The choice of people who are not burdened with financial problems is the Toyota Land Cruiser. If you need maximum cross-country ability, then it is better to opt for a 70 body. That's just it does not look very attractive, and small inside.
Large American SUVs are suitable in size, but they do not differ in high cross-country ability. If such a colossus gets stuck somewhere in a puddle, then not every tractor will pull it out!
Standard military HMMWV for comparison. Photo: Youtube.comMercedes Gelandewagen is too expensive and pompous, and most of the copies are prepared for the highway and the city. For off-road, they will have to be redone, which involves cash investments.
Hummer H1 is already a military SUV, but its cost of 5 million rubles can scare away even the most financially independent buyers.
But there is one option from Toyota - this is the Mega Cruiser model. Such an SUV can be purchased from 2 million rubles for military copies. The average cost of such a car is 3 million. And for 5 you can find a modified car that has a high level of comfort without sacrificing off-road performance.
Features of the model
The Toyota Mega Cruiser was developed by a Japanese manufacturer specifically for the army. The appearance of the SUV was provoked by the American Humvee - it is not for nothing that the cars look alike!
For the civilian market, Toyota Mega Cruiser was not produced, if you do not take into account cars for the police and similar special services. It is believed that only 3 copies of the Toyota Mega Cruiser were produced from 000 to 1995. Of these, about 2001 cars were sold to private hands.
But the years went by, and the Japanese army began to write off military vehicles. So they end up in Russia. Although it is difficult to find a Toyota Mega Cruiser for sale - on average, no more than 2-3 copies are offered, and sometimes there is none.
Here we see a self-finished version - instead of an awning, a hard top. Photo: Youtube.comSo you have to run after this car, but it's worth it!
The main problem with the Japanese SUV is the right-hand drive. A weight of 3 tons, a body length of more than 5 meters and a width of 217 cm - this also takes some getting used to. But you can adapt to everything, and change the right steering wheel to the left.
The state of individual copies on the market
The Toyota Mega Cruiser is a specific car popular in close circles. Therefore, the condition of most copies, despite the years of production, is good. After arriving from Japan, off-road vehicles are processed, repainted, and “anticorrosive”. It is difficult to meet a rotten Mega Cruiser.
Structurally, the car is simple. Like any military equipment, it has a margin of safety, especially since it is Toyota.
Spare parts
When buying a car, you need to solve the issue of spare parts. For the Toyota Mega Cruiser, the manufacturer, with Japanese meticulousness, has compiled a complete illustrated catalog. It's just hard to find most of the details even under the order.
To break such a suspension, you need to try very hard! Photo: Youtube.comFortunately, it's almost a truck, so the margin of safety is high. The main thing is that initially the car was in good technical condition.
The suspension is injected and this must be done regularly, otherwise problems with finding spare parts are provided. If the maintenance is periodic, then the hodovka will not require intervention for a long time.
Some parts can be picked up from the Toyota Dyna truck and the Coaster bus - they are inexpensive.
Brake and steering systems
The three-ton SUV stops well. There are disc brakes on all wheels, and ventilated.
As for the steering system, there are two gearboxes. The chassis of the Toyota Mega Cruiser is fully steerable, the rear wheels turn 12 degrees in opposition to the front ones. The average value for SUVs is 3-5 ° maximum.
Standard military modification with an awning. Photo: Youtube.comIt turns out that the Mega Cruiser has a small turning radius and is a maneuverable vehicle!
Transmission and gearbox
The SUV has a permanent full drive with center differentials. Bridges with worm self-blocks, plus they can be forcibly blocked. Permeability of the car is one of the best in the class and this is without special modifications!
When buying, everything must be checked thoroughly, otherwise the repair can turn into a financial problem. But transmission maintenance is budgetary - universal consumables, suitable for Toyota Dyna truck and Coaster bus.
The transmission is only automatic, but this should not deter the buyer. This is a simple and reliable unit A443F from Aisin. All maintenance consists in changing the oil every 70 km. The rest of the 000-automatic transmission does not cause problems. Unless the volume of gear oil in the box can upset - it is 4 liters here.
Мотор
The Toyota Mega Cruiser has only one engine - it is a 15B-FT or 15B-FTE diesel engine with electronic fuel injection after 1999. The working volume is 4,1 liters, the power is 155 liters. With.
The engine is reliable, millionaire, the main thing is that when buying a high-pressure fuel pump, the turbine is also in order. Everything is in principle repaired, but it is better to make a full diagnosis before purchasing.
But fuel consumption, compared to the same Hummer H1, pleases - 14 liters on the highway, no more than 20 in the city. The tank size is 108 liters. allows you to go far from civilization.
The level of patency is simply amazing! Photo: Youtube.comThe engine is not picky about the quality of diesel fuel, you can refuel in any corner of the world where there is a tractor of at least Soviet production. This is an army technique, so the origin obliges.
What modifications are there?
There are two variants of the Toyota Mega Cruiser on sale. The very first is a military vehicle decommissioned from the army. The simplest body with a tarpaulin top. The level of comfort is about the same as that of the ZIL-131 for the driver and front passenger. Behind on the side benches it is as convenient to ride as in the back of a Soviet military truck.
This is the cheapest version of the Toyota Mega Cruiser, but it is not suitable as an expedition vehicle - it is too spartan. You can buy a military SUV for 2-2,5 million rubles.
A more comfortable option is a five-door station wagon, which was made for police and civilians. There is a completely different level of equipment, there are normal seats in front and behind, air conditioning as standard and other benefits of civilization.
Only these options appear on sale quite rarely - you need such a cow yourself, as they say. But if they are offered, then for about 3,5 million rubles.
The dimensions of the car are impressive! Photo: Youtube.comThe most expensive Toyota Mega Cruisers are the ones that enthusiasts have worked on. As a rule, the interior is completely altered there, the body and frame are covered with a protective coating, the steering wheel is redone to the traditional for Russia - the left one.
As for additional options, such instances can have anything - from a winch to a new engine. This option will cost about 5 million rubles.
The Toyota Mega Cruiser is a great off-road vehicle for both dirt and expeditions. Just be prepared for a long search for spare parts, fortunately, this is a Toyota, which rarely breaks down in principle, and even less often in military performance.
Well, your new SUV will constantly be called Hammer - you will also have to come to terms with this!
