120's Prado with 3 kids

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Hi all.....

Just after some families with 3 kids experiences when travelling.... We have 3 kids (currently 7-6-4 of age) and looking at purchasing a Prado (3.0ltr D4D or V6 on Gas) to do outback trips // for the wife to use as a daily driver // Tow our 16" Windsor Van // Bit of 4Wdriving through the Mountains (sometimes up to difficult grade if req'd). I'm concerned that as the 3 kids grow (ie Want to keep this car long-term) that the room in the 2nd row won't be good enough and that the kids will start to become cramped..... After peoples experiences in this sort of area......

Currently we have a Aurion and a 105's Cruiser + my Daily driver "Fun-Toy" Suzuki Vitara that I also use in the bush.... looking a combining 3 cars into 2 by selling the Aurion & Cruiser and buying a Prado for the Missus to use & then also use on holidays, etc.....

Any helpful info will be muchly appreciated

rob

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

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

We have three kids (10, 8 and 4) and find that the rear seat is fine but might get a bit squishy. I think Chippy has three boys probably in their teens so could probably comment more. I think ANY car will struggle with three in the rear over a long distance. We did the Simpson last year and left the youngets with my Mother In Law. This was for a few reasons but I think we may have struggled to fit another person and clothing. I would almost suggest you sell the Aurion and keep the Cruiser since this is bigger and wider than the Prado 120 if you think it might be an issue.

[ripas Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ripas]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

I have a 2008 GXL D4D and currently have three kids (11,6,2) with another along the way.

In all of our searching we couldnt find a better vehicle for the family than the Prado - be aware the current model is a seven seater not an eight seater.

The first row of rear seats can comfortably take three adults however the real row can only accommodate kids - my eleven year old is happy to sit there

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

We have three kids (10, 8 and 4) and find that the rear seat is fine but might get a bit squishy. I think Chippy has three boys probably in their teens so could probably comment more. I think ANY car will struggle with three in the rear over a long distance. We did the Simpson last year and left the youngets with my Mother In Law. This was for a few reasons but I think we may have struggled to fit another person and clothing. I would almost suggest you sell the Aurion and keep the Cruiser since this is bigger and wider than the Prado 120 if you think it might be an issue.

Yeah I thought of that but it would actually cost me more to run the Cruiser alone & me driving Vitara than it does to run the Aurion & Cruiser & Vitara. The Cruiser economy isn't that good (15.5 > 16ltr/100kms - Urban and towing the van is about 21ltrs/100kms). From reading what other D4D owners get when towing (ie 15/16ltrs per 100kms) I would be way ahead & as a daily driver I reckon I would expect about 10>11ltrs/100kms with the missus driving it.

Then there's the rego, currently 2 - 6cyl + 1 - 4cyl regos & wanting to change that to 2 - 4cyl regos. Big savings here in Qld.
The 105's is great for room, etc but it comes with a price at the pump. My other concern though is the durability of the D4D and "if" something happened to the engine what would be the repair costs verses repair costs to the older HZJ motors ???? Would u lose any gains ($$) here if this was to happen.....Obviously that's a risk that may or may not happen and probably something not worth considering ????

thoughts.....?

[Novice Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Novice]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Hi

we have 3 kids 9, 7, 4(in booster) and find the day to day stuff is fine for the 3 in the middle row. I'm not sure how good it would be with 2 boosters or 1 booster and 1 child restraint. (new Qld regs say that any kid between 2 (i think) and 7 must be in a booster).

However when we travel i like to keep the LHS rear row seat in postion so that all the kids have some space for all their gear.

This obvioulsy reduces storage space so a bunch of stuff goes on the roof. I'm currently trying to figure out how i can fit some kind of storage rack/cage thingy that will only take up the other half of the rear cargo area for our planned trip out to central Oz.

Pete

[two+four Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close two+four]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

We run four kids in ours quite often 8, 10, 15 and 17. The 17 YO is around 6 foot 5 and he does not complain in the middle row. When only taking three kids we tend to keep a back seat in to give them more room as Novice said. That said once he leaves home we will most likely set up the back without the seat to make packing for trips a little easier.

