Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Luxury edition
Price as tested: CDN$55700 (Estimated)

Performance: In North America, we got Lexus GX570 which is a luxury-laden SUV. In the rest of the world, however, its called Land Cruiser Prado which the GX is heavily based on.

What makes the Prado different than the GX570 is the heart. With the GX570, it sourced a 5.7 liter DOHC 32-valve V8. The Prado, however, uses a smaller 3.4 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with dual VVT-i to move 2 tones of Japanese metal. This smaller powerplant’s performance figure doesn’t disappoint. As it got a healthy 275 horses and 300 lb/ft of torque to motivate this heavy truck. All it does with Toyota’s usual fashion of delivering a silky smooth ride. Although its not as refined as the V8 in GX570, this V6 is a smooth operator in all rpm. VVT-i works for both intake and exhaust help its mid and upper range. Whenever driver drops the throttle, 300 lb/ft of torque moves this heavyweight truck off-the-line with authority. The 5-speed automatic gearbox works as a perfect partner, as it scores with low enough gear ratios for peppy acceleration. 3rd and 4th gears would keep this V6 in full force while 5th gear works as a perfect overdrive. If Toyota is able to put another gear, it would make the Prado an even more comfortable car on highway speed.

Handling: You wouldn’t expect the Prado to handle like a Cayenne on-road is its main engineering focus is off-road. When it comes to off-road capability, Prado can basically drive up any rough terrain without breaking a sweat thanks to its nifty Multi-Terrain Select System. When it comes to on-road, Prado is a delightful surprise especially when you consider its based on a body-on-frame rather than unibody platform. While there are plenty of body rolls through corners, Prado remains calm and composed thanks to its well-calibrated suspension. The steering feels vague and dead, however, it works fine when driving off-road. The KDSS or what Toyota called Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, adjusts the rear anti roll bars for exceptional off-road prowess. Combined with a good 4WD system, Prado can climb anything short of a high rise building.

Brakes: Given Prado’s 2 tones of weight, its brake pedal has performed much better than expected. The 4 wheel discs with standard ABS have worked well to perform slow speed crawling when going downhill on a slope. On the other hand, it stops the Prado surprisingly well on-road. The brake pedal feel is about average. The pedal feels crisp and alive. While the ABS doesn’t have any unwanted intervention is another good thing.

Interior: At the back of the Prado, its tailgate opens on the sideway rather than on top. According to Toyota, this is designed for picking up gears when going off-road. The back glass is opened independently from the tailgate is another good design from Toyota.

The 3rd row has acceptable space for passengers. However, if you need to carry longer items and seat 7 persons occassionally, better leave the 3rd row completely flat for maximum versatility.

In the front of the Prado, you got everything you expect from a premium SUV. It has auto climate control, nice set of leather seats and wood trim to add warmth. The driving position is easily find thanks to 8-way power adjustable seats and tilt/telescope steering. As with most recent Toyota, the whole dashboard is finished with cheap nasty plastic. No matter how much wood and leather Toyota put into the Prado, they still can’t hide the cost-cutting measure with all the cheesy plastic trim pieces.

Conclusion: The Land Cruiser Prado is a very decent SUV. As it combines excellent off-road capability, mated with a practical interior and attractive styling. Its just a shame that it doesn’t got the interior quality that it deserves in the first place.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.5/5