Tow Test: 2005 LandCruiser Prado

Prado's popularity with many has meant that it remains the biggest selling mid-size 4WD wagon in Australia. Even so, Toyota has upped the ante on the opposition with upgraded transmissions recently appearing in the V6 petrol range. In this latest update the diesel Prado remained essentially the same, having a minor upgrade with the stereo sound system, while the 4-cylinder petrol-driven Prado has been discontinued.

We tested the latest V6 Prado in a range of environments ranging from freeway cruising and city streets to slippery dirt roads and rugged mountain trails.

The V6 DOHC engine found across the model range is a beauty, producing a maximum of 179kW of free flowing power at 5200 revs while maximum torque is 376Nm at 3800rpm. Those figures tell only part of the story though as the engine is very smooth and extremely flexible, whether in traffic around town, cruising on the highway, or battling rock steps in the Victorian High Country.

Mated to that power plant is now either an electronically controlled five-speed automatic box or a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.

I would have thought an extra gear is superfluous with such a powerful engine and in many cases it is, but the big plus pushed by the manufacturer at the time of release, is the fuel economy improvement attained. Still, it is pretty minor, I reckon.

Under standard test conditions Toyota attained a figure of 13.2 litres/100km for the auto while the manual used 13.5 litres over the same distance. Under those same test conditions the old five-speed manual and four-speed auto Prados both returned 13.8L/100km.

In our testing over a variety of 4WD tracks, open road conditions where they was driven with gusto and an interlude in peak hour traffic our auto Prado returned 16.9L/100km, while the manual came in just a little better at 16.7L/100km. This is pretty good for any V6 engine-powered four wheeler we've found, and you can expect better cruising on the open road or driving it a little more sedately.

Obviously when towing you'll drink more fuel, but how much will depend on how big and heavy the van is and how quickly you tow it!

In 4WD situations - and we had plenty this trip with heavy rain falling while negotiating steep mountain country - the auto, like any petrol auto, tends to run away on steep downhills with little engine braking. The manual was a little better but with six gears to play with could have been lower geared in first - and possibly even taller geared in sixth. Even so, in low ratio first gear the reduction was a goodly 38.9:1 in the manual; significantly taller in the auto. In both the manual and auto boxes only top gear is an overdrive.

I preferred the auto in nearly every case. The manual was a tightly spaced shift while I often purposely skipped a gear going from third to fifth - the engine allowing such a move with ease. As well, I took a bit of time to get used to grabbing reverse gear - I often ended up in sixth! My excuse? It was the first manual six-speed box I'd driven!

The auto though is delightful: it is smooth and silky, and you could hardly pick the gear changes, whether under hard acceleration or cruising on the open road. It accelerated well in top without hunting for another gear unnecessarily, but when asked to perform quickly or when pushing hard up a hill, the down change came quickly and smoothly. Towing, it would seem, would be a breeze with this unit!

Like the previous Prado the latest version features an independent double-wishbone front suspension with increased suspension stroke, while the five-link solid axle rear suspension setup has improved roll stiffness.

With the suspension upgrades along with the marque's constant 4WD system, rack and pinion steering and 265/65R17 wheel and tyre combo, the vehicle handles better than ever. On wet bitumen or on marble-like dirt roads the Prado exerts a confident feel with little or no understeer through the corners.

Ventilated disc brakes all round means the Prado can stop with the best of them. The ABS system, which is standard on both GXL and Grande versions of the Prado, offers one of the best dirt road braking programs available. While I'm no great lover of ABS brakes on dirt roads as they stretch the braking distances out significantly, the Prado does tend to bite into the surface, pulling up quicker than many other like-equipped vehicles.

The vehicles we had for our test were both GXL specified which means alloy wheels are standard fare on the outside while air-conditioning, power windows, cruise control, power windows and an MP3 player-CD equipped stereo system are just some of the features inside the cab.

Safety features include SRS airbags for both driver and front seat passenger, pre-tensioning seatbelts for front seats while second row and rear seat passengers all get lap-sash belts. On the much more expensive Prado Grande versions there's also front seat side airbags, and front and rear seat side-curtain airbags.

For the much heralded Driver Assist Technology (DAT) which includes traction control, hill start control and stability control, among others, you also need to step up to the Grande model, which comes complete with electronically-controlled air suspension at the rear.

Weighing in between 1900 and 2100kg, depending on the model, the GVM of all models of the Prado is 2850kg, giving a payload in excess of 750kg for the GXL, which is very good for a mid-size wagon and greater than many larger 4WD wagons.

Towing capacity is, with brakes fitted to the trailer, 2500kg giving plenty of choice of compatible caravans, while an unbraked trailer needs to be less than 750kg.

Pricing for the manual GXL is $53,210 while the auto comes in at $56,330, both plus ORC. Add 18 big ones for the V6 Grande!

Summing up
This is a top vehicle - the best in the mid size range, bar none. Its Lexus heritage (in the USA it sells as a Lexus) shows and with the improvements it is even better. It is a very capable 4WD vehicle in whatever guise it comes and it would take most people wherever they wanted to go in ease and in comfort.

Which one would I take? Well, in something of a surprise to me, I'd go for the auto. It is such a smooth, accomplished performer on both the blacktop or the dirt, I'd take it every time.

For more information and your nearest dealer see www.toyota.com.au or call tollfree 1800 356 554.