As the curtains close on the mighty GU Patrol, Nissan are marking the occasion with the Nissan Patrol Legend Edition.
It’s not going to be around for long, so if you’re jonesing for some live-axle, diesel-powered Datsun goodness, you’d better get in quick.
The Nissan Patrol Legend Edition comes with quite a decent shopping list of extra, as well. Already sporting a 95+30 litre fuel capacity and rear locker, you also score a bullbar and electric winch, roof rack, towbar, snorkel and satellite navigation.
In terms of cost, you’re paying $57,990 for a manual-gearbox Patrol, or $60,990 for the auto. Pro tip: avoid the auto like the plague. It should be an international crime to sell a vehicle with a slushy four-speed gearbag in this day and age, especially when it only has modest power to attempt rapid progress.
It’s a 4WD that has enjoyed immense popularity and success over the years, since it took over from the equally successul GQ (Y60) in 1997. Big, torquey engines, long coil springs and tough live axles were are great base for wheeling, touring, towing and just about everthing in between. Emissions laws signed the death knell for the big petrol and diesel powerplants, and the poor old Patrol has been since overtaken by everthing else on the market.
Much of the problem with the Patrol is the antique driveline. The three-litre diesel donk is a solid motor, but it doesn’t exactly drip with power. If you’ve got the four-speed automatic gearbox, heaven help you .. Asthmatic is the fitting word.
If Nissan chose to fit something decent under the bonnet of the Patrol, rather than let it slowly die, it would make for an enticing product. Toyota have engineered a big-capacity V8 diesel in their LandCruiser, why can’t Nissan? Imagine it: The Cummins 5.0 litre diesel V8 out of the Nissan Titan, complete with a six-speed automatic Aisin gearbox. What a machine it would be… The 5.6 litre petrol in the Y62 is a fine engine, but a big guzzling petrol V8 for the Australian market, is simply trying to bang a square peg into a round hole.
Nissan Patrol Y61 Wagon ST Legend Edition | Drive-away Prices** |
With 5-speed manual transmission | $57,990 |
With 4-speed automatic transmission | $60,990 |
21 comments
Nissan has completely lost the plot since the GQ
If it was in 4.2 TD it would be a seller.
Long live the GQ
how can they call it a “legend” when it’s running the 3.0 engine?
whack a 4.2TD in it and I’d agree with the name.
I thought the ‘Legend’ tag inferred a re-release of 4.2td…..SAD !!
MY 2008 GU61 is a great rig. The problem is someone stole my other 4 cylinders. If you find them, send them back as I need them when towing my van. Pity the head honchos at Nissan don’t talk to the public about what we want or need to tour this great country. Big petrol guzzling V8s don’t cut it out here. Unlike the USA we don’t have a gas station every 40 mile. Not sure how the Titan, the Patrol’s replacement, will go as it is not very popular in the USA.
Not happy with our GU…should have stuck to the GQ!
Great Vehicle A pity about the Engine . Why they did not install the engine from the Nissan Tian.
I have a very faithful 1997 GQ 4.2 diesel that’s just about to turn over 300K klms We towed an 18 ft Evernew Caravan all over Tassie for 6 yrs then bought a 22.5 ft Caravan to do the same, so we installed a turbo and inter-cooler. what a difference. !!! Before that, when we went up the Tassie mountains we would stick it in 1st gear and watch the snails overtake us. Also one of the best towing improvements I made, was installing an exhaust brake, so turbo for going up and exhaust brake for going down, what a saving on brake pads apart from the safety aspect.
The only sad thing that the GQ 4,2 is only rated to tow 2.5 tonne, can’t really see why, whereas the GU 4.2 tows 3.5 tonne. Wish I could get one of those, but with the demise of the patrol, they’ll be scarce as hens teeth. A couple of years we had a bit of a caravan weight problem to sort out, so we tested a GU 3 ltr , and like another writer has said, I wondered where the other cylinders had gone. So decided to change the ‘van instead. Since buying it with in 2003 with only 78K klm the only time I have ever touched the radiator is to change the coolant. So I’ll just keep it well serviced and I think it’ll last me out.
I have owned two 3.0 litre GUs 2004 and a 2016. Automatic is not bad just needs an extra cog or two to get a bit better fuel economy. 13.5 litres per 100km around town is not that bad for the big girl :).
I’ve had a 3 litre auto for 16 years. Tows my van well and is economical. It’s a four speed box but with a lock up on fourth, so I’m getting 15.5 litres per 100km, towing at 105 km/h at 2200 rpm.
