Which new 4WD should I buy?

Hi Mark,

I often get the Sahara to drive and prefer the diesel model...actually love it over the 4.7ltr petrol version. (ex works as an executive for Toyota), but this new car I finally order, will be a leased vehicle and at the end of 3 years I hand it back then upgrade. At the moment we have the grande prado petrol and it drives like a dream..I just think its a bit too small for 3 kids who just wont stop growing and i have been assured that the offroad difference is so marginal I wont notice it...well so they say but in the next breath I am told to wait until August when the new common rail diesel will be out in the prado..... I wont be putting any aftermarket goodies on it...at the end of the day the vehicle will be driven great distances and the petrol or diesel will be free for me along with services, tyres and insurance. But, if you know of any other reasons to go either/or I would so much be grateful to you.

thanks for your answer

OMN you think the carsalesman is misinforming you?

Geez, compared to some of the replies here, I would take more notice at the car yard.

"Prado worse than Landcruiser offroad". Are you kidding?

"Prado underpowered in petrol". ?Compared to what?

Given that Prado has out sold Lc 100 for the past 3 years or so the aftermarket accessories would be equal I would think.

179kw Prado v6: 155kw Pajero v6: 171kw Lc 100 v8: hmmm.

Prado off road vs landcruiser, just look at the thing from outside. Front ground clearance, rear overhang. overall ground clearance, width over wheel track.

The resale value in real terms is significatly better in prado petrol compared to v8 cruiser, and just about anything else.

go figure.

Hi Mark,

I have decided on the cruiser...you know what, after being used of my car the Paj, and then driving the v8 petrol in the cruiser, we then got back in the prado grande, top the range, for the trip home, and it felt like we were all getting into the rav 4. They feel so much smaller. According to the wonderfull people who actually did the measurements, they are not that much smaller, but the do feel smaller...(ex husband has the prado grande for a month as his work vehicle to which we are truely gratefull, and we all get to use it on weekends)

As per its [cruisers] 'grunt', when we took off in the cruiser, we actually 'took off' in it...what a car...there was no comparasion, as far as I was concerned... reminded me a bit of my brothers monaro when the HQ first came out back in the late 70's with its feeling of take off...

The price has been reduced and is down about 10k...so you know..

Rang the brother in law, re the patrol, and yes I could have got the diesel for around 55k, but I was dissapointed with the X-trail and hence nissan would have to really woo me to buy a patrol...besides i get the toyota discount bringing the price down below the patrol...

I cant wait till the day its delivered now...

cheers...

Hi Laura,

I am wanting to go the Cruiser, I prefer it over the prado but is it worth me forking out an extra hundred bucks a fortnight. This amount will not be reimbursed - and its gotta be auto..Im not that tall and I find it somewhat like a exercise machine in some gym changing the gears through heavy traffic. This vehicle has a core use...work...I travel a bit and drive Gold coast, bris, toowoombah, sunshine coast all over qld in fact...and for every klm I drive my work pay me around 60c I do around 500 klm a week now...

I have a pajero now, but feel the toyota is a better car and thats why Im thinking prado, its cheaper....

I sort of like the diesel, as I have been told that is all that is available when out west...dont want to be stuck...

tar..

sounds better when you say it like this....its only an additional $2080 per year

Laura,

The Cruiser V8 will be getting my money.

Im ordering the Pewter color...grey interior and its awsome...

OMN, I need the extra space that the cruiser has...

My 12 year old, turning 13 in 2 weeks, his legs werent fitting in the 3 rd row of seats in the prado...

just looks a bit more comfy now in the cruiser, and I love the take off it had...

cheers...

yeah thanks for that - My friend has a patrol and he has 4 kids. They must have lots of comfort. I did have an Xtrail and its greatest asset was the lovely comfortable seats back and front.

But due to ex working for Toyota, I can get a good percentage off the RRP.

Im going out tomorrow and just check a few other options.
thanks for responding...

ivan thanks so much with that..

I spoke with a friend of mine that has 4 littler kids than ours...(all 4 under 8) and she said that their 120 series is great. Great off road and more space than the jackerooo, which they traded in.. They have dvd in each back seat, and that shuts up the kids;; maybe spending a bit on one of those machines may be a good idea too.

If I could get the cruiser a bit cheaper...and I just might, ill go the cruiser..

Ivan, what else did you look at during your antogonistic period of trying to decide and which color did you get?

you bet yah...

and the cruiser 100 series I have ordered.

Dont care if i wont look as modern in as i may had looked in the prado...

Patrol!!! same size... BETTER!!

Been there, done that.

I beg to differ;-)))

While then again, others may say......"same sh*t, different bucket" as well hahahahhaaa

Guys - so that I dont suffer from post purchase dissonance, you have driven me to check the nissan patrol out...

