Diff lock vs traction control in soft sand — when to use which
Running the Toyota Fortuner for 14 months now, 49725km on the clock including 5 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Swartberg and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 11L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Pretoria could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Rhino 4x4 bar (R14k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R16k fitted), TRED Pro recovery boards, and a National Luna 40L fridge. Total spend on mods: around R80k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Pretoria dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
5 Replies
Have you tried it in high-speed gravel? That is where these bakkies differ most. The Raptor on its Fox shocks is a different vehicle at 100km/h on corrugated gravel compared to the base model.
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Upington — 9 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
Good honest review. My experience with the GR Sport has been similar — the factory setup is better off-road than the road testers give it credit for. The tyres are always the first thing that needs changing regardless of which bakkie you buy.
— steef_pretorius
On the mod budget — R45k sounds like a lot but if you are amortising it over 8 years of serious use, it works out to less than R1,000 per month. And the safety improvement in a real recovery situation is not something you can put a price on.
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Upington — 9 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
— jannie_swanepoel
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at Dobinsons coilovers — around R13k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.
Good honest review. My experience with the GR Sport has been similar — the factory setup is better off-road than the road testers give it credit for. The tyres are always the first thing that needs changing regardless of which bakkie you buy.