Are Prado's Worth It?

[Stewart25 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Stewart25]

Hi all
I'm thinking about buying my first Prado but in doing so have done some net surfing trying to get info on any problems, reliability and the 4wd capabilities of a diesel Prado 04 or earlier model. After reading alot of the posts on this site I've become concerned about the Prado and whether it's as good a 4wd as I previously thought. I will be travelling back around Oz towards the end of next year possibly towing a camper and travelling through Northern Queensland, Kimberely and 4wding on the soft sandy beaches of South West W.A. regularly.

I'd love to get some feedback from you on the following concerns:
* Have you had any serious problems in relation to the body, engine or transmission with your Prado?

* Do you think it's worth giving your prado a suspension lift to improve it's offroad capabilities?

* Do the diesel engines provide enough power when in serious 4wd conditions like mud and very soft sand?

* What would you go with if you were buying another Prado, auto or manual?

* What's the best thing about your prado compared with other 4wd's e.g. Patrol ?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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

Re: Are Prado's Worth It?

We bought our Prado new last year after careful thought about the alternatives. Got a VX for the traction control and stability control but the adjustable seats are comfy too.

Have you had any serious problems in relation to the body, engine or transmission with your Prado?
No. Scan through the forum to see what problems get reported. Engines seem reliable. Some reports of cracking when driven hard on corrugations. We chose factory bull bar and tow bar for warranty purposes in case of cracking.

* Do you think it's worth giving your prado a suspension lift to improve it's offroad capabilities?
Helps somewhat. Doesnt lift the rear axle - only bigger tires do that and they are against Oz design rules. How far off road are you going? We have concluded we dont want to specially seek out tracks where we will get stuck, though others seem to enjoy that sort of thing! How much fun do you get struggling over 1000 sandhills? We got ours done with the ATS kit partly to get better shocks (Bilstein) and springs to give us better ride and more reliability.

* Do the diesel engines provide enough power when in serious 4wd conditions like mud and very soft sand?
Yes. The D4D has pretty much as much torque as you need. In very soft sand you need low tire pressure more than power. In mud the problem is usually wrong tires more than lack of power, Its easy to spin wheels!

* What would you go with if you were buying another Prado, auto or manual?
Auto. That way you get the stability control and traction control. Not as good using engine braking but you get downhill assist for that. And autos are easier to manage tricky climbs with as you wont choose the wrong gear or stall with a bad clutch operation

* What's the best thing about your prado compared with other 4wd's e.g. Patrol
Impressed by it geting 4WD of the year when the 120 model was released with high praise for the D4D 3L diesel. We are mature and not looking for really challenging tracks but wanted a very reliable comfortable 4WD that was for towing a camper trailer. The Patrol is probably tougher but not as comfortable. The 200 series Cruiser is larger than we needed. The Pajero looked good and if we had been on a tighter budget might have got one. Liked the Toyota service availability Australia wide. We had a Jeep Cherokee that would have done the job but worried about level of outback service.

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Are Prado's Worth It?

I'd love to get some feedback from you on the following concerns:

* Have you had any serious problems in relation to the body, engine or transmission with your Prado?
We have now had our 04 Diesel Prado for nearly 2 years. In that time it has been both used for the family car as well as a 4WD while on holidays and any other time needed (we also have a Surf at home which tends to go out when we are at home - it is older so happier to make it work harder while it is around to protect the good car). In that time the only thing that has gone wrong with the car at all is a spot weld behind the RHS headlight let go. I suspect this was 1. just bad luck and 2. a result of driving along many corrugated roads on our last trip to Qld. I have never heard any others with this same issue. Being 04, our diesel motor is very old technology, however is also very proven. The early D4D's did have some issues however I believe that is sorted now as well. As for the gear box, it is smooth and reliable.

* Do you think it's worth giving your Prado a suspension lift to improve it's off-road capabilities?
I have never owned a 4WD that I have not lifted. It not only improves it off-road, it improves it's on road manners.

* Do the diesel engines provide enough power when in serious 4wd conditions like mud and very soft sand?
The simple answer is yes. We have put a bigger exhaust on ours which has also made a lot of difference. It all depends what you are looking for. If you want a race car then that is what your should get. If you do lots of city driving and want to accelerate hard off the lights then maybe a petrol car is what you are after. For me, we live in the country and also do a bit of towing, the diesel is perfect.

* What would you go with if you were buying another Prado, auto or manual?
I have always had manual cars but on this occasion, I was just looking for the best Prado I could find. My preference for manuals is just that, what I prefer and for no good reason really. Autos in 4WD's have come a long way and now are a good thing. The main thing is it will power downshift climbing sand hills.

* What's the best thing about your Prado compared with other 4wd's e.g. Patrol ?
I will only buy Toyota 4WD's as I have had such a good run out of them and we wanted a mid sized 4WD this time, is really left either a Prado or a Hilux. The Prado is a very refined car and also has the after market support that comes from owning a common car. It is very comfortable for the long trips that we do and is also safe for the family to travel in as our main car. Oh, and the 180l of fuel is nice.


I guess after owning and very much using the Surf for the last 12 years with very few problems, I feel confident the Prado will do the same thing. Send some time looking through the site as most of your questions have been answered in other places as well.
Scott

[toddy Member Find all posts View Profile Close toddy]

Re: Are Prado's Worth It?

Stewart25,

* Have you had any serious problems in relation to the body, engine or transmission with your Prado?
We've had our Prado just over 3 years now (no more waranty ) But we have had not a single issue with the car. Bought in Brissy and now living in Weipa, it has travelled a fair distance over many different terrains.

* Do you think it's worth giving your prado a suspension lift to improve it's offroad capabilities?
I am about to put in a suspension upgrade (still deciding what type) as it is feeling a little soft, there is a lot of corrugations up north. There is also the benefit of improved reliabilty and additional load carrying capacity.

* Do the diesel engines provide enough power when in serious 4wd conditions like mud and very soft sand?
The Prado has ample power, the two times I have been bogged is because I didn't let the tires down in soft sand ops: , my own fault and a bit of laziness. The sand is real hot in summer... :wink: Like dickybird said the tires will make more difference than not enough power.

* What would you go with if you were buying another Prado, auto or manual?
Currently have auto, wanted manual but minister of finance won. Will actually get another auto if the chance arises. So easy to drive off road not dealing with a gearstick, the technnology that goes in is really good these days.

* What's the best thing about your prado compared with other 4wd's e.g. Patrol ?
I found the Landcruiser 100 series too big and bulky, The Patrol too clunky but the Prado... Just Right It seems to be big enough for the family and really fun for me on the weekends.

Overall, it has been an unbelievably great car to drive and really reliable. The only issue was the stock GT tyres only lasted like 40K, but I thought that was a good thing so I could get some A/T's earlier than anticipated...

[Stewart25 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Stewart25]

Re: Are Prado's Worth It?

Thanks very much for that info, has helped alot.