1st Drive
29 November 2009

The first drive impressions of the diesel where mixed. I expected a noticeable improvement in terms of noise and vibration like the petrol version. However in the end its not quite a big improvement specifically in the engine department.
 

The good things about the new diesel version is that it has all the suspension and handling improvements as the petrol version.  The carry over diesel engine is a very good unit and you'd never guess that it was a diesel as you drove it. The smooth turbo lag free power is all there although I still think the petrol version has better initial take-off power.

In fact all the impressions of the diesel version are exactly the same as the V6 petrol version eg. gearbox except for the following drive opinions:

The engine noise is louder than the petrol version. The noise is still a harsher sound but it is clearly muted compared to other commercial specific versions. The engine is heard and felt mainly during acceleration rather than cruising where it just keeps to its self.

You can feel some vibration through the body of the diesel Prado. The vibe levels are obvious if you have just tried the petrol version. It is however an improvement over the previous 120 series diesel.  It is all relative. That said the diesel version it is still better than other competitors in terms of first impressions.

I could get used to the steering feel which is still a tad light under 100kph but otherwise it does work very well in keeping all vibes from the driver.

Finally there is a slight lag until the turbo kicks in at low revs - that is 500-1000rpm? or something like that.  BUT you won't notice it unless you've tried the petrol version. It is no different to any other turbo diesel I've tried to date. It doesn't feel sluggish at all thanks to lots of torque.  The gearbox does a great job in controlling al that power in a very smooth and civilized package.

Conclusion:

So far the new diesel 150 series Land Cruiser Prado is very nice indeed. It is everything the superseded 120 series was made even better. Unlike the petrol version the diesel while better than some of the competitors still has some work in the engine refinement area.  Power is all but  less harsh engine noise during acceleration and vibes at idle would be appreciated.

So for a serene drive in traffic pick the petrol and for a slightly nosier engine pick the diesel. You can tell that Toyota has worked very hard to eliminate as much vibration through the wheel as possible. However both engines are near silent at constant cruise. Just remember it is all relative.

As for prices be prepared for the initial premium for being the first to buy one cause they aren't cheap at the moment.

Petrol
5 door Kakadu - $87,990
5 door VX - $74,490
5 door GXL - $63,490

Diesel
5 door Kakadu - $88,990
5 door VX - $75,490
5 door GXL - $64,490
5 door GX - $58,490

Diesel (Only)
3 door ZR - $65,990
3 door SX - $55,990