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Well, I've been in the 150 for over 7,000ks now, which has been 5 1/2 weeks. I went from an Oct 2008 120 Diesel Auto GXL which I did over 73,000ks in 15mths.
Jumping straight out of a 120 into the 150, I was able to compare many things, and I even had the fortune of spending a couple of days in the 120 about 4 weeks after I picked up the 150. This really helped compare the two. While I haven't actually taken any measurements, the following observations and comments are seat of the pants.
How Does It Look?
Obviously, they look different both on the outside and in. I actually like the new look. I have seen or heard things which compare it to the Rav 4, Kluger and even the Landcruiser. It's easy to see the comparison.
Staying with the outside, the towbar seems to protrude lower on the 150 than it did on the 120, to the extent that it drags in off-road situations where the 120 wouldn't. Having said that, it does seem to offer more rear under body protection and it offers more protection to the trailer plug socket, which in the 120 was hanging in the breeze and asking to be smashed off. The rear camera is positioned in such a way, right in the middle of the spare, that to carry a high-lift and rear garbage bag back there and still utilise the camera would require the camera to be removed or relocated. Yeah, with some mucking around that probably could be done, but I won't have this vehicle long enough to worry about it, nor worry about any potential issues which may arise from the extra load the hi-lift may place on the door. Meanwhile, you cannot see the towball via the camera. Go figure, and no, I haven't tried to see if I can adjust the viewing angle...yet. The spare tyre carrier and cover will accommodate 265/75/17, 'cause their is one mounted there now! I like the no key unlocking and locking feature, as my keys (with the remote fob) live in my pocket and that's where they stay. One word on this, the fob must be about 80cm from the vehicle for these features to work. The removable 'key' which locks and unlocks the glove box is great too, as I can unlock the glovebox and remove whatever is locked in there without having to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle can also be locked and unlocked by pressing the Lock or Unlock buttons located on the rear number plate housing. This is also a cool feature.
How Does It Feel?
Ok, inside we have a single start button; push once for Accessories, push again for On, then depress the brake pedal, push the button a 3rd time and she starts up. Jazzy. Again, the remote fob stays in my pocket. The front seats in the 150 have less padding than the 120, well at least to my bony, narrow ass they do, however the seats in the 150 aren't uncomfortable. The longest drive I've done so far is 7hrs, and I felt fine when I got out of the vehicle. The height adjustment of the drivers seat is a nice touch though. I like the dash layout and the controls are easy to read and reach. The features of the trip computer are good, such as range until empty, L/100ks etc. Not quite a Scangauge but working on it...maybe. One thing with this though, I have noticed, as have others in this forum, that the readings are inaccurate.
The relocated AUX input from the radio face to the base of the arm rest in the centre console is a good move. The Bluetooth works fine with both my Nokia and iPhone, however I have found when using the Nokia, the volume control is very slow to respond. I like the small storage tray in the top of the centre console for things like pens, iPhone chargers etc, as these things usually made their way to the bottom of the centre console storage box in the 120 and were impossible to retrieve without pulling every damn thing out first. The absence of an ash tray or what I used it for, a coin tray, is a pain, as there is nowhere to put small change for those impromptu trips to McD's or for parking meters. Yes, you can put it in the small storage tray in the centre console or the cup holders below the stereo, but coins in both of these places rattle around and, depending on how much $$$ you have in there, it can be a hassle to jam that Coke or Powerade bottle in there.
Vision from the drivers seat is reduced compared to the 120; plain and simple. Looking out from the windscreen, the leading edge of the bonnet is much higher than the 120, and the 'wings' on the upper guards adjacent to the A pillars reduce vision near to the front wheels. These are especially apparent when parking or off-road. Now it's almost a 'fingers crossed, there's always the winch' situation. The side windows are smaller than the 120, so I have to duck down to look out (I'm 6'2") when in situations such as looking up hill while driving around the side of a hill in the bush, which I do almost daily.
