REVIEW : thylacene's VX D4d

[Woody Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Woody]

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

Hi Thylacene,

intersting comments and first impressions.

I also just picked up my new VX last week. I had similar reservations about spending the (considerable) extra on the VX but 'she who must be obayed' liked the leather!

Like so many other 40 somethings, I suffer with back problems. I couldn't get the seat into a comfortable position for me (and my ailing back) in the GLX and this was my personal justification for spending the extra. We have a few long trips planned, and they are no fun with back-ache!.
Like you though, I would have probably preferred the 17"wheels and I actually prefer the look of the 17's on the GXL.

I'm happy to say I've had no problems with the bluetooth and my Blackberry. Lucky really as I had a Nokia until very recently! This would have been a major problem for me as I also spend much of my working life in the car and on the phone. I hope you get some success with a resolution. I was slightly annoyed to find that all the phone settings (including a number of tediously programmed manual entries in the car's phonebook) all dissapeared when I disconnected the car's battery....

Overall I'm really enjoying the car so far too. The seats are great and for this reason alone I'm comfortable with the extra spend. like you, I also use the car for work, so the company pay for most of it and the tax man helps out with the rest. If I couldn't write some of the cost off this way, I don't think I would ever spend this much on a car.

The HID headlights are good, but when I drive at night it's mainly in lit suburbs. I'm surprised that the high beam isn't HID also, as I think this is where most users would benefit.

I do like the idea of the KDSS. The car doesn't roll much in corners (it's all relative of course) but I would like to drive a GXL to see how it compares.

As for the rest, electric pop up 3rd row seats - total gimmick. All the 'pimp my ride' lighting - gimmick. Electric óversize entry' parking steering wheel - gimmick. The six stacker CD is also a bit superfluous considering the USB / iPod support. But I still have 6 CD's in there!

Petty niggles so far:
Losing all the radio / phone settings when disconnecting the battery
With my polarised sunnies, I can't read the clock or A/C controls.
Same sunnies don't fit in the sunnie holder without a struggle (too big)
It's difficult to judge the LHS front corner position because of the front wing height.
The front sensors have a fit when entering any standard size parking bay between vehicles and my garage.
Floor height in the back above the seats
Lack of storage spaces in the front. I can't find anywhere to stick my UBD - it flops out of the door packets and it won't fit in the glove box due to the card holder.
Hesitation on downchanges out of slow corners (D4D auto). I'm getting used to this though.
And lets face it, these things just do not fit in suburban shopping centre car parks!

Good stuff:
It is VERY comfortable to drive. A bit like driving a comfortable lounge in fact.
It's no rocket ship but it's fast enough and I also regularly find myself in the danger zone especially around town (lots of speed cameras in Perth).
Bluetooth (which works)
Fuel economy and range
It has a very solid feel about it. I guess this is due to being almost 2.5 tonnes!
It gives the impression that it was built to last and that is exactly what I am after.
The wife & kids think it's cool.
The guys at work think it's cool.
I think it's cool.


Overall, It's good so far. I'm sure it will be great for the big trips up north (Karajini planned in July). I do think Toyota compromised a little on the VX. They obviously wanted to hold back on the fruit to justify the price tag on the kakadu, but what's the point of simply duplicating the information available to the driver on the screen in the centre? I may be the one person you're looking for who doesn't have a GPS in their Prado yet. I just don't need one for the travelling I do around Perth. I do like the look of the HEMA units incorporating all their off road mapping but $1k? If I do eventually fit one, I would also like to fit it in the slot where the info display is currently.

I've already pulled the seats out of the back for an exploratory look at what's possible for big camping trips. Shouldn't be too hard to make up a floor piece and gain an extra 15cm or so of storage space. Plus those rear seats are HEAVY - I would guess about 25 kg each. Still would have been much easier with the old model's detachable side fold units....

Now I've just got to get it dirty.......

Happy driving!

Graham

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

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I was told by the salesman before we bought our VX that the seats are no longer real leather. However they look and feel like the real thing and in reality may be more durable.

[Woody Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Woody]

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I was told by the salesman before we bought our VX that the seats are no longer real leather. However they look and feel like the real thing and in reality may be more durable.

I think they have leather facings on the front (where you sit) , but the rest is a synthetic material.

Just looked on the Toyota website, they are described as ''leather accented'...

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

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I was told by the salesman before we bought our VX that the seats are no longer real leather. However they look and feel like the real thing and in reality may be more durable.

I think they have leather facings on the front (where you sit) , but the rest is a synthetic material.

