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Vehicle Tests > 4WD Comparison - Battle Cruisers
4WD Comparison - Battle Cruisers
Issue: June 2009
Test by Fraser Stronach
Got $70 to $80K to spend on a petrol LandCruiser? Well, there's a couple of options, a 120 Series (aka Prado) with all the fruit, or a base-spec 200 Series.
Australians have long loved the LandCruiser but the LandCruiser they love now is not the LandCruiser they used to love. Ten years ago, the LandCruiser 100 Series, the 'full-strength' LandCruiser outsold the Prado, the 90 Series LandCruiser, or the "baby LandCruiser" as it was often called, by nearly two to one. Now, the current Prado (LandCruiser 120 Series) outsells the big daddy 200, successor to the 100, by around the same amount.
This change in buying preference is no doubt due to lots of things; the growing acceptance of the idea of a smaller LandCruiser, the fact that the 120 is bigger than the 90 anyway, the increased cost of the 200 over the 100, the non-availability of the 'budget' Standard model in the 200 range and the increasing interest in smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles.
There are probably many other reasons as well but, either way, the fact of the matter is that the Prado is now the 'default' LandCruiser ... the LandCruiser of choice even if most people don't even call it a LandCruiser but simply a Prado.
In recent times there is no doubt many people who have gone shopping for a 200 have ended up with a Prado, and perhaps some who ended up with a 200 when their initial interest was Prado.
All of which begs the question: how does the Prado stack up against the 200, and is the 200 that much better that it justifies the price difference over its (slightly) smaller stable mate?
The Contenders
For this test we are looking at the respective petrol* models of the 120 and 200 Series although the question of just which spec level Prado we would use to take on the most affordable 200, the GXL, was a matter of much debate. In the end we decided to go for price rather than spec parity and have chosen the top-spec $77,090 Prado Grande to run against the $73,990 GXL 200. The GXL 200 actually falls close to midway between the Grande and VX Prados but is still closer to the Grande's price. As the 200 (all 200s in fact) and the two top specification levels of Prado are auto-only we didn't have to think too hard about transmission options.
Work to do
Although a V6 powers the Prado and a V8 the 200, the two engines share much in common. The Prado's V6 is only 669cc smaller than the 200's V8; both engines are modern quad-cam designs with four vales per cylinder and variable intake valve timing and both have very similar specific power outputs, which means they are in a similar state of tune, and both are backed by what is essentially the same five-speed auto.
The claimed output for the Prado's V6 is 179kW of power with 376Nm of torque while the 200's V8 claims 202kW/410Nm.
What is interesting is that the V8 makes its maximum torque 400rpm lower than the V6 (3400rpm vs 3800) yet its maximum power is achieved 2000rpm higher, at 5400rpm, suggesting that it is more flexible, which it is.
What is more telling however is the fact that the Prado is over 500kg lighter than the 200. And, pedal to the metal that extra weight more than cancels out the V8's power advantage with the Prado smarter off the line and stronger in most general driving conditions up to and even beyond freeway speeds.
As speed builds and aerodynamic drag rather than weight increasingly becomes the factor to overcome, the V8's extra power starts to tell. The 200 has slightly more frontal area than the Prado but it has a better drag coefficient, so the overall air resistance is similar.
This advantage is however not one you'd experience at legal speeds in Australia now that the NT has been 'slowed down'. What the V8 does deliver at normal touring speeds is a level of refinement, effortlessness and sensual delight that the V6 can't match. The V6 is still refined, smooth and quiet in general driving but ask more of it and it looks for lower gears more often and it doesn't sound or feel as good as the V8 when asked to rev.
Despite this the Prado still uses less fuel. Put that down to the extra weight of the 200. ADR fuel figures are 13.8 litres/100km for the V6 and 14.5 for the V8 while our testing saw the V6 use 15.2 and the V8 getting thirsty at 18.6. Rubbing salt into this wound is the fact that the Prado has a 180-litre fuel tank while the 200 has 138 litres. That gives the Prado a 1150 to 1250km touring range and the 200 a 700 to 900km range.
Both gearboxes offer the same inherent shift quality, as you would expect, but the 200 has a parallel gate 'tip-shift' arrangement for 'manual' control where the Prado has a dogleg gate that takes a little longer to learn but still works well.
On-Road Dynamics
Both 200 and Prado are built on a separate chassis and have all-coil suspension, the front via double wishbones and the rear via a five-link live axle. At the Grande spec level, the Prado's suspension has driver-selectable height adjustment and variable damping, not that variable damping seems to produce any great change in handling or ride characteristics over its range of adjustment. On the other hand the 200, like all 200s bar the GXL diesel, has KDSS, a fully automatic hydro-mechanical system that effectively stiffens the anti-roll bars for on-road use but 'loosens' them for off-road use.
