180 Series Prado - what changes would you make?

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

Maybe it should be a 199 - one less than a 200 series which everybody wants but we can't really justify spending nearly 100K just to get all the fruit.

[jonoxplor Member Find all posts View Profile Close jonoxplor]

Maybe it should be a 199 - one less than a 200 series which everybody wants but we can't really justify spending nearly 100K just to get all the fruit.

If you were to believe everyone on this forum, there would be far too many electronics/not fitted with 35's/have no DRL's (completely illegal now)/isn't a solid front axle...

Really there are some demands here that are beyond ridiculous, considering those who modify and actually offroad their vehicles are 1% of consumers. The 150 Prado is an excellent chassis for a great daily driver/weekend warrior. I'm happy for those guys who are out there flying the 120 flag, they too are a great vehicle. The traction control, gearbox and styling of a 150 is what does it for me, also the fact that at minimum they aren't a 6 year old vehicle.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Well said jono, I too like the styling of the 150, and am quite happy to give up my live axle "truck" in favour of this nice to drive 4wd.

[B.Col Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close B.Col]

Symo,
You are correct!
Toyota are more interested in designing a vehicle that can satisfy a far larger market than here in Australia. Designers don't work from hard and fast facts, they work from feedback from dealers and service centres. Much of that feedback is not provided to a dealer through customers collecting hard data, but from how they felt. They have to second guess how the next generation of consumers will feel about the car. If we all made decisions based purely on collected data, the world would look rather different I'd suggest. Instead we over spend on things than make us feel good, safe, capable...
Some here (like me) just live in the delusion that Toyota will listen to us vent, and then heed our requests.

[BNEGXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close BNEGXL]

A decent diesel engine wouldn't be too much to ask for would it? The car's not cheap so a genuinely "modern" diesel should be expected shouldn't it?

I'm not talking about the real or perceived reliability issues, just things like,

A quiet and vibration free engine not a rattley chugger like a fifties tractor,

A three litre engine that doesn't weigh 70 kgs more than it's related four litre petrol, is that too much?

A competitive output, 420 nm from three litres, seriously?

The starter motor noise, 70's Valiant anyone?

How about an auto that's actually designed for the diesel engine? The five speed is great behind the petrol engine but unsuited to the lag and torque (low as it is) range of the diesel.

The Prado is a great all rounder sadly let down by a POS (piece of sh@t) diesel and arguably unsuited auto box.

Euro 6 compliance will be interesting, to achieve it diesels need stop start technology, can you imagine the current POS stopping and starting all day in traffic? And lets be fair, that's where most of them do most of their time.

There's a reason that Lexus don't have a single diesel in their range, interestingly other luxury car makers have no such concerns.

[Travelman1 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Travelman1]

The Prado is a great vehicle and with a few modifications/extras makes a superb touring machine. I know lots of Prados don't leave the bitumen and maybe their owners would be better off with a soft roader or a sedan for the driving they do. But go to any mining community or outback town on a tourist route and you'll see well set up Prados (95s, 120s and 150s) by the dozen, and probably by the hundreds. Try standing on a street corner in Mt Isa or Broome or Broken Hill in the tourist season and count the Prados passing and an entire footy team would run out of fingers in a very short time. Whatever the replacement is, Toyota still needs to have something comfortable yet tough to cater for those heading off the beaten track. They represent a significant part of their market.
I'm a little concerned about the suggestion to go for a Landcruiser rear door setup. Personally I like the existing single swing door. It allows much better dust sealing than having two components to close and try to seal, it allows me to get in to my Engel without having to reach, and it houses the spare tyre which than gives us huge fuel storage in comparison with vehicles with an underslung spare.
Hopefully Toyota will continue to produce a safe, comfortable vehicle that can be driven almost anywhere in this wide brown land.
Travelman 1

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

If they don't improve the injector sides with CRD's I'd like, an injector value digital display or warning light that goes on once they reach out of spec.
We have fuel gauge & coolant temp, handbrake & seatbelt light, but I think this is more important, so why don't we?

