Basic questions for a first time NOVICE purchaser

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I am a first time novice.
Purpose for vehicle: replace a 20 year old petrol/gas Patrol (done most trips through and round OZ). Is a retirement vehicle towing the smallest Jayco Penguin (dirt road ready). Will be tenting into certain locations (e.g. Bungles).
Vehicle considering VX Prado with Option Pack 2 (for the safety stuff) and air. Was diesel now Petrol/Gas (even though son is a diesel fitter and mechanic). After supply elect braking to be fitted.
Comments about Gas welcomed....
Comments about after factory fits of further accessories that should be considered.....

Appreciate responses to get us started and thinking of issues

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forgot to add: Manual not auto

for the economy:.....

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

Gas seems to be the cheap option around town, but if you're thinking of touring you need to weigh up range and availability. Can't buy gas in more remote places so you would be limited to your petrol tank. Towing, your range can be greatly reduced.

Nige.

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

option pack 2 - most of that kit is standard on the VX anyway i would have thought??

what are the features of option pack 2?

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

Even though diesel costs lots you will go further on the same full tank as petrol. Gas in remote spots is non existant and there is no planned change in the future.
Dont know what economy you get in your current vehicle but lots of people on this forum are getting 10 point something litres to the 100KM giving a figure that is competitive with Commodores and Falcons and on top of that the towing values don't increase too much.

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options on GX

When I do the calc (based on employee buy but should be reflected on outside buy) the GX petrol with option pack 2 and air is still significantly cheaper than std GXL no options.

I miss out on fog lamps, AB-i and BA (but get ABS ),miss out on a 6 cd changer, tint roof rails and bluetooth BUT with the GX I gain front and second row curtain airbags which are an option on the GXL. The cost difference at a greatly discounted buy price is towards 4 k.More if you option the GXL to get the curtain airbags.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Mary that is exactly what we found too. Mind you I was after the D4D and there was a GX with option packs in stock and the GXL had to be built so I think the dealer was more keen to sell the GX than to take yet another order for a GXL. The two quotes were a bit over $4k apart.

With both option packs the GX is the same as the GXL with option pack but misses out on a couple of things as you have stated. For us these boiled down to:

Fog lights, came with the Ironman bar but are pretty useless in Q
Privacy glass, full tint covered that
Roof rails, would have taken them off because my roofrack would be awkward to fit and the overall height would get to be 2.1m after the lift making shopping centre carparks problematic
6 CD stacker is pointless with iPods etc and I will fit an upmarket stereo in the near future so the standard GXL radio would have been removed in any case.
Alloys, got 5 phoenix rims for about $250 ea in the deal which gave me new wheels for the trailer!

Certainly not worth a 4 month wait and $4k.

With both option packs in the GX automatic you get all the DAT the same as the VX and Grande. They of course get even better stereos and dead cow and so on for lots more $.


Michael