Reliability

In the two and a half years of ownership, I’ve been extremely lucky. The 1GR has given very little trouble; I’ve done oil changes every 7000 km, and replaced air filters, the fuel filter, brakes, tyres all-round, and one very tired alternator.

It otherwise has been extremely reliable, starting on the first click and never failing; let’s skip over the end-of-life alternator at the airport long-term car park- a can of contact cleaner and the crossing of fingers and toes for the hour drive home seemed to get us home to swap it out for the new one. But keep in mind that the original alternator was 19 years old when it finally let go, a solid lifespan!

How it drives

The word ‘creamy’ is the only way to articulate the way the Prado drives. It has oodles of power, sublime comfort from the Grande model’s adjustable damping settings controlled from the dash, not to mention adjustable rear air-bag suspension. It wafts along happily, with nothing phasing this land barge. Short trip to the shops, no problem!

The Prado has a fairly small footprint for such a tall car, so it is easy to park in tight spaces. Open road cruising into country Victoria? That’s where Toyota’s reputation as the ultimate vehicle to travel in comes to the fore; the effortless, reassuring feel you get from the driver’s seat makes you smile every time you drive it.

Ownership experience

I do most of my own servicing, so it’s been good overall. Parts are plentiful, and as these vehicles were released everywhere, availability and pricing are very reasonable. To date, there have been no issues with sub-optimal parts or fitment issues. My mechanic (the times where he has the car for the service instead), told me never to sell the car as it will outlast humanity itself.

Features and practicality

With 3 kids all in car seats, prams, bikes, sports equipment and school bags, the Prado has been the ultimate family hauler. Side airbags for rear occupants as standard add confidence when carrying your family around safely as well: the car’s leather seats have repelled all manner of spills and mess with nothing more than a wipe down, although be aware that the leather may be starting to wear by now.

It can tow a box trailer without you even knowing it’s on the back, be loaded with the kids and all their things, the in-laws in the third row, and not even for a split second do you think it’s not going to handle it with ease.

From a features standpoint, the Grande offers a sunroof, a cool box centre console, as well as dual-zone climate control, and in my particular example it came with a CD player and an upgrade to an aftermarket head unit featuring Apple CarPlay, as well as a reverse camera, were early additions.

During my time owning the car, I also added a factory-spec Sovereign bullbar and a set of spotlights because I was doing a lot of long trips at dawn for work. The spotlights let me see safely on rural roads, and the bullbar was added as insurance from our mate, skippy. Safe to say, I only had one near-miss!

Anything else?

For anyone who wants a big, comfortable, easy-to-live-with car, the Prado is the way to go. I’ve done over 100,000km on it since buying it second-hand, and aside from normal wear and tear, maintenance, and a lot of fuel, it’s been sublime.