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Toyota Prado Long Term Review - 24 months. |
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24 Month UpdateIt been a while and certainly over due for this update! So remembering back Nothing has really changed or happened with the car that hasn't already been said. High mileage Toyota Prado's are quite common and its easy to see why. It is genuinely a fantastic long distance commuter. There are several key features which make it so, namely enough power, large and quiet interior, long range fuel tank (180 litres) and comfy ride. Reliability has been perfect so far for me. No break downs or mechanical failures to report. That said there are a few interior rattles that have appeared, namely near the seatbelt garnish panel or the panel its self and the front interior light cluster. They are not consistent but annoying. Fuel consumption is a steady 14-15 liters when traveling in city environments and 10-11 liters when traveling on the open highway. Perfectly acceptable for a large and heavy vehicle. Even more acceptable when you consider that normal sedans use just as much. A recent email prompt me to add this bit: Although Toyota's and it's Landcruiser range which includes the Prado has a great reliability record they are not completely bullet proof. Poor servicing, and poor drivers can damage any car and that includes this one. So if buying one second hand or used Prado make sure it does have a service history and try to get an independent mechanic to assess its condition before buying. The top end models with all the electronics should be checked more so than the base models with less stuff to go wrong. Although many are great condition there will be ones which have been driven to the edge regardless of how many kilometers or miles they've done. Personally I'd be more suspicious of a low mileage Prado than a high mileage example. So we're still happy with the car and that fact that it's still in the parking lot says something about the quality and ease of living. That said it has been used far less these days due to high petrol prices.
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Diesel Vs Petrol In light of the high petrol prices I was looking at the alternatives to petrol and clearly there aren't many. There's LPG and natural GAS and of course diesel. Japanese cars aren't known for their advanced diesel engines compared to European manufacturers because Japan does not encourage or have a large market for diesel engines. I think less than 1% of their car sales are diesel engine cars. However, Europe does but no where else. I'm not doubting the technical ability of the Prado's diesel engine but just point out that there are better. When it comes to choosing a diesel Prado Vs a Petrol don't be fooled by the better fuel economy. Diesel engines in the Prado requires 5000km service intervals as well as at 10000km. In many countries like Australia, diesel is more expensive than petrol. So any economy is lost when servicing costs are taken into account.
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