It’s certainly bigger, but is it better?
Models Tested:
- 2010 Toyota LandCruiser Prado ZR; 3.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel; five-speed automatic; SWB wagon – $65,990*
- 2010 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu; 3.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel; five-speed automatic; LWB wagon – $88,990*
Options:
- None fitted.
Off-road credentials, interior room, features.
Gearbox problems, nagging computers during off-road driving.
CarAdvice Rating: 
Words – Paul Maric
The Toyota Prado has an illustrious history in the Australian market. It has become popular with city dwellers that need the flexibility of a part-time off-road vehicle, but don’t want the cumbersome size that is associated with the bigger LandCruiser.
Competing against the likes of the Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Pathfinder, Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Challenger, et al. the Prado strikes a balance between driveability in the city and rock hopping in the bush.
It’s clear that Toyota didn’t need to do much with the Prado’s styling. The outgoing 120 Series was and still is quite a handsome vehicle. The 150 Series introduces a muscular grille, curved headlights and a new rear end.
The improvements to design are not only for styling purposes. The coefficient of drag has been reduced from .37 to .35, further helping reduce the Prado 150 Series fuel consumption.
The Kakadu model tested sits at the top of the Prado tree, priced from $88,990. The three-door ZR variant also tested is priced from $65,990.
As part of the price tag, the Kakadu features an all-new camera trekking system used in the Lexus LX570. The system uses one wide-angle fish-eye camera mounted on the front grille, along with two wing mirror mounted wide-angle fish-eye cameras and a reversing camera to help judge wheel position and objects in front and behind the car.
It’s inside the cabin that the Prado really shines. While some people won’t like the simplistic design Toyota has chosen, it is extremely effective with all controls in logical, easy to reach places.
Touch screen satellite navigation doubles as a touch screen for audio, climate and vehicle setup functions. The improved satellite navigation system has further refined the class-leading offering. The easy to use system is now faster and predicts street addresses intelligently.
Get used to stopping to type your address in though. The navigation destination entry only works when the vehicle is stationary, as it assumes the driver is typing the address, even if the passenger is controlling the screen.
Kids are kept happy with a roof mounted DVD player that comes with three wireless headphones and AV inputs. The DVD player is also linked to the car’s 14-speaker Pioneer sound system. The sound system is excellent and offers plenty of bass and very crisp treble.
New steering wheel controls now manage the selection of 4WD modes. The Multi-Terrain Selector on the steering wheel allows the driver to switch between four modes, ranging from Mud and Sand, Loose Rock, Mogul and Rock. Each mode can vary wheel slippage and cater the stability control to the driver’s needs.
Height adjustable suspension is also standard on the Kakadu model. The system increases the standard 220mm ground clearance and allows a maximum wading depth of 700mm.
Unfortunately, Toyota hasn’t improved the maximum power or torque output of its four-cylinder diesel engine. While Toyota has improved fuel injection and changed from a top-mount intercooler to a front-mount intercooler, the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel motor still produces 127kW and 410Nm of torque.
Fuel consumption has been improved by 8.6 percent, with the ADR figure now 8.5L/100km. This figure was hard to achieve on test, despite over 1400km behind the wheel. The best average I returned was 9.1L/100km, with the rest sat north of 10L/100km.
The diesel engine struggles to keep the Prado’s 2.4-tonne weight up to speed with traffic. Considerable throttle is required to keep the Prado moving with the flow of traffic – especially with a full load of passengers on board. It would have been nice to see some more torque out of this carry-over engine.
Transferring the power to the road is Toyota’s five-speed automatic transmission. The five-speed unit does a good job shifting cogs, but an extra gear could yield further fuel consumption reductions in my opinion.
Behind the wheel in the city, the Prado doesn’t feel anywhere near as cumbersome as it looks. While it’s a big unit to keep tabs on, the light steering and tight 11.4m turning circle make it easy to place in city traffic. Parking is also a breeze with the raft of cameras, including front and rear parking sensors.
Cabin comfort is exceptional. A third row of seats can be controlled electronically and accommodates kids in comfort and adults for short journeys. Front and second row leg room is very good, which can only be expected from a vehicle of this size.
Toyota claims to have improved handling with the new Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS). KDSS claims to electronically modulate individual suspension members to provide a flatter ride through corners and to help absorb bumps off-road.
On-road, the Prado still carries a considerable amount of body roll when put through corners. Even in the Sport mode, KDSS seems to simply firm the dampers, opposed to improving body roll and ride quality. Off-road it’s a similar story. The system seldom reacts quick enough to prevent the body from crashing on the rebound.
To put the Prado through its paces, I ventured through a selection of off-road conditions ranging from mogul in the Grampians Nation Park, through to sand in the Big Desert, hoping to see just how good the Prado was off the beaten track.