I’d buy another one, but mine’s still going strong.
I’ve owned a 2.8 liter 6 cylinder Patrol, which with LPG injection was a legend, awesome.
Updating to 2006 GU Patrol with…….. dare I say it, 5 speed auto and 3 liter , 4 cylinder, now owned for two years and quiet a considerable number of trips towing C.T. and I have not one word of complaint. The auto needs to be manually operated in hilly country, otherwise it’s fine. To be honest, it leaves the old manual for dead in the sand, there’s no way in hell, I could ever get the max Torque with a manual without burning out the clutch. The Auto does it without even getting up a sweat and keeps the revs low where they should be.
Yep got a gu and man I should never have sold my 4.2gq
And for $5k more you can have a 2016 Y62 Ti with 300kw on tap. What is Australia’s obsession with diesel? My 3.0 Y61 averaged 13.5l/100 whilst my Y62 is a tad under 15l/100 – around an extra $2 per 100k. Towing a camper trailer is the same at around 17l/100. Having owned diesels for 25 years I will never go back to diesel.
Yea, I know my GU Auto is under powered, but it still tows my 16ft van all over Western Australia, We drive within the limits of the GU, dirt roads, tracks, tarmac, open road speeds 90 to 100kph. Were in no hurry. Nearly done 400,000 ks , We,ll give you a wave as you pass us in a hurry to get to the next servo
Unfortunately, it is said, The Australian vehicle market is a very small percentage of the world market.
So, the Nissan engineers make market decisions based on where the most potential $$s are. Our ‘piddling needs’ are insiginficant.
What ever the Northern Hemisphere vehicle market sees as important to manufacture a particular range of vehicles, is where they turn.
The Euro 4 – 5 emission rules are a poor excuse for not producing a decent power plant, or for that matter, a complete package, that fits the emission and practical use requirements. Just a will to do so is missing I reckon.
LONG LIVE THE PATROL!!
Wasn’t impressed with the condition or price of 2nd hand 4.2 GU’s and didn’t want a 3.0 litre hand grenade when this 3YO gas converted (dual fuel) 4.8 litre GU3 TI drew my attention. I have now owned it for 9 years and loved every minute int this car. The 5 speed auto has engine braking in 1st & second low range and, while viciously thirsty, at 60-65 cents/litre, who cares? I still did all the Cape York tracks (with a full gas tank as reserve) and never had to worry about fuel (sure, not a candidate for the red centre, but can go with someone else). Tricked it up with diff-locks, 33″ muddies, winch, 2″ lift, lights, rear bar, etc, etc, etc. to make it an awesome weapon on the tracks and it just loves the steep, rugged terrain. Just about unstoppable and I love it!
My 4.2 GU five speed manual Turbo Diesel 1999 is the very best. It has all the power, comfort and guts I have ever needed. Has always towed our camper trailer ( tinny on top) everywhere I have taken it with ease.
Done over 450000 ks and still going strong. I think I’ll just keep on getting it regularly serviced.
As another writer mentioned we in Australia are an insignificantly small market, as a result Nissan destroyed a great series to meet European emmision controls. Unfortunately we all lost out.
Bring back the 4.2 td bugger global warming
I was a “rusted on” Nissan nut for many years. My last Patrol, a 2002 3.0Lt 5 speed manual GU served me well for 10 years, but always left me feeling disappointed when I needed some real grunt at short notice, at which time it seemed to suffer an asthma attack. Finally in 2012 I upgraded the caravan to a 23 footer weighing in at around 3 ton fully laden. What to do about a tow vehicle? My GU was making hard work of 1.7 ton, even with a Steinbauer power module fitted! And my Nissan dealer was telling me that the 4.2 Patrol was no longer available! So in desperation I trotted off to the local Toyota dealer to test drive a 200 series Landcruiser, and took delivery of my new 4.5 Lt V8 twin turbo ‘cruiser 6 weeks later. The kids won’t talk to me anymore, but oh what a feeling!! This vehicle is an absolute joy to drive, on the black-top, in the dirt and towing my 3T caravan. Sorry Nissan, but if you can’t do any better than what you have to offer at the moment, you might as well give the game away!
I bought a 2003 3lt patrol and within 12months it broke down 7 times. i found it to be the biggest heap of rubbish i ever had. I could not find a mechanic who could find the problem which was the loss of power after travelling about 200 ks each time. the engine light would come on and the car could not go over 80ks an hour. After turning the motor off and letting it sit for an hour the light would go out and the car would run normally for the next 200ks. needless to say i got rid of it and bought a Prado