3 door verses GXL

[dreamon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dreamon]

I currently have a 3.0L T/D 5 Door Wgn A/T GXL which has only about 50,000kms on the clock with quiet a few mods on it but I am now thinking about upgrading and am leaning towards the 3 door 150 series for the fact that it tows 3 tonne which will become important in the future. What are the pros and cons on each vehicle to help me decide what to do

[SOL Find all posts View Profile Close SOL]

Mate, First question do you have family? Wife & kids? Young kids that require seat will be a hassle getting access to them.
I have sat in the rear of my shorty and had no problems. The only difficulty is the getting in and out of the vehicle.
Had a friends kid in the back the other day he is 6.4 and is quite a big kid and he liked the leg room in it.

Below are the dimensions for the rear of my SX.
Rear door to seat sitting normally = 550mm
Rear door to seat folded forward = 1000mm

Photo of the rear of mine with some gear in it.

The fridge is a 50L Weaco. The black case is a portable ARB twin head compressor. The green case is 550 X 550mm.

SOL.

[dreamon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dreamon]

Thanks Sol,
No I don't have any kids at home anymore that's why I thought I could manage a 3 door especially given the extra towing capacity. Looking at your photo there seems plenty of room in the back even to fit both fridges. As far as the difference between the models are you happy with your SX as there is about a $8000 difference.

[Guest Close Guest]

The shorty has only 1 fuel tank.
How close will you be to the 3T towing capacity?
What mods can you transfer to the shorty?

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

Can someone please explain why the shortie is 3T towing, and the 5 door is 2.5T.

[Guest Close Guest]

Can someone please explain why the shortie is 3T towing, and the 5 door is 2.5T.

Some (not a lot of) info here
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...with-SWB-Prado

[SOL Find all posts View Profile Close SOL]

Thanks Sol,
No I don't have any kids at home anymore that's why I thought I could manage a 3 door especially given the extra towing capacity. Looking at your photo there seems plenty of room in the back even to fit both fridges. As far as the difference between the models are you happy with your SX as there is about a $8000 difference.

Mate I am happy as with my SX. Am hopping to get out this weekend and do some four wheeling to see how it goes. The suspension will need replacing as the more you load it the more wollowey in the back end. I will do this. But it will be the last thing I do after I finish setting up the back end.

If you what some information from someone your way FLUFFY one of the members here owns a ZR and lives in WA some where. Might be able to get some info off him.
Also BASSETT has a shorty and does touring in his. He in in QLD.

As for fuel I have the 137L tank installed. Am having some issue with how much fuel is in it at different levels. Like I filled up the other day with the fuel light on and gauge near empty and it took only 102L. So I still had 30L of fuel. I will get seven jerries of fuel and drain the tank to empty. Then fill it up an note where the gauge is after each 20L.

SOL.

[Woopi Warrior Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Woopi Warrior]

Hi Dreamon. I had a 120 series T/D fully kitted out and traded it on a new ZR. At the moment it is stock and I have had it over to Fraser and had 4 people in it for the whole trip. The suspension wallows alot with the extra weight so that will be one of the first things I will be changing. Fuel economy is outstanding and on a recent trip (no 4x4ing) we have just done I got 997Ks out of the tank and I still had 80Ks to go till empty. We didn't have a huge load and I was using the cruise control as much as possible as well. The acceleration is heaps better in the shorty than the 5 door (weighs heaps less) and off road it is great. The crawl control function took a bit of getting used to but I now love it.
Overall very happy and looking forward to adding all the extras to it soon.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

Can someone please explain why the shortie is 3T towing, and the 5 door is 2.5T.

Because the vehicle weighs less and it still has the same combined mass it can tow more.

In my experience though... Towing big loads with short wheel base vehicles is no fun.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

Towing big loads with short wheel base vehicles is no fun.

That's what I was thinking.

[fatty boy Member Find all posts View Profile Close fatty boy]

I currently have a 3.0L T/D 5 Door Wgn A/T GXL which has only about 50,000kms on the clock with quiet a few mods on it but I am now thinking about upgrading and am leaning towards the 3 door 150 series for the fact that it tows 3 tonne which will become important in the future. What are the pros and cons on each vehicle to help me decide what to do

Which one are you looking at in SX or ZR? If you don't want extra - save a lot of coins by getting SX.
Off ZR, the only thing I am using a lot more is sunroof - leather seats weren't impressive.

..
Photo of the rear of mine with some gear in it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]10859[/ATTACH]
The fridge is a 50L Weaco. The black case is a portable ARB twin head compressor. The green case is 550 X 550mm.

SOL.

Nice photo SOL.

..Fuel economy is outstanding and on a recent trip (no 4x4ing) we have just done I got 997Ks out of the tank and I still had 80Ks to go till empty. We didn't have a huge load and I was using the cruise control as much as possible as well. ..

That's very impressive, I reckon. So far I can only get 720kms with <40kms to empty.

[prokiwi Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close prokiwi]

Without a doubt I would go the Zr. The KDSS alone makes a huge difference, then there is definitely value in all the luxuries . I believe the Zr are easier to sell second hand and hold their value better than the SX , and having had three Zr's to date, gives me good experience.

Front end on the Shorty needs better springs and shocks (Pedders do a 5 door shock that works perfectly on the 3 door). Throw a couple of bilsteins at it and you have a predictable , safe and comfortable front end.

I recommend a set of airbags in the rear. I did this on my last one and then towed 2.5 tonne of tandam trailer and load from Melbourne to Brisbane. Pulled it with ease and kept up on the big hills (although a DP chip helped there a little).

3 Door ZR , too me , is a great vehicle , cheap and easy to drive and can do everything any other vehicle can do ...with ease. And then some. !!

P.S If you are paying any more than $63k drive away with towbar and wiring ...ur paying too much !.

[simonfish Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simonfish]

I drive an SX, with upgraded suspension, sahara bar, bfgoodrich LT tyres, lightforce lights, etc. If I was looking at the ZR, I would seriously look at a Landrover Freelander 2, with 140kw 6speed auto diesel, leather, all the good stuff, for less than the ZR.
Just another option.

[fatty boy Member Find all posts View Profile Close fatty boy]

Without a doubt I would go the Zr. The KDSS alone makes a huge difference, then there is definitely value in all the luxuries .
!.

I believe ZR doesn't come with KDSS, even though, I think it should, since ZR is the top of the range for 3doors and its counterpart on 5doors has it

[Woopi Warrior Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Woopi Warrior]

I believe ZR doesn't come with KDSS, even though, I think it should, since ZR is the top of the range for 3doors and its counterpart on 5doors has it

My 2012 ZR doesn't come with KDSS and reading some web sites they say the 2013 does. Going by Fatty Boy, as he has the 2013 I would have to think they don't (but should).