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First off, allow me a moment to establish context. The choice of a Prado was not made based on the need to go four wheel driving, and in all honesty, ours is likely to never go "off-road" or "outback". We needed a family wagon that would fit four industrial sized (6'2, 6'0, 6'3 and fast approaching 6') family, that will tow the current boat, and the one that the Minister for War & Finance has decided she wants, yes "she wants a bigger boat". Life is good! This should be kept in mind as many of my comments are likely to be at odds with those who are serious 4wd'ers. I spend approximately six hours each week driving, sometimes much more, creature comforts played a large role in the choice. Towing was also a primary consideration, with a 2500 Kg load a reality in the foreseeable future.
Anyway, onto the Prado, picked it up on Friday night, a Furnace Red VX fitted with a factory towbar, rubber floor mats, and weathershields. The choice of the VX was made based more on the leather seats than anything else, with HID headlights contributing, although my partner did put emphasis on the heated seats (shift work and -4 degree mornings apparently make bumwarmers highly desirable).
Piccies here http://s840.photobucket.com/albums/z.../New%20Wheels/
I must admit that if I did not have access to Novated Leasing through work, I would not have been able to justify the price difference from the GXL. Even with the fleet discounts the VX attracts luxury car tax, and the price difference could have been put to use to organise the trim, headlights and a range of other accessories and still pocket significant change.
Overall I am pleased with the vehicle (but with an AUD$82500 retail ticket I'd want to be), but there are a couple of niggles. As the vehicle was being delivered, and upon asking for instruction on how to use the Toyota Bluetooth and pair up my phones, the salesman advised that if they were Nokia phones then they probably wouldn't work, maybe not a big deal for most, but both of my work phones are Nokia 6120 (still available brand new at many outlets). While I can pair the device, it drops out after the first call, and then on every connection attempt thereafter. (passcodes and persistent authorisations were set correctly) My partners Sony Ericsson W995A works just fine. I called in to the Telstra shop and the sales guy offered me a new HTC to try, and I had the same result. I have started a polite (so far) communication with Toyota via their website. The claim from the salesman is that Nokia did not comply with Bluetooth standards for protocols, even though both my Nokia's, the Sony & the HTC tested to date connect and work happily with the AUD$300 GPS. Software quality assurance only requires testing to validate the functions, yes it costs money, but with the retail ask for these vehicles, I would think it a reasonable expectation that for the money, testing with the major players in the mobile phone field is not a big ask. Anyway, I digress.
On to the things I like about the vehicle. For a diesel, noise levels are acceptable, and acceleration is also quite satisfactory, bearing in mind that I am still becoming accustomed to the half vehicle distance turbo lag on takeoff. After stepping out of a mid sized AWD petrol wagon, the size and characteristics of this vehicle are unfamiliar. There are sensors everywhere on this thing. Technology abounds (yep, I'm a geek). The keyless entry system is a nice feature, and the ability to play music from a USB stick (with media info displayed) is a major breakthrough. No need to have discs in the car. The self levelling headlights and AFS HID lighting are very effective. The finish of the trim is reasonable, although with 700kms, there are creases showing int he leather on the squab of the drivers seat from entry/exit. The rear seats are slide adjustable, and recline, ensuring that we each have sufficient legroom to travel in comfort. This was important to us with regular 3 hour each way trips to the coast.
The transmission shifts smoothly, and I find it just a little too easy to exceed the speed limit around town, which gives an indication of the reasonably low levels of cabin noise. The vehicle is pleasant to drive for its size, and surprisingly economical bearing in mind that everything is still "tight". The size of the fuel tank in comparison to the last wagon is a real bonus, as it allows a return trip to the coast, fishing from daylight to dark both days and not having to refuel for the trip home. Traveling outback you may need more than 150 litres, but for a weekender, it is more than sufficient. Based on the fuel economy to date I could drive from Canberra to Melbourne, around town for the day and back to Canberra before needing to refuel.
The side mirrors are huge, however the convex surface is taking a bit of getting used to. Even so, they provide a good range of vision. There is even a button to fold them in electrically which is cute. Coming from a conventional wagon (and being a motorcyclist) I would prefer to have the spare stowed under the rear rather than obscuring the visibility, and with the bulk to allow for curtain airbargs, the size of the pillars means you have to use your mirrors carefully as there are some really big blindspots.
