I've recently bought my first new vehicle. It's an SR Hi-Rider with the following factory options:
* Eclipse Black paint,
* Factory premium bullbar,
* Tow pack,
* Tub liner,
* SR5 sport bar that's been powdercoated,
Other additions since purchase:
* IPF900 spotlights,
* Darkest legal tint.
I live on acreage, drive a rough road to & from work, haul the odd load around, & like to do road trips & go camping although I'm not in to 4WDing, so the Hi-Rider variant suits me perfectly.
I'm a big fan of the KZN165 Hiluxes (a mate has an early 2000s SR5) but given the bad roads I drive I had to opt for something loaded with safety gear. I'd been considering a used facelifted KUN26 series with the safety pack (SR/SR5) which may have initially saved me several thousand over my new SR, but I'd weighed up my finances & personal situation & the new Hilux came out on top despite the initial extra purchase cost. I'll be driving this for a good decade or so.
I've done nearly 5000kms in less than a month & am averaging 8.1L/100kms, doing mixed driving. It's climbed to 8.5L/100kms when towing with the AC on on a hot day, and it's dropped to 7.7L/100kms doing a trip down the highway.
I previously had an '81 Hilux 2.2 4x2 as an unregistered farm ute but I gave that an accidental lobotomy one night trying to jump-start it in the dark, haha
My father-in-law loves his Hiluxes (& anything Toyota really) & currently has a 2013 SR5 & a 1999 Workmate 4x2. I actually come from a Ford (Falcon) background having owned several over the past 15+ years so it's a real shift for me.
Pics below (includes before & after for tint & IPFs):
The IPFs really do add a 3rd level of lighting. Low beam does what you'd expect, high beam throws light fairly well out to the sides but doesn't really punch out into the distance. The IPFs fill this hole nicely. I'll try to take some photos with my decent camera one night.
Cheers
Dave
