Thread: Disco 4 V Landcruiser Prado

Originally Posted by Ace

Will the dealers not let you take the vehicle on a test drive and tow your van? Surely if you are spending the best part of 80-90k then they should let you test what you want it to do.

Sadly no, they won't, as no-one has a vehicle fitted for towing. It is hard enough just getting a test drive vehicle. By the way, the LC200 with the extra battery is just a few hundred dollars under the 100,000. With the satnav, rear view camera, I-pod connection (all standard on the LC) and extra battery, extra tank, bar and carrier, the D4 is around 104,000. It isn't chicken feed and I am disappointed that I can not tow the van before committing, but that is life.

Originally Posted by big guy

I just came back from Robe with a mate and his Cruiser with 4.7L V8.
I towed my Jet ski and 4 people roof racks, air con and very strong head wind.
Sat on 95km/h and got 14L/100 from my 300tdi.
My mate in his got 34L/100 there and 28L/100 back towing a single axle caravan at same speed.
His range was shocking plus the amusement at watching the fuel gauge drop and hearing his feedback over the radio was priceless.
His last car was a Prado Kakadu or something which he though be too small for towing?
I do believe he regrets it now.

1st hand experience at fuel consumption and owner feedback.
I do recall him saying that it towed pretty well though.
He is not a fool and has travelled a lot.
He did not look at Land Rover because of their reliability history and little gremlims.
His words not mine.

Thanks big guy, but I am looking at a diesel (4.5 litre). Much different beast. Even a different gearbox.

Originally Posted by Grumndriva

Sadly no, they won't, as no-one has a vehicle fitted for towing. It is hard enough just getting a test drive vehicle. By the way, the LC200 with the extra battery is just a few hundred dollars under the 100,000. With the satnav, rear view camera, I-pod connection (all standard on the LC) and extra battery, extra tank, bar and carrier, the D4 is around 104,000. It isn't chicken feed and I am disappointed that I can not tow the van before committing, but that is life.

Im sure you'd find someone on here who would be happy to help you out.

Hi Grumndriva,
my real world experiences
I towed a 3t loaded off road van to alot of remote spots in my D3 (remapped to tow), and around oz as well (40k towing total). No WDH, no problems. Fuel range is a worry, but was not a problem, use to work on 450k a tank, and I have kayak, surfboards and 2 spare tyres(tyres only) on roof.
Now have had D4 3lt for over 12mths , towed same rig for awhile and range was 500k (3lt and gearbox are better),just in case I carry 2x20lt jerry can on van.(only ever used 1 can)
Have sold van and now tow a KK Karavan loaded 2t (they go just about any where the car goes), had a bit of van sway once , had come outof a track and was too lazy to change EAS rods for short hiway drive, so was in normal off road height and doing 110kph, but trailer assist was pulling it back into line.
I was a Toyo man for 20yrs before the D3, and have now got a D4, I'm happy with them
The adjustable height is great for overnight stays, you can always get it close enough, I don't worry about jocky wheel.
Dealer networks are a problem with all modern cars, seemed to happen when they stopped being mechanics and became technicians


Its a hard call and alot a money, go with ya gut feeling.


Cheers Ken

Originally Posted by roamer

Hi Grumndriva,
my real world experiences
I towed a 3t loaded off road van to alot of remote spots in my D3 (remapped to tow), and around oz as well (40k towing total). No WDH, no problems. Fuel range is a worry, but was not a problem, use to work on 450k a tank, and I have kayak, surfboards and 2 spare tyres(tyres only) on roof.
Now have had D4 3lt for over 12mths , towed same rig for awhile and range was 500k (3lt and gearbox are better),just in case I carry 2x20lt jerry can on van.(only ever used 1 can)
Have sold van and now tow a KK Karavan loaded 2t (they go just about any where the car goes), had a bit of van sway once , had come outof a track and was too lazy to change EAS rods for short hiway drive, so was in normal off road height and doing 110kph, but trailer assist was pulling it back into line.
I was a Toyo man for 20yrs before the D3, and have now got a D4, I'm happy with them
The adjustable height is great for overnight stays, you can always get it close enough, I don't worry about jocky wheel.
Dealer networks are a problem with all modern cars, seemed to happen when they stopped being mechanics and became technicians


Its a hard call and alot a money, go with ya gut feeling.


