Diesel Toyota LandCruiser or gasoline Nissan Patrol? Which favorite Australian SUV is cheaper to run?

Both the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol offer plenty of off-road capability, but both use different powertrains to do so.

High towing ratings, huge payload capacity, and the locomotive torque to pull this four-wheeled caravan or weekend cab cruiser are the playing fields for automakers who design large, all-wheel-drive vans for on-the-go shoppers.

For Australians, the choice for years has been the Nissan Patrol or the Toyota LandCruiser, and while there are new contenders - the Ram is an increasingly popular option - the Japanese have a firm grip on our attention and our wallets.

But the 4x2017 camp split after Nissan phased out its diesel and switched exclusively to gasoline in XNUMX, while Toyota phased out its gasoline-powered LandCruiser and stayed with a diesel engine from XNUMX.

They are now at opposite ends of the fuel price totem at gas stations. 

If you look at the Patrol vs. LandCruiser sales comparison in 2021, in the two-horse race in the top segment of large SUVs, the Patrol accounted for 19 percent, while the Land Cruiser dominated with 81 percent.

But is the Patrol much more expensive with its monster 5.6-liter V8 petrol engine than the Land Cruiser with its 3.3-liter twin-turbo diesel engine?

Price

Ti starts the Patrol line for $82,160 before travel expenses.

First, the purchase price. The Nissan Patrol starts at $82,160 (plus travel expenses) for the Ti, which is cheaper than the LandCruiser GX, which offers Toyota's $89,990 range.

But let's even get things up. To approximate them in terms of performance, especially in terms of comfort, safety and convenience, the Patrol Ti must be matched with the LandCruiser GXL. The GX, for example, has only five seats, vinyl flooring and 17-inch steel wheels.

The GXL costs $101,790 before travel expenses.

So the $82,160 Patrol Ti should match the $101,790 LandCruiser GXL. Even then, the Patrol has some extras - leather seats and trim, a tire pressure monitor, and heated mirrors, among them.

Now the LandCruiser has a huge downside at $19,630. It may be possible to make up for this when the time comes to sell it, although Glass's Guide shows that the resale of both wagons is almost the same - 71% of the remaining value for the LandCruiser and 70% for the Patrol (the current market for expensive used cars). despite the prices).

dimensions

LC300 is shorter than Patrol.

Looking at a pair with a tape measure, the Land Cruiser is shorter than the Patrol (by 195mm); already (by 15 mm); lower (by 10 mm); and has a wheelbase that is 225mm shorter than the Patrol.

The Toyota is also lighter (about 220kg) than the hefty Nissan; has a lower total mass of the road train of 6750 kg compared to 7000 kg for Patrol; but both have a towing capacity of 3500 kg with a payload of 785 kg for the Patrol and 700 kg for the Toyota.

The most obvious difference is the interior packaging. The Patrol is a warehouse and seats up to eight people, and the luggage compartment is available with three rows of generous 468 liters, while the Toyota has a much smaller volume of 175 liters.

The boot volume of the Patrol with five seats is 1413 liters. (Image: Brett and Glen Sullivan)

Lower the third row and the Patrol will put out 1413L (Toyota offers 1004L), and with the second and third rows folded down, the Patrol will eat 2632 Land and the LandCruiser will eat 1967L. Thus, for the sake of an additional 195 mm in length, the placement has become much more generous.

Trunk volume LC300 is estimated at 1004 liters. (Image: Brett and Glen Sullivan)

In terms of space and value for money, Patrol has a significant advantage. It's likely that the biggest hurdle faced by private buyers - given that fleet/lease buyers are likely to be paid for by the company or employer - is the price of gasoline and, more specifically, the thirst for patrol.

It's a big depressant. But given the cheaper purchase price (Patrol Ti vs. LandCruiser GXL), the fuel requirement can be negligible at best, and a few extra dollars a week at worst.

Fuel costs

The Land Cruiser is equipped with a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 diesel engine. (Image: Brett and Glen Sullivan)

Toyota claims that the LandCruiser 300, with its 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 diesel engine, averages 8.9 liters per 100 kilometers.

Nissan says its 5.6-litre V8 petrol consumes an average of 14.0 l/100 km.

Please note that fuel prices are currently high (exorbitant, to be exact) and that the usual higher cost of diesel has changed and petrol has become more expensive. That doesn't help the Patrol, which has suffered not only from high prices and high fuel consumption, but also from the fact that it requires a minimum of 95RON (premium unleaded gasoline).

How much will it cost a Patrol owner compared to a GXL owner? Actually, not so much.

The data is based on an average of 12,000 miles per year. Let's call the average price for diesel fuel $1.80 per liter, and for premium unleaded gasoline $1.90 per liter.

Patrol is equipped with a 5.6-liter V8 petrol engine. (Image: Brett and Glen Sullivan)

Patrol first. At 12,000 km per year, he will drink 1680 liters and the annual fuel bill will be $3192.

The LandCruiser will consume 1068 liters of diesel fuel over 12 months (assuming the same distance of 12,000 km), which will cost $1922.40 per year.

This means an annual difference in fuel bills of $1269.60. 

But wait! Remember that the Patrol cost $19,630 less than the LandCruiser? Put it in the bank and take it off every time you take the Patrol to a service station and it'll be a staggering 15/XNUMX years before it's used up.

In other fuel-related news, the Patrol has a larger fuel tank (because it needs one) at 140 liters compared to the LandCruiser's 110 liters. Range based on average fuel consumption is 1236 km for LandCruiser and 1000 km for Patrol.

Ownership cost

The LC300 is covered by a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. (Image: Dean McCartney).

Toyota charges $375 for each service as part of its five-year fixed price service program. This is for every service and you need every 10,000 km or six months.

The annual fee for standard service (plus any additional fluid parts) is $750. A three-year account will be at least $2250.

The Nissan Patrol can get by with one service a year if you've driven over 10,000 miles. Nissan charges $393 for the first year, $502 for the second, and $483 for the third. Subsequent years of the six-year price cap program are $791, $425, and $622. Brake fluid change is listed as an optional service required every two years at a cost of $72 each.

Over three years, you're looking at $1425 (plus whatever rears its ugly head).

The Patrol range comes with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty.

Toyota has a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and if you continue to service with a Toyota dealer, the warranty can be extended up to seven years. Toyota does not have a free roadside assistance program, although one can be purchased.

Nissan also has a five-year unlimited mileage warranty but adds free roadside assistance during that time.

Including the service bill, the Patrol's three-year cost of ownership and fuel is $11,001. LandCruiser costs $8017.

The difference is $2984, which makes the Patrol far more expensive to run over three years than the LandCruiser.

And back to the most important difference in the purchase price. With this $19,630 “savings” from choosing the less expensive Patrol Ti over the LandCruiser GXL, we have a lot of “free” time.

This means that if the purchase price is saved, it will take 6.5 years before the price difference is paid off.

Verdict

Nothing is what it might seem at first glance. The Patrol may have been grossly overpriced as an expensive alternative to the LandCruiser, but it's actually much more attractive financially.

With Patrol, you can live 11 years, quench your thirst for fuel and more frequent visits to the service station, before the price difference evaporates.

Now that the fuel monster has been put to sleep, it basically comes down to vehicle availability (both the Patrol and 300 have a fair amount of latency) and which one you prefer.