It didn’t start well. Our first hill climb featured loose rocks and a considerable 400m long gradient. Around 1/3rd of the way up the hill a warning light came on indicating the automatic transmission was getting too hot and that we should stop on flat ground to cool the system.
Unfortunately, stopping wasn’t going to happen as the end result would be far worse than a warning. Upon reaching the top of the climb, we pulled over and let the Prado cool down. It took around five to ten minutes for the warning to disappear and from the looks of it, it was all back to normal.
From there, a set of challenging mud ruts followed. The mud ruts were tackled with the suspension height fully extended. The lack of bumps and crashes from the undercarriage indicated the added ground clearance courtesy of the height adjustable suspension was worth its weight in gold.
The low range gearbox worked well during a very steep decline over loose rocks. Engine braking was sufficient to keep the car from running away. The hill descent control also worked well, but I didn’t choose to trust it when not slowing down enough meant going over the edge of a very steep drop.
It didn’t take long before the transmission warning popped up again. This time around it was on a relatively meagre climb up a gravel hill. High range was selected with all four-wheel-drive modes off.
After stopping to let the system cool down, we were off again. The final stint of off-roading was on sand. This is where the Prado really excelled.
With some pressure let out of the tyres, the Prado’s power delivery pulled it through flat and steep sand dunes. Although the sand mode selected via the Multi-Terrain Selector was useful in holding gears, it kept interfering during cornering. The stability control would continuously beep each and every time you turned the wheel to go around a corner in the sand.
It became so frustrating that I ended up disabling all the on-board computers and stability control. That move resulted in care-free driving, without the constant nagging of the computers.
Unfortunately, during the period driving on sand, another five transmission temperature warnings came up. Every time a warning came up we had to stop and wait for the system to cool down.
I wasn’t too impressed with the brakes on sand and loose gravel either. If you had to get onto the brakes hard, there would be a momentary lag between brake application and full brake intervention. It was almost as though the system had to think about how much braking force to apply before it went ahead and did it.
The braking anomaly is probably due to the onboard ABS that prevents the wheels from skidding.
As a 4WD, the Prado still ranks as one of the best. With the transmission issue aside, the Multi-Terrain modes generally worked well and helped assist during tricky situations. The front and side cameras were also a godsend in situations where it was impossible to see the other limits of the car.
My only real gripes with the Prado are the engine’s lack of torque when it’s needed on-road and the continuous issues with the transmission off-road.
Toyota was contacted in mid-January regarding the problems we had with the transmission. The vehicle is still being investigated and we will report back once we receive a definitive report with regards to the issue.
The Prado’s exceptional list of standard features, in addition to passenger comfort levels and interior room place it ahead of the field, certainly in this price bracket. While I wouldn’t hesitate recommending the Prado, I’d hold off until the verdict is out on our transmission issue.
If the problem is limited to the vehicle we drove, we will retest the Prado to ensure the issue can’t be replicated on other vehicles.
Ratings:
CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:
Road Test the Rivals:
Specifications:
- Engine: 2982cc four-cylinder turbo-diesel
- Power: 127kW @ 3400rpm
- Torque: 410Nm @ 1600-2800rpm
- Induction: Turbocharged
- Transmission: Five-speed automatic
- Driven Wheels: All-wheel-drive
- Brakes: Four wheel discs
- Top Speed: N/A
- 0-100km/h: N/A
- Fuel Consumption: 8.5L/100km (ADR)
- Fuel Consumption: 10L/100km (As Tested)
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 150 litres
- Fuel Type: Diesel
- ANCAP Rating: N/A
- Safety: ABS brakes with EBD, BA. ESP.
- Spare Wheel: Full size
- Tow Capacity: 2500kg/750kg (braked/unbraked)
- Turning Circle: 11.4m
- Warranty: 3-years/100,000km
- Weight: 2420kg
- Wheels: 265/60R18
$89k
you are having a laugh aren’t you?
may as well go that rover sport and at least drive a prestige SUV… like all the English footballers… a Prado? seriously?
I agree. I am as curious as Toyota are on how high much they can charge for their vehicles and still sell them.
A good review of an otherwise decent truck.
apparently they believe the Toyota name means something
yeah it means something all right…
Paul, I am interested to hear your opinion.
If it was your money, would you choose this Prado over something like a TDV6 Discovery 4 which on paper is now a cheaper vehicle and arguably better equipped.
Alternatively what about a cheaper but slightly dated Pajero 3.2 Exceed
I have to say I was shocked when a local dealer advertised the Kakadu model as $99,000 driveaway!
The interior is ‘simplistic’? It’s an absolute mess!
It’s confusing to look at and those cheap, hard surfaces are a real turn off – I would expect more from a near-90k car. Give me a Discovery 4 any day..
