji6]

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Originally Posted by Zeros

They look excellent tact. Vertical sidewalls. How's the ride on the bitumen? Are they quietish?

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The new Toyos are an order of magnitude quieter and less harsh on the road compared to the old Maxxis they replaced.

But that’s just a function of the age and wear in the old tyres. I cannot remember well enough what the Maxxis were like when they were new - to give you a better evaluation. Sorry.

The Maxxis had passed their prime big time. Still had enough tread depth to be legal but the compound had “gone off”, most evident by how they almost zero grip on wet tarmac on recent wet weekends. They had a hard life on and off road in the 30k+ and 3yrs I had them. (They were close to use-by date when I bought them cheap in Malaysia).

To their credit the Maxxis never punctured, staked, or rolled off rims on individual jungle drives that saw 1-2 other vehicles have to park up and change tyres. They didn’t fly apart when I pushed them hard on tarmac either - generally “driving it like I stole it” as well as occasionally travelling well over their 140km/h limit, and pushing them into 4 wheel drifts on bent bits of dry tarmac - all courtesy of the BAS 170AB tune.

And I am absolutely loving the “plush” ride the new Toyos are giving now while they are new. It’s like the suspension has been upgraded - on tarmac. Not feeling every little crack in the tarmac, and gentle, not jarring, over larger bumps.

Was afraid that the Toyos, with their higher load index (123 v 119 for the Maxxis), would give a harsher ride. Not so, so far quite the opposite.

Cheers Tact, the Toyos sound like they're worth a punt.

...I'm trying to decide whether to stray from the tried and true Bridgestone 661's - 3 sets so far over 16 years - including years in the harsh rocky bush and deserts of northern WA, Territory, SA as well as significant highway kms - only one puncture only from a tek screw..
my current set have done 75,000km in 3 years and still have another 10,000km in them legally, but the small siping is worn down and with winter on the way it's almost time for a new set. I've always been happy with the 661's highway ride and performance out bush, so why change? ...well it's probably just yearning to try something new after so long, but it's an d pensive gamble!

I'm also interested in the Michelin LTX AT2's that Michael writes about here: Michelin XLZ alternatives.

...but I like the look of the Toyo's vertical sidewalls and bigger tread. Do you know what sidewall rating they have? Is it 3 ply like the AT2's and 661's?

Has snyone one bad experience of all three tyres? Bridgestone 661's, Toyo Open Country and Michelin LTX AT2? I guess it's partly the classic trade off between off road trip and on road performance, when many of us do lots of both! The Michelins look a little more bighway biased and quieter than the 661's while the Toyo's are more off road biased than both. Do the MT blocks reduce wet bitumen grip much over the other two?

Hmm the conundrum of choice!

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Originally Posted by Zeros

Cheers Tact, the Toyos sound like they're worth a punt. [...]well it's probably just yearning to try something new after so long, but it's an d pensive gamble!

[...]but I like the look of the Toyo's vertical sidewalls and bigger tread. Do you know what sidewall rating they have? Is it 3 ply like the AT2's and 661's?

[...]while the Toyo's are more off road biased than both. Do the MT blocks reduce wet bitumen grip much over the other two?

Hmm the conundrum of choice!

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Responding to comments above:
- The Toyos are a very expensive option. ($440 ea incl GST)

- They are 3 ply side walls. (The expensive 123P rated version. You can get a grey import version that’s 119P rated at close to $190 cheaper per tyre!, not sure what ply side wall that one has )

- Definitely MT tyres lose out to AT or HT tyres where it comes to wet tarmac.

To to be honest - if I had found AT tyres in a reputable brand at the size I want (255/85R16) then I’d have seriously thought hard about going AT this time.

I really like the 255/85R16 size for my Defender. Not a lot of choice in the market in that size.

Yep that's a serious investment in tyres, but sometimes it's just good to get exactly what you want! ...Might be a bit beyond me though. 661's are $300ish each.

I prefer 235/85R16's and even 7.50R16 if good tubeless were readily available. I prefer the way they roll on road and how well they elongate on sand. When I'm ready I'll price the Toyo's and Michelins in 235/85...compare with 661's.

Cheers...and anyone with comparo thoughts on these three serious tyre contenders please share...