Off-road? It's a no-brainer

The Prado has some really clever bits, especially for extreme terrain. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

I've just had four SUVs in a row, but the most interesting pairing was following last week's Range Rover with this Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX Ltd. Both are powered by 3.0-litre diesels; both are superlative off-roaders; and both are a touch OTT in terms of driver aids.

Regrettably, I could take neither into the rough, and my schedule mandated less time in the Prado than I would have liked.

But one thing was immediately obvious. This thing drives like the very big bush-basher it is, and not like the Remuera tractor its leather cabin and chrome grille might suggest.

That's in part thanks to the rugged, old-school underpinnings, with a live rear axle mated to the fully independent front, and a body-on-frame ladder-chassis construction.

Then there's the engine, a 3.0-litre intercooled turbo-charged diesel. It's a four-cylinder with comparatively modest power: its 410Nm has to shunt 2.3 tonnes.

Compare that torque with the Range Rover Sport's 600Nm and it looks a bit sick - after all, both are heavy, yet the Rangie's motor is responsive while the Toyota's sedate. But the Prado gets the last laugh at the pump - I averaged 9.8l/100km to the Rangie's 11.1.

That would rise if we went off-road of course, which is what this Prado, with its off-road pack and focused engine and chassis design, is for.

Trouble is our test was on-road, where a smoother powerplant would be nice, and better ride and handling.

Despite the variable suspension set-up, the ability to select a firmer setting and roll control that minimises both side-to-side and fore-aft pitch, there's still noticeable body movement. And that ruffled on-road manners, with stability control intervening more than expected.

Shame we couldn't head bush, for to properly test this car takes rugged conditions. But the suite of electronic aids relieves the driver of so many tasks there's little left but steering: great if you're working, less so if you like testing your skills against the terrain.

That's especially so with the off-road pack fitted to our test car. It includes multi-terrain ABS, multi-terrain select, cameras to check blind spots for hazards, crawl control and an electronically controlled rear diff lock at no extra charge for VX Ltd - because fitting it deletes the pre-crash system and replaces dynamic radar control with standard cruise.

Crawl control's the cleverest bit - it's effectively off-road cruise control. You set the speed and steer; the car's electronics read the wheels, send power here and there, activate hill control, ABS etc ... You sit back, twirl the wheel and let the car get on with the rest. Great off-road, overkill for daily driving.

As for the cabin, all I can say is it doesn't feel as luxurious as the price suggests, while fascia design features a scattergun approach to switch placement that resembles a flight deck in its complexity.

Once, Prado's superlative off-road performance would have been enough to sell it. But nowadays we also expect heavy-duty SUVs to handle reasonably on-road, especially when they cost $104,990.

If you tackle extreme terrain, Prado's a no-brainer. But it makes too many compromises to be bought as a roomy family runabout.

Toyota Prado VX Ltd

We like
Supernatural off-road ability

We don't like
On-road handling; this is not a car for the school run

Powertrain
3-litre intercooled turbocharged common rail diesel, 127kW at 3400rpm and 410Nm at 1600-2800rpm, five-speed auto drives all four wheels

Performance
0-100km/h relaxed; 8.5l/100

Safety
ABS brakes, stability and traction control, seven airbags

What it has
Hill descent, downhill assist, back monitor, wide view front and side monitor, parking sensors, DVD player and remote, sun roof, privacy glass, three-zone climate control air, six-stack CD, dynamic radar cruise control, seven seats and more

Vital stats
4760mm long, 104-1833-litre boot, tows 2.5 tonnes, 87-litre tank