Faults:

The air conditioning was not working when I took delivery of the vehicle from the 2nd hand dealer. The compressor was replaced the next week under the 2nd hand warranty. That compressor lasted about one week, and they replaced it with another new compressor and everything is fine since then.

The car had been in a ditch of water by the previous owner apparently and caused the central locking to work only intermittently. After a bit of mucking about by the dealer, they finally took the dash fully out, found the necessary part and it all works fine now. Would have cost the dealer quite a bit of money.

The fuel gauge was originally working, but doesn't now after the dash came out. The dealer replaced the sender unit and other bits, but we both kind of gave up in the end and I use my trip meter as a pseudo fuel gauge.

General Comments:

Despite the above problems which I regards as not the fault of the Cruiser itself, but of it being drowned, I think it is a great vehicle.

It has wonderful leg room for taller people, wide seats for larger people and a great centre console.

It is such a wide vehicle and with the coil suspension that it just lumbers over the highway roughness.

It cost about the same as my dual cab SR5 Hilux I had before, but this is a great deal better vehicle even though it is older.

I put on an aftermarket cruise control, which is just great.

At about 140 000 k, I had an aftermarket turbo installed. This has made it a much better highway and town vehicle. The standard diesel/manual was almost scary in its slowness to take off at lights and at speed for overtaking. Now it is still no fantastic power plant, but I don't have to think three times before moving to overtake.

The back seats have plenty of room for teenagers and the very back ones are good for short distances only or younger children.

I get it services by a former toyota mechanic every 10 000 k and only the 40 000k multiples are a bit expensive. The dealership just got too expensive for me.

I put toyota alloy rims on it to pretty it up. And a big roo bar. And headlight protectors & dust thing on the back. And a turbo sticker.

Fuel consumption is not too bad for a large vehicle. Before the turbo, on mostly highway work the main 90 lt tank would run out and cough and splutter at about 720k's at 100 kph, now with the turbo it runs out at about 680 k's.

The turning circle is great too. It turns so sharp, it is like driving a much smaller car in parking lots. My cruiser ute (03 model) has a much bigger turning circle. It is a factory turbo diesel ute and is much zippier than the wagon with the after market turbo.

This model didn't come with vanity mirrors and enough interior lights, but that has changed on the current models.