Trying to decide on a Prado

[AUTO.. Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close AUTO..]

Hi Steve.

Thanks for the guidance. Gives me a much clearer idea on the engine types.

Im under the impression my mates hilux has the same motor in is as the Prado 120 diesel? Could be wrong... His is a 3L.

I see you swapped from a diesel 120 to a petrol 120... Why is that??


your choice of the engines: 1KZ, v6 Petrol or D4D.
Will be getting auto btw.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Sorry Auto, I was thinking your mates hilux was a 2.7L petrol didn't read your thread properly. Depending on your mates year model of hilux to what engine it has. 88 to 97 was the 2.8D, then the 3.0Dx2 with IFS front end, then the 1kz then the current D4D, this is the diesel range, then you had petrols on top of that. In the prado range I went from a 96 grande petrol/lpg (lpg pain in the arse) to a 01 90 series turbo diesel with 1KZ to the current 120 petrol V6 all in auto form. For me what I do the petrol suits me fine. If I was retired and touring I wouldn't even have a prado Id have a DID 3.2L exceed pajero, but as I like to play a bit off road not just touring I like the prados live axle rear end. The hilux's and prado's in the 1KZ range are all the same in regards to power outputs, the D4D's are only 343 in the hilux but 410nm in the Prado's, not sure why............As Ian has also said have a play in both of them and see what you like..........Its all fun lol.Cheers Steve

[macaroon1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close macaroon1]

In your shoes, I'd be doing the rounds and driving as many as I could find. Just MHO.

Auto...I'm not a million miles from you, if you want to come and drive my 1KZ-TE 4 Speed auto your more than welcome. I bought mine before I knew PP existed and my folks always had diesel 4wd's so I just went out and bought one. If I had my time again I'd go and buy a V6. The 4 speed diesel is pretty sluggish and sounds very agricultural. However I'm not retired (yet!) and only use it very occasionally so for me it's fine for now!! I'm very old school (conservative) so it suits me fine, I'm an analogue bloke in a digital age!! I understand the 5 speed from 2005 has slightly better fuel economy but the 4 speed is better for off road! Anything over 95 KMH and your really chewing the juice (same as petrol). Having (bagged?) the 1KZ, I'd rather stick with this than buy one of the earlier D4D's (<2007) unless I knew all the injectors had been replaced and a diesel specialist checked it out for me. Some of the threads I read on those injectors are not pretty...just MHO! The 1KZ are fantastic engines, just don't expect to go haring off down the Pacific Hwy, they are built for off road use!?

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

Petrol or Diesel ??? Why a Prado ? after your patrol the 120 is very limited off road, The 120 is not bad but not a good off roader . the older 90 series was miles better. I have had both and the 90 was very very much a better 4wd.

[AUTO.. Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close AUTO..]

Yeah I understand that im not going to be able to keep up with the big patrols anymore but I don't really wanna be doing the hectic tracks anymore. It just takes a toll on the car and I want something nice for a change.

ive seen locked prados go a lot of places, enough to make me happy with their performance offroad.

Im happy to just cruise around now, I don't wanna thrash or bash my truck, that's what the patrol was for. I want this for touring as well as a few medium to hard tracks.

I realize its not going to go places as easily as the patrol will but experience and being locked gets you a lot of places....

I don't really have any other options in regards to cars as I don't like anything else. The Patrol is not an option as the 3L is a HORRID engine. and the 4.2s are old and overpriced. That leaves 100 series which again are horribly overpriced for the live axle models or have an enormous amount of kms!

Not much option guys...

[AUTO.. Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close AUTO..]

Yeah I understand that im not going to be able to keep up with the big patrols anymore but I don't really wanna be doing the hectic tracks anymore. It just takes a toll on the car and I want something nice for a change.

ive seen locked prados go a lot of places, enough to make me happy with their performance offroad.

Im happy to just cruise around now, I don't wanna thrash or bash my truck, that's what the patrol was for. I want this for touring as well as a few medium to hard tracks.

I realize its not going to go places as easily as the patrol will but experience and being locked gets you a lot of places....

I don't really have any other options in regards to cars as I don't like anything else. The Patrol is not an option as the 3L is a HORRID engine. and the 4.2s are old and overpriced. That leaves 100 series which again are horribly overpriced for the live axle models or have an enormous amount of kms!

Not much option guys...

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

Petrol or Diesel , Toyota or Nissan, auto or manual , engel or waeco, ARB or TJM, everyone has their opinions,some are based on good experiences,some on bad experiences, some have great runs out of their drives others encounter problems. The problems could be traced back to previous history or just bad luck.
I've had an older 90s V6 auto and now a 120s diesel, [1KZ] and had no issues with both, my 120s is a manual so may not suffer the under power of the autos,it certainly pulls our 900kg camper without much issue,it will happily plod along at any speed limit ,pulls up any hills without to much effort. yes it could benifit from a Steinbauer or similar and also a larger exhaust,which will give you a good return for your dollar,both these modifications have been covered elsewhere on PP. The things i love about the motor is the simple nature of it,the fact that it is easy to service without being a contorsioness ,yes you should do oil changes at 5000km but i did that with the V6 as well. I also love the sound of a rattling diesel, a more manly sound, rather than the sound of a motor that you here in any commodore or camry.
At the end of the day you need to make up your own mind, drive both if necessary . But for me after 25+years of having various Petrol motors and now the 120 diesel ,wifes car is a diesel, and my next new ute on order is diesel i can't see myself owning a petrol powered car anytime soon, petrol is solely for the lawn mower now.
Keep reading this forum's various threads for more info on each as it is probably the best forum on the net,be careful not to get confused and at the end of the day run with your heart.
Cheers Russ

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

I must disagree with those claiming the 1kz is gutless, yeah it's not a rocket ship but it has plenty of power for going most places. I went from a TD diesel Rodeo to my 2005 Ikz and it was a huge jump in power. I towed my camper all over the country without issue, I never got stopped because of lack of power, and yes it was an auto.