A small note on the buzzers, or audible alarms. Coming from the 120, these things drive me mad. A buzzer because I tried to lock the car and a door is ajar, a buzzer because I opened the door when the car is in gear, which is something I do when working, a buzzer because I forgot to face Mecca and nod three times before starting... that's just a joke, ok, but you get the message. Some of these can, and have been turned off by a dealer but some cannot and they are very annoying. I toyed with the idea of finding the one which goes off when you open the door while the car is in gear and cutting the power with some pliers, but Mr Serviceman at Toyota reckons it will bugger up something to do with something else and then the whole bloody car won't work, or something like that. If anyone can help with this, please let me know.
The rear A/C can be controlled from the front, which is much easier than in the 120, especially when there are kids back there. The way the rear seats slide forward and back (the same way the front seats do) is terrific, as it creates a nice 'hiding place' to put things, like in my case, rifles and shotguns, for example, to keep hidden from prying eyes, or to make more space in the less spacious than the 120 rear. But before I get to that, in addition to the 12V accessory plug in the front next to the AUX input, there is also a 12V accessory plug at the rear of the centre console for 2nd row passengers. How handy.
Ok, the thing that everyone seems to be talking about (in addition to the loss of 30lt of fuel carrying capacity), are the fold down rear seats and subsequent loss of storage space. Yes, this is a major issue for a lot of people, me included. Again, not having measured it, it's difficult for me to say exactly how much less space there is, but it is more than enough to be easily recognised, and to me, that's too much. Yes, the 3rd row seat layout is very neat and tidy, and no doubt will be loved by soccer mums when it's their turn to cart 3/4 of the team on Saturdays, but what to do the other 6 days of the week? There's not a lot that can be done, other than roof racks and a basket, which fortunately I have, or pulling them out entirely, but again, that's not for me. So I guess it's time to learn to pack lightly. The lack of a 12V accessory socket in the rear in disappointing, and the 100w inverter is nice, but the ignition needs to be in the On position for it to work.
How Does It Drive?
Seat of the pants engine performance doesn't feel that different to me, in fact, and I think there are transmission influences here (more on that later), it feels like it has less get up and go than the 120 from a stand still. Once you're away, and put the foot down, and once the transmission sorts itself out, it does feel that it gets along a little quicker than the 120, say in an overtaking situation.
The steering is much, much lighter than the 120, and this is fitted with BFG A/T's, although I suspect the turning circle is slightly larger, not by much, but enough I have had to adjust my approach when parking in shopping centres etc. In some situations I've had to have another go because the front didn't come around as I expected it to, or I was used to. Like the 120, it still has some understeer, especially under power but I'd say this is on par with the 120.
Now for the transmission. I suspect the transmission in my 150 needs to be looked at, either that or I need to re-assess my expectations. One of my main issues is in roundabouts. Say I'm going to turn right, I approach the roundabout, coast in and around, then ease the foot down to go. When I say ease, I mean just that, as if I was in the 120, and she'd just pull away smoothly. No no no, not this one. It runs on in what feels like the same gear I approached in, then as it changes down, there is BIG hesitation before it takes up. This hesitation is enough of a lag that I (and any passengers) actually lurch forward in the seat. Very dis-conserting and annoying too. This also happens going up hill with a steady throttle, then when I push it a little more, the same hesitation appears. I'd be very interested to hear from others who may have experienced similar situations. The 'triptronic' style of transmission is simpler to use than that of the 120, being able to select all gears from one spot, rather than running up and down the gate. I use this quite a lot to override the auto due to its what I'll call weird nature, but why should I have to drive an auto like a manual? One thing I do like is that when on cruise control, the transmission will shift down to hold the vehicle around the selected speed. Like others, I have had the AT Transmission Fluid light come on. Frequently in fact, both on and off road, and as others here on the forum have suggested, when going slow. I understand that to alleviate this, more rpms are required, but I've said it before, why should I have to drive an auto like a manual? Toyota needs to rectify this quickly.
The first time I used the Down Hill Decent Control I thought I'd broken something (this was the second day I'd had it). With much grinding and grumbling, this feature holds her back and allows her to walk down steep or loose sections. Fortunately for my blood pressure, I'd read the owners manual the day before and recalled reading the bit which said something like, DHDC is noisy and sounds like your car is going to break. This is normal.
