2017 Toyota land cruiser 79

Toyota land cruiser 79

The Toyota Land Cruiser 79 doesn’t really have rivals in the usual sense. Sure, you can mention the Ford Ranger Raptor or Nissan Patrol, but those are aimed at folks who want plush toys and weekend bravado. The 79 is for people who’d rather see a kudu than a cappuccino, and who care more about getting home from the Kalahari than syncing their phone. All three examples currently for sale run diesel engines, with both manual and automatic boxes in the mix. Prices are another story: R629,900 to R1,080,000, with a median at R999,900. That’s a lot of cash for a used bakkie, especially since there isn’t a single new one on the market. Every example you’ll see is pre-owned, and that matters, because these things are built to be run into the ground and then keep going. Only three units on the market means you don’t get much choice. Two are the 2.8 GD-6 Single Cab automatics, going for R999,900 and R1,080,000. The third is the older 4.2 D Double Cab at R629,900 — a gulf that says as much about the powertrain as it does about the kind of buyer each attracts. Mileage averages out at about 79,667 km, which is almost suspiciously low for workhorses that usually rack up trips between Upington and nowhere in particular. What you’re paying for isn’t leather trim or touchscreen wizardry; the Ranger Raptor will spoil you silly if you want that. The 79 trades on mechanical basics and a reputation for surviving when the tar ends and the map goes blank. On paper at least, that’s the point.