So why did you buy your 120?

[BiLLz0r Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close BiLLz0r]

After my thread on what you hate about the Prado, I'm interested why did you buy a 120? What made it stand out from the other options you were thinking of?

Me personally it was:

• Largest fuel tank capacity in its class so I don't have to fill it as often.
• Better on fuel than a GU.
• Cheaper than a GU of the same age.
• Small than a GU for the wife to drive (it's her soccer mum car during the week, my weekend toy).
• Rear seats came out in about 20 seconds (unlike the GU which had to have a mod plate done).
• The Prado was a good combination between a family car and a 4WD.
• If I just wanted a 4WD, I would have bought a GUIII. If I just wanted a family car, we'd kept the Accord Euro we traded to get the Prado (Euro was the best car we ever had btw, so well built).
• Decent room in the back for our gear (with 3rd row seats removed). Some of the wagon 4WD's were quite small in the back. They were more like day trip 4WD's.
• If you haven't already guessed, I was looking at GU Patrol's a lot. Dad has a GU1 '99 model. It's a real truck but a beast off road.

It's like a large car in ride quaility and we love it. Currently get around 13.9-16.5ltrs/100.
We also looked at the current model D-Max (too exy as they are only new), Pajero's (meh, didn't really fill me with confidence), and 80/105 Series LC's but were too big and too old.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

Goes hard , pulls chicks , doesn't have a sick subwoofa maaaaaate , makes me look rich maaaaate

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Was looking to update my 95 series, looked at the latest 150 in 2010, was saddened and walked to the used car section where I found the 2009 120 waiting for me, deal done.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

So that I could join Pradopoint.com.

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

Was the best fit for my needs and budget. 100 series cruisers at the time were still asking 50+k for +100km on the clock so no deal. Nissan was not an option from past experiance and we have had the 120´s at work so I know they would be decent out of the lot in standard form. With the dual fuel tanks, six speed gear box and cruise control in the pov pack it made a good base to build a tourer. It actually came down to the 120 and a 4.2 turbo troopy but the missus hated the ride in the cruiser.....I still want a troopy though before they become extinct!

[J Janke Member Find all posts View Profile Close J Janke]

Looked at a few different options buti am very glad I wen with the 120. It's an 04 v6 but am happy with 13.5-15L and it's good for weekend and going skiing

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

The Mrs didn't like the 90 series, and wouldn't let me get a 200 we wanted to get away from the twin cab and at the time had a Camry which was the best car we have ever owned, so the only Toyota left was the 120.

Cheers Andrew

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

I took my old 90 series for a swim... it didnt like it

[dagree Member Find all posts View Profile Close dagree]

I need to confess....I am a Toyota addict. I bought a Pajero (Slapping wrist as I type) and it just didn't fit the bill... Found the 120 we now have at the right price and low kms so couldn't resist

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

It was the only 4wd that the missus liked.....until I ruined it with the bullbar, 2" lift and all that other rubbish.

Cheers Jim.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

I had a Hilux, realised with a Prado I can get around bends in tracks without doing 5 point turns.
Can carry people more comfortably, can remove seats a fit more than a lux, without worrying about canopies or tarps.can fit in normal house garage easy.
Shorter wheelbase good for ramp over, coils spring better ride, more flexi & much more.

But why 120 over the others? 90's well I'm not a fan of their looks, the shape a dash just don't like.also their diesel head problem although small by percentage 90 was more common than in 120's.
Nor the 150 they look too big & like a 200 too luxurious for a 4by.

The 120 is the best looking, the 1kz we don't need to worry about injectors. Stick with Toyota reliability. Simple model to work on.
Also on the manual they have the cast front cover on the gearbox not that alloy snout on later models including all 150's.
Much less electronic as that later models which helps keep it simple for reliability.
Overall I think the 120 looks best of the 3 & I like the simple dash layout better. 180lt s good at times

If there was no 120 I'd take either of the others

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

It was the only 4wd that the missus liked.....until I ruined it with the bullbar, 2" lift and all that other rubbish.

You must have married my wife's twin sister

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

You must have married my wife's twin sister

Wrecking vehicles with these type of non standard accessories is a big problem

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

Most of the same reasons as others really. It best suited our needs within budget, was more liveable and comfortable around town and capable off road .

We needed a bigger car with a 3rd Sprog on the way (had an xtrail). Wife wanted a 7 seater with an auto, and having had a 60 series in the past, I wanted a proper 4by that could go more places than the xtrail so choices were a bit limited.

Having always owned Toyotas in Africa was a bit swayed too. We couldn't afford 200 and most 100s were too expensive for the Km's. I considered the late model troopies and wagons but they're still pretty agricultural. It really was a choice between the 3P's. Prado, Patrol, Pathfinder.

IRuled the pathfinder out quickly. Prado won over the patrol in fuel use and capacity, and having a 5speed auto. Yes patrol is 'better' off road but we mainly go touring and I find Patrols very truck like to drive. Final test was when wife sat in a patrol and then immediately in a 120 and said buy this. I went for the 120 over 150 as it had less gizmos on it and a proper selector lever not a dial. And the fact the 150 reminds me of Lady Gaga. A lot of talent wrapped up in an awful costume. ;p. (pricing may have played a part too)

Found a 2008 120 already fitted with most of what I needed at a good price. Of course it still has a long list of 'wants' to be added. My relatively stock 120 hasn't let me down yet and held its own a a recent high country trip with a jeep and some fully locked, loaded and lifted patrols.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

After a few years of P...s we went for a 90 series wagon because it was more comfortable and was a much better compromise for us. Had that for 160,000km and when it was time for a few replacement (tyres, suspension etc and we were now in Brisbane) I gave SWPTB the option of keeping it and making it a dedicated 4wd and she could get something smaller for commuting and ferrying the kids. That didn't fly. I liked the idea of the electronic aids and D4D that the 120 offered and as it was more or less the same albeit less pulchritudinous so we went that way. We did check out the opposition but nothing fitted the bill quite so well and the Prado was a known entity for us. We bought a 120 D4D automatic with all the option packs and it went places the 90 just sat looking mournful at. The 120 however smudged its copy book with the injectors and while that was sorted after some kicking and screaming the 150 was the natural progression after 130,000km of otherwise enjoyable ownership. I rate my 150 higher than the 120 despite reduced space in the back and the dumb third row seating option.