The transfer case has had some issues when going from 4L back to 4H. Sometimes it doesn't change back into H, even when the light on the dash goes out, other times it beeps, the idiot light flashes and a horrible, blood curdling grind comes from below, and no reference can be found to that anywhere in the owners manual. In regards to the shifting from 4H to 4L, give me the lever anytime. I have an old Willys with 4 sticks, (gearbox 123, H & L, 2 & 4, overdrive in case you are wondering), and it is much smoother than this thing. Yet another thing for Mr Serviceman at 10,000ks.
It's obvious I do a lot of driving and I really don't find the reduced fuel capacity a hassle. I averaged a shade under 12L/100kms for the life of the 120, and this included many miles of bush work and towing. Pretty good I thought. In the 150, it's more like 10L/100kms. Admittedly I don't embark upon major missions into the centre of the country or to remote locations where fuel supply is an issue. And to be honest, who does, and how often. Sure, there will always be someone, and there will be occasions where 30l more capacity would be great, however with the improved economy I don't think it's as big an issue as some may have made out. Besides, how many other competing vehicles come close in fuel capacity?
What Mods Have I Done?
So far, I have had the roof bars and basket switched over from the 120, had a hands free cradle for the Nokia and a GME hand held UHF swapped over from thr 120 also, had a Milford barrier installed, and had a second battery and associated hardware installed with a designated Engel plug and 12V accessory plug fitted into the top of the r/h rear inner wheel arch. The vehicle is in now having an ARB bar fitted, finally, and along with this will be the winch and driving lights (both from the 120).
When I get her back on Friday, I will fit a fold down table which I have made, to the inside of the rear door, and I am in the process of building a set of storage drawers which will be installed over the 3rd row of seats.
Overall?
In my opinion, the 120 was/still is, a great vehicle. I loved it and the only issue I ever had was a bullbar mounted fog light was replaced under warranty as it was taking in water. Coincidentally, same thing same side of the 150.
How does the 150 compare? The 150 is a more refined vehicle, obviously softer both on the outside and in. Yes, it has some nice new features but in my case, it's fair share of bugs too. Hopefully these will be ironed out shortly. If they are ironed out, I'm sure I'll be singing the praises of the 150 in no time flat. If they are ironed out.
Jumping straight out of a 120 into the 150, I was able to compare many things, and I even had the fortune of spending a couple of days in the 120 about 4 weeks after I picked up the 150. This really helped compare the two. While I haven't actually taken any measurements, the following observations and comments are seat of the pants.
How Does It Look?
Obviously, they look different both on the outside and in. I actually like the new look. I have seen or heard things which compare it to the Rav 4, Kluger and even the Landcruiser. It's easy to see the comparison.
Staying with the outside, the towbar seems to protrude lower on the 150 than it did on the 120, to the extent that it drags in off-road situations where the 120 wouldn't. Having said that, it does seem to offer more rear under body protection and it offers more protection to the trailer plug socket, which in the 120 was hanging in the breeze and asking to be smashed off. The rear camera is positioned in such a way, right in the middle of the spare, that to carry a high-lift and rear garbage bag back there and still utilise the camera would require the camera to be removed or relocated. Yeah, with some mucking around that probably could be done, but I won't have this vehicle long enough to worry about it, nor worry about any potential issues which may arise from the extra load the hi-lift may place on the door. Meanwhile, you cannot see the towball via the camera. Go figure, and no, I haven't tried to see if I can adjust the viewing angle...yet. The spare tyre carrier and cover will accommodate 265/75/17, 'cause their is one mounted there now! I like the no key unlocking and locking feature, as my keys (with the remote fob) live in my pocket and that's where they stay. One word on this, the fob must be about 80cm from the vehicle for these features to work. The removable 'key' which locks and unlocks the glove box is great too, as I can unlock the glovebox and remove whatever is locked in there without having to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle can also be locked and unlocked by pressing the Lock or Unlock buttons located on the rear number plate housing. This is also a cool feature.
How Does It Feel?
