The Hummer H1, H2, and H3 are all very cool vehicles but for those in the market for a dramatic off-roader that looks much nicer and is bound to be considerably more reliable, it is hard to beat the Toyota Mega Cruiser.
The little-known Mega Cruiser was built by Toyota between 1995 and 2001 and was originally designed for use by the Japanese military and later used by police and fire departments across the country. While some 3,000 Mega Cruisers were built, it is thought that less than 150 of them were civilian models like this one, currently up for grabs through Cars & Bids.
This particular Mega Cruiser is a right-hand drive example and was imported from Japan in May 2022. It has been driven 168,700 km or roughly 104,900 miles but looks to have been well maintained over the years with no obvious damage done to the body or the wheels.
Like all others, power comes from a 4.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 155 hp and 282 lb-ft (382 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case spinning all four wheels. One of the particularly intriguing aspects of the Mega Cruiser is the fact that it has portal axles, a rarity in a street-legal vehicle. It also has three locking differentials and could probably tackle even the most difficult of terrain.
Read: Toyota Mega Cruiser Is Japan’s Off-Road Dinosaur You Can Import In The US
Cars & Bids note that the off-roader has been equipped with aftermarket 17-inch wheels, been changed from green to white, fitted with a Gamiviti roof rack, has new exterior lights, and a power inverter.
How much is it worth? Well, a Mega Cruiser converted to left-hand drive and driven just 90,900 km (50,600 miles) since new was sold on the same auction site for $310,000 in October 2022. The higher mileage of this unit means it won’t sell for as much and the fact that its right-hand drive may also dissuade some bidders. If it sells somewhere between the $100,000 and $200,000 mark, it could be quite a good deal as that’s roughly the price range that low-mileage Hummer H1s go for.