Both 200 and Prado have a soft-ish suspension tune and both sacrifice sharp dynamics for a comfortable and compliant ride. But there are significant differences between the two. After driving the Prado, the 200 feels more solid and substantial, it has more steering feel and there's less tendency to understeer. But it's also less stable on rough roads, especially at higher speeds.
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In comparison the Prado feels more sporty and agile (although this is only a relative thing) even though it suffers from early and persistent understeer. What it does significantly better than the 200 is remain more composed at higher speeds on bad roads and, ultimately, when push comes to shove, is the better handling vehicle.
Off Road
It's no surprise that both Prado and 200 come into their own off road. The fact that their respective on-road dynamic abilities are somewhat compromised is due to the fact that much of the chassis set-up and tuning is aimed at making them more capable when the going gets tough.
At this spec level both 200 and Prado come standard with electronic traction control (ETC is optional on lesser Prados but standard on all 200s) and both have a Torsen (torque-sensing) centre diff. Where the 200 wins out over the Prado is with its exceptional wheel travel (thanks in part to the KDSS system) which not only makes it more capable off road but more comfortable.
It' a cold day in hell that when a Prado rides harshly off road, but that's exactly the impression you get jumping out of the 200 into it. This is despite the fact that the Prado has a very compliant off-road ride compared to many, if not most, other 4WDs.
For its part the Prado also has a few tricks up its sleeve in terms of its height-adjustable suspension and the fact that it's lighter, smaller and more manoeuvrable than the 200. Either way, both of these vehicles are very capable off road and the defining difference is more in comfort than capability.
Accommodation and Equipment
Both Prado and 200 are eight seaters but there's a big difference in comfort and space. Up front the 200's seats are more comfortable and the cabin is wider but the driver's seat has no height adjustment at this spec level. Tall drivers find they sit too close to the roof while short drivers often feel they sit too low, especially for off-road driving where vision is important. No such problem with the Prado as the Grande has (electric) height adjustment. Both Prado and 200 have steering wheel reach and tilt adjustment, a feature lacking in too many Japanese 4WDs.
Where you really appreciate the extra space of the 200 is with its second-row seat, which is roomy enough for three adults. The Prado's second-row seat isn't bad but it's not nearly as wide or accommodating as the 200's. Surprising, there's not much between the two third rows which are really only good for children, or for smaller adults over short distances. With the third row folded up the 200's luggage space is bigger than the Prado's and there's also marginally more space behind the third row seat (when deployed) in the 200 than the Prado. The 200's third-row seats are also easier to deploy.
The base GXL 200 is well equipped safety-wise with front, side and curtain airbags and the full raft of electronic chassis controls (ABS brakes, traction and stability control etc.) but there's not much else that's really noteworthy or you wouldn't expect at this price range. In fact, with the 200 GXL, it's more a case of what you miss out on.
On the other hand the Prado Grande matches the 200 for safety equipment but adds a long list of luxury kit including leather, the previously mentioned electric seat adjust for both driver and passenger, touch-screen sat-nav, a premium sound system, a reversing camera, sunroof, and foglights.
Practicalities
If you are after a tow vehicle then the 200 offers a 3500kg (braked) towing capacity while the Prado is limited to 2500kg. But, surprisingly, the Prado has a slighter higher payload despite is lower GVM (2850kg vs 3300kg).
Both vehicles ride on 17-inch alloys but the 200 has 285/55 rubber while the Prado rides on 265/65s. Another point of difference is that the Prado's spare wheel is more accessible as it is mounted on the rear door while the 200's spare is under the vehicle. The flip side here is that the 200 has a horizontally split rear door, a far more practical arrangement than the Prado's single, side-opening door.
Sum Up
All things considered there are two very solid reasons why you would buy a petrol 200 rather than a petrol Prado - towing and regular off-road use. A third, but less compelling, reason is the 200's extra interior space. And you may even opt for the 200 because you can't do without the sound, feel and refinement of its superb V8.
Outside of that the Prado handles better, accelerates faster, is more economical and has a much longer touring range. And for the same money, it's much better equipped. And, if you're not interested in all the Grande's kit you can opt for the GXL ($58,540 in auto guise), add the $2600 safety option pack (side and curtain airbags plus traction and stability control) that it really needs, and still save a heap of money.
The 200 may still be the only 'proper' LandCruiser in many people's eyes, but all those Prado buyers aren't wrong. It simply makes more sense more of the time.