Yes indeed, this is a cheap and nasty interior. Feel the light door handles – urgh.
Controls and displays all over the place. Shiny nasty plastics. You won’t find that in a VW Golf let alone a Audi/BMW etc. And so much for off road ability with transmission issues…
Oh well, at least you save money on speeding fines as these things are slugs !
Get over the VW golf, does not realate to this car what so ever (even just talking about interiors). Merc/BMW/Audi etc. different category of cars again. They are AWD not 4WD, there is a difference.
However $90K for a Prado is a rip off, Disco4 or a much cheaper Nissan Pathfinder for $60K (less equipment) is a much better option for this type of vehicle. Toyota 4WD and AWD are overpriced!
disco 4 makes this look like a joke and the power outputs from the Toyo are weedy compared to the Disco 180kw and 600nm.
Completely agree with you. Still I expect to see much more new Prados on the road than new Discos. It’s sad.
Not sad, it’s a joke. When Pajero has out-muscled this thing for years to think Toyota wouldn’t even try to match them!
Transmission overheating? WTH?
Sorry Toyota – Fail.
Although you are succeeding in keep resale high in the old model (the model with 8 seats!).
And to the Sorento 2.2 lt diesel Power: 145kW @ 3,800rpm
Torque: 436Nm @ 1,800rpm. or even better V6 3.5 lts 206kw. Maybe something to think…
90K for a Prado? Who in their right mind is going to buy a new Prado for ninety grand only to drop 30-40K in depreciation in the first few years?
A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and I’m not willing to pay 90 for a Toyota. Surely an 18 month old BMW or Merc can be had for that money
Hate to say it, but they sell in truckloads. I have seen plenty already in Brisbane, starting their gruelling lives as school shuttles. The only reason Toyota prices it so high is because it knows they will sell, even if they are close to a 200-series in price and past the infinitely better Disco 4. The three-door is a joke: it’s shorter body highlights he design faults in the car, namely the ridiculous pumped wheelarches and pulled tight front headlights, and it can only carry five. A suicide door on the side would be a better bet, but this will be covered by the Prado-based FJ Cruiser which is coming later this year.
As deprecians go, Prado have one of the best, if not the best residueles in Australia.
And if you go BMW, you will be just getting a soft toorak tractor purely for the burbs!!
$90,000 for a car that overheats it’s gearbox when asked to climb a hill? WTF.
Simple interior, under powered that need’s heavy throttle to keep up with traffic, only a 5 speed auto etc. 14 speakers for a stereo sounds good but all this adds weight to an underpowered diesel that will only increase fuel consumption.
I would laugh if it wasn’t a one off with the overheating and they had another recall.
Buy the Platinum Sorento as tested by car advice long term test and still have approximately $40,000 change.
Couldn’t agree more. The Toyota range is way overpriced. I get that they are well built and “alledgedly” reliable, but most writers complain about dynamics. So why on earth would you buy this over a Sorento. I’d also argue the Sorento is better looking.
Mate the Sorrento is a Soft-Roader… Are you gonna be comparing this to a nissan micra next??
So is this from the sounds of the transmission problems. No good having a car that overheats when asked to climb a hill now is it.
Most of these sold are for the “Desperate Housewives” doing the school run competing with each other on who “Appears” to have more money. The smart people will buy the Sorento which is just as capable for most people and still have at least $40,000 spare.
Transmition Problem is a one off, as none of the other reviews had a similar problem.
Besides the transmittion is a mostly old unit used in the old 120s… Which are used across the world with no problems…
Desperate House wives also buy the Discoveries, Range Rovers, Pajeros etc… Not to mention all the soft-roaders including the Sorrento and the X5… Since unlike with the Prado, I’m yet to see one being used for work in the Mines of Australia, or Africa!!
but a Toyota is soooo much more prestigious than a Kia…
yeah i didn’t think so
how about an apology from Akio Toyoda?
no?
Maybe that is why a prestigious Toyota only has a 3 year warranty vs Kia a 5 year warranty. It must have something to do with quality. Maybe some of you should check the Sorento review from february, albeit the sorento is a softroader. Luck to those who want their car to be on a recall list.
That interior is NOT $100k’s worth.
Has anyone from Toyota sat in an Audi Q7 (or even a CX-9) lately?
410nm of torque (and that’s only when the gearbox is working properly)is absolutly pathetic for “powering” what amounts to a 2.5 ton vehicle.
Meanwhile over at Range Rover they make 180KW, 600nm, that nearly 50% more torque, through a world class ZF SIX speed auto, (not old fashioned five speed auto, when it works). Range Rovers also ooze class, panache and style by the truck load, unlike this Toy from Toyotter.
