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4WD Comparison and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Review BLOG |
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Diesel (Only) |
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Site Index Home NEWS Ultimate SUV/4WD Comparison
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150 Series
120 Series Upgrades
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Latest News Last Updated: 27 January 2012 January 2012: 2012 New year greetings! We've been on the road for holidays. It is getting expensive thanks purely to petrol costs beyond the city limits. OF the latest news there are a ton of new SUV releases planned for 2012 and as a result lots more to try and review. Our latest drive was the XC60 T6 - completely understated yet easily better than the BMW, Audi or Lexus. Also the Range Rover Evoque update drive review. The new section of the website is now open. Links are being re-directed! January-November 2011: We've posted the Bridgestone D694 review and lots of new comparisons from 2012 Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 and pricing, BMW, Volvo, Saab, FJ Cruiser, Dodge, Skoda, 2012 Nissan Patrol, Jeep Grand Cherokee and finally the Range Rover Evoque - Enjoy. (Lots of content updates) Including the SUV price list for comparisons.
Working on brand new website format which should
make things easier to search and access! December 2010: Wishing everyone a safe Christmas break and happy New Year. Updates will resume in mid-January. November 2010: Another warning one for 120 series Prado Owners. If you haven't received it in the mail yet. Toyota have sent out a letter asking if you have the OEM bullbar fitted. If so you'll need to take it back to Toyota to have some brackets replaced since they can break. The letter does not say which year models are effected but I suspect lots of them! So see your dealer or wait for it to arrive. Introduction Welcome to the 4WD comparison and Toyota Prado Vs the world review BLOG. We have put together in-depth and long term ownership experience, reviews, comparisons, loads of general information, pictures, technical articles, accessories and lots of opinions on the Toyota Land Cruiser LC4, LC5 or LandCruiser Prado, LandCruiser Colorado, Lexus GX, just plain Toyota Prado or whatever name its been given around the world. Although we initially started the website as a record of our travels and long term Prado review. As a group at least one of is considering a new car and so the website has now become a record of comparisons between which of the other cars we've tried and personal notes in an effort to find a replacement. Our RecommendationEverything is relative and everyone has an opinion so we've made up this website to explain ours. If your criteria for choosing a car like the Toyota Prado is similar to us then the answer is - yes we can recommend it. There are quite a few different brands and models to choose from in this class of vehicle and lots more around it so take your time to read up and choose! Due to the GFC there are also lots of variation in pricing and equipment levels too. You might find that these other models may meet your requirements better. Remember that a high price does not always mean it is a better car. |
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More about buying
There is lots to think about when buying a new or used Toyota Prado. Things like the quality of materials like paint, fit and finish, plastics and so forth are very good quality. The design of the interior is not revolutionary. Mind you many other car interiors still look like this. Nevertheless it is a comfy place to sit and looks and feels like a quality vehicle. The engine is the key factor to making the Prado a good thing! It's V6 engine is powerful and economical too. In a world of high petrol prices this engine uses as little as possible. A Holden Commodore V6 and Ford Falcon In-line 6 (Popular regular sedans in Australia) in the fleet uses about 18 litres per 100k's in inner city commuting with the petrol engine Prado 15-16 litres. On the highway where it spends most of its time 9-11 litres per 100ks. For the diesel engine fuel consumption is around 12 litres around town and less than 10 on the highway. Considering the size and weight of the Prado vs the others its low fuel use wins my vote. (On a light throttle I achieved 14 litres in one week in peak city traffic!) The other key factor is the transmission. The current 5 speed auto is a really good transmission. It works very well with the engine. It shifts smoothly and changes gears appropriately. The ride quality is excellent especially on dirt roads and just as good as the fore mentioned sedans on normal roads. The handling is OK for a large 4wd at normal speeds and can made to handle reasonably well - for what it is. It isn't a sports car. Are there any problems with the Prado? Have a read of the long term review pages on this website. LandCruiser Prado's history It began in Australia at least back in 1996. Toyota didn't really have a competitor for the very popular Mitsubishi Pajero or Shogun or Montero. I guess it was described as the 'civilized' mid-sized 4WD category and the start of the Sport Utility Vehicle or SUV class. I use the term civilized meaning a 4wd that wasn't designed to spend most of it's life off road. Mitsubishi Pajero/Shogun at the time had quite a lead in almost every field. It was a Dakar winner many times over in the production and modified classes, it was the best looking 4WD at the time had lots of equipment, handled well and pretty good off road too. Toyota had much ground to make up in terms of marketing and packaging and design. Toyota is one of the most technically advanced and arguably the largest and most successful car manufacturer in the world today. So it didn't take long before the original Prado or 90 series Land Cruiser was released. It was quite funny when I first saw it at a motor show, only because it looked very similar to the Pajero, with only the design flair that Toyota can do. Ie. It was not a good looking thing. Also note that there is a Japan only Prado model that predates the one the rest of the world knows. But it was really a 75 Series Land Cruiser. The current shape was release in late 2002 in
some countries and available worldwide by late 2003. The wagon
appears to be the only model available world wide. The smaller
SWB or 3 door LandCruiser Prado is available in some parts or
the world.
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This is a personal website
completely unrelated to any motor company including Toyota Motor Corp. |
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