Thread: Long term cost of ownership :Discover 4 vs Prado

Hi discolandinaus,
What Mowog said, I've had the D3 for six years and 170000 km. Still a very good car and the pinstripes add plenty of character.
To give an idea of cost over that period, I am averaging about $9 - 10k running costs per year. This includes servicing (mainly at the dealer since the car was leased for the first five years, now I am using an independent and it has become cheaper), tyres, fuel (average 12 l/100km on the TDV6), registration and CTP and comprehensive insurance. Insurance is also about $500 less since I came off the lease and arranged my own. Rego also reduced by about a couple of hundred once off lease since leased vehicles are registered as business use.
My car is a daily driver including a lot of very slow stop/start on the Sydney M4 car park and Parramatta road.
Included in the maintenance, apart from normal servicing and brakes; two sets of front lower control arms (first one under warranty), one new battery (from stealer), timing belts, steel pan conversion.
I am on my fourth set of tyres and will have to get a new set soon. Still trying to work out what is best in the AT range. The mechanic who just changed the control arms said that the first time they were done (by the dealer) that they had put the bolts in back to front, which had major effects on alignment.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Mike

Originally Posted by rocmic

The mechanic who just changed the control arms said that the first time they were done (by the dealer) that they had put the bolts in back to front, which had major effects on alignment.

Can you say which dealer that was? I live not too far from you.

Originally Posted by letherm

Can you say which dealer that was? I live not too far from you.

The closest dealer to us, have to say that is the only thing that appears to have been done wrong and I am taking the other mechanic's word for it.
Cheers
Mike

Originally Posted by Epic pooh

My theory is that the vehicle is so rough and gutless that the driver looses all sense of perspective on speed and location on the road - it beats them senseless ! Thats the kind version of my theory ...

haha your so right they are a gutless piece of crap and anything over 80kmh feels fast!! Nothing worse then getting to an overtaking lane and the Patrol pulls out in front of you to overtake and a big cloud of smoke comes out and he just pulls in before the lane ends and you never get past!!

Originally Posted by rocmic

Hi discolandinaus,
What Mowog said, I've had the D3 for six years and 170000 km. Still a very good car and the pinstripes add plenty of character.
To give an idea of cost over that period, I am averaging about $9 - 10k running costs per year. This includes servicing (mainly at the dealer since the car was leased for the first five years, now I am using an independent and it has become cheaper), tyres, fuel (average 12 l/100km on the TDV6), registration and CTP and comprehensive insurance. Insurance is also about $500 less since I came off the lease and arranged my own. Rego also reduced by about a couple of hundred once off lease since leased vehicles are registered as business use.
My car is a daily driver including a lot of very slow stop/start on the Sydney M4 car park and Parramatta road.
Included in the maintenance, apart from normal servicing and brakes; two sets of front lower control arms (first one under warranty), one new battery (from stealer), timing belts, steel pan conversion.
I am on my fourth set of tyres and will have to get a new set soon. Still trying to work out what is best in the AT range. The mechanic who just changed the control arms said that the first time they were done (by the dealer) that they had put the bolts in back to front, which had major effects on alignment.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Mike

Thanks for your response. I was looking for a similar response so that I know what I need to spend every year on the vehicle.

I see that the running cost mentioned by you is similar to any 4*4. Considering that your vehicle has run 170000km in 5 years its about 34000 km/year which is approximately $6500 on fuel. I believe the rest amount should cover the insurance, registration and service cost.

I find this thread such an interesting read, especially coming from people who haven't owned a particular vehicle, only test drove one or was told by a mate.

Anyway, let's get a few things into prospective, the D4 and the Prado 150 have about a 15-20k difference in price, and IMHO the D4 is a closer comparison to the LC200 rather the Prado, that's to begin with.

Amongst many other 4x4's I have owned, though these seem relevant to this conversation, I have owned the Disco 1 V8 for 100k the LC100V8 for 200k, the Range Rover Vogue for 80k and currently the Prado 150 diesel with 100k on the clock, all purchased brand new at the time.


I usually travel about 70k per annum. I also own a BMW X5 M-Sport which I also drive on weekends, hence the reason the Prado only has 100k after 2 years of driving, though not really relevant to this conversation.

To be clear, I have no bias toward any brand, I buy what I like at the time, what I feel is reasonable value for money and what fits into the current budget so hopefully my opinion has a little validity.

Having said that, I have just ordered a Range Rover SportTDV6 which will be arriving in March and I intend on keeping my Prado also because I think it's a great car and has never let me down.

When purchasing a vehicle, everyone's needs and expectations are different, the budget you have, your intentions of how long you intend keeping the vehicle, your usual driving requirements etc.

In my particular case, I purchase the vehicle, Service it regularly according to the book and dispose of it after about 3 or 4 years, if I intended keeping it long term maybe I would do a few things differently, but I don't.

In the case of the Services between the Prado and the D4, I can only comment on what the Prado costs me and what I have paid to date.

I purchased the vehicle in January 2013 and with all Toyotas had at no extra cost the capped price servicing included in the purchase. It has cost me to date and all up to 100k, $2600 according to all of my receipts in total for all Services including a full set of brakes replacement at 70k. (Plus a new set of tyres, BFG At's @ 75k not included) That's 10 dealer Services. Pretty cheap Servicing in my book.

The vehicle is comfortable enough, has a fuel tank (TwinTanks) which allows me to travel 1300klm's between drinks and I get an average of according to the computer 9.2 litres per 100 klm's on average. Has reasonable power for a 3.0 litre diesel and the fit and finish are above average. Off road ability is reasonable and beyond most drivers abilities anyway. And just quietly, I always drive it as though I stole it....

Let me say that not one thing has broken since purchase, not even a bulb, so let's get a few things into prospective, they are a nice 4x4 and it does what it's meant to do so let's not bash the Prado too much, it maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but neither is the D4 so let's be a little fair, and neither is the price difference.

It just gets up my nose a little when people say I wouldn't own one for any money all based on what a mate said or they have just driven it a few times, if that was the case, and most LR owners would agree, that no-one would buy a LR if you read every story and believed everything which was said....Having said what I have just said, I won't even go down the conversation track of what went wrong with my Disco and how much it cost me to keep it on the road, it would make most people here cringe....and it never even saw a dirt road..

Can I ask with your capped price servicing,how many times in 100K did all the fluids get changed,diff's,tranny,T/C,clutch,brake,P/S?,with the 10 dealer services did they actually service it or do inspections?. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

Can I ask with your capped price servicing,how many times in 100K did all the fluids get changed,diff's,tranny,T/C,clutch,brake,P/S?,with the 10 dealer services did they actually service it or do inspections?. Pat

Hi Pat,


I will have to go through the receipts to check it, though all what is listed they presumed to have done, the capped price was $210 for each and every service until 100,000. When it was booked on the 80k, the service guy gave me a price of $1100 over the phone because it was a major service with all diffs, trannies etc. I told him I was under capped price servicing and he said, he should have asked as nearly everyone has it at the moment, and sure enough, it was $210, that one took almost 7 hours..:/


The minor Services are done at 10k, semi major at 20, then minor at 30, and complete major with all fluids changed at 40k, and it just keeps on going like that.


I am pretty sure they do all of what they say because I always wait for the vehicle on every service, and some of the services take anything up to 5 or even 6 hours and I see them drive the car into the service bay, and unfortunately for me, I live a fair way from the dealer so I have to wait each and every time.
Doesn't matter where you go, there is always the chance of them not doing everything they say they will I guess....