Hi All,
Well there has been some discussion about this on the forum, so I though I'd create a post if anyone has any questions as I picked up my new VX D4D Diesel yesterday
Some history, I have previously owned a 90 series V6 Grande and most recently had a GXL V6 Petrol which I have just traded for this new one.
First impressions at just 30km (not 30,000km):
- Smells nice....love the smell of a new car :-)
- Diesel still REALLY sounds like a diesel when you are out of the car. Very truck like as compared to some of the more car like diesels around which may not apeal to some.....HOWEVER it is surprisingly quiet when the windows are up. They have done a great job of this.
- No changes to the body which is great. I have been able to keep and refit all my accessories from my old Prado such as Towbar, Bonnet & headlamp protectors. I have also bought a Piranha battery tray which is for the old diesel and it fits perfectly.
- Power is great. Has plenty of get up and go around the city and compared to the petrol I don't feel like I am missing out or gaining anything really. Obviously a good combination that despite it has less power than the petrol, it also has more torque.
- Getting used to the 5 speed auto (I had an earlier 4 speed petrol). It does like to select very high gears and cruises in low revs. This can cause the rear view to vibrate at certain revs.....must be a diesel thing.
- Have not done any freeway driving yet....looking forward to that.
For those who may be asking....I chose the VX for a few reasons :
1) Really missed rear air conditioning in the GXL which we used to have in the old Grande
2) Wanted the extra safety feature of Vehicle Stability Control as we use the car for long trips including highway
3) Did NOT want air suspension.....I have a phobia about it. The most likely time for air suspesion to fail is with a family of 5 fully loaded to the roof, with roof basked full and bikes or trailer on the back with on a rocky and hard to navigate terrain. Can't imagine the pain of having a suspension failuer at this time and have heard of some sirbags bursting or hoses coming off and effecting suspension. Plus it is expensive to upgrade.
4) Undecided on whether I like the standard simple Limited Slip Diff with gearshift diff locking on the GXL as compared to the button lock variant on the VX which I believe does not have the LSD due to the fancy DAT stuff. Will need to go offroad to test this.
5) Would rather have portable GPS than a very expensive fixed one.
Anyway, happy to answer any questions from people interested in the new model.
Regards
Ross
Well there has been some discussion about this on the forum, so I though I'd create a post if anyone has any questions as I picked up my new VX D4D Diesel yesterday
Some history, I have previously owned a 90 series V6 Grande and most recently had a GXL V6 Petrol which I have just traded for this new one.
First impressions at just 30km (not 30,000km):
- Smells nice....love the smell of a new car :-)
- Diesel still REALLY sounds like a diesel when you are out of the car. Very truck like as compared to some of the more car like diesels around which may not apeal to some.....HOWEVER it is surprisingly quiet when the windows are up. They have done a great job of this.
- No changes to the body which is great. I have been able to keep and refit all my accessories from my old Prado such as Towbar, Bonnet & headlamp protectors. I have also bought a Piranha battery tray which is for the old diesel and it fits perfectly.
- Power is great. Has plenty of get up and go around the city and compared to the petrol I don't feel like I am missing out or gaining anything really. Obviously a good combination that despite it has less power than the petrol, it also has more torque.
- Getting used to the 5 speed auto (I had an earlier 4 speed petrol). It does like to select very high gears and cruises in low revs. This can cause the rear view to vibrate at certain revs.....must be a diesel thing.
- Have not done any freeway driving yet....looking forward to that.
For those who may be asking....I chose the VX for a few reasons :
1) Really missed rear air conditioning in the GXL which we used to have in the old Grande
2) Wanted the extra safety feature of Vehicle Stability Control as we use the car for long trips including highway
3) Did NOT want air suspension.....I have a phobia about it. The most likely time for air suspesion to fail is with a family of 5 fully loaded to the roof, with roof basked full and bikes or trailer on the back with on a rocky and hard to navigate terrain. Can't imagine the pain of having a suspension failuer at this time and have heard of some sirbags bursting or hoses coming off and effecting suspension. Plus it is expensive to upgrade.
4) Undecided on whether I like the standard simple Limited Slip Diff with gearshift diff locking on the GXL as compared to the button lock variant on the VX which I believe does not have the LSD due to the fancy DAT stuff. Will need to go offroad to test this.
5) Would rather have portable GPS than a very expensive fixed one.
Anyway, happy to answer any questions from people interested in the new model.
Regards
Ross
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