Toyota Prado Altitude V's Prado GXL

[niz075]

HI All,
We are in the middle of trying to decide on a new 4WD Diesel for the family, we plan on doing a lot of bush camping and beach camping.  We are undecided on the Altitude & the GXL, we were swaying to the GXL as we can get it in manual.  Although the Altitude has soo many nice extras. The Nissan Patrol is on our list as well. We are either going to buy new or 2nd hand. Any help would be appreciated in this area. We are upgrading from an old Toyota Hilux Diesel which has been great. 

[dazzler]

The turbo diesel auto is a fantastic combination.  Much better than the manual IMO.

Patrol and Prado are pretty different though.  One is from 2009 the other 1998. 

Good luck with the decision.   

[D4D]

If you can get the Altitude at a good price jump on it. Don't bother with the manual, the auto eats it alive in the bush and on the sand.

[Nomad]

What is a new Prado costing these days. I think I paid about $57,000 in 09.

[D4D]

My driveaway price on a diesel auto Altitude with mats, towbar, roofbars, 5 year extended factory warranty is approx $70K, GXL will be about $60K. I paid approx $53K driveway for my '08 GXL. These are recent prices as I have been working out what to do with my Prado as it is coming out of lease. Pretty much decided to keep the Prado and buy a Kluger KX-S AWD.

[niz075]

We test drove the Altitude yesterday we are trying to get it for around $68k we haven't started any haggling on extras yet.  We have always had manual 4WD so just wanted to feel comfortable getting a manual.  It is also all leather interior and we have 3 children youngest is 3yrs so we were unsure how this would cope with their little fingers and feet LOL!!! 

[D4D]

We're getting leather next as we have a young child also, spills/spew wipe off rather than soaking in.

[Nomad]

My driveaway price on a diesel auto Altitude with mats, towbar, roofbars, 5 year extended factory warranty is approx $70K, GXL will be about $60K. I paid approx $53K driveway for my '08 GXL. These are recent prices as I have been working out what to do with my Prado as it is coming out of lease. Pretty much decided to keep the Prado and buy a Kluger KX-S AWD.

Same mine is out of lease in November, I can't afford to pay it out atm so was thinking I will lease to a no payout scenario over 2 years and start modding it and it can be SWMBO's drive...............but you get ripped on the second lease around so not sure what to do.

What does the extra 10K on an Altitude get you........I can't be bothered doing the comparrison at the moment......

I had a family BBQ on Saturday and an uncle who owns a large budget dealership reckons the new nissan 6cylinder td is awesome........I would love to see that in a Prado, which I reckon it deserves..............still not sure what to do.


Cheers Nomad

[D4D]

What does the extra 10K on an Altitude get you........I can't be bothered doing the comparrison at the moment......

[Nomad]

I quite like the Pearl paint work........and is probably ok with bush pin stripping.........seems like 5k worth of add ons, but by the time you stuff around and do it, its probaly not a bad buy............might go and prime my sales guy............A prado with a 6cyl td would be unstoppable....thats got to be the next big upgrade though.

[dazzler]

.......A prado with a 6cyl td would be unstoppable....thats got to be the next big upgrade though.

I heard it was in the pipeline.

[Nomad]

Yeah, youd reckon.......discovery and now nissan, a 6cyl td gxl would get me everyday............

[fuji]

Buy a new Toyota Workmate GXL with electrics,keyless entry,cloth seats,alloys.  Your local country dealer for 66500 with a rear diff lock. 64000 without locker. And a thumping V8 TD. Save thousands bt going country. Best $50 investment in diesel by driving 240 kms.

[Nomad]

If I was living in the bush or going on a round trip I would be on a workmate.......my best car was an 85 midwheel base with a 4 litre petrol and sports everything that I bought from a tasmanian SES station....they havent changed to much though.

They can't be great to drive around town all the time.....................

Cheers Nomad.

[Silvo]

I'd jump on an altitude if I could do the change over..

