How much worse can can the modern Toyota woes get....roll over risk!

[ozscott]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/14/w...ollover-prone/

I assume that this GX is in fact the 200 series Cruiser in drag - US based.

Its amazing stuff on the tail of all the other woes.

Cheers

[TimiBoy]

I dunno - they're saying the 4runner version has a V6, and the GX a V8. The body looks more like the new Prado than a 200 Series, borne out by the fact that the 200 ONLY comes in a V8, worldwide.

I've certainly felt nothing approaching oversteer in my Cruiser...

Cheers,

Tim

[ozscott]

Hey Tim. Might be the Prado then styled up like the 200 - hard to tell the size from the photos and I didnt bother getting online in the US to see. If you have not noticed any oversteer then either 1. You are spot on and its a Prado in drag or 2. You have not loaned it to the Missus (if like mine

Cheers

[murf]

I dunno - they're saying the 4runner version has a V6, and the GX a V8. The body looks more like the new Prado than a 200 Series, borne out by the fact that the 200 ONLY comes in a V8, worldwide.

I've certainly felt nothing approaching oversteer in my Cruiser...

Cheers,

Tim

you drive like an old lady so you will never get oversteer (unless on a bush track haha)

cheers Murf

[FNQCairns]

I saw this on TV and it left me a little confused at the time, it seemed to me that the driver deliberately tried to induce over-steer and he got what he asked for.

Having never driven a car with stability control to the level I actually needed it to work his induced example was still better controlled than cars without it.

If it had a driver defined selection for 'fun' and was set at 2 out of 3, 3 being the highest stability control offered this is what it looked like...possibly Toyota has become an easy mark of late...even on top gear/fifth gear they get cars with over zealous stability control and if memory serves me some in the other direction too.

But i dunno!

[wamjam]

Id like to see them put the v8 tray back cruiser into a slide like that , they look like a forklift from behind , the rear wheels look about 75mm closer together than the front ones. I think toyota would be replacing the left hand miror.
Who wants that blokes job??????.
wamjam

[gr hilly]

Tyre's are not looked at hard enough in my opinion, i do know that my cruiser handles twice as good with 11ins tyre's it is unbelievable the change in both cornering and steering and on the beach well i don't use 4x4 half as much some of the new vehicle's tyres don't do much for the cars they come out with.
hilly

[Scott nthQld]

wouldn't matter what car you drive, if you come into a corner too hot and dump it to get the back end out, even the best engineered sportscars will have a roll over, its all just some tool, driving the car beyond its capabilities (and probably his own) and giving it a bad rating because it didn't do something it wasn't designed for. Any fool would know that this type of vehicle is not made to be fanged sideways around corners.

[BenDover]

Looked pretty good to me... I was waiting for the roll over. But it never came

[shrunken pojie]

So what they are saying is "Don't buy this car, cause the computer won’t save your bacon when you do something really really dumb." Did I interpret this right? Whatever happened to "Drive to the conditions, the limits of your car and your limited ability as a driver?"


Phill

[Mr__Bean]

I think what they are saying is that if you go into a corner very hard, and you take your foot off the accerlerator (without braking), then you can normally expect severe understeer. However, with their version of a Prado with the 4.6 litre V8 you will get severe oversteer.

Regardless of the electronics, it appears too heavy and too high for its relatively narrow Prado wheel track. Slap in a new V8, chuck in every known accessory, fatten it right up for comfort and call it a Lexus. Sounds good as long as you don't want to drive it.

It also sounds very like the issue that Ford had with their Explorer's accept that Ford tried to treat the condition by requiring reduced tyre pressures (down to 26PSI), trouble was that the original fitment Firestone tyres then had sidewall failures with serious loss of life when occuring at high speed.

With this still in the mind of many Americans I don't think Toyota had an option but remove it from sale until resolved.

- Darren

[White Pointer]

G'day,

The car is a Lexus version of the Prado with a V8 engine. The problem is that the calibration of stability control is wacko.

When asked for comment Toyota Australia said that the problem related to the yank version having extra weight over the front axle due to the V8 engine. He went on to say that complaints in Australia were not about ESC failing to engage - but engaging too early. Duhh!

So the next time you are driving near a Prado and it suddenly brakes, runs out of power, steers onto the wrong side of the road and runs you off it - blame Toyota.

They have lost the plot.

Toyota was once a competitive manufacturer in quality, production systems and technology. They adapted new technology to win a WRC and prompty retired. They competed in F1 for several years and just got worse and worse despite throwing money at it. They quit F1 when the spending caps were imposed figuring that if they couldn't win when they could throw $100 of millions at it they had no chance under budget caps.

Toyota think it's about money - not talent, skill and entrepreneurship. They have made the consumer their testing department because they lack talent, skill, etc.

They are not alone. The motor industry today is a competition in mediocrity at all levels.

Regards,

White Pointer

[robothefisho]

I think they got the calibration spot on. Oversteer is much easier and safer to control than understeer and is much more likely to get you to where you wanted.

[finga]

The old series III Landrover never had that problem.

Electronics. Just another excuse for peoples stuff ups.
ie...
Q: how did you hit the tree??
A: the traction control and every other bit of electronics must have failed.
Q: did you take your foot of the accelerator when you came to the hairpin bend on the dirt road that was wet??
A: huh??

[ozscott]

Robert - experienced drivers who have grown up on hanging out the rear of their V8 Ford/Holden will know what to do with oversteer - ie opposite lock and power on and then off and correct before the snap back...but MOST people will not and would loose it spectacularly and in a 4wd like a prado probably roll it....so understeer is better for most people and I dare say 99% of mums. The first reaction if the car is running wide in a corner is to back off and then perhaps to brake, either of which will pull the car back into the steering line (as much as it will go back that is and ultimately if you go in WAY too hot your gone).

And worse for such a behemoth like the lexis it would likely go from roll understeer to snap oversteer in a heartbeat - a nasty combo.

Cheers