2006 TD Prado Grande Seems a bit of a Dud

[worthy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close worthy]

Hi

I'm not a car guy at all and bought this car new as a company vehical that would be a good offroader when the lease paid out. I also got talked into the TD as a more economical alternative with better resale potential. I think its a nice looking beast but seems to be a bit of a dud. No Guts, bad fuel economy and noisy. It also lacks some basic features like Coat Hooks. My Mates pajero has all the bells and whisles and cost less. Another mate has a crappy santa fe with more features and accessories.

The sat nav seem a dud, But is the best I have used in a number of cars, the holden sat nav truly sucks.

I guess I am feeling a bit like the goose who got done and bought the lemon. Can anyone Point out the redeeming features of this turkey. As i have said I am not mechanical at all and dont have the first clue why I got suckered into this Dog. I do remember sales rep had a great .....A...smile

[Walker Member Find all posts View Profile Close Walker]

LOL. If it's a 2006 model then I am guessing you have the old diesel motor, not the new D4d motor. I think I would have waited ot got the petrol.

But if you do have a D4d motor then I will happily buy it off you, I reckon it would be an awsome car.

[Jacto Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jacto]

Worthy

Commiserations mate because the old donk is no comparison to the D4D and sadly lacks the power required to move the beast at an acceptable pace.

All is not lost, I would seriously consider having an upgraded chip fitted to the computer, which will improve the performance considerably. There is heaps of discussion on the forum regarding suitable chips.

[Guest Close Guest]

I would suggest if your that unhappy with it, you take it to a diesel mecahnic who has a Dyno.

Have it run up to see what it is doing. Could be a simple fix.

Or it could be the dud old 3.0 motor that was a slug. If so, go get yourself a Safari chip for it.

[lawrance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lawrance]

Old diesel motor may be a bit of a slug and require 5000 km intervals for oil changes but it will handle poorer grade diesel compared to the D4D which will be much less tolerant of substandard fuel (sometimes found in the outback).

So old motor isn't such a bad thing, just a slower motor.

[Addy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Addy]

You must be hard to please as i find mine ok (it's the old motor).
Yes it's not lighting fast but better than what i thought it was going to be.
And yes i still would love the d4d motor after hearing all the talk on power and fuel econ.

[White Lightning Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close White Lightning]

Worthy

In simple terms

TD Prado Grande = Mango...looks good tastes good

Pajero & Santa Fe = Lemon....looks OK tastes like Sh*t

Your motor whilst being underpowered in stock form is an honest and reliable performer. A few mods as stated in the above replies will bring it up to speed.

[Drew Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Drew]

Or it could be the dud old 3.0 motor that was a slug.

OUCH.

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Got to say I have the OLD SLUG, (admittedly with a DP chip, that puts power very close to the D4D) and I could not wish for anything more powerful. If you want to drive at 160 buy a rice burner. Or if you want gadgets by Korean. The Prado is a touring 4WD not a sports car. It is a quality, purpose built vehicle for use OFF ROAD, not a shopping trolley like some of the others menttioned......, my 2 cents worth,...... stepping down from soapbox

[conman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close conman]

Was it gutless when you took it for a test drive before buying it? :wink:

[worthy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close worthy]

Well thanks for the insights guys.

I guess that what I was looking for was some recommendation that whilst there may be some problems, there may be some solutions and the future may not be bleak. I guess no one wants to be taken for a sucker, especially in his own mind.

Toyota have a lot to answer for as everything is "within normal tolerances" whenever I ask for a solution to a problem or even when I ask a question about something not seeming to work right.

I admit being a mechanical moron but I dont think the local service staff have any more knowledge than I do. If they did I think many of my concerns may have been answered early and correctly.

If somone had said " Yes the engine is using a bit too much fuel, but we can fix it with this, or it just need to run in a bit etc" or " the engine is overly noisy, well its probably this" I would have left feeling that my concerns were being adressed. But I always leave thinking that the service staff are just waiting out the 100,000 kms until warranty dies.

