2007 Toyota Prado GX Turbo Diesel Road Test
April 17, 2007 by Paul Maric
Toyota recently announced the addition of a 3.0-litre turbo-Diesel engine to its ranks. What’s so good about that I hear you ask? Well this turbo-Diesel motor is capable of returning a 9.2-litre/100km fuel efficiency figure – which for a vehicle that weighs just under two-tones, that’s not a bad feat.
With a 180-litre fuel tank (one of the biggest offered on an Australian production vehicle) the Toyota Landcruiser Prado Diesel is capable of traveling a solid 1656km on one tank of Diesel, that’s enough to get from Melbourne to Sydney and back again. I jumped into the GX base model for the week to see what the Prado was like around town and out bush.
The interior is pretty simple, there are plenty of blank buttons for higher models and there isn’t much in the way of luxuries. On the same hand though, you don’t really buy a vehicle like the Prado for luxurious motoring. There is a heap of room both for front and rear seat passengers, along with a very large glove box and centre console for storing odds and ends.
On road dynamics are far from spectacular, a higher centre of gravity, along with soft suspension certainly don’t help the fact. Toyota certainly didn’t try and hide the fact that there is a Diesel under the bonnet; the noise often overcomes that of trucks near by.
Around town, the Prado is quite easy to drive. The steering is assisted enough for tight parking and the turbo lag is kept to a minimum. After a moment of hesitation, a boot full of throttle will exert the Prado’s full 410Nm of torque at just 1600rpm, whilst the maximum 127kW of power occurs at 3400rpm.
Off road, the Prado is about as good as it gets. I took the Prado through some of the roughest territory on offer and it remained compliant the entire time. The plethora of torque available low in the rev range helps the Prado climb any hills it’s challenged with.
There are four models on offer in the Prado range – the GX (being test driven), GXL, VX and Grande. They are priced at $46,290, $54,290, $67,290 and $74,290 respectively, with the Diesel engine on offer for a $1000 premium. In my opinion, optioning the Diesel engine is the smartest move, considering the extra torque and fuel efficiency on offer.
Standard features in the GX model include: 17” steel wheels; power windows; power steering; 6-speaker sound system with single disc CD player; 3 seater for third row of seats; side steps; 6 cup holders; mud flaps; remote central locking; engine immobiliser and front driver and passenger SRS airbags.
The GX has an optional “Option Pack” on offer which includes ABS brakes, cruise control and leather bound steering wheel at additional cost. I think it’s quite a concern that the GX model doesn’t come standard with ABS brakes, considering the size of the vehicle; it could become quite dangerous in the wet without the assistance of ABS.
Aside from the lack of ABS as standard equipment, the new Toyota Landcruiser Prado is well equipped for a sub $50,000 vehicle. It performed nicely throughout the city and maintained composure off-road. Unless you’re planning to use this as a dedicated 4WD, I would head up in the product range to find one with a few more features, as the GX is pretty simple in terms of extras.
- Paul Maric
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My 3rd Diesel Prado (manual) is now 3 months old, but I\’m wishing I hadn\’t bought it.
The problem is engine coarseness/roughness when pulling, a \’beat\’ at low speed something like you used to get with a worn or badly timed petrol engine in the sixties, and a bit more \’diesel rattle\’ than we\’ve come to expect these days. The problem comes and goes and is most noticeable after cruising effortlessly (and smoothly) along the highway, then needing to climb a hill or accelerate after an intersection.
The dealer has checked all the engine management settings and says they are fine.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Well, it’s been 15 mths since I purchased my Prado GXL D4D.
I’ve travelled 28,000kms & towed our 16ft caravan for 3,800kms, smooth quiet great economy,.Much better than the 2003 Pajero exceed i had,which was like driving around in a noisy coffee grinder. Also dealers offered me lousy trade-in prices, (So why would you buy another one).It only had 79000kms was like new with heaps of extras .Lucky i sold it privately NEVER AGAIN.
I have owned a prado TD since December 2001. It has towed a 1.3 tonne camper trailer across most of the desert tracks of Australia and has been to Cape York and the Mitchell Plateau. The only modification to the suspension I had was putting Poly Air Bags in to take the extra load on the back end. I have never had a bar in the 200000km I have done and have hit a number of emus and kangaroos on the back tracks and the standard bumper allows them to live while popping back into shape. I must admit I generally do not drive at night. Referring back to nifty who had a rattle on start up. Occassionally mine does that on cold mornings and a mechanic friend said “nothing to worry about” — this was 140000km ago so he was right. The poly air bags had to be replaced at 180000km and the I replaced the shockies at 170000 with aftermarket foam cell ones but would go back to the originals as the aftermarkets make the car feel like the back end is going to fall off. I have been happy with reliability, comfort, economy, fuel range and power. Am looking at purchasing a new prado soon and looking forward to even better comfort, power and economy.
The D4D engine has a fault at approx 10,000 ks you will start to hear rattling in the morning when cold due to faulty injectors. Toyota still have not found a fix for this issue. Effects Hilux and Prado D4D engines.
Greetings from Melbourne Australia! What a great site. I’ve been reading all of the comments with interest. I have just placed an order for the Prado GXL Turbo Diesel Auto. and take delivery mid August. The dealer informed me that production of the current model ceases at the end of July 2009. Production of the new model commences late August with the launch taking place in November. Has anyone heard what changes will be made for the new model?
Hi Paul S.
Congrats for your recent purchase ; Concerning the new model for Prado,check out here for info :
http://www.pradopoint.com/view.....e1c061c0a7
/Fred
We are in the process of purchasing a new 2009 Prado GX Turbo Diesel Manual. Living in the bush we needed a vehicle that would fit a large family, handle the 400km round trip grocery shop and satisfy everyones need to hit the beach in summer and go more bush when work and school get too much. After months of research the Prado seems to be the one to offer a good balance and Toyota resale value is definately a plus. The best help has been found on posts like this where the real drivers share their real life experiences. Thanx
Cant wait to get it covered in red dirt!
I have two prado’s, only because I was so impressed by the first one. (1998 2.7 petrol auto) The wife and I then purchased a 2005 3.0L turbo diesel. Great car, but don’t ever put Goodyear Wrangler tires on it. Road holding becomes seriously compromised. The car tracks with the contours of the road. Best stick to the original Dunlop tires for on road driving.
Can anyone please advise service/maintenance costs of the prado? Thanks
All new Toyotas are under a capped service fee for the first 3 years or 60,000km which ever comes first. Our GX service fee is capped at $180. But watch out have read from other bloggers that some dealers need to be ‘reminded’. And then after that I have read servicing prices from one end of the scale to the other. Call around and find a mechanic you trust.
Just baptised the GX the other day how sweet it is!
Did anyone buy a Prado under fleet/corporate pricing? Would anyone like to list the prices they paid and options they got?