Hilux v prado

As they run the same motors and transmissions their is no diff. Prados give a very soft ride as they have coils at the rear and are better off road then the luxs. The luxs have leaves for load carrying, although on a windy twisty road I prefer the stiffer lux suspension. We have both vehicles at work.
Cheers Pete

I already have a Prado TD and have looked at replacing it with a dual cab TD from a variety of manufacturers. It came down to several common criteria, least of which was fuel consumption.

Prados
Do already have 180 fuel capacity
Are easier to fit out with accessories like dual battery without unnecessary fitting of the battery under the body or in the tray
Have a higher tow capacity than the Hilux


Hilux
Are essentially a work vehicle and aren't built to be setup as long distance tourers without a lot of mucking around and extra cost.

But that is just my opinion. I'm keeping the Prado as it would be too hard and expensive to setup any dual cab ute to the standard I require for long distance touring and off road work.

Prado's are definately nicer on road, nicer inside, better looking etc.

But anyone who thinks the prado is better offroad is dreaming. Standard the hilux is a few hundred kgs lighter (200-300 kg) and very slighty more ground clearance. We have hilux and prado work cars that we take out fishing crabbing and its always the prado's that get stuck first.

We've got a Dual Cab Hilux (with a tray). We have had an 80 series crusier and then a Subaru Forester (yeah that was a mistake). Hubby has his 79 series ute which he loves to death.

The TD Lux was the car we should have brought in the first place. It's versatile (I can chuck my mountain bike in the back and go riding), we can carry home whatever DH decides to buy at bunnings without it sitting near the kids heads. And the zippy response of the turbo engine quite surprises me (probably because it is a lighter vehicle) and handling is way better than the heavy 80 ever was especially when cornering. But yes the rear end likes to drift more easily around corners on gravel roads (no problem if you keep the speed in check) than the Subi which was a really stable car.

I don't know the detailed numbers, but I bet the Hilux probably has more load capacity too (GVM) if you're to rig it up for touring.
If you're looking at the wellbody then security for the gear won't be a problem, but could be an issue if you opt for a trayback without canopy - this would be the only drawback for us I think, but a non issue most of the time since we live in the country.

Good point on the IFS suspension, but really how serious off road are you? I know a lot of people (including us) like to think they will do a lot more than eventuates in reality.

I reckon it comes down to what you find more comfortable / practical for both traveling and day to day duties you have to do.