http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruise...dCruiser70_WagonWorkMate_Prices_Specification
$59,900 Aussie dollars or $62,000 USD. Complete with diesel, manual trans, manual windows, and seating for 5. I would buy one today if it was available. I have also seen on this forum that the Middle East 70 Series have dashes that are very similar to our Tacoma complete with dual airbags and they have the 4.0 gas six. It seems that they have an engine that is already approved here and have dual airbags. Doesn't seem like a huge bureaucratic hurdle for Toyota.
On the mileage thing- while I know our cars are safer and more capable today I am blown away by how mileage has, in some regards, gone down over the decades. My first car was a 1966 F100 4x4 with a 352 v8, NP435 (granny 4 speed), 33" BFG mud terrains, 3.90 gears, and big heavy bumpers. I drove that truck for almost 100,000 miles and could easily get 15mpg on the highway if I kept it below 75 mph (68-70 mph was the sweet spot). Now I drive a 2004 F350 with a 5.4 V8, auto with overdrive, and 285 AT's. Best I can get now is around 14MPG- same sweet spot with the speed. I realize the truck is safer and more capable but for mileage to drop over almost 40 years is ridiculous. Same story with our cars. While I was restoring the F100 one year I bought a 1981 Toyota Tercel that got 30+ MPG all day long. Now my wife drives a Mazda6 which is bigger, but not that big. We get 20mpg around town and have never seen 30mpg on the highway. I just find it very disappointing.
When I bought my F350 I was shopping for Tacomas but I found them to be too big (I want them to back to the old or pre-Taco size) and I didn't think the mileage was all that great. The F350 is MUCH bigger but I got a smokin' deal when gas prices spiked a couple of years ago and my mileage isn't too much worse considering the $14,000 I saved over a used Taco with similar mileage/condition. Also my F350 seats 6 and has manual windows and vinyl floors!