The parking sensor system is a worthwhile exercise. The body shape means that visibility is limited, and given the significant increase in size over the last wagon, judging clearance after just two days is not yet second nature. The system provides warnings from around 700 mm increasing until about 300 mm (constant beep). The reversing camera is a great thing, although I am going to look at adjustment, as the towball is just out of frame. Worst comes to the worst I will put a dot on the screen with whiteout or whatever to show where the towball is. I regularly hook up a boat after midnight by myself. This is going to be a great bonus, and if it adjusts to be able to see the towball then I will be rapt.
Common cockpit controls are relatively intuitive, but my OCD component dislikes the manner in which switches have been distributed all over the dash almost randomly (yes I know the Kakadu has more gadgets that fill most of the gaps) requiring me to still have to look after two days of driving. Probably won't worry most people. There is a distinct lack of 12V outlet on the dash, meaning the external GPS cable has to run along the side of the gearshift. There is a small square panel in the fascia that looks like a candidate for another socket as soon as I get brave enough to start pulling panels off the dash. By the time you throw a phone charger and a GPS in you are already one socket short. I wonder if Toyota have ever considered doing a deal with Garmin or whoever to provide a plug in interface for aftermarket GPS, or whether they think that people will splash out the extra 20K thereabouts for the Kakadu. Is there anyone that reads this forum that doesn't have a GPS in their Prado?
In summary, apart from being extremely peeved by the Bluetooth problem, I really like the vehicle and the way it drives. It is practical and suits our needs. Would I recommend it, well that's a case of horses for courses, for what we want to do, it was the only vehicle that met all of our requirements that fell within my budget. Would I recommend it to a Soccer Mum, probably not. The Kluger would be a much better option if you do not have the requirement to tow >2000Kg. My first choice would have been the 200 Series VX Cruiser, but that was clearly outside of my price range, the Patrol, Pajero, Challenger, Pathfinder etc and the whole range of dual cabs just did not have the legroom, I'm 6'2 and 110Kg, and one kid is already taller than me.
There are a number of things that I would like Toyota to consider for future models, these are;
Fix the Bluetooth problem (OK I really want it fixed with the current model, specifically mine)
Provide a power socket on the dash or reasonably priced GPS that is "factory accommodated" without cords all over the cockpit
Providing dual/multiple 12v sockets for second row seats. Each kid has a Nintendo DS and a DVD Player, and neither can remember to fully charge both before heading away
Consider providing leather trim on GXL as an option or at least the VX as a 5 seater with a price reduction
Consider the New Zealand rear door configuration, lift up, with opening glass panel, spare stowed under, even providing the side opening or lift opening as an option with reduced fuel capacity.
Using "standard" sized wheels and tyres, the extra inch in diameter equates to an additional $100 per corner for tyres,
Designing the vehicle to have a bar fitted without the need to "carve up" the front panel work
Anyway, onto the Prado, picked it up on Friday night, a Furnace Red VX fitted with a factory towbar, rubber floor mats, and weathershields. The choice of the VX was made based more on the leather seats than anything else, with HID headlights contributing, although my partner did put emphasis on the heated seats (shift work and -4 degree mornings apparently make bumwarmers highly desirable).
Piccies here http://s840.photobucket.com/albums/z.../New%20Wheels/
I must admit that if I did not have access to Novated Leasing through work, I would not have been able to justify the price difference from the GXL. Even with the fleet discounts the VX attracts luxury car tax, and the price difference could have been put to use to organise the trim, headlights and a range of other accessories and still pocket significant change.
Overall I am pleased with the vehicle (but with an AUD$82500 retail ticket I'd want to be), but there are a couple of niggles. As the vehicle was being delivered, and upon asking for instruction on how to use the Toyota Bluetooth and pair up my phones, the salesman advised that if they were Nokia phones then they probably wouldn't work, maybe not a big deal for most, but both of my work phones are Nokia 6120 (still available brand new at many outlets). While I can pair the device, it drops out after the first call, and then on every connection attempt thereafter. (passcodes and persistent authorisations were set correctly) My partners Sony Ericsson W995A works just fine. I called in to the Telstra shop and the sales guy offered me a new HTC to try, and I had the same result. I have started a polite (so far) communication with Toyota via their website. The claim from the salesman is that Nokia did not comply with Bluetooth standards for protocols, even though both my Nokia's, the Sony & the HTC tested to date connect and work happily with the AUD$300 GPS. Software quality assurance only requires testing to validate the functions, yes it costs money, but with the retail ask for these vehicles, I would think it a reasonable expectation that for the money, testing with the major players in the mobile phone field is not a big ask. Anyway, I digress.
