Buying a D40

Hi Guys

As you can see by the title im looking to buy a second hand D40 and would like some advice.

Im new to 4wd, only had a couple of hrs off roading, and it really was only soft sand not the real thing, but this will change.

So what to look for and what are the pro and cons of each:
TD or the V6.
auto or manual
what year
euro or asian

Anything else you guys can think of?

It will mainly be drivin around town with the odd weekend down the beach/off road as i like to fish and surf, towing will be minimal but will happen on occasion.

Thanks for your advice.

Mitch

I have NO regrets getting my D40 2.5td (Thai) 6spd Manual. In fairness, i havnt driven an auto version, or even been near a petrol version.

I now have 21,000 km's on the clock in nearly 10 months.

My car is mostly used on the black stuff, but i keep looking for oportunitees to take the family camping so i can get my car dirty. i've been on about 4 serious off-road ventures with my car now (beach and dirt/rocks/water) and apart from low clearance as std, the car performed like a trooper - its my driving skills off road that need to catch up with the cars off-road capabilities. (oh, and the lift kit will help too - in about 4 weeks time).

I'm not sure there's a whole load of real difference between the Spanish and Thai builds that ought to affect your choice. The ST (Thai) has some features the ST-X (Spanish) doesn't have and vice versa.

There is a difference between petrol and diesel - the diesel gets better mileage and you don't see warnings on places in the outback that read "Please make sure you've called ahead if you need unleaded fuel, we have plenty of diesel". When I find that place again, I'll post a pic. Expect an equipped and loaded diesel to settle around the 9-12 litres per hundred km depending on driving style. The petrols use 15LPHK and up, but they're more spritely than the diesel.

The petrol is quieter than the diesel - from outside, or with the windows down, you know you're in a truck with the diesel, but the diesel pulls like a truck too. Then you have the submersible differences - diesel (with snorkel) just keeps going, while the petrol version gives you the opportunity to be rescued by a Toyota.

The D40 is lower than the D22, and will need more modification to do the really rugged stuff, but it's still a capable vehicle.

If you're towing heavy stuff, a lot of places recommend the auto - which is the way I went - but there are people here who have the manual and tow great weights without problem. The manual is better off-road than the auto - not that the auto can't do it, but the manual is just a little smoother at it in the rough stuff.

Oh, an important point: diesel service costs are higher than petrol, and the parts for the petrol version are a lot cheaper (diesel fuel pump, as an example, sits around $4K). That should be remembered - you're not just buying the car, you're buying something that needs maintenance and parts.

Good luck!

I agree with everything Tony has outlined except the fuel economy you can expect from a diesel/auto version. It is more like 13 litres.

Not whinging though as I am still in love with the Nav.

thanks guys for the replies.

this has given me now more to think about lol......

I may lean more towards the petrol manual as the off roading will be kept to a minimum and deff no water stuff, and maybe have a duel fuel setup to help with milage.

Again thanks for the replies..