So, I’m walking the fearsome hounds around the block (it’s a short walk) and I notice a Prado in a drive. Nothing special about that they are everywhere here, this had a roof rack, awning and few bits and bobs on it, typical Australian family camping wagon. Anyway, it got me thinking about what a great rig the Prado (Lexus thingamajig in the States) is. Pretty much everything to everyone.
A stroke of genius you might say, looking back. So, on that, where did Prado come from and what makes it such a great choice? (it is my default choice for anyone asking about buying a 4x4, despite getting asked quite often on car buying decisions (because I’m a car guy, right?) I actually have very little idea about the newer car market. However the Prado is one of those vehicles you can recommend to pretty much anyone).
In the 80's, as the 4x4 market started to gain serious traction outside of agricultural, military and professional uses. Models designed to appeal to more regular car buyers started to appear. Toyota, by now an established player in the off-road vehicle market recognised this and split its well respected Land Cruiser model into two distinct lineages. Heavy duty and light duty. Heavy duty being the evolving full size wagon, at this time being the 60 series, yet also encompassing the larger engined and larger version of the 40 series replacement, the 70 series.
Road closed. Detour ahead... You will notice that some of the 60 series in this picture (middle row) have raised roofs. You still see these around over here, plus similar models of Nissan Patrols. I’ve often wondered what influenced this particular design trend? The best explanation I can find is that it was for extra headroom for people who liked to camp inside their vehicle. Mostly it was found on the top spec Land Cruiser model so maybe it was just a thing at the time and Nissan shadowing Toyota or vice versa? Anyway I dig them.
The light duty offshoot was originally a version of the 70 series. Albeit with 4 cylinder engines and lighter running gear (from the Hilux), initially called the Bundera in Australia, it soon became known almost everywhere as the Prado.
Safe to say in some configurations, it was a slightly odd looking thing.
Despite the lighter running gear and the smaller engines this wasn’t really the Prado. That was revealed when Toyota announced the 90 series. This was the shape of things to come.
it should be noted the that despite being the lite version the Prado still got the J (originally for Jeep) chassis designation that marks out the more serious Toyota off-road machines from the Kluger and the like - that look like they off-road but as is the way these days, that’s about it.
Second detour... So the original order for the vehicle that would go on to become the Land Cruiser, was commissioned by the UN and US as part of the retaliation against North Korea (that had just invaded South Korea) for a ‘compact four-wheel drive truck’ aka The Jeep. Understandably Japan was feeling a little vulnerable and was allowed to produce 1000 such vehicles for themselves (this is the 1950's it should be noted). It was actually the Mitsubishi version of the Jeep that was chosen by the Japanese National Police Reserve. However Toyota stuck with developing their Toyota Jeep BJ (snigger), which would become the Land Cruiser.
Anyway, the more things change, the more they stay the same hey...?
So the 90 series appears in 1996. As usual Toyota had been pretty conservative getting their product to the market. Mitsubishi with the Pajero, and Isuzu with the Trooper had been playing the 4x4 lite game for quite a few years already. However, as is also usual Toyota had been thorough in their execution.
Despite still sharing the Land Cruiser name tag, this was a completely new off-road machine. Independent front suspension, in addition to rack and pinion steering, with a modern streamlined body - it appeared closer to a car than a 4x4. As everyday transport, especially for those who spend the majority of their time in cities on bitumen, it was a much less compromised proposition than a traditional 4x4. However, the Prado’s great strength to me, is that is didn’t give up on the legendary Land Cruiser toughness, and only some of its off road ability.
This is why it quickly outsold the full size Cruiser and does to this day. It has more than enough capabilities for most adventurers.
After the 90 came the 120 series, and this was the model that really sealed the Prado’s reputation in my opinion. It also happened to be the first model I experienced personally.
Away with the Army for about three months in remote Northern Territory, I regularly found myself at the wheel of a number of ‘white fleet’ (rental) vehicles. 76 Land Cruiser, Mazda BT 50 (“who keeps putting this vehicle back into 2wd...?” - err that would be me then, it made the nightly ‘rubbish run’ just that little bit more entertaining...) and a 120 Prado, all with fairly stonking (for the time) common rail diesels. The Prado had the most normal appearance but still cut the mustard off-road and soaked up the abuse (Army boys - there was lots of abuse) as well as anything. It did actually handle as well too. I’m not sure you would drive it like that on the tarmac, but as it was all dirt roads up there that’s what you had. It had genuine pace and composure up to and over the limit on the fast dirt roads - yeah safe to say we made our own fun.
The 120 Prado was also the basis for a retro model called the FJ Cruiser, you may have heard of it.
So as is the way of things, when the current 150 model was released the 120 had earned the respect of proper 4x4 users in the real world (the 120 was Simon from All 4 Adventure’s first vehicle, back when he had to pay for them with his own money) and the cries of too big, too complicated, too small inside were predictable as they were also probably correct. Of course eventually everyone gets over it and the 150 went on to be sold in over 178 different markets.
The two previous versions had around 7 year lifespans. So despite being around that age, as the 150 has only recently received an update here, with a 200 series style front. I think it will be with us for a few more years yet.
Perhaps only now, with a few years under its belt we get to see what a great new and used buy the Prado has become. Hard to go wrong with the great all-rounder.
