New Diesel D4D - VX

[hoppy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hoppy]

what was it like?

[rosco5 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rosco5]

Back From Holidays

Back from Holidays and I have put about 3,500 on the clock in the last 2 weeks. Here is some feedback on the ride (remember I had a current shape 2003 GXL Petrol prior to this hence my comparisons):

1) Very noticable that this car loves to work in low revs. The gearbox is obviously setup to take advantage of this and it spends most of it's time in high gears at speeds that if I was in manual I would probably be thinking about changing down a gear. Due to the high torque 99% of the time it is great and it picks up when you put the boot in perfectly. My only gripe is over 100km/h. If you floor the accelerator to overtake it kicks back from 5th to 4th. It still has revs left in 3rd and it will let you manually selct 3rd if you pull it back for a harder launch but won't kick down that far automatically. I think this part of the auto could be improved but you can work with it when you know. My old petrol model was the previous 4 speed auto so for me it is new diesel and new auto so this may be related to the auto not the diesel.

2) Cruising on the freeway it is effortless and quiet so no gripes here. Compared to the auto V6 I reckon the Diesel lets the speed drop a bit further below the preset cuise control speed before catching up and that the transitions in and out of cruise mode are a bit harsher (by this I mean more jerky in the cabin when you turn cruise off lor when it is regaining speed)......but this is knitpicking only due to the fact I have driven both for long periods.
However I do feel that the diesel does not seem to suffer as much change in performance when loaded, this is where the extra torque must be coming in to play.

3) Fuel Economy. This is hard to really compare as everyone'e driving style is different. What I can say is that I was getting about 11L/100 or 1,400km per tank (filling with about 160 litres). Far short of the claimed 9.9 or whatever but I did about 70% freeway and 30% city on each tank as I spent time in Sydney. Consider also the fact also that this was loaded with a family of 5, with the cargo section fully loaded to the roof including fridge, 4 bikes on the back and a Rhino rack on top loaded with fishing and camping gear.

4) Dueler 694's where very quiet on the freeway...love them.

5) Love to wind the window down occassionally and listen to the turbo :-)

6) Still found no real use for the "Idle Up button" Seems to only work while in Park and only when the car is cold. I thought is may be good for more revs when winching or something but I suspect it is only a warm up aid.....nothing about it in the manual.

7) Really needs drink holders when there are 3 people in the back.....but this is ALL Prados.

Regards
Ross

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Hi Rosco.

It does sound like you like the new girl. Good to hear.

I don't know your history with diesels. Before we got our 2005gxl3.0TD Manual. I had only driven a small diesel truck. Everthing else was pertol.
But one thing I noticed is the extra compresion braking as opposed to a pertol engine.
This may explain what you said about the harshness in the cruise being turned on or off.
Yes I agree with you about how quickly the diesel slows as soon as you deselect cruise. But I put that down to the extra compression ratio that diesels need.
And I found that you need to drive the diesel differently.
Pertol engines like to rev to give you the power. Often when the urge hits and you want to get away fast you will rev that petrol engine up near its red line.
Not so with a diesel.
(I am talking about the older diesel prado engine hear, no experience with the new D4D)
When ours was still young I would tend to drive by habit and rev the thing.
But after a while your driving adapts to the diesels torque curve and you tend to change up earlier and ride the torque.
That might explain what you said about the auto changing down.
I dont know but I would guess that the auto is set up for the way the diesel engine delivers its power/torque..
And when driving ours in the "petrol" way, high revs in lower gears etc, the fuel economy takes a dive.
Getting 11lts/100K is pretty good.
We are going to sydney in about 5 weeks from south of perth and I'm praying to get 13's. We tow a camper trailer. But its all in the driving. I have seen 16's going to Monkey Mia and 14's coming home. ( And dont say its down hil.......).

I might try and get a test drive in a new one. But I know where that will lead.

Jeff.

[SSbaby Member Find all posts View Profile Close SSbaby]

Nice write up Rosco.

Know what you mean by winding the window down to listen to that turbo whistle!

11L/100km doesn't sound too shabby considering the load on the car and stuff hanging off it to ruin airflow.

With all the little nuances like cruise control operation, everything takes time before you adjust to the vehicles character especially on the hwy.

I loved the A5 D4D after the test drive! Good torque, quiet cabin, well laid out interior... 20km/h speed humps don't even feel like a ripple at 40km/h such was the chassis compliance. Definitely a nice ride.

Btw, good luck with the D4D, Rosco.

[Talshanic Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Talshanic]

Well i refilled my tank right up for the first time since new yesty. Between 1 top up and yesterday's fill i have put 195L in for near enough 1700Kms. Which i think is about 8.5/9Km per L or 11.4L per 100km. Use so far probably an even share of town, highway, and off road including a fair portion of sand work and other low range activities, no cruise control but always with a/c.

I'm pretty happy with these figures for running a motor in and the activities we've done so far. Can't fault the vehicles performance so far either, stood up and done everything we have asked, including a few beach recoveries without reducing tyre pressure, yes poor practice i know but hey, i'm lazy. The 6 speed manual comes into its own in the bush too hooked up to the torque of the new oiler you can't go wrong, i thought low range was awesome in the old rocky, but wow this makes things too easy.

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

Well i refilled my tank right up for the first time since new yesty. Between 1 top up and yesterday's fill i have put 195L in for near enough 1700Kms. Which i think is about 8.5/9Km per L or 11.4L per 100km. Use so far probably an even share of town, highway, and off road including a fair portion of sand work and other low range activities, no cruise control but always with a/c.

I'll be interested in hearing how these figures to over the next few tanks. i was anticipating big decrease in fuel use but mine has been doing figures not too far of what you are getting from the new engine...

[Guest Close Guest]

Love to hear some more reports on the new Prado diesel. We are thinking about purchasing a VX or a Pajero NS.

Thanks,
JandG

[Talshanic Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Talshanic]

I'll be interested in hearing how these figures to over the next few tanks. i was anticipating big decrease in fuel use but mine has been doing figures not too far of what you are getting from the new engine...

Figures for my last 2 fill ups.

147L for 1345km (speedo) or 1413km (gps) = 9.1 and 9.6km/L respectively.
117L for 1125km (speedo) or 1182km (gps) = 9.6 and 10.1km/L respectively.

Combined average

264L for 2470km (speedo) or 2595km (gps) = 9.3 and 9.8km/L or 10.7 and 10.1L/100km respectively.

All driving onroad this time sadly pretty close to even share highway/urban driving, but majority of these figures with 3 adults and gear, a/c constantly, some cruise control, and some erratic, and very nonconservative driving. Still haven't quite got 5000km on the engine yet, but signs are encouraging for the motor to eventually provide excellent economy in all conditions.

[Guest Close Guest]

Why the huge difference between speedo & GPS ? Bigger tyres?

[Talshanic Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Talshanic]

Yeah i fitted 70 series Goodyear's. But for such a small adjustment down there, makes a fairly large one to the mileage which was a bit of a shock. It is a bit of a moral dilemma as to get the speedo recalibrated or not, it suits me to be putting less k's on the clock.

[Chuck Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck]

Have heard there is a box you can get thrugh Mark adaptors which will correct the speedo difference.

[lawrance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lawrance]

Anybody knows what the spec changes are for the VX for 2008?