Prado or Patrol

[Jusel]

Am looking at purchasing either a new GXL Prado in TD Manual or an ST-S Patrol 3L TD Manual. Looking for any comments on either especially in regards to towing as I have 19 foot glass boat.

Thanks
Jusel

[revs57]

G'day Jusel,

I've heard some concerning reports about the longevity of the 3 litre turbo Deisel Patrol over the long haul...I bumped into a Dalgety Rep at the Winton Pub a couple of years back who had done a 3 motors and 2 transmissions - mind you he was doing a squillion klms covering the gulf to the NSW border and giving it some, but none the less after what he was saying unless they've changed the set up I wouldn't touch one unless it was to be unloaded before warranty expired...the 4.2 is a different story...tough as nails...and the Prado...I've not heard a bad word...but others may have other feedback

All the best with the research

Cheers

Rhys

[NMK]

havm't heard anything bad about prado's but alot of poeple who do hardcore offroading go after that motor but as for the patroll but a trailer behind them and u may as well get out and push.

[Needmorerum]

If your after Hardcore offroading you wouldn't even look at the Prado. They were never built for it. The Patrol has a full solid axle front end, correct me if I am wrong, but the only one left that has this on anything above the Poverty Pack.
Pending on what you are going to do with it, I would recommend the Prado. The refinement is first class out of the two you are comparing. But in saying that, the Patrol has a tougher drive train, they always have. This will only show through in really tough conditions.
The TD in the Prado is proven well, there doesn't seem to be any problems with it. The 3.0 TD in the Patrol had 'teething' problems. I am under the belief that this problem has been well sorted now. I haven't heard of any cases of failure with these motors for a couple of years now.
From talking with those that own the 3.0TD Patrol, some of them wish that they did opt for the 4.2TD but aren't dissapointed with what they got.
I think you have a hard decision to make here, both are worthy vehicles (Don't tell anyone I said that, I am supposed to support Toyota).
As said, my choice would be the Prado, but that is a biased decision.
Interested to hear which way you decide to go.

Corry

[INDULGENCE]

hi Jusel
I have a 3.0TD Prado. Had it for 4 years has 160k on the clock
Just looked at replacement with new and all things equal plan to have it for another 4 years,the new one doesnt offer anything different in my mind

I tow my 2 tonne Plate boat all over with it and the only troubles I have experienced are

Head cracked at 140k, Toyota paid for 50% of materials but it still cost $2500.00 I am still at a lost what caused it but given Toyotas response there must be a history of similar problems.

Brakes Pads seem to be always being replaced, however this could be more me than the Prado

Front end has had small repairs and I still awaiting recall by Toyota to have the ball joints replaced.

Like I said I plan to keep it for another 4 years and hopefully another 160k

Go the Prado if the money is right (Toyota offered me $25k as trade on new $67k)

Wally

[finding_time]

Corry's pretty spot on , if internal fit out is what you are after go prado if bullet proof drive train for more serious 4x4ing go patrol. The patrols have sorted out there probs with the 3l engine so this is not an issue. They both will tow your boat without problems. Its really personal choice.

Ian



Ps. GO THE PATROL!!! ;D ;D Sorry i couldn't help my self :-X

[Fishin_Dan]

Spend the extra money and get the 4.2L Diesel Patrol if you are going to be towing. Those things are animals! Especially if you turbo em... They pull REAL hard then!

(Don't worry Corry - I'm supposed to be Toyo man too.... ;) )

[Owen]

My company fleet has both the Prado (Petrol though) and a 3.0 TD Patrol.
I prefer the Patrol to drive, but that's pretty subjective.
Only got 40,000 on the Patrol, but no probs so far.
Haven't given it a workout off-road yet. Bit shy after the picks of me at Landcruiser mountain park in the company Cherokee got around ::)
Like all the guys say, the 3.0l will get you there, but don't be in a hurry ;D

cheers,
Owen

[David_P]

Jusel,

A mate of mine has a 3yr old 3l TD Patrol and loves it. He has towed my boat on several occassions, and appart from being slow off the mark, does the job very well.

I was recently in the market for a new 4wd too, and opted for the 4.2TD Patrol, brand new. There is no doubt in my mind that the 3l drives a lot better than the 4.2. To the point that I went out and got Motsons to fit the stage 2 power up kit. Now it is great. Main reason I went the 4.2 was the advice I got was that it was better suited to heavy towing. My BMT weighs around 2.6 tonne fully loaded.

I can't comment on the Prado, but the weight of the Patrol certainly helps in controlling the weight of the BMT. I guess it depends on how much towing you are doing, and how much you want to spend. I reckon the 3l TD Patrol is bloody good value for money though, and you can get the plug in power up chip for about $1600. My mate has just bought one for his 3l, and raves about it.

Regards,
Dave.

[frankj]

I have had 3 Prado's 3.4 litre petrol, 3.0 litre turbo diesel and 4.0 litre petrol.
Great vehicles all of them. The TD used to return 10l/100Km but I used to drive mainly from the Gold Coast to Brisbane Airport. Around town about 13l/100Km. Very quick off the mark, in fact it didn't seem much different to the 3.4 petrol.

I liked them all.

Never any problem towing.

Regards
Frank

[sempre]

For a change i agree with Finding Time ;D ;D go the PATROL 4.2 TD.

Sam....

