2014 Toyota LandCruiser Prado GXL (4×4) review
My Prado is a great all rounder and while it doesn't set the world on fire in any one area, it can do almost anything. I bought a runout 3.0-litre one after the great run we got out of my wife's 120 series (seven years,never missed a beat).
- Easy to drive
- relatively cheap to run
- great climate control
- good motor/gearbox set-up
- good towing vehicle
- Media setup could be better
- headlights on all the time
I tow a 5.5 metre boat and do a 130km commute to work and it still averages 9.5 L/100km. The only mods l have done are a twin battery set-up to run the fridge and a sat nav setup. Toyota maps are too expensive anyway.
I have covered over 80,000km in this car and it has never missed a beat. The climate control is great, l just leave it on around 22° and never touch any heater or cooling controls at all. The media set-up could be better, changing from radio to USB for instance is a three-button extravaganza or via the steering wheel control the screen lags a bit and you find yourself doing it all again. But once you're used to it, it's fine.
The seats are good – I drive a truck for a living so I think I am qualified to appraise this area – some hard-core off-roaders probably don't think there is enough sideways support, but for the rest of us I think they are pretty good. We have done some long trips in ours, no dramas.
Towing is not a problem. My boat loaded and fuelled is around the 1.8 tonne mark and the Prado does it easily, never feels overwhelmed or under-powered.
The car does everything I need it to and so far hasn't cost me anything more than the scheduled servicing.
It's a great car and certainly won't be my last LandCruiser.