Test fuel consumption:
Prado: 15.2 litres/100km
200: 18.6 litres/100km
Test by Fraser Stronach
Got $70 to $80K to spend on a petrol LandCruiser? Well, there's a couple of options, a 120 Series (aka Prado) with all the fruit, or a base-spec 200 Series.
Australians have long loved the LandCruiser but the LandCruiser they love now is not the LandCruiser they used to love. Ten years ago, the LandCruiser 100 Series, the 'full-strength' LandCruiser outsold the Prado, the 90 Series LandCruiser, or the "baby LandCruiser" as it was often called, by nearly two to one. Now, the current Prado (LandCruiser 120 Series) outsells the big daddy 200, successor to the 100, by around the same amount.
This change in buying preference is no doubt due to lots of things; the growing acceptance of the idea of a smaller LandCruiser, the fact that the 120 is bigger than the 90 anyway, the increased cost of the 200 over the 100, the non-availability of the 'budget' Standard model in the 200 range and the increasing interest in smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles.
There are probably many other reasons as well but, either way, the fact of the matter is that the Prado is now the 'default' LandCruiser ... the LandCruiser of choice even if most people don't even call it a LandCruiser but simply a Prado.
In recent times there is no doubt many people who have gone shopping for a 200 have ended up with a Prado, and perhaps some who ended up with a 200 when their initial interest was Prado.
All of which begs the question: how does the Prado stack up against the 200, and is the 200 that much better that it justifies the price difference over its (slightly) smaller stable mate?
The Contenders
For this test we are looking at the respective petrol* models of the 120 and 200 Series although the question of just which spec level Prado we would use to take on the most affordable 200, the GXL, was a matter of much debate. In the end we decided to go for price rather than spec parity and have chosen the top-spec $77,090 Prado Grande to run against the $73,990 GXL 200. The GXL 200 actually falls close to midway between the Grande and VX Prados but is still closer to the Grande's price. As the 200 (all 200s in fact) and the two top specification levels of Prado are auto-only we didn't have to think too hard about transmission options.
Work to do
Although a V6 powers the Prado and a V8 the 200, the two engines share much in common. The Prado's V6 is only 669cc smaller than the 200's V8; both engines are modern quad-cam designs with four vales per cylinder and variable intake valve timing and both have very similar specific power outputs, which means they are in a similar state of tune, and both are backed by what is essentially the same five-speed auto.
The claimed output for the Prado's V6 is 179kW of power with 376Nm of torque while the 200's V8 claims 202kW/410Nm.
What is interesting is that the V8 makes its maximum torque 400rpm lower than the V6 (3400rpm vs 3800) yet its maximum power is achieved 2000rpm higher, at 5400rpm, suggesting that it is more flexible, which it is.
What is more telling however is the fact that the Prado is over 500kg lighter than the 200. And, pedal to the metal that extra weight more than cancels out the V8's power advantage with the Prado smarter off the line and stronger in most general driving conditions up to and even beyond freeway speeds.
As speed builds and aerodynamic drag rather than weight increasingly becomes the factor to overcome, the V8's extra power starts to tell. The 200 has slightly more frontal area than the Prado but it has a better drag coefficient, so the overall air resistance is similar.
This advantage is however not one you'd experience at legal speeds in Australia now that the NT has been 'slowed down'. What the V8 does deliver at normal touring speeds is a level of refinement, effortlessness and sensual delight that the V6 can't match. The V6 is still refined, smooth and quiet in general driving but ask more of it and it looks for lower gears more often and it doesn't sound or feel as good as the V8 when asked to rev.
Despite this the Prado still uses less fuel. Put that down to the extra weight of the 200. ADR fuel figures are 13.8 litres/100km for the V6 and 14.5 for the V8 while our testing saw the V6 use 15.2 and the V8 getting thirsty at 18.6. Rubbing salt into this wound is the fact that the Prado has a 180-litre fuel tank while the 200 has 138 litres. That gives the Prado a 1150 to 1250km touring range and the 200 a 700 to 900km range.
Both gearboxes offer the same inherent shift quality, as you would expect, but the 200 has a parallel gate 'tip-shift' arrangement for 'manual' control where the Prado has a dogleg gate that takes a little longer to learn but still works well.
On-Road Dynamics
Both 200 and Prado are built on a separate chassis and have all-coil suspension, the front via double wishbones and the rear via a five-link live axle. At the Grande spec level, the Prado's suspension has driver-selectable height adjustment and variable damping, not that variable damping seems to produce any great change in handling or ride characteristics over its range of adjustment. On the other hand the 200, like all 200s bar the GXL diesel, has KDSS, a fully automatic hydro-mechanical system that effectively stiffens the anti-roll bars for on-road use but 'loosens' them for off-road use.