[rough_shag]

I own a prado 3.4ltr and reckon it is definitely a compromise 4x4-I tow a 1250kg boat with it and although it has 278000klms on the clock it does the job easily.Off road it has the goods and feels solid in the rough but it aint no cruiser or patrol.The compromise is that it handles like a car on road and uses same fuel as my commodore 3.8ltr.Within the 278000k's I have replaced the front/rear disc rotors and 5 sets of pads and nothing else at all.At idle it's still hard to tell if it's even running!.I wouldn't like to tow anything much heavier than my boat though.The one weakness I have found is the clutch set up which is too light and doesn't seem to match the 3.4v6 all that well-never stalled a car in my life til I got the prado.Anyhow the prado has about 85% the 4x4/towing ability of a cruiser or patrol imo.Cheers.Jace.

[muzz30]

The 3.0Lt patrol i find a bit slugish off the mark but otherwise a great vehicle i
prefer the 4.2Lt for great power especially with a MTQ Stage 3 system in it ;D
but the Prado is a great performer aswell on and off road and to the point of towing well you decide as they will both do the job well.

[Swerve]

All,

Have a look at these links on Outerlimits4WD

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6158

Also check the GU bible (Scroll down)

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=36481

In short any GU 3LTD Patrol after 2001 should be fine. The sumps were to small and No 1 Cylinder would get hot and the engine would blow. I have a 2003 GU 3L TD Auto and tow a Quintex 480 Freedom Sport. Tows excellant. Also not the GU chassis is the same as the GQ chassis and is getting dated, but is bullet proof ! All reports on Outerlimits state the 3L has better performance then the 4.2 but the 3l does have a bad name. If your buying new youll have 5 years warrenty so your laughing.

My mate just bought a new Prado GXL Petrol and the interior is very nice, much more car like. But again the Patrol would wim offroad and the Prado On-road. If for towing go the one with the highest KW and Tourque. Also note the GU Auto can tow 2500kg and the Prado is 2500kg. Just noted your thinking manual so you can tow 3200kg!!! Go the Patrol so you can buy a bigger boat later on.

Steve

[razorline]

I've got both the 3lt td patrol wagon and the 3lt td Navara, have done the chip and exhaust from the turbo back on both ;) ;) and they are GREAT once this was done. We tow a 8.5 mtr platey with em and they handle it with ease. Great on fuel, easy to drive, good vision(won't go there,sorry Ronnie ::) ::)) I would recommend these cars to anyone. But thats me :-?
Cheers Razorline

[Sportfish_5]

150K on the clock of the 2003 3.0 td Patrol now - not a problem with it what so ever. It's a great ride and feels far more steady in the sand than the last Prado I had.

I got the same decision to make in March this year and I think I will be going around again with the Patrol ST - L :P :P :P :P but the Prado certainly has a lot of creature comforts :-?


Cheers

Greg

[snakecatcher]

Toyota 100% - spent a lot of time when I lived down south with Vic Widman (reasonably well known 4WD guy - written a couple of books etc.) and he has travelled all over Aus and always, always drives a Toyota.

[rough_shag]

One small advantage the Prado has over a full size 4x4 is that it is lighter which equates to easier beach work and less fuel plus it's easier to park/manouvre when not off road(shopping centre carparks etc).The reason the midsized 4x4s are so popular is because they fill the roll of on and offroad use well without compromising too much either way.If your cruiser or patrol is offroad most of the time(you live in a remote area etc) then they will serve you better but if you only go offroad occasionally or tow a boat every few weeks then this means a compromise 4x4 makes more sense as you will be doing most of your driving in normal road situations where you would want easier handling/parking a softer ride and better fuel economy but still want a REAL 4x4 when you head off the blacktop and a vehicle like the Prado serves this purpose extremely well-imo.Jace.

[Boz]

Jusel

Both are great vehicles, very reliable ,very good reputations and have had their bugs ironed out by now. As a mechanic i have had customers with both and all have been very happy.
In reality you can't really say which is the better vehicle as they are both so very different.

PATROL: Tough as nuts, rugged, strong and reliable.
Really a truck (seperate chassis, solid diff front and rear, heavy duty driveline)
PRADO: Refined, smooth, comfortable ride, better performance.
More like a car (smaller and therefore lighter, independent suspension, smoother, quieter, more comfortable on road)

Base your decision on the type of use you intend to do the majority of the time. Both vehicles drive well on and off the road, the Prado is slightly nicer to drive on the road but that doesnt mean the patrol is not good. In the same respect the the Patrol is better when the going gets tough but that doesn't mean the Prado wont get you there either.
Both will tow your boat with ease, the Patrol maybe slightly slower but at the same time more stable (heavier/wider). Around town the Prado will be easier to park, give a bit better ride and be a bit quieter and smoother therefore easier to live with, so if its going to be driven around the city by the missus most of the time this is the vehicle i would go for.
On the other hand if you plan to do lots of offroading as well as towing the patrol will do it better.
I personally would be prepared to sacrifice a little comfort and refinement for a more rugged and durable vehicle, but then again I don't spend a lot of time driving around the city.

In the end both will do the job very well so take both for a nice long drive in your intended environment (take it out for the day if you have to) and im sure you will soon know which vehicle you would prefer to spend the next few years driving.

Good Luck.

Boz

[grayson]

Both vehicles get good write ups in all the 4wd press and forums so its personal. The Toyoat is far more refined and if you are goann do a lot of around town stuff is probably the better choice.

I have no experience with the Nissan 3.0ltr but I am a huge fan of the 4.2TD. I had one and towed around 5.8mtr boat and gear that topped 2 tons on the weighbridge and it was always a willing and smooth performer.

[2rods]

I have had both for work and find the Nissan a better vehicle. It's biggr which helps with the family side of things and the newer gen3 nissan engine have sorted out most if not all of the engine problems.

I found the prado a bit small inside and a bit tinny off road.

Take them both out for a drive and see what you think. Me I like the nissan.