G'day,
I'll start with the negatives:
* The number one let-down with the Hilux 4x2 Hi-Rider is it's a pegga. This embarrassed me at FarmWorld last year when it pegged its was across the hill slope & I was forced to park with the other 2WDs, and once I nearly got bogged in a slushy grass carpark at a winter footy ground. Those are the only two times though where I've needed a lockable (or limited slip) diff.
* The 60L needle range is annoying considering it's an 80L tank, I've taken it to maybe 100kms beyond "empty" & it took 67L.
* The DPF clean, when it activates, shits me, but only because I reset the fuel consumption with every tank & watch the fuel consumption rolling graph as I'm driving. You see the consumption go down, down, down then all of a sudden the DPF clean starts, it spikes & plateaus for 5-40 minutes & you just watch the average consumption go up, up, up, before DPF stops and the average gradually drops again. I think it does a DPF clean roughly once every 500kms.
* I'm still convinced the SR's suspension is a bit harsher than the father-in-law's 2013 SR5, and outside of town probably a tad harsher than a Ranger XLT.
* The touch-screen's Toyota navigation stuff is a bit shit, but I only have an SR & they have something that's halfway between static maps & proper navigation. I also have an older iphone which isn't the best for pairing with vehicle bluetooth/USB in general. If the touch screen could hook up to Google or Apple it would be A+. The touch screen in general is pretty good, excellent sound quality & easy to use.
Pros:
* They get the same suspension as the 4x4
* Can tow like a champ
* It bashes through the paddocks/undergrowth at home with no dramas.
* I have not had a single mechanical or electrical problem with the Hilux.
* Highway average drops to low 7's (before the DPF kicks in), long-term all-round average is 8.2L/100km.
I haven't had a chance to take it camping yet. The tub (behind the wheel arches) is large enough for a double swag but I'd need to make up a half-stand with legs for the rest of the double swag to sit over the tailgate.
I've towed trailerloads of soil, gravel, rubbish, and have chucked bins, firewood & furniture in the tub. The only way you can tell you're towing something is when you hit the brakes.
I have driven it on some fairly rough tracks. Clearance is the same as a 4WD, its biggest issue would be getting bogged the same way a pegga car can get bogged. If funds allow, then in the future I may spend some coin on an e-locker diff.
The dogs love the tub, I tie them to the headboard and they sit on a Bunnings rubber ute mat I cut to shape. The SR5 bar helps with the dogs, but hinders if you wish to load stuff in the tub.
I've recently topped 30,000kms. 95% of the time is to/from work, but I've driven it in Melbourne traffic & it's good on long roadtrips for comfort. It has cupholders everywhere & a chiller compartment above the glovebox.
I am the only person I know of who has a 4x2 Hi-Rider, so that tells me that if I needed to sell it I might be in for a hard time. Having said that I've seen quite a few Ranger XL/XLT Hi-Riders around, and a mate has an XL Hi-Rider workhorse with a diff lock (air locker?). In direct comparison against an XL the SR is far comfier/better-appointed, but as a workhorse I think the Ranger's diff lock is a better thing to have. His 2.2 is a slug, my 2.8 shits all over it.
I hope that answers all your questions, feel free to hit me up with more questions if you have any
Cheers
Dave
Get the decal on the back first though! So diesel? What do these things go like? Also, seeing as it's a Toyota, rename title to McFrylux. 