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

Why hasn't someone written a program for the ECU already to create an alarm for that very situation.

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

the fact that at minimum they aren't a 6 year old vehicle.

But they will be next year.

[Fred63 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fred63]

bushbasher 100 % correct

I agree, Why can't someone create a app (Mr Toyota) or someone else
How good would it be if there was a app that could read ECU values that could be added to the Toyota link apps.
I would pay a modest price for it.
We need to look at the odometer so we know when it needs a service, so give us some warning when something is approaching a value that could be a problem.

give us something to look at other values. like injector values etc..

Where I work we have a relatively new system where we can provide similar information to our customers.
Warnings are sent to the customer via SMS and email.
potentially we know if the equipment breaks down before them or it is going to breakdown.

it's all (10101010101010101010101010) digital information, so give us the option to get an app to display these warnings.
This could be added to the current 150 as an app (Mr Toyota)

[jonoxplor Member Find all posts View Profile Close jonoxplor]

But they will be next year.

Um, no, at minimum the 150 prado will not be 6 years old... At maximum, yes. Good thing they are a current model, so you could buy a brand new one... And not a vehicle originally designed in 2003...

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

Same engine as the first D4D released in 2006 albeit a relocated inter-cooler.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Same engine as the first D4D released in 2006 albeit a relocated inter-cooler.

Ummmm......
Actually its been revised a bit more than that, but if you want to get picky it was first released in Australia in 2005 in the Hilux, then the Hiace before the Prado in 2006. The engine in the Hilux is alot closer to the 120, but still has some differences

[drew_1 Find all posts View Profile Close drew_1]

The Prado is a great vehicle and with a few modifications/extras makes a superb touring machine. I know lots of Prados don't leave the bitumen and maybe their owners would be better off with a soft roader or a sedan for the driving they do. But go to any mining community or outback town on a tourist route and you'll see well set up Prados (95s, 120s and 150s) by the dozen, and probably by the hundreds. Try standing on a street corner in Mt Isa or Broome or Broken Hill in the tourist season and count the Prados passing and an entire footy team would run out of fingers in a very short time. Whatever the replacement is, Toyota still needs to have something comfortable yet tough to cater for those heading off the beaten track. They represent a significant part of their market.
I'm a little concerned about the suggestion to go for a Landcruiser rear door setup. Personally I like the existing single swing door. It allows much better dust sealing than having two components to close and try to seal, it allows me to get in to my Engel without having to reach, and it houses the spare tyre which than gives us huge fuel storage in comparison with vehicles with an underslung spare.
Hopefully Toyota will continue to produce a safe, comfortable vehicle that can be driven almost anywhere in this wide brown land.
Travelman 1

great response, Travelman. The attributes you highlight are pretty much the reason I chose a 150 over a D4 or Rangie Sport

drew

[Scottage Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Scottage]

The option of having the great 4.5 V8 would be top of the list. Toyota has the best diesel on the market, so get it out there. Some of us drive Prado's because a cruiser as a daily driver would be a path to suicide. (It don't fit in most places) I'm already driving a prado because of a pathological hate of automatics. (Then found it was brilliant, happiest comprimise of all time)

Without changing the tank setup, a new approach to the rear door would be great, that weight thing is a killer

A little more panning for ease of aftermarket options, ie space for diesel gas without removing one of the existing tanks, fitting 33's or even 35's without cutting the car, perhaps a more bulletproof (thinking patrol) driveline

Bonnet scoop and a decent intercooler form the beginning so that it's not an aftermarket issue.

Rear power socket to 12v from the beginning.

Not so much useless space between the panels and the plastic in the rear compartment (seriously there's room for 60l of water in bladders,back there)

If possible, a shorter departure angle, but I'm not that attached to that one.

Don't have the experience of others on this forum, but just my two cents..........