Does anyone *not* like their 150 Prado?

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

tempting Rainman!
Steve M: If it wasn't for needing a little bit more room in the back seat for the little chap to sit, we probably would have ended up in a dual cab - but we tried that when he was first born and it didn't work too well. I would have been much happier in a amorack or hilux

[juc33_prado Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close juc33_prado]

If you're still unsatisfied perhaps you'd consider a swap. Your 150 for my 95 series.

Points to consider about 95 series:

• It looks like a real 4WD
• Drives like a real 4WD
• The closest it comes to electronic wizardry is the head lights turn off when you open drivers door
• No VSC, ABS, A-TRC, HAC, DAC or airbags etc
• If you can hear an annoying sound, turn the radio up louder
• You need a key to start it - and to lock it
• Point it down a steep hill off road and it can really pick up some speed
• It comes with third row seats, but they havent been used in years
• It has a unique aroma, especially when I've been living out of it in the bush for a few weeks

PM me to make arrangements

gold, I love my 95 too!

But alas, I am not willing to trade lol

SAM

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

I must say that all the things you don't like about the 150 are things I don't like either, hence no plans to upgrade (downgrade) from a 120 to a 150. Problem is that all new cars are becoming more and more gimmicky and complex, so what are the options other than rebuilding an older 4b?

Re the 120 3rd row seats, takes about 30 seconds to remove them, keep them in the shed if you don't need them and then plenty or room in the rear.

Cheers Andrew

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

Personally as said before I DO like the car my main concern is the recent injector issues and a couple of cases where it's gone bang at an unacceptably low mileage it's starting to smack of the 3Ltr Nissan grenades from 2000 ,we all here keep buying Prados because we've grown to trust that they'll go for yonks with little or no dramas and thats WHY we pay over the top but you take that away and your better of with an Izusu for 20 grand less AND a five year warranty, thats my main gripe Toyo should really address any problems in a car that should last for years even if it is just out of warranty ...................BTW the 150 IS an ugly duckling personally the 120 is a far better looking vehicle, just my 2 bobs................

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Yeah, I know what you are saying about the DX thing, that's what I was trying to get at. To me the GU is an out dated old vehicle that has been given a makeover to try and keep up. To be honest when I first saw photos of the facelift 150 I was really disappointed, didn't want one and started looking at second hand Prados. After seeing it in the flesh it was a bit better, and it did grow on me over time. Now to the point when I prefer the facelift, think it looks more modern.

I completely agree with you about the engine, the new ZD30 is a rattly, noisy motor that vibrates and cracks parts hand over fist. Warped or cracked exhaust manifolds, cracked dump pipes and cracked EGR pipes are not uncommon.

I really do hope you can get past the little things you are disappointed about, and believe me, the Prado is a very capable vehicle with a little driver skill.

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

Interesting that there are some that do agree - AJ120 good point about the rebuilding old cars.
The missus and I have had that conversation before but my problem is that I want something with a great motor/gearbox and something that looks good inside too (or at least new). This is the problem with re-building a (as an example, dont hate me here) 4.2l patrol - it is just going to go back into something that is old everywhere else.
I do really think the only way is to use one of the nice big US diesels such as the druamax 6.6 or the landcruiser 4.5 to make a car unstoppable AND that looks nice.

Danda: yep - I like the 120 shape much better.

AussieAndy: One of the main reasons that the missus wanted the prado is that the y61 GU hasn't had any kind of styling or change for years, it is outdated. But no way were we going to go to the butt ugly y62 (with petrol)

All in all, I hope that the missus 'gets the 150 out of her system' so that we can go back or forward to something that we both like - haha, even a 120!

Funny thing is that if we ever get stuck somewhere or bogged, I would have NFI how to even get the 150 out - there is no short stick hiding under a stubby cooler any more!

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

I had my first real good look at the facelift 150 last weekend, it was all I could do to not throw up all over it, Hideous would be the first word that comes to my mind. I thought it looked much worse in the flesh than in pictures............. but that's just me!

Cheers Andrew

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

Interesting you say that BiLLz0r, one of the things i didn't like about the 120 is the 3rd row seats. They fold up to the sides and you lose quite a bit of area in the back when packing. I was really impressed with the concealed 3rd row in the 150 that can pop up and function in 2 seconds.
Although my mate with a 120 just removes them all together to get maximum space which is nice, but you just lose the 3rd row.

That's what I meant. So easy to remove. We've used ours twice in over a year. I believe the 150 seats to remove are a PITA.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

I had my first real good look at the facelift 150 last weekend, it was all I could do to not throw up all over it, Hideous would be the first word that comes to my mind. I thought it looked much worse in the flesh than in pictures............. but that's just me!