Cheers Ken

I think this is the first mention in this thread of two important issues (for me) when towing - the D4/RRS's Trailer Stability/ Sway Assist which is class leading safety item; and the ability to use air suspension to raise and lower the car when putting the van etc on and off - I bet every D3/D4/RRS owner has done this more than once and smiled at how damn handy it is!

Originally Posted by Celtoid

Which part Grum,

"Compared with the D4, the LC200 is more powerful (both power and torque), is at least as comfortable, has better range...."

"Very interesting. There are some similarities with my own experience"

These are your words aren't they.....what am I missing? Did I miss a few posts...?

Perhaps you didn't pick up on the bits where I stated what I wanted the vehicle to do: remote area towing of a 2.7 tonne van with a minimum range of 600km.

You suggested I haven't "even seen one, let alone been in one". I thought being in the last stages of making the decision that it would be understood that I have driven both. I have, and neither my wife nor I could pick between them in the comfort stakes. The fully electric front seats (standard in the 200LE) help to make a difference. The slightly better driving position (for me) makes the 200 possibly more comfortable. But neither has a problem. They are both very comfortable vehicles. The D4 may be more comfortable in serious off road work, but I am not proposing to do that. I did try to rent a 200 to see how the comfort held up over a full day in the saddle, but no-one rents them (or the D4) here.

You suggested I had mistaken the reason for Gordon getting new wheels. I hadn't. I was talking about their suitability for remote area work. 19 inch wheels are probably better than the 17s standard on the 200 for towing with their lower sidewalls, but I am not convinced that they are as good for gibbers etc.

The words about my own experience related to the fact that the video tester expressed surprise that the very basic (I think he said agricultural) Prado performed equally as well as the D4 off road. While I was looking at the 200, not the Prado, I had a similar experience. I was also surprised, and I remain so. Perhaps you misunderstood what I meant by experience.

You suggested that the D4 is the best hands down on the road. That might be true for many or even for most users, but if it can't give me the 600 km range with what I want to carry, then sadly the 200 will win hands down for me.

Originally Posted by Grumndriva

Tyres. Tombie might well be right that the 19 inch wheels are acceptable for the bush, but at least 10 D4 owners on this forum have shelled out rather a lot of money to replace them with the 18 inch wheels that ghaggis had made. My scepticism is clearly shared by other D4 owners.

I was under the impression that you could not fit a smaller rim on the D4 due to the large brake calipers?

Grum,

You seem to have settled on the fuel range as the deciding factor? Can I take that you are reasonably comfortable with the owners' experiences here with the D4's ability to tow a heavy caravan and that this is no longer an issue for you?

Regarding the fuel range - admittedly this is the one area where the D4 lags behind the LC200. You can fit a long-range tank + wheel carrier, but there is obviously a cost involved. However, the weight penalty isn't really an issue, as if your defining criterion is 600km range, you'll only need to carry an extra 20 ltrs or so. Or as I mentioned - one jerry can! The upside is that if you _do_ fill a long-range tank, your range is in the order of 1200+ km. Also note that, if as you mentioned you have no need for the 3rd row seats, you can remove them and save some 60kg or so.

With respect to the relative off-road prowess of the D4/Prado/LC200, the LC200 is a better off-roader than the Prado. The test the OP linked to was not sufficient to show up the limitations of the Prado. Yes they both got stuck at the same spots, but those spots were likely impassable anyway. The rest of the tracks looked doable in a Sportage! The D4/LC200 on the other hand, are much closer in ability. I'd personally give it to the D4 in overall off-road performance, but there are others who disagree. Suffice to say it is unlikely in the extreme that you would ever push either one to their limits.

For long-distance on-road and gravel travel there is no such close competition. The D4 wins it every time. And if you're concerned about the 19" rims, you can always order a set of 18" rims off me

In the end, go with what you're happy with, but don't base that feeling on misleading info or meaningless comparisons.

Cheers,

Gordon