I would not forgive myself otherwise...my brother in law jack works for a patrol dealer in oakleigh...im ringing now for a patrol price...

geg...price your BL can get it for should make up your mind..pity but

I love the pajero, John. But when you are off road, and where I live we go beach camping a fair bit, its good to have lots of confidence in your car...The Paj misses a bit in those extreme circumstances and I know I am 90% driving around town, but there is nothing worse than getting bogged and having to dig yourself out...The paj is a lot lower. Besides my car is now 5 years old...time to change. Driving in either the prado or the cruiser, both cars really feel that much more solid than the paj. I also prefer the bigger fuel tank in the toyota's. Its a 3 year lease so I dont think Ill get sick of it...I really do want to get the cruiser over the prado due to its size, but its just that extra expense ... I need a good reason to justify it...Those stats on the boot and back seat size - 14 cm larger - I usually have to have a kid per row due to the fights and arguments, and an extra 14 cm means a big deal for me. in fact its possibly a safety issue as the kids may not be able to punch each other as easily with that extra gap between them...

Ill go through the data again and see if I could stretch out that little bit extra...

now what color...my friend says not the gold color...

does anyone have any ideas on color...I dont like washing the car too much so blacks out...

I currently drive a late model pajero but would prefer the better off road handling of either the Prado or Landcruiser.


LMAO...........I doubt it is worse in the PAJ.

"The paj is a lot lower"

For what it's worth,

Ground clearance:-

Landcruiser GXL 210mm
Prado 207 mm
Pajero 225mm

Check the specs.......

Enjoy your Toymotor ;-)

Yeah, I could do that Laura...

and I am thinking about it so much...

The GXL cruiser is rather expensive...but the upgrade isnt coming through until 2007...

With that extra cash, it could go in my pocket to help pay for Fraser island barges...but as someone said before...those kids of mine are only getting bigger it would be good to hve a little extra space..

Im out to talk to the trusted advisors at the car dealer tomorrow, and make them line the two vehicles side by side and then take both for a drive, one after the other, then I may be able to come to some conclusion which will help me decide..cricket is now cancelled for tomorrow due to the rain so ill even test drive the space factor with them winging in the back too.

Laura any other reasons that I really need to know about to make my decision...(the ex reackons that I should get the prado instead of the cruiser) yeah the petrol vs diesel...another mind blowing decision..I prefer diesel, but a point raised by a friend is that diesel bowsers are just not as prevalant around town as the petrol ones...

Laura, what color do you think is best...?

And, I have to do 25000klm per year, or no more than 30000. what does that work out a week

What ever choice you make you need to be happy because you'll be basically living in it by the sound of it. And room is needed with kids!!

Ex's always say the bad one ive figured out unless you have a great relationship still. LoL!!

Diesel is good but good point - there are more petrol pumps than diesel. But thats because there are more standard cars than 4wd. Ive never owned a car on diesel but for economy if you get petrol it needs to be a big one like a V8 - funny isnt it, how it sounds like a rev head kind of 4wd but its so more fuel effiecient than the V6. My parents have had a '91 pajero since brand new and its a turbo deisel and they swear by them. Its a 2.6L but they said that if it wasnt turbo then it would be gutless,but that motor is nothing to the size of the Cruiser,not sure of the Prado.

Deisel is at almost every servo (i work for caltex..) and is almost (99%) everywhere where in small towns because of farm equipment and trucks etc. Our servo had to put in another deisel bowser because there were always line ups for it and increase the tank size.

White!!Not red - it fades way to easily,dark colours show scratches and dirt too easily too. White is simple, looks good and easy to make it look good. We have a white 80 series and it looks like a pearl when its clean, Parents pajero is silver and it excellent condition and its as shiney as!!

If 30,000km / yr (30,000 X .60 = $18,000 . Divide 18,000 by 52 = $346.15 per week) and for the Km's /wk :(30,000 divide by 52=576km)

If 25,000km / yr (25,000 X .60 = $15,000 . Divide 15,000 by 52 = $288.46 per week) and for Km's / wk : (25,000 divide by 52=480km)

If its not coming through until '07 maybe put aside $30 a week or something now until it somes to help pay for the little extra later. Or if you get that Prado you'd be able to save that extra money and spend it on going away for weekends....

Dunno mate,your stuck between a rock and a hard place, my choice would be : White Cruiser,V8...

Let me know how the test driving goes!!

Laura B

Hi Laura, thanks for this wonderful advise...I just had another look at the cruiser 100 series price and I really dont like it....in fact, unless I can get a special special deal on one, I am going to have to go with the prado..the vx model isnt that much more - like 60 bucks a fortnight more and has a seperate air con for the brats in the back. The kilometres that work will pay me .62c a litre, are the business ones that I do, so about 400 per week I estimate, but the private ones are free, due to the fuel card, I just dont get reimbursed for them. But, who gives if the petrol is $1.80 a litre out the back of bourke, yahoo cos works paying! One of the other guys who wrote brought something to my attention, that is Im driving around town a lot visiting my branches, which means, fiddling around trying to find appropriate car parks...and this suits the prado much better, as it drives like a sedan. With the money I get from my Pajero, ill be able to afford a camper trailer/caravan, meaning I can loose a little bit of room on the inside for when we drive down to melbourne or the snow, I can tow the caravan...

