Landcruiser Prado or a Freddy Kluger...?

[kegger]

Hi folks

Not sure what to do about our car situation. We have two options - get a Toyota Landcruiser Prado (diesel), probably a 2003 or 2004 model for approx $35k (I love these cars).

Or, or Toyotal Kluger that would be a 2004 or 05/early 06 model for just under $30k (my wife loves these cars...).

Both are big cars that would use more fuel than the 05 Corolla wagon we have at present, but 3 kids under 4 is becoming difficult to manage in the Corolla - my Mum and Dad say it looks like the tardis...kids just keep coming from somewhere....

We would keep the wagon because it's the best car we have ever owned and I can then drive it to work.

If you have a Prado or a Kluger, your comments would be most welcomed, or if you have similar sized vehicles and either would or would not recomend a purchase.

Cheers

 

[silversands]

hey Kegger, hope you received my pm. We like the prado too, but bought a 2005 pathfinder 2.5l turbo diesel. Hubby likes the shape, I think it's ugly! but it's ecconomical, reliable and I can fit a pallet of stock for the shop in the back with all seats down. It flies up the southern expressway with ease when fully loaded and whilst I think it got hit with the ugly stick you can't beat it for value. You would get one (05) for a tad over / under $30K with average miles privately.

On a sour point though have you seen the rising price of diesel in the last couple of weeks? Ouch!

 

[silversands]

... or you could just be very smart and buy the Kluger and keep the good wife happy!

 

[Rogo202]

I'm assuming you are either going to be towing or going off road?

otherwise why the expence of a 4x4 trunk when a larger station wagon would be better suited to city driving.

 

[kegger]

Thanks silversands - we live in Crafers SA so the tips for the espressway are relevant for the freeway too...

Togo - I have had Fords and Holdens in the past and they spent more time on tow trucks than anywhere else, so looking at something reliable (i.e. Toyota) that can fit 3 kids and also go off road, as we do quite a bit of camping as well and at times need to tow a trailer.

Did you have a particular model etc in mind ?....maybe I have just had bad luck in the past !

Cheers

 

[topcropper]

We love our diesel Prado. We will never own another vehicle.

It comes down to how much off road you will do. We do a lot and are often out some remote place looking for a camp spot. Plus with 3 kids, being an 8 seater, it's handy for when the kids have friends around.

The Kluger would be nice for gravel roads. Prado for off road. Cars for tar.

See ya's.

 

[Horizon]

Another vote for the Prado

We also have a diesel prado and love it!

The 8 seater is great for taking kids friends to sport, parents away on 4wd beach trips with us to the islands off Brisbane. The rear seats (3) come out in a minute, should you need more room for gear.

Great 4wd for bush tracks as well. Great vehicle for us for our "weekend adventures" with the kids. We try as often as we can, do at least a day trip, picnic on board to see more of this great country. The kids love it (as do their parents)

 

[lizzie]

we've got a full sized 2000 model landcruiser on lpg gas - it's great, looses very little power and very economical. and the shape still looks as modern today as it did 8 years ago.

and yes - four kids, a large boat and a dog ....

however hubby is trying to get me into a little golf or hyundai diesel for my next car ... i'm waiting for someone to bring out a diesel/electric hybrid little car.

 

[BoatBoy]

If you are not going to use it as a 4x4, why buy a 4x4?

My uncle regularly moves 6 adults around and has a newish Tarago.

An amazingly versatile vehicle, drives well and would have no where near the thirst of a Prado or Kluger.

Very spaceshippy inside and out.

http://www.drive.com.au/Search/Sear...O%7c&pr=|30000&from=9&nv=1&pg=2&SG=1913154709

Before that he had a Kia Carnivale, seemed pretty good and these have a lot less klms on the clock for similar money

http://www.drive.com.au/used-cars/K...4162163&pg=1&pp=3&d=0&nv=1&SG=1198642972&pt=1

Dave

 

[wylie]

We have a 7 seat Mitsubishi Nimbus which I love. Easy on the fuel, pulls a heavy trailer. Looks like a squat station wagon and we can separate the boys so they don't all have to sit squashed up together. We can quickly and easily remove one or both back seats for a huge area for carrying stuff, or fold them down.

Smooth ride and great safety features as well, though at 5 years old, doesn't have side airbags, which I would look for now if buying a new car.

I can understand needing a 4x4 if you go off road regularly but people who say they need one to pull a trailer, caravan or boat seem to forget that we have been pulling boats and caravans long before 4x4 were de rigeur.

 

[our obsession]

A friend has a Prado, I think it is the 04, she is a GP (rural Vic), and it goes well and never let her down...backroads, dirt, town, cities, towing a float and horses, children mover....reliability has been good so far, (she bought it new).