I would recommend the auto, great thing, easy to drive. Prado over a Patrol any day of the week. The Patrol is out dated by a mile in this race.

You should be able to put some pressure on a few dealers and have them come down in price a bit. I shaved about $10k off mine when i bought it just by walking away from dealers who were not interested (one chased me and got the sale). buy at the weekend before the end of the month, be ready to spend, be ready to walk away, buy something in stock if they have it, and be ready to walk away and you should get a great dealer.

[Silvo]

yes, i said be ready to walk away twice.. it's probably the biggest tool you have at your disposal. 

[D4D]

If you're on a tight budget the GXL is still a great rig. As the Altitude is a special build dealers cannot discount it as much as the GXL. You'll get between $3k-5K discount on the Altitude and between $5K-7K on the GXL.

[Big Nath]

As a side note to the buying process, as a former car salesman can i surgest you wait until close to the end of the month. Thats when the good deals are done......dont let the salesman highball or low ball you. (highball-Give you a verbal "shoot there mouth off" value of your car. lots of yards do that is you start to walk, thus giving you the idea ya car is worth sh!t loads, Lowball is where they offer you 3-5K below what they are prepaired to actually offer you.) Yes walking away is one of your best tools. do your home work, and make some calls around to other dealers. Is no reward for loyalty. Dont use red book. red book is not real.(for trade-ins) I love negotiation and haggeling if you need a person to do it 

Hope this helps.

Cheers!!

[mickyduck]

I have a 2007 gxl d4d auto. The auto is great all over except slippery downhill tracks, here a manual comes into its own.
Cheers Mick.

[fuji]

As a side note to the buying process, as a former car salesman can i surgest you wait until close to the end of the month. Thats when the good deals are done......dont let the salesman highball or low ball you. (highball-Give you a verbal "shoot there mouth off" value of your car. lots of yards do that is you start to walk, thus giving you the idea ya car is worth sh!t loads, Lowball is where they offer you 3-5K below what they are prepaired to actually offer you.) Yes walking away is one of your best tools. do your home work, and make some calls around to other dealers. Is no reward for loyalty. Dont use red book. red book is not real.(for trade-ins) I love negotiation and haggeling if you need a person to do it 

Hope this helps.

I'd jump on an altitude if I could do the change over..

I would recommend the auto, great thing, easy to drive. Prado over a Patrol any day of the week. The Patrol is out dated by a mile in this race.

You should be able to put some pressure on a few dealers and have them come down in price a bit. I shaved about $10k off mine when i bought it just by walking away from dealers who were not interested (one chased me and got the sale). buy at the weekend before the end of the month, be ready to spend, be ready to walk away, buy something in stock if they have it, and be ready to walk away and you should get a great dealer.

Cheers!!

What they said, like I said earlier go country.
 

[dazzler]

I have a 2007 gxl d4d auto. The auto is great all over except slippery downhill tracks, here a manual comes into its own.
Cheers Mick.

A manual or balls and no brain!

[niz075]

We have decided on the Altitude, The car yard we have been dealing with have come back with $68940 for the Altitude the one we want is in stock but we also want tow ball, mats etcc. so now the negotiation starts and i love to haggle.  Will keep you posted on the outcome. 

[Silvo]

start battling dealers against one another.. it's a bit early in the month also..

also with the auto downhill, nothing DAC wont fix. even with my heavy camper on the back, it held the prado and camper going down some narly tracks in the high country.

[niz075]

Well after a lot of car yards and annoying car salesmen, we have ordered a 2012 TD Landcruiser Prado won't get it until about July but happy to wait.  Next step is to sell our Jayco Swan and head towards the complete campsite camper:)  Anyone that has one advise on these would be greatly appreciated.

[LC]

Next step is to sell our Jayco Swan and head towards the complete campsite camper:)  Anyone that has one advise on these would be greatly appreciated.

There is a good one for sale here!