Y62 patrol

**1nando** · 10th February 2018, 03:28 PM

Offroad update;

So i decided id head up to the zig zag railway at Lithgow with my mate today who also just recently bought a pajero sport, i literally just got home.
So today was about putting the Patrol through its paces ans seeing what it could and couldnt do.

So how did it perform?

Well to be fair it performed better than what i expected but the headache driving it made it hard work and not as enjoyable as one would want. Let me explain; my Patrol is standard so therefore it doesn't have any body protection. No bullbar, rock sliders or rear bar. This is a argument I've always banged on about in regards to the d4 vs the defender and it is no different for the Patrol. Ive always believed that serious offroaders dont have vulnerable body panels.The Patrols body panels are very easily exposed to damage and as a result you spend every second making sure the body of the vehicle isnt about to colide with something. Then theres the fact that It's too big!
The approach and departure angles are quite good, but the wheel track and width of the thing makes it a nightmare to negotiate on tight tracks and i found myself reversing back on a couple of them as the reward of driving them wasnt worth the risk of damage, and or the mrs killing me.

The HBMC (hydraulic body motion control) which tries to make the suspension act similar to a live axle works amazingly well. Must admit better than expected but in no way as good as real live axles. The pick below shows some of the flex, its impresive for such a big family bus. The hbmc system really shines on high speed dirt roads and the cabin is quiet as a result of the superb setup.

I thought being a petrol that low gearbox driving may see me struggling to find a sweet throttle input to maintain vehcile control. Put simply this engine is amazing! It has so much power and torque that you dont need to ring its neck out to get it moving and control isnt an issue, very responsive. The different terrain modes either delay or speed up throttle response and 4wd system and drivetrain is very compliant. The drive train feels like it was pulled of a truck and installed in the Patrol, it just feels solid.

The rear diff lock is excellent and provides peace of mind in low traction situations. The TC in the front is unbelievable which does not in any way suprise me as this is the same company that manufactures the skykine GTR.

So whats my verdict?

Its a great family bus that will easily get me to camp and back. To do the tuff stuff it needs the body protected and even then its always going to have the fatal flaw of being too big. The suspension is great and very comfortable and long trips on dirt roads wouldnt be an issue at all.

If i had to rate its offroad ability Id give it 6.5 out of 10. As a compariosn id give my standard 110 puma a 8/10 and after all my mods a 10/10. If i was to modidy the Patrol with 34" tyres and body protection it would only ever be a 8/10 max. I cant see this vehcile ever being a 10/10 off road.
On road id rate the patrol a solid 9.5/10. So thats a combined (on road/off road) score of 16 out of 20.
Id give the defender a 4 on road so the defender would rate 14/20 overall. The reason i rate the defener on road so low is that it lacks in safety, quietness/refinement , mod cons, comfort (even though i think my defender was very comfortable) and the ability to overtake without issue, it simply does not even come close to the Patrol.

Even though the blokes on the Patrol forum will tell u otherwise i can confirm that a y62 is no where near as good or capable offroad as a defender puma. Even with a lot of money thrown at it i dont beleive id ever be able to make the Patrol as good as my defender offroad. In saying that a defender would never match the Patrol any where else. Completely different vehicles i know but it's the only first hand experience i can give.

So is this the right vehicle for my life style and my family? Absolutely!

Hope u enjoyed the write up guys, i tried to be as unbiased as possible and i honestly beleive its a fair write up.

**grey_ghost** · 10th February 2018, 03:35 PM

Great, honest, fair write up! As someone that doesn’t have a Patrol or Defender - thanks for the write up.

**uninformed** · 10th February 2018, 03:39 PM

Good stuff 👍

dont worry about not wanting to hurt the bodywork. Who in their right mind would want to on such a new and expensive vehicle. That’s what older knock about rigs are for. The defender by natural is less susceptible to body damage, but if you had a brand new one , paid the same $$$ as your y62 I bet just as cautious or worried. It’s always a tough one. Having new with the compromise of on road and off . Sounds like you have a winner

**justinc** · 10th February 2018, 05:36 PM

Well... where to start...😣..

Got off the plane this arvo and after getting home, we took the rangie into 'town' to get some shopping done. We then took a leisurely drive down the channel highway to middleton and back. 10.2l/100. Wafting along in silence and total comfort, that suspension soaking up the crappy road with ease... i felt totally content.

I also found myself AGAIN looking back at the Rangie as i walked to the shops... and admired its shape and lines as i got back.