Both 200 and Prado have a soft-ish suspension tune and both sacrifice sharp dynamics for a comfortable and compliant ride. But there are significant differences between the two. After driving the Prado, the 200 feels more solid and substantial, it has more steering feel and there's less tendency to understeer. But it's also less stable on rough roads, especially at higher speeds.
read on below advertisement
In comparison the Prado feels more sporty and agile (although this is only a relative thing) even though it suffers from early and persistent understeer. What it does significantly better than the 200 is remain more composed at higher speeds on bad roads and, ultimately, when push comes to shove, is the better handling vehicle.
Off Road
It's no surprise that both Prado and 200 come into their own off road. The fact that their respective on-road dynamic abilities are somewhat compromised is due to the fact that much of the chassis set-up and tuning is aimed at making them more capable when the going gets tough.
At this spec level both 200 and Prado come standard with electronic traction control (ETC is optional on lesser Prados but standard on all 200s) and both have a Torsen (torque-sensing) centre diff. Where the 200 wins out over the Prado is with its exceptional wheel travel (thanks in part to the KDSS system) which not only makes it more capable off road but more comfortable.
It' a cold day in hell that when a Prado rides harshly off road, but that's exactly the impression you get jumping out of the 200 into it. This is despite the fact that the Prado has a very compliant off-road ride compared to many, if not most, other 4WDs.
For its part the Prado also has a few tricks up its sleeve in terms of its height-adjustable suspension and the fact that it's lighter, smaller and more manoeuvrable than the 200. Either way, both of these vehicles are very capable off road and the defining difference is more in comfort than capability.
Accommodation and Equipment
Both Prado and 200 are eight seaters but there's a big difference in comfort and space. Up front the 200's seats are more comfortable and the cabin is wider but the driver's seat has no height adjustment at this spec level. Tall drivers find they sit too close to the roof while short drivers often feel they sit too low, especially for off-road driving where vision is important. No such problem with the Prado as the Grande has (electric) height adjustment. Both Prado and 200 have steering wheel reach and tilt adjustment, a feature lacking in too many Japanese 4WDs.
Where you really appreciate the extra space of the 200 is with its second-row seat, which is roomy enough for three adults. The Prado's second-row seat isn't bad but it's not nearly as wide or accommodating as the 200's. Surprising, there's not much between the two third rows which are really only good for children, or for smaller adults over short distances. With the third row folded up the 200's luggage space is bigger than the Prado's and there's also marginally more space behind the third row seat (when deployed) in the 200 than the Prado. The 200's third-row seats are also easier to deploy.
The base GXL 200 is well equipped safety-wise with front, side and curtain airbags and the full raft of electronic chassis controls (ABS brakes, traction and stability control etc.) but there's not much else that's really noteworthy or you wouldn't expect at this price range. In fact, with the 200 GXL, it's more a case of what you miss out on.
On the other hand the Prado Grande matches the 200 for safety equipment but adds a long list of luxury kit including leather, the previously mentioned electric seat adjust for both driver and passenger, touch-screen sat-nav, a premium sound system, a reversing camera, sunroof, and foglights.
Practicalities
If you are after a tow vehicle then the 200 offers a 3500kg (braked) towing capacity while the Prado is limited to 2500kg. But, surprisingly, the Prado has a slighter higher payload despite is lower GVM (2850kg vs 3300kg).
Both vehicles ride on 17-inch alloys but the 200 has 285/55 rubber while the Prado rides on 265/65s. Another point of difference is that the Prado's spare wheel is more accessible as it is mounted on the rear door while the 200's spare is under the vehicle. The flip side here is that the 200 has a horizontally split rear door, a far more practical arrangement than the Prado's single, side-opening door.
Sum Up
All things considered there are two very solid reasons why you would buy a petrol 200 rather than a petrol Prado - towing and regular off-road use. A third, but less compelling, reason is the 200's extra interior space. And you may even opt for the 200 because you can't do without the sound, feel and refinement of its superb V8.
Outside of that the Prado handles better, accelerates faster, is more economical and has a much longer touring range. And for the same money, it's much better equipped. And, if you're not interested in all the Grande's kit you can opt for the GXL ($58,540 in auto guise), add the $2600 safety option pack (side and curtain airbags plus traction and stability control) that it really needs, and still save a heap of money.
The 200 may still be the only 'proper' LandCruiser in many people's eyes, but all those Prado buyers aren't wrong. It simply makes more sense more of the time.
Test fuel consumption:
Prado: 15.2 litres/100km
200: 18.6 litres/100km