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After 2 years and 65000K thought I woudl drop some thoughts on the VX Prado.
First off, the list of niggles, what's been fixed and what's still there;
Overheating tranny problem sorted at first service with firmware update, no reoccurrence since.
1500rpm resonance, took 4 attempts, but finaly sorted, adjustment of front mudguard finally sorted the noise, vibration remains, but that appears to inherent to the design.
The piping on the drivers seat squab has worn, Toyota replaced it at the 40K service and then stated not covered at 60K service. I am a nerd, so i don't carry tools in pockets, keychains or anything else that might cause abrasion. I am 110kg, and the wear is where the seat folds as I turn to get out of the vehicle. My thought is that it is poor design.
The bluetooth is selective about which phones it will pair with, refusing to talk to some Nokia and Samsung phones. This is a real annoyance, as I am about to change phones, and need to find someone who already has the phone I want to test it, as the phone companies won't exchange and don't have phones available to test it.
The rear seats rattle and squeak, the squeak can be sorted with a bit of dry lube on the hinges and a dusting of graphite powder. A bit disappoint seeing this thing has barely seen a gravel road, let alone been off-road.
Occasional flatspot at 2400rpm under mild acceleration, hard to replicate consistently, last service they cleaned the "hot wire" in the intake, still there.
OK, so much for the grumbling, on to the positives;
Fuel economy is good for a vehicle of its size, regularly get 9l/100km running between Canberra and the coast up and down Brown Mountain.
Cabin is quiet, there is minimal noise while travelling, stereo is more than acceptable (according to the teenage contingent).
I'm 6'1", and have plenty of leg room and headroom, stepson is 6'4" and he has leg room behind me. Have never used the third row seats, and not likely to, would be good if they were easy to remove, could use the storage space.
We regularly tow 2 tonnes of boat & trailer, 3.2M high hardtop, so lots of windage, can happily sit on 110 where speed limits allow, although find the economy much better at 95kmh, with an avge of around 14.5l/100km return from Canberra to Bermagui and back on the computer, and a real 15.5 at the bowser.
The 150 litre fuel tank is great for a weekend away fishing, we leave on a full tank, do a weekends fishing and not have to worry about being back in before the servo shuts, normally around 700k's all up. Convenience factor for us is huge.
Bought when Toyota were offering their Service Advantage program, so all services to date have been $200, guess the next one may be a shock.
Overall the ride is great for a vehicle of its size and bulk. Handling at highway speeds is acceptable, and from a test drive in a GXL, the KDSS justifys some of the additional cost (still struggling to justify the extra all up, but it is a lease so the pain is eased a little).
Original tyres still going, but have noticed started to "track" over the last 2K. Not the greatest in the wet, but wear has been exceptional and not noisy. Looking to replace them with a set of Cooper HT/Plus based on recommendations received. Being a busy person, tyre rotation sort of got overlooked, and the first wheel alignment will be when the tyres are replaced, probably around 70K. Tyre wear is even, and looking good for 70K before the wear limits, a good result given the number of roundabouts in Canberra.
Front brake pads were replaced at the 60K service, quite happy given that we tow and do quite a bit of mountain travel. I tend to use the gearbox, but my partner relies on the brakes, and sometimes its nice to have a beer and enjoy the journey. Have had no issues with brake fade, even on occassions where I may have been in a bit of a hurry down the mountain.
Parking sensors and the reversing camera make an otherwise unwieldy town car quite usable. Parking is easy once you get the hang of the sensors and the offset on the camera.
Have not had to add oil between services, usage has been minimal. Make a point of requesting that the jack shaft is greased at each service.
Performance is not amazing, but sufficient to be able to travel safely. Overtaking is ok, but I like to have a clear run. It is a diesel after all. Happy to be patient, and have to be careful, exceeding the posted limit while "cruising" is a little bit easy.
Overall assessment given the purpose is 40% commuting, 40% travelling 600K return and 20% as a tug, is very good. Yes I could fill these requirements for less money, but with a requirement for a large car to cart an industrial sized family, Seats that would resist fishy contamination at the boat ramp, but so far, total cost of ownership is looking a reasonable proposition.
To date I am a very satisfied customer, yes there are some small niggles, but uinctionally the vehicle has delivered everything expected. It is pleasant to drive for a three hour stint, and quite comfortable even after 1000 k's. I can't comment about 4wd capabilities, has never been off-road. For a large family car with a reasonable towing capacity it's a good gadget.