Im afraid the Nissan would have none of these attributes and me being me would find it upsetting to say the least. I like to CONNECT with my vehicles. I like to LOVE them as i drive them. The 110 is the same in a different situation. They are just so at home in the dirt and offroad environment. And so awesome offroad.

I'm feeling the pendulum swinging back again, even though i 100% agree with the report from 1Nando about its road manners and driveability , i fear its character is lacking. That can never be built in in my opinion.

So heart or head?? How will i decide??

😢😢😢

**1nando** · 10th February 2018, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by justinc

Well... where to start...

..

Got off the plane this arvo and after getting home, we took the rangie into 'town' to get some shopping done. We then took a leisurely drive down the channel highway to middleton and back. 10.2l/100. Wafting along in silence and total comfort, that suspension soaking up the crappy road with ease... i felt totally content.

I also found myself AGAIN looking back at the Rangie as i walked to the shops... and admired its shape and lines as i got back.

Im afraid the Nissan would have none of these attributes and me being me would find it upsetting to say the least. I like to CONNECT with my vehicles. I like to LOVE them as i drive them. The 110 is the same in a different situation. They are just so at home in the dirt and offroad environment. And so awesome offroad.

I'm feeling the pendulum swinging back again, even though i 100% agree with the report from 1Nando about its road manners and driveability , i fear its character is lacking. That can never be built in in my opinion.

So heart or head?? How will i decide??

I agree with you. I like the Patrol amd its perfect for our situation but i dont love like i did the 110

**rammypluge** · 10th February 2018, 05:48 PM

When it comes to how good a y62 can be made for offroading, a starting point is to look at what has already been done. However, i have looked at times, and never really found anything?

What is the biggest no mod tyre size that will fit in the arches? What mods are required to fit bigger than that? How much do the swaybars limit flex and are gains possible by changing things there? Can longer shocks be fitted or shock spacers without damaging cv's or creating other issues? Are longer shocks available or able to be sourced? Is subframe spacing an option? Are good rock sliders and a rear bar available? Front diff lock?

I cant quite remember what the std shock system does and whether its something you really dont want to swap out.

It doesnt have the high sills of the defender, but replacement front and rear bars can typically create approach and departures angles and clearance similar enough to that of a defender.

**rammypluge** · 10th February 2018, 05:55 PM

Its interesting isnt it how european vehicles and motorbikes can be loved or hated, or often both, whereas asian vehicles and motorbikes dont register so much in that area?

**justinc** · 10th February 2018, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by rammypluge

When it comes to how good a y62 can be made for offroading, a starting point is to look at what has already been done. However, i have looked at times, and never really found anything?

What is the biggest no mod tyre size that will fit in the arches? What mods are required to fit bigger than that? How much do the swaybars limit flex and are gains possible by changing things there? Can longer shocks be fitted or shock spacers without damaging cv's or creating other issues? Are longer shocks available or able to be sourced? Is subframe spacing an option? Are good rock sliders and a rear bar available? Front diff lock?

I cant quite remember what the std shock system does and whether its something you really dont want to swap out.

It doesnt have the high sills of the defender, but replacement front and rear bars can typically create approach and departures angles and clearance similar enough to that of a defender.

Fortunately i will be keeping my 110 for any offroad and remote area touring activities so im fine in that department. I was going to take on a y62 for its towing and long distance touring mainly bitumen and gravel roads. It does this with ease and i can say that it IS a close run thing with the L322 at the moment. If my Rangie was a tdv8 for example strangely enough i would have less of a problem with my decision, mostly due to the future repair and maintenance of a twin turbo crd engine at high kms...😣. The little td6 when remapped is quite enough for towing the van, easy to work on and bulletproof. The 5spd auto on the other hand is my main area of concern. I think it will come down to a list of costings to futureproof the RR. So gearbox overhaul/ strengthening, new air suspension allround, assorted bushes etc and some cosmetics on a vehicle that i adore and enjoy drivin immensely, and importantly tows our loaded van with aplomb in all conditions, vs a 75k outlay on a newv100000km warranted very capable yet somewhat characterless vehicle.
For those wondering what the hell is happening down here for various reasons we have decided to sell up and travel/ work . This is a big life change however we are looking forward to it immensely, and also hopefully meeting some of you lot and maybe even getting to work on your landies!!😎

**uninformed** · 10th February 2018, 06:35 PM

@justinc

JC, what year, engine is your L322? so we know what you are comparing

**justinc** · 10th February 2018, 07:02 PM

2005 td6 vogue. 165k remapped to about 480Nm. Std vehicle otherwise.
Has 19" rims and a conversion to the supercharged v8 360mm brembo front brakes.

Jc

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