As you own the caltex servo..perhaps you can clarify something, Why I am leaning towards diesel. I intend to take a couple of weeks off in the next 12 months or so and take the kids on a drive to Alice and the rock, I would like to go through the centre dirt track but have been told in some places diesel is the only fuel available. This was from a guy that travels accross australia from perth regularly, so he didnt specify whick road in particular...dont want to be stuck between towns waiting for road side assist...

Waiting for the common rail diesel...I dont think I will - I would have to wait until maybe November to get one, and then my car will have business K's on the clock, and its that much more older, and I wont be able to get as much money for it. Well I must go as Im off to talk to the 'trusted advisor' at the car yards and see what they can advise me on??? I actually need the color names to order and the correct interior specifications...I have a silver paj at the moment, great color for not showing dirt...I dont mind that charcoal color in the prado..but my friend says dont get white..cos they look a bit like council forby's.

Not sure y your leaning to the diesel, if trucks use the roads and there are little towns on it then there will more than likely be diesel. What dirt track??we are doing Oodnadatta Track then the Finke track up to Alice in early Sept.

They do look like counsil 4b's but thats cos its an easy colour to look after and the lazy buggers dont have to clean them as much!! LOL !!

There are a few web sites that give you places for Diesel anywhere in Oz depending on the brand....cannt remember..,aybe someone else might know.

Your sounding more confident on what you want anyway...

Laura B

pbob, Cant get the landrover...dont get the same discount on them. Besides my friend has one of them...he loves it but it looks a bit heavy...I think he bogged it on the beach, and everyone around him was doing ok..they were driving prado's and jackeroos

captain,

Thanks for the advice. I know about the common rail system on the diesel motor of the prado. Manufacturing starts in August, with the first vehicle ready for driving in Sept/Oct/Nov...but that doesnt mean that Toyota will release it then...I have been advised by ex to wait, but I have driven the diesel Hi lux which has the same (common rail motor) I dont know if I really will be able to pick up the diff. And as for the current prado diesel devalueing/depreciating...well Its not an issue cos I just hand back the keys in 3 years and pick up a new one...

I have been advised more than once to go the prado as its car like. I have driven both but only the grande and sahara and love both, the sahara is just the best car in the world. But reality sets in and really I cant afford to get much more than the vx in the prado, and your right, driving to and from my business centres, having to squeeze in and out of car park spaces, I may as well settle on the prado, it is an ounce better to manouver in a hurry, and Im always in a hurry when I am driving to and from with work.

When I go out to these trusted advisors (car salesman) today, ill shove all the kids in the back, do a couple of test drives on each type and try to imagine being packed up with bags and boogie boards, esky and bags of food etc in there with us. Then Ill try to imagine the kids and their height and mass in the next three years...my eldest will be 16, so this car will be the vehicle that has to be capable of taking 3 tall kids and of course their friends at times...

So you have the 3litre diesel? and that picture of you towing the van suggests that your nissan is doing it well. ?

thanks again...

Hi GEG,

I have a Dtronic fitted to my 3.0TD and that gives it 420Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, thats 10Nm MORE torque than the V8 cruiser (410Nm@3400rpm).

I have towed with many a vehicle and the 3.0TD is up there with the best (once fitted with a Dtronic). A 3 litre diesel sounds too small to tow big loads, but the proof is in the drivers seat. I was going to get the 4.2TD GU but after driving them, there is no comparison. And I get ~15l/100kms while the V8 would be getting around 20+l/100kms when towing (but that only saves the company money!)

A lot of people have a "no substitute for cubic inches" mentality, but varible vane turbos, HP injection, 4 valves per cylinder etc... certainly even the playing field. While the 3.0TD is not the perfect engine (or any engine for that matter), it certainly suits my needs and I am very happy with it.

Cheers

Captain

Just back from the car shop!

I will be ordering the V8 100 Series Cruiser.

Color Pewter (a platinum metallic color, goes good with black) Grey interior.

GXL Cruiser 05 model have a special with a bunch of sahara stuff thrown in for $55,990.00.

I drove the td 3 litre prado, and loved the VX, but in the end the space issue would have killed me and the price on the cruiser, with rear aircon as standard and a heap of other bits thrown in, the prado missed out..

The V8 went through the gears and hugged the road like a dream...I cant wait to pick it up!

Thanks so much guys for all your assistance...you have no idea how it has helped me...

thanks again...

Well, dont know when delivery will be, I assume about a 2week to 1 month wait...be good if i had it by easter...

1st 4 wheel drive trip will be to Melbourne, via a mountain with snow ready to be driven on...

I too am thinking of the centre around sept school hol's, although thats the time when moreton or fraser beacons you to taste them...

Ill propably take the new cruiser to landcruiser park here up north of brisbane - just to cristian it with a bit of mud....

am so glad I have decided...thanks so much for helping me to do so...

cheers...

hope there are servo's in the centre that sell petrol,

me too hey!! Our biggest problem will be LPG,our main petrol tank is only 95lt at max. and cannt do too many km's.......maybe see ya out there!!

Well done and congrats!!!

Laura B