Just looked on the Toyota website, they are described as ''leather accented'...

My guess is that the perforated areas are leather, and the rest synthetic.

[AGLeP Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close AGLeP]

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I got one of the first VX's off the ship late last year. Very, very happy. I have had small issues with the active headlights being too high and annoying others, Initially they said (at service centre) no adjustment possible, at 10,000 service they have now fixed the RHS low beam headlight so its no longer active around corners and I have a dark spot on low beam. Not very happy there.
Also the rear vision mirror has a small green light saying 'auto' but it doesn't seem to do anything to darken highbeam from a vehicle travelling behind. When I asked the service centre they said - "this feature doesn't come on the VX" - Well there is no manual adjustment under the mirror - so how the heck am I supposed to work it? Why have a switch and a green light if the feature doesn't come on the VX?
Whatdoyareckon - Am I being given the run around here fellas?
Apart from that I was initially wary to move across from my Good Ol Cruiser, but the VX prado is really a great vehicle. The turbo has a small lag that you have to predict. It has plenty of grunt when you need it. Drives like a dream, quiet as a mouse although doesn't have much sound proofing under guards, so gravel roads are noisy - might spray some noise deadener on myself. Very happy with it overall apart from the two niggles as above. Maybe I will try another service centre??? Any comments from the intellegencia?

[kavibaba Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close kavibaba]

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I also got one of the early VX and it definitely has auto dimming rearview mirror. I at first did not think it was working as I could still see the lights of the vehicles behind but when I switched it off auto there was a big change as the lights now reflected straight into my eyes. Maybe you should try that but rest assured that is a feature on the VX

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

REVIEW - VX D4D 3000Kms

OK, have traveled 3000 Kms, and have it booked in for its first (complimentary) service on Monday morning. I have a list of items for the service guys to work through:

• 1. Rattle in RHS dash @ 1400-1600 RPM - its driving me spare already, as this is 80Kmh, and there are many roads around here with 80K speed limits. I have practiced a bit and I can now induce the rattle on demand so they have no excuse for not fixing it. another post on here talks of the same problem with the suggestion that it is an air intake for the air con
  2. Genuine Toyota Roof Bars - after struggling with the locks to remove them the first time, the key will not even go in two of the locks, even with a dusting of graphite powder. The locked end caps are merely decorative, but the bars whistle without them, and they are 20MM to high to fit in the underground car park at work.
  3. Turn off the "no seat belt" chime, not a fault, but bloody annoying when dragging a boat around the caravan park or just parking the thing after launching the boat
  4. Loosen the spare wheel retainer. I have plenty of tools in the shed, but I figure they didn't do the pre-delivery correctly.
  5. Check the stability control actuator, it kicks in going around roundabouts and is a little unnerving, and yet the vehicle does not feel unstable. I would have thought the KDSS should be able to cope with a roundabout at 60Kmh, and there are no shortage of the bloody things in Canberra
  6. Genuine weathershields leak when it is raining (figuring it is the way they have been fitted) and I like fresh air.
  7. Adjust the Air Con to default to "fresh" rather than "re-circulated", once again, not a fault, but annoying that it does not remember
  8. ATF warning light cam on while driving up Brown Mountain in traffic, use of manual mode sorted it in about a kilometre, but pulling over was not an option, with no layaway available and a long string of vehicles behind us. This is apparently a known fault and well documented on this forum and several others.

On the up side, there are a number of features that I have come to really appreciate.

• Tows a 5.4M Quinny with no effort, at around 1450Kg all up on the trailer
  Keyless entry and start are a very nice touch, and the reduced size of my keyring is appreciated
  Self leveling headlights, they work well, and it is nice to be able to load up and still be able to see where you're going. Dusk sensing is a nice touch also, but seems to irritate other drivers when going under a bridge or through a tunnel as the lights switch on and then off. Rains sensing wipers are also a convenience item
  The bum warmers are something I thought entirely unnecessary, but winter has hit and they kick in in about 300M, the heater takes 4K's and it is only 6 to work
  Ride quality is quite reasonable for a light truck
  Brakes are good, although still requires care as 2500Kg does take a bit of pulling up
  Road noise is minimal
  Fuel economy is improving, returning low 9's on a recent trip that involved a real mix of highway, gravel roads, and a 42Km windy section of slippery clay.
  Sound system is good enough for my ears
  Rubber floor mats and cargo were a worthwhile investment, I really don't understand putting carpet in a 4wd
  2nd row legroom is good, and industrial size passengers have remarked that seating is comfortable

