Sprint Review: 2021 Toyota Prado VX-L

I always thought that large Toyota SUV’s are loved by the entire nation but it turns out that some people are not fond of them.

You should know: Umm, I used to be one of them. Big Toyotas are a-dime-a-dozen and I can think of countless alternatives in the relentless avalanche of modern SUV’s. But… but if I think about it… having to cover vast distances in an inhospitable place like Namibia, any large Toyota makes perfect sense.

More info: I’m also often saddened by the unhealthy amount of Prados on my daily Kindergarten run but simply assume that Mumsy’s big white Jap is also used for epic road trips and proper 4×4-ing during the holidays. Maybe Papa shuttles mountain bicycles to remote areas or grootsus tows a horsebox every now and then?

Why you shouldn’t: Did someone just type “horsebox”? At this point I wanted to tell you about the Prado’s ancient construction, desperate botox design attempts, shotgun dashboard layout or heavy handling but one of my loved ones spotted this Prado VX-L, shoved me aside, and gently caressed the enormous 4×4 with sparkling eyes.

What else? The price of 1.25 bar didn’t matter, nor did the lacklustre performance or mediocre fuel consumption (for a turbo-diesel) because this horsey girl just did an automotive swipe right. I tried everything, including the 7-seater’s impractical parking manners or expensive suspension components. Nope. To her, there are only Prados and everything else.

Why you should: Besides the perceived reliability and resale of this brand and vehicle, the 2.8 VX-L packs some serious technology like adaptive cruise control, ventilated front seats and seriously clever off-road modes. Each new Land Cruiser Prado is also sold with a 3-year/100,000km warranty and 9-interval/90,000km service plan.

FULL SPECLIST

Engine:	2,755cc in-line 4-cylinder turbo-diesel
Transmission:	6-speed Automatic, 4WD
Max. Power:	150kW @ 3,000rpm
Max. Torque:	500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Avg. cons.:	11L/100km (claimed 7.9)
0-100km/h:	10.82 seconds (no claim)
Top Speed:	No claim
List Price:	R1,225,000 (2.8GD VX-L)