As others have said, drive both and make your mind up.

Cheers Andrew

[Peterpilot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Peterpilot]

A lot of this argument is personal preference. Drive them both and decide which suits your particular needs. This is what I did when I was deciding on a replacement for my 80 series 4.5 petrol.

I wanted a diesel until I drove the 1KZ and decided against it. The D4D is what I'd buy if I was after a diesel, but they are poor value for money on the second hand market. I've had two 4.0 V6 1GRFE petrol Prados and never looked back.

Range: The V6 will do about 1200km around town and 1500km on the open road on the 180L tank. You could do a Simpson Desert crossing without needing to carry jerry cans. The 1KZ is similar, maybe more economical in low range, but less so on the highway.

Off-road: The diesel offers better engine braking, but the petrol is more powerful. Where one will go, the other would follow.

Servicing: Every 5000km for the 1KZ, 10000km for the 1GRFE.

Longevity: They say diesels generally last longer, I'm not convinced in this comparison. I see no evidence to suggest that a 1KZ would outlive a 1GRFE.

Happy hunting and good luck with your decision. One thing that's for sure, you'll find a wealth of information here no matter which Prado you buy.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

"" ( insert Tim the toolman sound here)"" LOLOL.........Cheers Steve

[BNEGXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close BNEGXL]

Auto,

I would recommend the V6 with the 5 speed auto, 2005 onwards from memory, the 5 speed is a little better than the 4 for economy.

I've owned a 120 V6 and a 150 D4D.

The V6 is as good as any petrol engine available, at the top of it's game, toyota can certainly build petrol engines.

The 4 cylinder diesel is a piece of sh@t, compared to MODERN DIESEL engines it is, gutless, noisy, rough (vibration), heavy (the 3 litre 4 cylinder is 80 kg's heavier than the 4 litre V6) and there are questions around it's reliability. It is at the end of it's life cycle.

I would also argue that the auto is better matched to the petrol engine characteristics regarding shift points and smoothness,

I had the 120 for 5 years, the 150 only lasted 2 years, I bought the diesel thinking of torque and economy, dumbest car related decision I've made so far.

The V6 is Lexus like, smooth and quiet, the 4 cyl diesel is tractor rough and noisy,

I fitted a chip and Beaudesert exhaust in a quest to shut it up (noise), make it smoother (less vibration) and give it some overtaking power, low down torque was ok but it was hopeless to overtake on the highway with. These things helped but as they say, you can't make a silk purse from a pig's ear.

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

I own an 06 1KZ in Manual (5 speed). I like the car overall, and whilst it doesn't have as much power as the V6 or the D4D, it has not let me down. I've had to have an extra shot at an oversized sand dune or two, but I've never faced a challenge and had to give up. Having said that, I don't go looking for the hardest route either. I look for something with a challenge, but which I know I can get through safely. I am in the process of deciding on an upgrade myself, and I am cautious about the D4D. What is read on PradoPoint is probably exaggerated, but within the last six months I've talked to two different guys at two different places (all kids birthday's etc, mates of mates) who have personally experienced the D4D injector problems. They both owned the Hilux. Remember, these were just random guys I came across, not people I know, nor in an organised 4wd setting like pradopoint or even a club. What are the chances? So, I probably won't go to the D4D. I think I'll go with Petrol. The fact that there are recalls overseas also hints at potential problems in my opinion. But, you're not asking about the D4D so let's move on.

In terms of the 120 Petrol, I drove a few of these whilst I was looking for my 120 purchase. They were very, very nice to drive. If I had my time again, I would go with the petrol and not the 1KZ. The maintenance on the diesel is higher, and once you lift the 1kz, add bigger tyres, bar + more weight, it isn't very economical on the highway (and worse again once you put the camper on the back). Sit on 100kmh and you're not too bad. 110 is easy when not towing.

Just my 2 cents overall...

[prado2004 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado2004]

I managed to get my 2004 GX turbo diesel from city motor auctions in eagle farm for $19.500 including all on-roads and 12 months rego with only 94,000km on the clock. Bargains are out there just be patient. Mine even had aftermarket wheels with bigger tyres, bullbar, sidesteps and snorkel

[prado2004 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado2004]

and I havent been let down by the power, drive it right and it will get anywhere!

[macaroon1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close macaroon1]

only 94,000km on the clock. Bargains are out there just be patient. Mine even had aftermarket wheels with bigger tyres, bullbar, sidesteps and snorkel

Good buying Prado2004, I reckon you scored a pretty good deal there esp given all the accessories! That mileage and vintage are pretty rare, still being run in IMHO! Mines only got a few more K's on the clock but it's older!

They will go anywhere like you say and have plenty of power (certainly for your and my needs), just like AJ120 said they are no rocket ship which I think some people expect?? The problem lies when you load them up and pull something large. However I still would have bought a petrol as the fuel economy (certainly on mine (Auto 4 Sp) is no different to V6 and you have to change oil& filter every 5K.