You’d have to have rocks in your head to pay $90K for this Toy Motor especially with all their other problems, like a delay between when you hit the brake pedal and when it actually works, LOL, where have we heard that before ??
What a truly pathetic effort from Toy Otter.
gee, the 3-door is one ugly, ill-proportioned thing…
Looks like it’s been dropped on its rear.
here’s ninety thousand good reasons why nissan should put its 3.0 v6 turbo diesel (175kw,550nm)into its new model patrol wagon,and start selling it over here a.s.a.p…
U mean Renaults 3.0 v6 turbo diesel and by the talk they will place the engine in the new patrol (even though the new Patrol will most likely be even more expensive then the Prado)
As Paul was saying the problem in question may only be for the one car that he tested. I have lost track of how many times I have had a land rover/ range rover on a four wheel drive course I have run break down during easy maneuvers. And dont even start me on how useless the Koreans are in the rough stuff. You all bleat and moan about the price – but they do hold their value better than any of the euros along with a much larger dealer network to back you if something does go wrong. Toyota’s may be simpler to the consumerist approach that you who knock it have but the engineering is there to be had and these cars are proven to last a lot longer than anything mentioned above as better. Go out where these cars need to work and all you’ll see are Toyotas and Nissans and for that 89k is good value. For those that only drive them in the city? yes a Kia might do the job but your kids wont want to be dropped off anywhere near the school in one.
You summed that up nicely in your last sentance, Toyota’s quality is not in the car, its in the image. $90K gets you an OK SUV and a truck load of 1st class street cred. Too bad most people chose the latter.
Once your stranded in the bush, street cred ain’t good for much.
Imagine paying the 90-100 big ones for the current I4 diesel just before the new V6 diesel arives.
imagine dropping your kids off at school… in a 4wd!!!
and they care what make the car is!!!
who does that? “work at home” north shore housefraus maybe? is that you?
you are kidding right… a $90k SUV as a family shopping trolley! and a Japanese one at that!
what universe do you guys think you live in?
what universe does Toyota live in?
For 90k i would buy a 12 month old BMW X5 and still be worth 70k in 2 years time
and have a bit to up market car
Sorry mike but no 3yo X5 is gunna be worth $70K … BMW/ Merc resale is poor.
Obviously if he is after an x5, he is one of those tossers that are after a possy toorak tractor, not an offroader!!
I thought Prado was supposed to be some type of entrant level offroad king, before people upgrade to the Landcruiser grand daddy.
Apart from engine choice they both share similar prices and are huge.
Is there any reason to chose prado over the regular landcruiser?
Disco or Pajero for me. You could buy the Pajero Exceed diesel with a better engine and as many features for 15-20k less. I’d be happy to put up with it being a bit older if it meant a trip to Europe in savings.
Shoppers would rather go for the Lexus RX or even the Discovery than this Toyota. With the same money, they can get a lot more prestige so why bother with the Prado?
The base model RX is only around 83K(RRP)…
Lexus RX is not a competitor for the Prado – it is not a 4wd and does not pretend to be either.
jinsei says:
March 17, 2010 at 5:10 pm
“Shoppers would rather go for the Lexus RX or even the Discovery than this Toyota. With the same money, they can get a lot more prestige so why bother with the Prado?
The base model RX is only around 83K(RRP)…”
Shoppers would rather ???
Have a look at vfacts before making a statement like that champ.
Too right!!
Too expensive. Sorry the brand isn’t worth the extra 40k
Too bad the Challenger diesel is weak (350nm), and that the Sorento has gone the soft route. The current Sorento CRDI in the old ‘tough as nails’ model would’ve given people more options.
I’d take a Landrover over this junk. Toyota and Honda are out of touch and think their brand equity is greater than what it actually is. What a joke.
Big-T[tm.F-0] sell there vehicles for what the punters will pay, the punters WILL and do pay the extra $40k over the vehicles you have mentioned.
No need to sell they cheap, why devalue the brand.
I agre not very good value but the market decides how much something should be priced at.
No different to say Pansonic, Sony etc etc and any other premium brand.
One guys comments are right though, its more than a Lexus RX350 Luxury, thats just weird!
“One guys comments are right though, its more than a Lexus RX350 Luxury, thats just weird!”
Not weird at all, the rx350 is just a softroader, while the prado is a much more/ practical & capable offroader.
This is only $9k less than the RangeRover V6 twin-turbo DIEsel, you would have to be a fool to buy this gutless auto tranny issue Prado?
How/why did BigT[tm.F-0] lose the plot?
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Your joking right tomas?
A RangeRover has the BEST true 4×4 DNA on the planet, the only LandRover that would fail is the compact SUV they sell, mind you its still the best performing 4×4 compact SUV.