Cheers Andrew

Fair call, keep away from mine then, I just polished it

Just goes to show its all personal preference, like I said, if we all liked the same car the only one being built would be a Prado.

I feel your pain with the stubby cooler, can never find one when I want it now.

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

We have had our 150GX for after selling the TD42 turbo and My wife loves it,my son says its too white and for me not sure really.
comfy yes
TD patrol comfort?LOL
took it on beach just let tyres down it was like on the road !
we did change to have 2 vehicles not 3 and prado fits the bill
as the boy says it needs to get some more black on and get offroad then Ill probs like it more!!!
its like a real big car compared to GQpatrol
and no rust!!

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

Fair call, keep away from mine then, I just polished it

Just goes to show its all personal preference, like I said, if we all liked the same car the only one being built would be a Prado.

.

To be fair it's not just the new 150, we are starting to think about what the missus next car will be, looking at small to medium SUV's and the "modern" look of most of them is woeful IMO.

Cheers Andrew

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Well having owned an 80 Series Cruiser, a GQ Nissan Patrol (with a Ford badge), a 95 Series, and now the 150 series I know which one I like the best and that's what I have now. As much as those of you with 90s and 120s like them eventually they will become too old and unreliable and need to be replaced with something else. Maybe I just like gadgets LOL.

[Pugaree Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pugaree]

Can appreciate your gripes with the 150 but preferring the Patrol? Got to be kidding me.

I too have come over from a Patrol but I couldn't be happier. There are so many things I hated about the Patrol it's not funny. Always the constant fear about the motor blowing up despite the mods to ensure it didn't happen, the ride comfort was appalling (I tried 5 different sets of coils and shocks), the cheapness of the interior (carpets, trim, everything basically), the 80km hour wheel wobble, the chewing out of bushes (Panhard, radius arms), the failing belt tensioners, 4/5 gear synchro, poor brakes, even the seat belts didn't retract properly, And what gives with a great big truck with a small cabin, you can't sit it the drivers seat without the right knee hard up against the door.

I am thankful every time I get in the Prado.

[Peter SA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Peter SA]

I like mine. The thing that annoys me the most is of course all the silly alarms, except it doesn't have a low washer level alert; an alarm that would actually be useful, especially as you can't see the washer bottle.

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

Well, I have owned the Prado now for about 3 months, have done lots of little 60k trips, and one larger 1000k trip in it and I still really don't like it much.
It is a 2010 GX auto with 45000k on it and in immaculate condition and over serviced (by time, not kms) which is not such a bad thing.

But I really don't like it!

It is very comfy to drive, and has made me lazy as I don't need to change gears, a really nice thing.
The engine in it does seem really nice - not nearly as agricultural as some of the other 3L diesels around, this could be more to do with the auto box though.

BUT:
It is feels like a poor man's 4x4 (coming from a gu patrol) - even the missus recons the same and in her words "its a pretend 4wd"
It looks hideous - whoever styled them should be shot - especially the shape around the wheels, it really looks like it was meant to have some flairs put on and they forgot.
It was very expensive for what you get, but I think this is more a Toyota tax than anything.

Probably my main gripe with it is it is so very 'electronicy' - and you can feel it when you drive:
It starts breaking for you when you want to put the foot in - most likely ESC
It dings and carries on at you for any reason what so ever (eg, park, get out, leave keys in car because you are washing it and it starts blaring at you) - I have already jammed a screw into the back of the instrument cluster to allow me to be in the car, with accessories on so that I can listen to the radio when working on it.
And probably my biggest gripe is: WHAT IS WRONG WITH USING A BLOODY KEY TO START A CAR!? the keyless start is the biggest wank that I have ever come across.

Now, this is post is not to be taken as an insult to anyone - it is just me having a rant - but I would like to know how long it normally takes before you start appreciating a prado, if you didn't 'really' just love them from the start.

We initially bought the Prado as I was wanting another patrol (had a slight issue with a creek up the cape, hence getting a new car), but the missus ended up looking at the 200 series, but they were way out of our price range, and the prado 'kinda looked the same'. I also think that she just didn't want to let me behind the wheel of a car that I could take on 'decent 4wd tracks'.

Oh, I have taught my 22 month old to not call the car 'Daddy's car' any more, but instead the 'Smelly Prado'... it does come out as 'Melly Cardo' but we know what he is on about!

Ok, end of rant!

Cheers,
Isiman

I came from a 'new' 2009 GU and its crap compared to the Prado. No comparison.

Given you like the old school features perhaps you should stick to cars designed in the 1970s and 1980s like the GU and the 70 series.