RX-300 "Harrier" questions

[m4rkw]

Hi

I'm looking at buying a 2006 harrier (2.4L RX-300) but it doesn't come with cruise control.  On my passat I was able to add cruise control by buying a new stalk for the steering wheel and then just flipping a setting in the ECU, is there a similar retrofit possible on the harrier?

Thanks

[ColinBarber]

I don't believe so. If the wiring is in place behind the steering wheel blanking cover then you may be in luck but Toyota normally only provide wiring if the feature is actually installed - unlike VAG who just use a single common loom for a vehicle.

[m4rkw]

So it'd need wiring and possibly ECU coding?

[ColinBarber]

Toyota ECUs can't be programmed in that way.

Depending on how the throttle is controlled on the 2.4 engine it may need additional sensors/different throttle body - I don't have any details as it isn't an engine used in the UK.

[m4rkw]

Fair enough, thanks.  Are there any reasons to avoid the harrier imports in favour of a regular RX-300?  It seems like the harrier would have better fuel economy and lower running costs which is what makes it appeal.

[sorcerer]

Having had an RX300, I can say that they are huge and heavy cars, so much so that at times, even the 3.0 engine seemed underpowered. The 3.3 engine apparently gave better fuel economy but I really can't see a 2.4 engine even being viable in one of these.

Quote

Are there any reasons to avoid the harrier imports in favour of a regular RX-300?

Well, as Colin pointed out above, these engines aren't used in the UK so parts may be difficult to source if needed.

[m4rkw]

I drove the 2.4L the other day and it felt really nice and smooth, didn't feel underpowered at all.  We were only going around in 30-zones though.

[sorcerer]

2 hours ago, m4rkw said:

I drove the 2.4L the other day and it felt really nice and smooth, didn't feel underpowered at all.  We were only going around in 30-zones though.

Well I've never driven a 2.4 so you'll know more about it than I do but I can tell you that when the car is fully loaded and you're driving in hilly regions, there were times when I wished I'd gone for the bigger engine. Having said that though, we had it converted to LPG so we liked the economy of paying around 47p/litre but a bit more poke would have been handy at times.

[ColinBarber]

I think the 2.4 is more fuel efficient, and possibly available as a FWD only option which will make it more economical than 4WD. The RX300 is smoother, having a V6 engine.

If economy is your main concern then the 400h may be a better choice, however they probably command a higher price so depending on your intended mileage the Harrier may still be the better choice for you.

Some of the imports have Japanese only Sat Nav and screen controls such as climate control. There isn't an easy way to convert that to English so make sure you look at that.

[m4rkw]

the one i’m looking at is a 2wd.. just wish i could find some actual mpg numbers for it. maybe i’ll give toyota a call in the morning

[Spacewagon52]

My gut feeling would be to buy a good lower mileage RX 300 and factor in an LPG conversion in the price if you want economy. Search for Sorcerer's post on comparison  mpg running costs:- From memory a standard RX 300 works out at about 22p a mile - the RX 400h 19p a mile and if you convert a RX 300 to LPG it works out at around 12p a mile. Well worth reading his thread - it really helped me when choosing between the RX 300 and RX400h.

I have just done the first long run in my RX300 from Kent to Hampshire - mainly motorway - I averaged 28 mpg. Will have a more accurate figure when I actually fill the car up.

My best - 28mpg

My usual - 22 mpg

My worst - 19 mpg

That is on a full tank of fuel.

 

Hope this helps.

[m4rkw]

Well I've pulled the trigger on the car, gonna get it converted to LPG as that should reduce the fuel costs to the point where it's bearable.  Also good thing about the Harrier is far fewer bells and whistles that can break and cost money like air suspension, 4WD system, electric seats etc.  Fingers crossed it'll serve us well.

[Jaystar77]

Glad to hear of the purchase.

 

Just by coincidence I was reading up on throttle control boxes the other night and could swear there was one that, along with the usual settings, offered a form of cruise control.

 

Might be worth investigating yourself in case they are applicable to your model code?

The only names I can remember are Blitz, Apexi and Greddy but it could have been one of the more generic brands.

[m4rkw]

Cool thanks I'll check that out.  Not too bothered about the cruise control really, it would be nice for the long drives across France but we only do that once a year and having the auto gearbox will make the journey much more relaxing anyway.

One thing I really love about the car is that as its a jap import the indicator stalk is on the right rather than the left which is really relaxing to drive - can do it all one-handed! :)

[Jaystar77]

I'd agree, so much easier to drive.  Rather partial to the Japanese imports myself.  Would bring a box of randomness in every few months for my other car projects.  I've a tonne of Harrier showroom brochures lying here if you need any random info   

[m4rkw]

If you can tell me the fuel consumption figures for the car that would be really useful - it's a 2006, 2.4L 2wd.  I found some numbers online in L/km but they varied widely and it wasn't clear which model they applied to.  Thanks!

[Jaystar77]

Will check it out and let you know Mark 

[m4rkw]

awesome thanks

[Jaystar77]

Right, the important info you are looking is that the 2WD 160PS 2.4 litre 2AZ-FE offers 11km/litre which converts to approx. 31mpg.

Compare that to the 4WD version (28mpg) and the 2WD 220PS 3.0 litre 1MZ-FE (26mpg) there's definitely a benefit to get the lightweight of the range.

The 4WD 1MZ-FE gets around 25MPG apparently.  

Obviously manufacturers data isn't real world but it's nice that they are optimistic.

 

 

 

[m4rkw]

Awesome thanks man!  31mpg is more than I'd hoped for, at that kind of mileage it may not even be worth bothering with LPG.  The official figure for my V8 beemer that I had a few years ago was 26mpg and if I drove it very gently on the motorway and avoided braking I could get it up to 35mpg.

[Jaystar77]

But who cares about figures when we have so much else to look at in this flashy brochure..  Check out the amount of mental optional extras Toyota can dream up!

 

 

 

 

 

[m4rkw]

Why is it half english half japanese? lol. that's weird.

Pretty sure mine has very few optional extras, no cruise, it has the moon roof but as far as I can tell that's it.  Seats are manual which I prefer as it's less stuff to brake, no air suspension, 2wd.  the less bells and whistles the better in my opinion as there's less to go wrong.

[Jaystar77]

I like that line of thinking - electrics just have a habit of going wrong.  Usually expensively!