Hope someone finds this useful.
First off, the list of niggles, what's been fixed and what's still there;
Overheating tranny problem sorted at first service with firmware update, no reoccurrence since.
1500rpm resonance, took 4 attempts, but finaly sorted, adjustment of front mudguard finally sorted the noise, vibration remains, but that appears to inherent to the design.
The piping on the drivers seat squab has worn, Toyota replaced it at the 40K service and then stated not covered at 60K service. I am a nerd, so i don't carry tools in pockets, keychains or anything else that might cause abrasion. I am 110kg, and the wear is where the seat folds as I turn to get out of the vehicle. My thought is that it is poor design.
The bluetooth is selective about which phones it will pair with, refusing to talk to some Nokia and Samsung phones. This is a real annoyance, as I am about to change phones, and need to find someone who already has the phone I want to test it, as the phone companies won't exchange and don't have phones available to test it.
The rear seats rattle and squeak, the squeak can be sorted with a bit of dry lube on the hinges and a dusting of graphite powder. A bit disappoint seeing this thing has barely seen a gravel road, let alone been off-road.
Occasional flatspot at 2400rpm under mild acceleration, hard to replicate consistently, last service they cleaned the "hot wire" in the intake, still there.
OK, so much for the grumbling, on to the positives;
Fuel economy is good for a vehicle of its size, regularly get 9l/100km running between Canberra and the coast up and down Brown Mountain.
Cabin is quiet, there is minimal noise while travelling, stereo is more than acceptable (according to the teenage contingent).
I'm 6'1", and have plenty of leg room and headroom, stepson is 6'4" and he has leg room behind me. Have never used the third row seats, and not likely to, would be good if they were easy to remove, could use the storage space.
We regularly tow 2 tonnes of boat & trailer, 3.2M high hardtop, so lots of windage, can happily sit on 110 where speed limits allow, although find the economy much better at 95kmh, with an avge of around 14.5l/100km return from Canberra to Bermagui and back on the computer, and a real 15.5 at the bowser.
The 150 litre fuel tank is great for a weekend away fishing, we leave on a full tank, do a weekends fishing and not have to worry about being back in before the servo shuts, normally around 700k's all up. Convenience factor for us is huge.
Bought when Toyota were offering their Service Advantage program, so all services to date have been $200, guess the next one may be a shock.
Overall the ride is great for a vehicle of its size and bulk. Handling at highway speeds is acceptable, and from a test drive in a GXL, the KDSS justifys some of the additional cost (still struggling to justify the extra all up, but it is a lease so the pain is eased a little).
Original tyres still going, but have noticed started to "track" over the last 2K. Not the greatest in the wet, but wear has been exceptional and not noisy. Looking to replace them with a set of Cooper HT/Plus based on recommendations received. Being a busy person, tyre rotation sort of got overlooked, and the first wheel alignment will be when the tyres are replaced, probably around 70K. Tyre wear is even, and looking good for 70K before the wear limits, a good result given the number of roundabouts in Canberra.
Front brake pads were replaced at the 60K service, quite happy given that we tow and do quite a bit of mountain travel. I tend to use the gearbox, but my partner relies on the brakes, and sometimes its nice to have a beer and enjoy the journey. Have had no issues with brake fade, even on occassions where I may have been in a bit of a hurry down the mountain.
Parking sensors and the reversing camera make an otherwise unwieldy town car quite usable. Parking is easy once you get the hang of the sensors and the offset on the camera.
Have not had to add oil between services, usage has been minimal. Make a point of requesting that the jack shaft is greased at each service.
Performance is not amazing, but sufficient to be able to travel safely. Overtaking is ok, but I like to have a clear run. It is a diesel after all. Happy to be patient, and have to be careful, exceeding the posted limit while "cruising" is a little bit easy.
Overall assessment given the purpose is 40% commuting, 40% travelling 600K return and 20% as a tug, is very good. Yes I could fill these requirements for less money, but with a requirement for a large car to cart an industrial sized family, Seats that would resist fishy contamination at the boat ramp, but so far, total cost of ownership is looking a reasonable proposition.
To date I am a very satisfied customer, yes there are some small niggles, but uinctionally the vehicle has delivered everything expected. It is pleasant to drive for a three hour stint, and quite comfortable even after 1000 k's. I can't comment about 4wd capabilities, has never been off-road. For a large family car with a reasonable towing capacity it's a good gadget.
Hope someone finds this useful.
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