ALL the others in the L/R range have the best off road performance on the planet, they only vehicles that come close are the GW range fron Benz and the Iveco/Fiat Masiff.
I have owned both RangeRover and LandCrusier, the Range Rover is better off road and also on road, by a HUGE margain too…
lol, Range Rover is just a posser mobile, which can can allright offroad but aimed at the burbs!! It wouldnt be practicall to live/work with it weeks on end in the bush!!!
I’d take a Prado or a 70′s series with difflocks over a range rover anyday!!
mate ive got a new range rover sport tdv6 and i know how capable it is off road i ues it off road and there is noway in hell that a prado is better the range rover engine is about the best diesel engine on the planet and its more capable off road with high speed highway tyres than a prado with off roads and with regards to mines using vehicles they only choose toyota because they get such a huge huge discount so thats the only reason not for the capablitiy and strongness the landcruisers are flat out last 12months before there fully stuffed
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obviously you havent spent much time in the mines tomas79 i work on the biggest bhp mine in queensland and have done for serveral years and can tell you the vehicles are stuffed after 12months and get turned over and sold because the just cant handle it
Nat, I spent propably more time on mines in WA and West Africa then you could imagine.
And Like i said most of the toyota trucks i used were 2 years or older!! And there is absolutley nothing that does better, or lasts as long in the rough stuff!!
i own a NS pajero, and whist i must admit i have had some minor issues with my, all covered by warranty, with decent tires and suspension the car goes everywhere i want it to and then some. I payed 24K for mine ex police and came with a whole heap of goodies. The base model pajero comes with more fruit then the prado and whilst the depreciation is not much worse then prados, it costs 1/3 for spare parts compared to the prado and is much cheaper to service.
Now a new Pajero still costs 20K less then the Prado, you can do a lot with 20K, like a new camper trailer and a trip around Australia.
The 200 series is a great car, but once again way to comfort and class oriented.
With the new Patrol being IFS and IRS, the 4X4 is being made softer for all those school soccer mums out there.
No thanks, i’ll keep my Paj
Just a question Paul, but did you climb those hills in high range? Or did you drop it into low range? Perhaps this could be the reason for the overheating transmission?
If the hill can be climbed in high range, it should be, and the transmission should not overheat.
So your remark is irrelevant.
This vehicle should be able to tow a camper trailer (say 1200kg) over the trails without the transmission overheating, but it can’t pull its own thumb out of its nose.
All the gearbox issues arose when high-range was selected.
This included flat stretches of sand where constant throttle was required.
The simple fact is no matter how much Toy Motor talk up this car, the Disco and Pajero outclass and trump it in every category.
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Interesting, just about every comment has bagged the Prado.
I wonder how it will sell compared to it’s competitors and predecessor.
There are certainly better value alternatives.
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Id deffinately pay the extra 5 or so grand to get the top of the range Disco 4, with the twin turbo V6 diesel that would eat this Prado, not to mention all the extra toys the Disco is equipped with, and the Disco is much better looking, and more comfortable, and more capable, oh and the transmission warning light won’t come on every time the vehicle attempts to climb the slightest of inclines. And lastly, when u touch the break pedal in the Disco, unlike the Toyota, the breaks work very well.
Last year I wen’t to Fraser island and what did i see. Two broken down land rover discoveries. The Nissan patrol, Mitsubishi pajero and Toyota land cruiser all share something in common; that their all Japanese and reliable. Sure a land rover might get you to your destination but getting you back is another story. Also if you go into remote areas e.x Alice springs, cook town how many land rover dealers are their to fix your broken air suspension;none. Also 90k; with a good deal you can get one of these for 85k and /also i was recently offered after a test drive plus negotiation a prado v6 gxl auto for 55k driveway. Similarly, i think its fair to say that no one can argue about the fact that land rovers are unreliable.
I also was on Fraser last year and saw 2 Prado’s completely stuck due to the lack of ground clearance. The new Prado’s have zero ground clearance!
We literally drove over the same track in 4wd high in the Troopy without even noticing what the Prado was stuck on
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Please explain mate…
And dont give me the old “IFS set up has better ground clearance jargon”
I mentioned the 4WD High to let people know that the ground we were on wasn’t soft, wasn’t sticky and sure as hell wasnt hard to drive across.
I have done 7 years in 4WD’s, 2 of those years solid across the Top End in a Jackaroo and a Land Cruiser, currently have a GU Patrol and have been out in almost every thing else in between!
Well for one the Gu Patrol has the same ground clearance as the old LC120.
The 150 has a 10mm higher ground clearance then the older LC120, and thats without using the air suspension to raise it’self further!!!
Tomas79, dont quote me specs from a brochure or website. If you really think these cars have better ground clearance go park them side by side.