Ok, inside we have a single start button; push once for Accessories, push again for On, then depress the brake pedal, push the button a 3rd time and she starts up. Jazzy. Again, the remote fob stays in my pocket. The front seats in the 150 have less padding than the 120, well at least to my bony, narrow ass they do, however the seats in the 150 aren't uncomfortable. The longest drive I've done so far is 7hrs, and I felt fine when I got out of the vehicle. The height adjustment of the drivers seat is a nice touch though. I like the dash layout and the controls are easy to read and reach. The features of the trip computer are good, such as range until empty, L/100ks etc. Not quite a Scangauge but working on it...maybe. One thing with this though, I have noticed, as have others in this forum, that the readings are inaccurate.
The relocated AUX input from the radio face to the base of the arm rest in the centre console is a good move. The Bluetooth works fine with both my Nokia and iPhone, however I have found when using the Nokia, the volume control is very slow to respond. I like the small storage tray in the top of the centre console for things like pens, iPhone chargers etc, as these things usually made their way to the bottom of the centre console storage box in the 120 and were impossible to retrieve without pulling every damn thing out first. The absence of an ash tray or what I used it for, a coin tray, is a pain, as there is nowhere to put small change for those impromptu trips to McD's or for parking meters. Yes, you can put it in the small storage tray in the centre console or the cup holders below the stereo, but coins in both of these places rattle around and, depending on how much $$$ you have in there, it can be a hassle to jam that Coke or Powerade bottle in there.
Vision from the drivers seat is reduced compared to the 120; plain and simple. Looking out from the windscreen, the leading edge of the bonnet is much higher than the 120, and the 'wings' on the upper guards adjacent to the A pillars reduce vision near to the front wheels. These are especially apparent when parking or off-road. Now it's almost a 'fingers crossed, there's always the winch' situation. The side windows are smaller than the 120, so I have to duck down to look out (I'm 6'2") when in situations such as looking up hill while driving around the side of a hill in the bush, which I do almost daily.
A small note on the buzzers, or audible alarms. Coming from the 120, these things drive me mad. A buzzer because I tried to lock the car and a door is ajar, a buzzer because I opened the door when the car is in gear, which is something I do when working, a buzzer because I forgot to face Mecca and nod three times before starting... that's just a joke, ok, but you get the message. Some of these can, and have been turned off by a dealer but some cannot and they are very annoying. I toyed with the idea of finding the one which goes off when you open the door while the car is in gear and cutting the power with some pliers, but Mr Serviceman at Toyota reckons it will bugger up something to do with something else and then the whole bloody car won't work, or something like that. If anyone can help with this, please let me know.
The rear A/C can be controlled from the front, which is much easier than in the 120, especially when there are kids back there. The way the rear seats slide forward and back (the same way the front seats do) is terrific, as it creates a nice 'hiding place' to put things, like in my case, rifles and shotguns, for example, to keep hidden from prying eyes, or to make more space in the less spacious than the 120 rear. But before I get to that, in addition to the 12V accessory plug in the front next to the AUX input, there is also a 12V accessory plug at the rear of the centre console for 2nd row passengers. How handy.
Ok, the thing that everyone seems to be talking about (in addition to the loss of 30lt of fuel carrying capacity), are the fold down rear seats and subsequent loss of storage space. Yes, this is a major issue for a lot of people, me included. Again, not having measured it, it's difficult for me to say exactly how much less space there is, but it is more than enough to be easily recognised, and to me, that's too much. Yes, the 3rd row seat layout is very neat and tidy, and no doubt will be loved by soccer mums when it's their turn to cart 3/4 of the team on Saturdays, but what to do the other 6 days of the week? There's not a lot that can be done, other than roof racks and a basket, which fortunately I have, or pulling them out entirely, but again, that's not for me. So I guess it's time to learn to pack lightly. The lack of a 12V accessory socket in the rear in disappointing, and the 100w inverter is nice, but the ignition needs to be in the On position for it to work.
How Does It Drive?
Seat of the pants engine performance doesn't feel that different to me, in fact, and I think there are transmission influences here (more on that later), it feels like it has less get up and go than the 120 from a stand still. Once you're away, and put the foot down, and once the transmission sorts itself out, it does feel that it gets along a little quicker than the 120, say in an overtaking situation.