On to the things I like about the vehicle. For a diesel, noise levels are acceptable, and acceleration is also quite satisfactory, bearing in mind that I am still becoming accustomed to the half vehicle distance turbo lag on takeoff. After stepping out of a mid sized AWD petrol wagon, the size and characteristics of this vehicle are unfamiliar. There are sensors everywhere on this thing. Technology abounds (yep, I'm a geek). The keyless entry system is a nice feature, and the ability to play music from a USB stick (with media info displayed) is a major breakthrough. No need to have discs in the car. The self levelling headlights and AFS HID lighting are very effective. The finish of the trim is reasonable, although with 700kms, there are creases showing int he leather on the squab of the drivers seat from entry/exit. The rear seats are slide adjustable, and recline, ensuring that we each have sufficient legroom to travel in comfort. This was important to us with regular 3 hour each way trips to the coast.
The transmission shifts smoothly, and I find it just a little too easy to exceed the speed limit around town, which gives an indication of the reasonably low levels of cabin noise. The vehicle is pleasant to drive for its size, and surprisingly economical bearing in mind that everything is still "tight". The size of the fuel tank in comparison to the last wagon is a real bonus, as it allows a return trip to the coast, fishing from daylight to dark both days and not having to refuel for the trip home. Traveling outback you may need more than 150 litres, but for a weekender, it is more than sufficient. Based on the fuel economy to date I could drive from Canberra to Melbourne, around town for the day and back to Canberra before needing to refuel.
The side mirrors are huge, however the convex surface is taking a bit of getting used to. Even so, they provide a good range of vision. There is even a button to fold them in electrically which is cute. Coming from a conventional wagon (and being a motorcyclist) I would prefer to have the spare stowed under the rear rather than obscuring the visibility, and with the bulk to allow for curtain airbargs, the size of the pillars means you have to use your mirrors carefully as there are some really big blindspots.
The parking sensor system is a worthwhile exercise. The body shape means that visibility is limited, and given the significant increase in size over the last wagon, judging clearance after just two days is not yet second nature. The system provides warnings from around 700 mm increasing until about 300 mm (constant beep). The reversing camera is a great thing, although I am going to look at adjustment, as the towball is just out of frame. Worst comes to the worst I will put a dot on the screen with whiteout or whatever to show where the towball is. I regularly hook up a boat after midnight by myself. This is going to be a great bonus, and if it adjusts to be able to see the towball then I will be rapt.
Common cockpit controls are relatively intuitive, but my OCD component dislikes the manner in which switches have been distributed all over the dash almost randomly (yes I know the Kakadu has more gadgets that fill most of the gaps) requiring me to still have to look after two days of driving. Probably won't worry most people. There is a distinct lack of 12V outlet on the dash, meaning the external GPS cable has to run along the side of the gearshift. There is a small square panel in the fascia that looks like a candidate for another socket as soon as I get brave enough to start pulling panels off the dash. By the time you throw a phone charger and a GPS in you are already one socket short. I wonder if Toyota have ever considered doing a deal with Garmin or whoever to provide a plug in interface for aftermarket GPS, or whether they think that people will splash out the extra 20K thereabouts for the Kakadu. Is there anyone that reads this forum that doesn't have a GPS in their Prado?
In summary, apart from being extremely peeved by the Bluetooth problem, I really like the vehicle and the way it drives. It is practical and suits our needs. Would I recommend it, well that's a case of horses for courses, for what we want to do, it was the only vehicle that met all of our requirements that fell within my budget. Would I recommend it to a Soccer Mum, probably not. The Kluger would be a much better option if you do not have the requirement to tow >2000Kg. My first choice would have been the 200 Series VX Cruiser, but that was clearly outside of my price range, the Patrol, Pajero, Challenger, Pathfinder etc and the whole range of dual cabs just did not have the legroom, I'm 6'2 and 110Kg, and one kid is already taller than me.
There are a number of things that I would like Toyota to consider for future models, these are;
Fix the Bluetooth problem (OK I really want it fixed with the current model, specifically mine)
Provide a power socket on the dash or reasonably priced GPS that is "factory accommodated" without cords all over the cockpit
Providing dual/multiple 12v sockets for second row seats. Each kid has a Nintendo DS and a DVD Player, and neither can remember to fully charge both before heading away
Consider providing leather trim on GXL as an option or at least the VX as a 5 seater with a price reduction
Consider the New Zealand rear door configuration, lift up, with opening glass panel, spare stowed under, even providing the side opening or lift opening as an option with reduced fuel capacity.
Using "standard" sized wheels and tyres, the extra inch in diameter equates to an additional $100 per corner for tyres,
Designing the vehicle to have a bar fitted without the need to "carve up" the front panel work
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