You are clearly the one here that has no idea about 4WD’s.
The 100 series with a live front end is a much better off road tool than its IFS twin because 1) it has better ground clearance and 2)a live front end gives much better articulation
even my old 60 series Cruiser was better off road than a lot of these new compromised 4WD’s!
AB, you are the one here with no idea!! i have checked them out side by side!!
The 100 series with solid axle is the lc105, and I’m all for solid axle!!
But the Prado is widely acknowledged as having one of the best articulating ifs in the business!! Atleast the prado has a solid axle in the back, while it looks like the new patrol will have ifs and irs!!!
True Nissan Patrol and Pajero are Japanese (manufactured), but Prado is from the Thailand, same as Hilux, Yaris and others. Toyota have already admitted to US Congress that they grew too fast and have quality issues. 8 million recalls dispel the Toyota is the only one myth.
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, the Landcruiser Prado is made in Japan, in the high tech Tahara plant (which mostly crates lexus vehicles)!!
Most of the recalled vehicles were made in the u.s, and not sold here..
Prado’s are from Thailand??? Really Al, and where did you find this interesting tidbit? The Hilux, Yaris et al may originate from Thailand, but not the Prado. You may want do a bit more research before mouthing off next time.
The transmission problems have been picked up in a few forums and reviews, i just read 3 reviews and comments of people who have older Prado’s yet hired 2009 models that had transmission overheating problems.
I think the Prado is just a SUV, when compared to the Pajero, 200 series landcruiser and Patrol which are serious off roaders.
That 4.8L Patrol petrol with big drive train is looking more of a goer, shame Nissan dont make a decent diesel anymore.
Paul
Yours isn’t the only one with transmission overheating problems.
Toyota needs to rectify this quickly.
I have to admit quite a poor review, the entire write up was referring to the specs on the Kakadu and not the ZR though you stated it was reviewed and have included more pictures of the ZR than the Kakadu. You had both the Kakadu and ZR to test, which vehicle had the gearbox overheating issue? or did both have the overheating issue?
You said the Hill descent control worked well though both models do not have hill descent instead it has the CRAWL control function.
What I don’t understand is, there are some people out there who still buy this car. I would personally take Mazda CX-9 luxury over this, and save some cash.
You could spend your savings on educating yourself. The Toota is designed to travel the outback deserts and mountain trails, your CX-9 is not.
You can see Prado’s like other LCs working up in the mines!!!
CX-9 would not even access the sites!!
and do you think a $90k Prado like the above vehicle is a common sight at “the mines”?
is that what Toyota are aiming at?
I know its nice to say that the UN love using Prados and whatever in war zones as if it’s some kind of justification for a $90k Prado… but face it… this is a Toorak Tractor, nothing more.
And even then, the car has no street cred. The overweight 45 y.o. woman with three kids down the street has one. And that’s what I aspire to… no, really…
Yes, the Prados are a common sight at the mines!!
Just because some people use it for another purpose, doesn’t take anything away from it, doesn’t effects it’s practicality or effect the person who wants to use it for it’s inteded purpose!!
What u see in mine sites are bargain basement model with bull bars, roll cages, cargo barriers, whip aerials, beacons etc. Sold for around 30k a unit in big fleets to BHPs & Rio Tintos. The mines prefer the Hilux’s or the big land cruisers due to robust nature. Most of the mines in QLD which bought the Prado’s r going back to big land cruisers. The comparable to this is the Pajero, Path finder, Challenger, …. If I am in the market I would buy the Pajero diesel, cos the better diesel motor & save about 20k.
mate i work in the mines and like kenn said they buy them super cheap they dont care because they get such a huge corporate discount and they dont care about 4wd ability we have 4wd hiace buses onsite and they go just as far as a prado they only buy them coz there a cheap car for the bosses to drive and they turn em over but most of them stuff up get new engines and gearboxes and clutches and just always getting fixed so get a job in the mines and really see what happens
Most vehicles are dirt cheap at fleet prices, it’s just that the Prados are more practical then they’re mitsubishi or landrover counterparts!!
As a previous owner of a CX-7, we did test drive the CX-9. I tried to love it I really did. But it’s hard to park, (end of bonnet isn’t visible – not good for a car of that size), the blind spot was horrendous and visibilty around the car is also poor – the same problems I had with the CX-7 but on a grander scale. In relation to the size of the car the windows are just too small and too high up. Also Mazda servicing left such a sour taste in mouth, I swore I would never get another Mazda serviced by the dealer again. Average was $500 for a small 2WD SUV, at 6 monthly intervals (in South Africa it’s yearly servicing and it’s included in the purchase cost). Also needed new tyres at 40,000kms. My 2004 Prado never cost a cent over $300, most services were around the $250 mark, and at 40,000kms the tyres still had plenty of tread left. My new Prado has capped servicing at $210. Resale value on my Mazdas were also lower compared to all our other Toyotas.