The steering is much, much lighter than the 120, and this is fitted with BFG A/T's, although I suspect the turning circle is slightly larger, not by much, but enough I have had to adjust my approach when parking in shopping centres etc. In some situations I've had to have another go because the front didn't come around as I expected it to, or I was used to. Like the 120, it still has some understeer, especially under power but I'd say this is on par with the 120.
Now for the transmission. I suspect the transmission in my 150 needs to be looked at, either that or I need to re-assess my expectations. One of my main issues is in roundabouts. Say I'm going to turn right, I approach the roundabout, coast in and around, then ease the foot down to go. When I say ease, I mean just that, as if I was in the 120, and she'd just pull away smoothly. No no no, not this one. It runs on in what feels like the same gear I approached in, then as it changes down, there is BIG hesitation before it takes up. This hesitation is enough of a lag that I (and any passengers) actually lurch forward in the seat. Very dis-conserting and annoying too. This also happens going up hill with a steady throttle, then when I push it a little more, the same hesitation appears. I'd be very interested to hear from others who may have experienced similar situations. The 'triptronic' style of transmission is simpler to use than that of the 120, being able to select all gears from one spot, rather than running up and down the gate. I use this quite a lot to override the auto due to its what I'll call weird nature, but why should I have to drive an auto like a manual? One thing I do like is that when on cruise control, the transmission will shift down to hold the vehicle around the selected speed. Like others, I have had the AT Transmission Fluid light come on. Frequently in fact, both on and off road, and as others here on the forum have suggested, when going slow. I understand that to alleviate this, more rpms are required, but I've said it before, why should I have to drive an auto like a manual? Toyota needs to rectify this quickly.
The first time I used the Down Hill Decent Control I thought I'd broken something (this was the second day I'd had it). With much grinding and grumbling, this feature holds her back and allows her to walk down steep or loose sections. Fortunately for my blood pressure, I'd read the owners manual the day before and recalled reading the bit which said something like, DHDC is noisy and sounds like your car is going to break. This is normal.
The transfer case has had some issues when going from 4L back to 4H. Sometimes it doesn't change back into H, even when the light on the dash goes out, other times it beeps, the idiot light flashes and a horrible, blood curdling grind comes from below, and no reference can be found to that anywhere in the owners manual. In regards to the shifting from 4H to 4L, give me the lever anytime. I have an old Willys with 4 sticks, (gearbox 123, H & L, 2 & 4, overdrive in case you are wondering), and it is much smoother than this thing. Yet another thing for Mr Serviceman at 10,000ks.
It's obvious I do a lot of driving and I really don't find the reduced fuel capacity a hassle. I averaged a shade under 12L/100kms for the life of the 120, and this included many miles of bush work and towing. Pretty good I thought. In the 150, it's more like 10L/100kms. Admittedly I don't embark upon major missions into the centre of the country or to remote locations where fuel supply is an issue. And to be honest, who does, and how often. Sure, there will always be someone, and there will be occasions where 30l more capacity would be great, however with the improved economy I don't think it's as big an issue as some may have made out. Besides, how many other competing vehicles come close in fuel capacity?
What Mods Have I Done?
So far, I have had the roof bars and basket switched over from the 120, had a hands free cradle for the Nokia and a GME hand held UHF swapped over from thr 120 also, had a Milford barrier installed, and had a second battery and associated hardware installed with a designated Engel plug and 12V accessory plug fitted into the top of the r/h rear inner wheel arch. The vehicle is in now having an ARB bar fitted, finally, and along with this will be the winch and driving lights (both from the 120).
When I get her back on Friday, I will fit a fold down table which I have made, to the inside of the rear door, and I am in the process of building a set of storage drawers which will be installed over the 3rd row of seats.
Overall?
In my opinion, the 120 was/still is, a great vehicle. I loved it and the only issue I ever had was a bullbar mounted fog light was replaced under warranty as it was taking in water. Coincidentally, same thing same side of the 150.
How does the 150 compare? The 150 is a more refined vehicle, obviously softer both on the outside and in. Yes, it has some nice new features but in my case, it's fair share of bugs too. Hopefully these will be ironed out shortly. If they are ironed out, I'm sure I'll be singing the praises of the 150 in no time flat. If they are ironed out.
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