My cousin is a mechanic, she is also the local RACV person and has just bought a Prado, she likes them...a lot...has very few call outs to broken down Prados. (It will be used to tow a caravan and boat-although not at the same time ).

We have a Pajero (automatic diesel), and is used for towing and navigating around decrepit outback/backroads of rural Victoria as well as all the other family stuff....It gets a thrashing clocking up k's, has never missed a beat, although we also bought it new, (2004)...vehicle reliability is essential in the bush and scrub, peoples lives may depend upon it one day..this baby has never missed a beat. We do far more towing than my friend, we would choose a Pajero over Prado...but only just.

 

[Spectre]

I've got a 50th anniv prado. By far the best vehicle I have ever owned.

wife tells me to sell it and i say no way. (I look forward to the time where fuel is $5 a litre and I embarass the kids in dropping them off to school in a 20 year old guzzler)

Its too bad Toyota dont have a sedan that isnt a boat and focus so much on a camry. Its a camry or a corolla.

Main issue between prado and kluger is size and versatility.

Prado has a bit more where w/a kluger you might be limited.

Also with the prado its good you can stick some kids in the middle and some in the back and spread them out

I think people might compare a prado with a pajero but when you stick a pajero up against a big landcruiser the big cruiser is the overall winner (unless you're rushing to get to Dakkar in world record time as I know I am)

 

[our obsession]

Toyota Landcruiser..

Oh yes, we have the landcruiser (ute) on the farm, it is my ute, I love it. It is the most faithful runabout workhorse...get a kick in the guts and jump up and say what next mate?

It is middleaged, gets serviced lovingly and regularly and probably, off the top of my head from what I can recall has only had replacements of belts, batteries tyres and such, no major surgery, just year to year maintenance stuff...

I have posted a picture of it before, will spare everyone the embarrassment of posting again but know that it is a farmgirl's best friend (apart the farmer)

....and about 24 children so far have learnt to drive in it...(manual) they love it too, they come home to the farm to see old faithful and ignore us.

 

[wylie]

It is middleaged, gets serviced lovingly and regularly and probably, off the top of my head from what I can recall has only had replacements of belts, batteries tyres and such, no major surgery, just year to year maintenance stuff...

For a moment there I thought you were talking about me

 

[lizzie]

but people who say they need one to pull a trailer, caravan or boat seem to forget that we have been pulling boats and caravans long before 4x4 were de rigeur.

not when it's a 2 tonne boat and trailer - van just don't cut it!

 

[wylie]

Hi Lizzie. Point taken, but some people just want the "prestige" of the 4x4. We pulled a caravan with a car when I was young.

I just get annoyed that perhaps 90% of 4x4 drivers never leave the road. I personally cannot understand the mentality of paying for an extra set of gears (or whatever a 4x4 has) and huge expense and shocking fuel efficiency just for looks. Why pull around 2 tonnes of metal when you can pull around half that for probably half the petrol cost?

I particularly dislike that my very safe vehicle is rendered unsafe if I am in an accident with a huge, high-riding 4x4 that comes at me through the windscreen rather than hitting me where the extra safety is, in the side panels.

 

[BoatBoy]

My old man used to pull a 21 ft Caravan with a six cylinder car in the 70's and a 21 ft fiberglass powerboat with a six cylinder car in the 80's.

Both the van and the boat would have been much heavier than their modern day equivilent.

The six cylinder car would have much less power than its modern day equivilent.

Dave

 

[kegger]

Thanks everyone, we will be going and actually driving some cars now - see what they are like etc,

I agree about towing, as in the 'old days' cars used to tow caravans and boats etc, but the cars were a lot stronger back then...

For example, an old HQ holden could have probably towed anything. My old man had a VP Commodore when they were new, hooked the boat on and the first time dragging it up the ramp, the back window shattered because the whole back of the car bent out of shape...

They don't make them like they used to !

Cheers

 

[twobobsworth]

I particularly dislike that my very safe vehicle is rendered unsafe if I am in an accident with a huge, high-riding 4x4 that comes at me through the windscreen rather than hitting me where the extra safety is, in the side panels.

I particularly dislike that my very safe 4WD is rendered unsafe if I am in an accident with a huge, high riding mack truck that comes at me through the windscreen rather than hitting me whre the extra safety is, in the side panels. But at least I'm a lot safer when that P plater in a turbo charged pimp mobile tries to take my family out.

 

[Ol School Skata]

A Prado is a holden Jackeroo in new clothing! would not recommend the Jackeroo to any of my mates as they were light in the **** end, but the "Toyota" version may be better.

For my money I would not buy a Freddy as the market is not as accepting of a Freddy as they are a Prado (Prado's are way more popular therefore likely to hold value better in my mind).

If it had to be a choice between the two it would be the Prado. However i believe there are better vehicles out there - so extend the research beyond toyota.

OSS