A couple of minor annoyances

• High beam are not HID, will have a look and see if I can get some "white light" high beams as high beam seems ordinary (yellow tinge) and strains my aging eyesight, damn I hate getting old
  Sidesteps are a complete waste of time, and when traveling on muddy surfaces just collect a heap of crap, increasing the need for rubber floor mats if you don't lift your leg high enough when getting in
  The factory tow-bar is low, although it has to be to be able to open the rear door. The rear door would be a better proposition if it lifted, but the trade off would be on fuel capacity and under body spare
  No power outlet on the dash means running a cord along the console to power an aftermarket GPS, a USB style socket on top of the dash would be a great idea, as I couldn't bring myself to spend more than 10K to have in dash GPS. I will look into running some concealed wiring once Toyota fix the dash rattle/resonance, as I do not want them blaming me for causing the rattle by pulling the dash apart
  Only one 12V outlet in 2nd row seats, have put an adapter in, but for the money and the purpose, two or three should be standard
  No tie down points in cargo area, there are slots in the back of the seats and the floor, but flush tie down points would be very convenient to be able to occy strap items to stop them sliding around.
  Reversing camera does not show towball (yes I know I can mod it, but I shouldn't have to).
  Duplication of information on centre dash and LCD screen, personal hate of useless redundancy
  Toyota seem to have applied the Bluetooth spec to the letter, where most phone manufacturers seem to have interpreted it. I am still looking for another phone, but two of the three candidates tried to date will not work properly with the Toyota integrated bluetooth. For those phones that do work, it works quite nicely, although it would be nice to have a separate volume control for speaker and microphone, as turning up the volume also ramps up the mic and people I have called have told me there is a lot of road noise when the volume is turned up for us deaf old buggers.

Phone Test Results to date:

Phones that do not work with Toyota Bluetooth (will connect initially, but each subsequent connection drops out immediately after connection)

Nokia 6210 (although there are statements on the web that this model does work, I am currently doing battle with 3 to get it unlocked so I can try some generic firmware)
HTC Desire
HTC HD2

Phones that do work

Sony Ericsson W995A
Nokia 2730
iPhone

Would be interested to hear from anyone with a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, as this is the object of my desires, just not willing to punt >$1K to find out the hard way.

Anyway, next update will include a trip to sunny Queensland with some carefully measured fuel consumption figures and extended periods of driving in a range of conditions.

Overall I am happy with the vehicle, bearing in mind that it was purchased as a family wagon with towing capacity. It really is too pretty to take bush bashing

Travel safe

T

[graphite bullet Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close graphite bullet]

Re: REVIEW - VX D4D 3000Kms

my nokia N95 works fine
as for the rattle you are not the only one on this forum with that problem I have had no problems but mine is a manual.

[Geoffy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Geoffy]

Re: REVIEW - VX D4D 3000Kms

I've got the VX and my HTC Desire has worked perfectly since day one. The only thing that annoys me a bit is if I select AUX on the radio it automatically starts the music player on the phone.

[rumjungle Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close rumjungle]

Re: REVIEW : thylacene's VX D4d

My HTC Desire works fine as did the LG.

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

Re: REVIEW : thylacene's VX D4d

Bit the bullet and convinced myself that any self respecting computer nerd deserves an Xperia X10 Andriod phone, Bluetooth issues sorted, even the media player is controlled by the bluetooth so I can stick a USB stick in the socket with Audio Books and have my music on the phone.

Just did the first service at 3400Km, and they are looking into the dash rattle (possibly the black plastic cover with the air vent on the outside immediately below the windscreen. Also booked in for a handful of mods to the computer to get it how I want it.

Couple of other minor things to be sorted next week. Gearbox software upgrade done, feels different, next trip up Brown Mountain will tell if it has sorted the warning light.

Overall, very happy with the vehicle now, and only have to get the dash rattle sorted. Looking forward to the powerplant loosening up a bit, goes well now and has improved steadily since we picked it up.

Has even been 4wd'ing when the wench took an unintended detour and ended up on 42Km of 300mm deep clay, I'm sorta jealous LOL.

Service crew were good after an initial growl from me about them not wanting to turn off the seat belt buzzer, but all sorted after some strong logical arguments.

Cheers


T

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

Re: REVIEW : thylacene's VX D4d

Having now clocked up 23K I thought it might be time for an update.

Overall everything is as it was. The rattle in the dash was fixed at the first service, although the vibration @ 1500 remains.