Why all the talk about offroad capability, for 90k plus luxury
Lets be honest with ourselves, where will we see 99 of every 100 toyota prados? the same place we see the current generation prado. In the carpark of a shopping center.
All the offroad cred means nothing when some of these drivers are to scared to mount the curb when parking.
So I think the punters will probably go for the klugers and rav4s now.
they could almost buy one of each with 90K
Yeah, Prado owners should not be allowed to have kids in schools or go shopping. I just doesnt make sense;) Alternatively they should have to by an additional car for those purposes. Maybe Toyota should start with 2 for 1 deals. “Buy this Prado and get a Corolla for free”, chances are they would still make moeny;)
For the price of a Kakadu you could get a brand new Hilux 4X4 xtra cab for the worksite/weekend bash and a brand new commodore ss sportwagon for lugging the kids around. This thing is ridiculous!
Have to agree, it seems a high price to pay. Especially because it may get recalled!!!??? lol
Lets be realistic – regardless what the brand, most of these types of vehicles (Prado, Range Rover, Discovery, X5) aren’t going to ever be used off-road. My advice is get a life, buy a real 4×4 (ie: something made before 1980) and get out and do some real driving where you actually have to think about what you’re doing instead of being spoon fed by this posturing crap. I got a mid 70′s Range Rover in almost original condition and have continually out performed the chest-beating, posturing tools – including Toyota drivers in their new vehicles – good car doesn’t make a good driver . Get off the grass, get off the blacktop and get a life!!
Feral, Who cares what most of these vehicles will do?! It’s purely up to the driver in question what he does to them!! Also how far you get is mostly also based on skill, and I’ll bet i’d get this or the previous prado further then you stock 70′s ranger rover!!
Toyota can dictate the price up to a certain point as it has no real competitor so far. I hope Nissan Australia decides to bring the V6 diesel and break Toyota’s market domination. Competition is good and the benefactors are consumers.
I also hope Kia’s new Sorrento steal some of the Prado’s marketshare. Toyota keeps increasing the prices of their cars and let’s hope the competitors carve their market share so they learn from this “ego”
I bought a 2010 diesel prado. The transmission overheated towing my 2000kg boat on every hill, wasted a lot of time on trip as had to stop 8 x for it to cool down, now have a transmission cooler fitted!
I owned a 2005 Prado 120 since new and recently bought the 150 (4L V6 petrol). I must say, after about 6000km I am truly satisfied with this vehicle, even the new design is slowly growing on me. The V6 has all the power you need and compares well to the Disco performance wise given that it is petrol and fuel consumption is higher. But you just cannot compair the quality and reliability of a Prado with that of the Discovery, I would rather pay a bit more fuel wise than be concerned with reliability issues (see http://www.landroverhell.com.) Here in South Africa the Prado also retails cheaper than the Disco. My 120 was traded on the 150, I was surprised by the willingness of the dealer to trade it as well as with the trade value I was offered. I never had any hassle with my 120, and I am sure that the new Prado will serve me just as well.
I’d rather buy a top of the range used Lexus SUV for what this baby is worth.
I have a Prado 150 diesel auto, the overheating gearbox is not limitted to the test vehicle, mine has over heated twice in the last 3 months. My Toyota dealer knows of afew more as well. Mine overheated in easy offroad driving.
I find it so amazing to see most of the people who comment on htis are getting their facts from the news, and as any person with great common sense would know the news we haer has very rarely if at all got all of the facts. Toyota is by far the most reliable vehicle on the planet, it is also proven that Toyota averages one warranty defect for every 5 vehicles sold, where as other manufacturers average at least 2 per vehicle sold, you wouldn’t have heard that over in the states that Chrysler has had to recall 320,000 vehicles but can’t have them fixed until at least June, but Toyota which has had problems to a few cars not 8 million worldwide will recall all of them just to be safe.
As for cars like a BMW and a Merc, they aren’t designed for off road, they are just a luxury car just trying to play with the big boys in the 4WD category, I mean if you want to spend money on a luxry 4WD why not just buy the re-badged Toyot in the form of a Lexus LX570, that way you can have your best of both worlds.
Paul, when you write a review please DO YOUR RESEARCH!!
Quote
“KDSS claims to electronically modulate individual suspension members to provide a flatter ride through corners and to help absorb bumps off-road.
…..KDSS seems to simply firm the dampers, opposed to improving body roll and ride quality. Off-road it’s a similar story. The system seldom reacts quick enough to prevent the body from crashing on the rebound.”