When I last questioned why my car was using 14.9 ltrs per 100kms between sydney and melbourne at 100kms/h on cruise control, the local service manager told me that it was probably becuase of winter blend diesel. When I called my local shell, they laughed and laughed.

They either dont know anything or its just to hard or costly to fix and answer customer concerns. Not once in the last 18months has anyone from toyota even mentioned upgrades or specific fixes.

anyway thanks

[Fox Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fox]

Worthy

I think your quoted fuel consumption is a bit high at 14.9/100. We get around 10.5 - 11/100 week in week out. I will admit that the car isn't driven hard though.

Some may say it's a slug (I don't recall Prado's being advertised as sports cars), and I l knew that when we bought it, but it's undoubtedly the best car I have ever owned.

[PK Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close PK]

Worthy,

I have an 03 Grande TD, (I gather from your posts that you have the 06 Grande TD, i.e. 1KZ-TE Motor and 4 speed auto.)

First thing I'll say is that about 18 months ago I very nearly traded my TD grande on a V6 Grande when they came out with the updated sat nav and 5 speed auto in the petrol, mainly for performance reasons and the fact that most people suggest the V6 operating on 98 Octane fuel is very close to the older diesel in fuel consumption, however the finances didn't add up and I soldiered on with my TD Grande, and I must admit I am very happy with that decision.

My experience is a little different to yours in fuel consumption, firstly let me say I think the Grande TD was rated at 12.6 l/100km in the ADR results, I can't remember exactly, and i think the manual GXL was in the 11.4 range, again I'm not sure exactly, hence it does use significantly more than the GXL.

My experience over the 4 years of ownership can be basically summed up as, (Note - No heavy accessories installed until July 07)

On Grandtreks 265/65/17
On Highway 11.4 l /100km Around Town 14.3 l /100km

On BFG AT's 265/70/17
On Highway 12.3l /100km Around Town 15.0 l /100km

Let me say that I think I have had a problem as well, because this does seem a little too big a gap, and I did have my Intercooler replaced under warranty, but it didn't seem to make a big difference.

Now this was with out any accessories, In July 07 I put in a TJM DBS dual battery system, a ARB Deluxe steel non winch bar, driving lights, a cargo barrier and most importantly a Dtronic..

First thing I'll say.. it (Dtronic) makes an impressive difference, although still no sports car, it just feels better to drive.

Anyway with my new accessories, while hauling a full car, and a (braked) camper trailer of about a tonne to Innamincka and Arkaroola, and doing lots of side trips, my fuel consumption was 14.3 l/100km, and we didn't drive like Miss Daisy, for (while diving sensibly with the trailer), we still made very good time...

Since being back, my fuel meter is telling me around town i am doing less than 14 l/100km.. I can't work this out... The only thing i can suggest is the Dtronic is just doing better in managing the fuel flow, maybe before there was something amiss with my programming for fuel (??) sounds far fetched, and probably is, but my advice is if you are going to stick with your TD Grande, get a chip (of whatever type) asap!

Next thing I'll say is that I am very happy to drive this thing, as it really does everything I want very very well and is as tough as teak. Although i would love to update to the D4D (and get a chip for that as well!!) I cannot justify the upgrade.

I hope this helps.

PK

[Stitch Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Stitch]

I too am more than satisfied with my 'old' 3L TD. I could have waited longer for the D4D but preferred a more simpler, tried and tested motor. I dont care if its a bit slower than the other engines, I honestly think it will outlast the newer motors which are a lot more complex. I wonder how long a turbo with variable vanes in it will last?

[SSbaby Member Find all posts View Profile Close SSbaby]

I too am more than satisfied with my 'old' 3L TD. I could have waited longer for the D4D but preferred a more simpler, tried and tested motor. I dont care if its a bit slower than the other engines, I honestly think it will outlast the newer motors which are a lot more complex. I wonder how long a turbo with variable vanes in it will last?

That's always been my concern. The D4D engine really isn't tried and we won't know of its reputation until years later when a bunch of owners begin to describe their collective experience.

Good to know that you're happy with the 3L TD. It's too easy to get put off your ride by reading negative reviews. New doesn't always translate to better.

That's just my 2c.