Thread: The rising price of vehicles

Originally Posted by CraigE

Not sure where you get the Info that a Toyota 70 series vehicle is a specialist vehicle, quite the opposite it is a generic work vehicle a bit like the Defender (even same basic dash as a Defender) and many dual cabs, but extremely overpriced for what it is. $70-$80k is the base price. Even the single cab ute by the time you get it on road, with a tray etc approaches mid $80k, the dual cab is closer to mid $90k add a decent work body and it is well over $110k. Recently spoke to a guy that bought a new one albeit modified and it cost him $150k.
There is no real reason for the 70 to be as expensive as it is, apart from they sell high volumes to companies so can overinflate the price.
But having said that LR have also gone down this path with the Discovery that was a mid range 4x4 for the average person to now being a yuppy soccer mom vehicle for the wealthy.

I consider the 70 to be specialist because it's built to do one thing and that is work. Being good at one thing is the definition of specialist. Like them or not, it's the strongest platform available, it's geared low to tow and/or haul a load, it's designed purely and simply to work on properties and in mines. It's not in anyway an all rounder like the lighter duty Thai/Argentinian/etc DC Utes.

Driving one on the highway for any length of time is a painful and expensive experience but they aren't really designed for that sort of use, even with their recently improved gearing.

Toyota price the 70 in part at what they know people will pay, because it's only competition is a 120k Mercedes. The other consideration they have is the cost of the ongoing development (which they keep to a bare minimum but it still costs) of what is now an old style, dare I say specialist, type of vehicle with a very limited market in the scheme of things.

Single cab GXL list price is around 64k and 67k for the double cab plus the 2.5k a/c scam. I'm a bit perplexed as to how onroads and a tray add 20 to 40k to the price.... I don't doubt you could spend a bomb trying to turn them into a civilised tourer, ie auto, re-gearing and getting them to work well off-road, as they aren't really suited to recreational use straight out of the box. IMO...others are welcome to theirs.

Originally Posted by steane

, it's designed purely and simply to work on properties and in mines. .

Too right, mate