The flat spot @ 2400 exists, but is bearable.

The seats are comfortable enough, but I find myself looking for a walk and a stretch after a couple of hours. The seat heaters are a very nice feature, particularly in the Canberra winter. The piping on the drivers side seat has degraded. The dealer is organising a replacement seat under warranty, although he was surprised to think I would want it replaced. The piping has "crumbled" with movement in the seat while entering and leaving the vehicle. If it does this at six months, then seams are likely to degrade within a couple of years.

Fuel economy is around 9l/100km generally, and with about 1.8 tonnes behind it returned 12.9l/100km on a combination of highway and mountain roads. Very happy with this aspect of the vehicle considering its size.

One of the most useful features is the ability to shove music onto a thumb drive and plug it in. I like to listen to talking books while driving long distances, and I can shove enough books on to go to Canberra Brisbane return and still not finish them all.

The fuel tank is still a bit small, had they left it at the previous 180lts I would be able to do the six hour return trip twice without having to refuel, but that is probably just laziness on my part. Usually end up with a fuel light at about 1200kms, and based on refuel, there shoudl be about 30 litres still in the tank, although I choose not to test how much it needs to reticulate to the rail.

The engine has started to loosen up and now starting to sound like a diesel, and it may just be wishful thinking, but it appears to be delivering a little bit more torque now that it has loosened up.

The parking sensors are mandatory around town, and are reliable and accurate, which is good given the limited visibility over the front guards.

One thing that has come to annoy me is the lack of suitable tie down points in the rear cargo area. Some loops or hooks would be a great advantage, even for basic things like bringing home a pot plant from Bunnings, or securing the weekly shopping.

On the couple of occasions I have had the opportunity to drive it off road, it has just done what is was supposed to, but I didn't do anything to challenging.

It tows well, and with loads up to 2 tonnes so far, has barely even noticed the weight. The auto even downchanges and holds relatively well, although this takes some getting used to. On several trips to the coast down the Brown Mountain there has been no noticeable brake fade, even when towing a tandem trailer with a ton of pergola stacked on it and dodgy brakes. I don't travel quickly but sixteen clicks of downhill has the potential to warm the brakes at least a bit.

The only other niggle I have is the lack of a dash mounted 12V outlet, and a 5v USB outlet would be even handier for the GPS.

Long story short, still very happy with the vehicle, would recommend to anyone considering buying in the price bracket.

Cheers

Thy

[LaoK User account deleted at own request. Find all posts View Profile Close LaoK]

Re: REVIEW : 3 Days old - 1st Impressions VX D4d

I got one of the first VX's off the ship late last year. Very, very happy. I have had small issues with the active headlights being too high and annoying others, Initially they said (at service centre) no adjustment possible, at 10,000 service they have now fixed the RHS low beam headlight so its no longer active around corners and I have a dark spot on low beam. Not very happy there.
Also the rear vision mirror has a small green light saying 'auto' but it doesn't seem to do anything to darken highbeam from a vehicle travelling behind. When I asked the service centre they said - "this feature doesn't come on the VX" - Well there is no manual adjustment under the mirror - so how the heck am I supposed to work it? Why have a switch and a green light if the feature doesn't come on the VX?
Whatdoyareckon - Am I being given the run around here fellas?
Apart from that I was initially wary to move across from my Good Ol Cruiser, but the VX prado is really a great vehicle. The turbo has a small lag that you have to predict. It has plenty of grunt when you need it. Drives like a dream, quiet as a mouse although doesn't have much sound proofing under guards, so gravel roads are noisy - might spray some noise deadener on myself. Very happy with it overall apart from the two niggles as above. Maybe I will try another service centre??? Any comments from the intellegencia?

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Quote: "...Also the rear vision mirror has a small green light saying 'auto' but it doesn't seem to do anything to darken highbeam from a vehicle travelling behind. When I asked the service centre they said - "this feature doesn't come on the VX" - Well there is no manual adjustment under the mirror - so how the heck am I supposed to work it? Why have a switch and a green light if the feature doesn't come on the VX? ..."


Test the mirror in the daytime by blocking off the sensor at the back of the mirror with your hand or some opaque paper and wait to see if the mirror gradually goes darker, If it does then AUTO is working. When you allow light into the front sensor again the mirror will slowly brighten up.

Try it

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

Re: REVIEW : thylacene's VX D4d

Try putting your finger over the sensor beside the light on lhs lower mirror. Vx has this feature I think. Is an easy test.
cheers

Thy