Neil

[boof Member Find all posts View Profile Close boof]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Yeh our 3 are 3, 6, and 9 day to day they have no dramas in the middle row. On long trips we usually have the camper so the eldest sits in the 3rd row seat on the passenger side and then we put the fridge and other small items in the space left. Works well they all have heaps of room and so far no hassles, on long day trips and up to 13hrs in the car on trips to Mackay and Sydney last year.

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

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Hi all.....

Just after some families with 3 kids experiences when travelling.... We have 3 kids (currently 7-6-4 of age) and looking at purchasing a Prado (3.0ltr D4D or V6 on Gas) to do outback trips // for the wife to use as a daily driver // Tow our 16" Windsor Van // Bit of 4Wdriving through the Mountains (sometimes up to difficult grade if req'd). I'm concerned that as the 3 kids grow (ie Want to keep this car long-term) that the room in the 2nd row won't be good enough and that the kids will start to become cramped..... After peoples experiences in this sort of area......

Currently we have a Aurion and a 105's Cruiser + my Daily driver "Fun-Toy" Suzuki Vitara that I also use in the bush.... looking a combining 3 cars into 2 by selling the Aurion & Cruiser and buying a Prado for the Missus to use & then also use on holidays, etc.....

Any helpful info will be muchly appreciated

rob

We have 3 as well (7, 4 and 2) and have no problem. One is in a booster and the other in a baby seat so the oldest is a little cramped, but she never complains. In the last 12 months we have done about 20k on different family trips with no problems. Last weekend we took a new commer to town shopping to Port Augusta (600km round trip) and had half 3rd row down with the fridge next to it. No one complained about the space only the lack of a DVD player (broken).

[eli Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close eli]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Hi,

I have five seated in my prado 15 (6ft tall) 13, 11, 8, and 2 year old in a baby seat. I sit the baby seat and two eldest in the middle and the other two in the rear. On long trips we always tow our 17ft jayco poptop. The kids have enough leg room but I think a Landcruiser would seat my kids better, more room sideways for their broadening shoulders. The 15 yr old cant comfortable sit in the 3rd row for long trips, no leg room at all.

Regards Eli

[jaybee Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jaybee]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Just did 4700km over 3 weeks with 12, 11 & 9 year olds in the middle row, no space problems, just the odd brother/sister dispute.

[Mick R Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mick R]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Get a Troopy workmate and sell everything else...One rego and plenty of space :mrgreen: .

[Smooove Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Smooove]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

I have three skids, 5, 3 and nearly 2yo (all boys). All in boosters, in the middle row of my 120. The two window boosters (3yo and nearly 2yo) have built in harnesses, and are easy to buckle up. But the 5yo in the middle needs his clipped into the normal seatbelt buckle, and is a pain the A to reach down over both seats and buckle it in, pushing down, using all my body weight.

On long trips they get a bit sick of being in the car, but so long as we put a dvd on (resting it on the center console fridge), they are all pretty happy (driver included).

Day to day travel around town, with all three is fairly painless. Just the normal disputes, with front seat adjudication required. :roll:

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

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Maybe I mite be stealing this thread but it appears a lot on this forum stop at three kids is it because like my third child we decided to stop because the third child is evil ? kidding . I dont have a 120 series but dont think much difference in size to our 95 series and done a lot of travelling with our three kids 10 , 6 woops she turned 7 today and 3 year old and when they get bigger they can buy me a larger car or deal with it I remember as a child my parents drove from Melbourne to Perth with 4 of us in the back of an Austin 1800 we managed to find some way to get comfortable

[Hubble80 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hubble80]

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Glad I found this thread. We have a 15 month old and twins on the way, due in June. We are wondering how we are going to go. I agree with fishfinder... I come from a family with 3 kids. We used to do the trip from Middlemount to Brisbane in a XF Falcon. We are spoilt now aren't we. And to think, we were looking at updating to a 200 Series... Might just keep the 120.

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

Re: 120's Prado with 3 kids

Glad I found this thread. We have a 15 month old and twins on the way, due in June. We are wondering how we are going to go. I agree with fishfinder... I come from a family with 3 kids. We used to do the trip from Middlemount to Brisbane in a XF Falcon. We are spoilt now aren't we. And to think, we were looking at updating to a 200 Series... Might just keep the 120.

Keep the Prado and buy a cheap min bus / people mover tell the mrs that she can have the new car and under no circumstances let her drive the Prado , believe me I KNOW its been nearly 3 months since I have driven ( what was ) MY PRADO