Wrong, it is a fully mechanical system that connects the front and rear stabilizer bars, it is not connected to the dampers!!! It is designed to improve wheel articulation by disengaging the stabilizer bars.
Kia over Toyota, you must be kidding right? I have just taken delivery of my GXL Prado and don’t have any regrets so far. So what if I need to fit a transmission cooler, I’m sure Toyota will be fitting them free of charge in the near future. Sure $65000 is expensive but forget about that and do your resale sums. I put money (what I have left after buying the Prado) on the fact that the Prado will come out on top over any Pajero, Disc or Nissan several years down the track. Anyway, drive whatever you want and can afford to. Although I would never buy one, I do like the look of the Disco. If I wanted a tough offroader, I would do what everyone else does and buy something old (any brand) then set about changing engines, modifying diffs/gearboxes and upgrading suspensions. You would probably end up with parts from all the brands listed in this thread, except the KIA, fairdinkum….
my parents are buying me a kakadu for my second car in black with the cream leather cannot wait till it arrives so excited. only 1 more week wait
woah!
you must be lucky.
hope you enjoy it i love these things wish i could afford one.
regards
Oh great another 4WD for mothers to drive 2km to drop their little children off to school in. Only buy a 4WD if you are going to use it for the purpose it was built for.
Yo phase 3 you can drive her hard or fast but she will never Nag you ! I found it nice to drive and, if you should have it until your old she will look better .LOL
Recently went through the comparison exercise and ended up leasing a VX Prado D4D, not being able to justify the extra $ for the Kakadu. Had the same issue with the transmission warning light, but a software upgrade sorted that.
The only issue I am experiencing at the moment is a rattle in the dash which is being looked at tomorrow.
I went shopping for a decent sized family wagon that would tow a boat @ 1.5T comfortably. The whole family is industrial sized with the 15YO @ 6’3″ already.
The Prado won out on the following criteria;
Fuel economy
Interior space – the 15YO can still fit in the back with the drivers seat as far back as it goes, something we couldn’t do with the Pajero, KIA or the Disco
Interior layout – apart from the switches being in a variety of places, the rest is where it should be
Resale – based on recent years the Prado offered the best historical stats based on my leasing arrangements, with a statistically significant advantage
Interior noise levels – far quieter than the Pajero or the Disco
That said, the vehicles has its downside;
They are large, but that is a compromise to interior space far a large family. Parking would be a challenge without the parking sensors and camera. The brakes are lacking a little in feel, and the stability control kicks in on a couple of the roundabouts on the way to work, when I don’t feel unstable.
The towbar is low, and has to be because of the side opening door. The New Zealand model offers a lift up door with under body spare that would be a desirable option for those of us who are not seeking to become reborn Leyland Brothers, and with an opening glass hatch, far more convenient when towing.
While there are comments about being down on power, I find the power and torque quite acceptable, even while towing.
On the upside, fuel economy is good with 9.0L/100K loaded, and around 13 when towing 1500Kg. The gearbox works well and has a nice spread of ratios, and it is quiet on the road at highway speeds. The integrated bluetooth works well, and the sound system is more than acceptable, with the added bonus of a USB input, no cd’s required.
Bear in mind that I spend the equivalent of one full day a week in the vehicle, and creature comforts were more important to me than off road capability. On regular occasions I have 3 hour plus stints, and often towing.
Having driven almost 4000K’s so far, I am happy with the vehicle, and the extra few bucks a week over the Pajero is worth it to me. It is far from the optimal commuter, but given my other requirements, it is a practical alternative. Is it really worth the extra dough over a commodore or falcon wagon, definitely from my perspective. The difference in leasing costs for equivalent interior features in a “family wagon” or Territory was almost entirely offset by the difference in fuel consumption for the work it does.
Different strokes for different folks, my circumstances may not match yours. If I was intending to be a serious 4WD’er, my choice might be different, it is a bit pretty, but for what I need to do, it is an acceptable choice, and a better option than a soft roader for no other reason than fuel and towing capacity.
I guess that time will tell if my choice is the right one, and I would encourage everyone to do their research, drive everything that is a consideration and make up their own minds.
Cheers
T
Thylacene pity you didn’t test drive the pajero:
= better on road with monocoque. Prado waayyy too roly poly
= better off road with harder sprung rear end. see how many Prado’s hang up their diffs on rutts due to heavy rear end and soft spring rate
= better interior – twice the fruit for less cost
= better tow capacity 3t compared to 2.5t for prado
= better warranty – 10 years on drivetrain!
= better reliability – haven’t heard of pajero’s overheating gearbox in light 4wd’ing!
= better fuel economy
= more power – 147kw in diesel v 127 for prado and 30nm more toque
= good 10k cheaper to boot!
toyota = living off brand and marketing hype for years.