In limbo 120 or 90?

[Plunko Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Plunko]

Been looking for a turbo diesel l/cruiser wagon for a while and have narowed it down to either a base model 90 or 120 ser prado mainly because of cost.

My biggest drama i'm having is deciding whether its worth the extra money for the 120 ser especially since it will all be on a loan and am already on a tight budget.

I'm hoping to get something with 200k or less on the clock and from wat ive seen a the 90s seem to be around the $18-25000 mark and the 120s $25-30000.

i do about 30,000-40,000kms a year and about 25% is on dirt roads towing an 800kg boat as well as a bit of bush/4x4 work.

Wat do you guys think the best option is considering the car is going to see some fairly hard work?
And wat are the main positives and negatives besides age and price?

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

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

If you want a 90 I'd suggest a 3.4V6. They are rock solid engines and either the manual or auto transmissions are perfectly matched to it. I don't think you will get a 90 Diesel for the price range you specified and the k's you are wanting, and as several members have found out, they like to crack their heads.

Early 120 diesels use the same engine but (so I've heard) use a different casting so they don't have the same trouble with cracking heads.

You might also consider a 120 4.0V6 as they are about the same price as a 90 diesel and way more power than either the early 120 or 90 diesels.

Cheers,
Declan.

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

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

Early 120 diesels use the same engine but (so I've heard) use a different casting so they don't have the same trouble with cracking heads.

You might also consider a 120 4.0V6 as they are about the same price as a 90 diesel and way more power than either the early 120 or 90 diesels.

Cheers,
Declan.

Good points Declan :!:

I've seen some early model 120 4l petrols priced around $25k. And from what i've read on this site, the fuel consumption of the 120 series petrol is not much worse than the kz series diesels ... and a whole lot cheaper to service. Before going much further, you might be advised to test drive a kz diesel, a 90 series petrol and a 120 series petrol before going much further. FYI, here is a 120 series listed for under 23k on Carsales: http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/pri ... 11F2A663AE

Of course, being in the NT, you might want to research the cost of getting one out of a southern state.

Good hunting
Bear

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

I think the 120 looks better and has slightly more aftermarket parts, but the 90 has more ground clearance in the front. It depends on what you want to do.
But if it's on a high interest loan, you need to keep the budget down, get a 90.

[Plunko Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Plunko]

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

Cheers for the info fellas.
it looks like i'll just have to wait and see what comes up at the right price. i'm in no hurry because i can stick with my hilux for a bit longer.
the old mans got a 98 model petrol but i really want the turbo diesel after driving my mates 2000 prado and another mates 60series.
For what i do they both blow the 3.4l out of the water.
very interesting wat you said about the heads on the 90s haven't heard that before cheers i'll keep looking and let you blokes know how i go.

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

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

Well if it has to be diesel:

KZJ90R Pros: Old school diesel without injector issues, higher power-weight ratio than KZJ120R
KZJ90R Cons: Cracking heads, slow as F**k

KZJ120R Pros: Old school diesel without injector issues, cracking heads not a common problem
KZJ120R Cons: Lower power-weight ratio than KZJ90R, slow as F**k

KDJ120R Pros: Much more power than the KZ and better fuel economy, similar power output to 90 petrol
KDJ120R Cons: Few, possibility of VERY expensive fuel pump/injector failure with crap quality Aussie Diesel

But I really think you should test drive a GR120R (4.0 V6) before making a decision.

Cheers,
Declan.

[hdtdamo5 Member Find all posts View Profile Close hdtdamo5]

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

KDJ120R Cons: Few, possibility of VERY expensive fuel pump/injector failure with crap quality Aussie Diesel

You forgot to mention bloody pricey!

But I really think you should test drive a GR120R (4.0 V6) before making a decision.

I agree with this. I have recently bought a 120 V6 and couldnt be happier. I wanted a diesel, but i couldnt afford the D4D and i couldnt put up with the old KZ. The V6 really is a nice car to drive. But anyway, I'm not here to debate petrol vs diesel, just advising you to keep your options open, especially if your working to a budget.

Good luck with it all.

[brado Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close brado]

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

Hey Plunko
I`m the same i wanted the deisel but $$$$$ made the desicion in the end , but im glad . Iended up with a 2001 90 series 50th anniversary model petrol .After juming on the forum and getting ideas im geting really good economy,just little things eg bosch plugs ,k&n air filter and using 98 octane fuel have realy made a difference . Hope to do snorkel and exhaust in the next few months wich should make a big difference,dont realy need more power but better economy is always good. We did a trip to charlivele recently and got just over 1300 km`s out of both tanks and that was with a pretty heavy right foot. I have nothing against deisels my last rig was a mid wheel based bj 73 cruiser 3.4l deisel and we chucked a turbo of a subie on it.The only thing with desiels is if u do an injector pump i would imagine u would be looking at about 800 to $1500 to replace and deisel has been atleast 15 to 20 cents dearer a litre here any way. Keep us posted on what u get
Chers Brado

[boxie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close boxie]

Re: In limbo 120 or 90?

Gday Plunko,

I currently own a 2001 diesel 90 Manual, and love it, I use often use it to tow, and also have a fair bit of off road fun, sand, dirt,rocks, whatever I can find. It is bloody awesome for all I use it for, I don't find it too slow or have any problems overtaking on the highway either (I do have a DP Chip though). Economy is excellent ( approx 11-12 ltr per 100km ) and this is with a 2" lift and a cargo rack permanently fitted.
Before this I owned a 2007 4ltr v6 120 Auto, It was a beautiful car to drive and had more than enough power, was excellent off road especially on the beach, and towed anything.
It may seem like a backtrade to go from a 120 to a 90 although there were numerous reasons behind my choice, Firstly financial reasons, secondly I was always too worried about scratching the 120 and quite often avoided some tracks for this reason, and the dismal fuel economy of the 4ltr, it was shocking, ranging between 18 - 22 ltrs per 100kms (with no mods), worse than my SS commo.
After owning both I find the diesel motor with it's low down torque far superior off road (in the sand the auto petrol was very good though) and the fuel economy difference in my opinion more than covers the cost of extra servicing required for a diesel. Comfort between the both models probably sways slightly towards the 120 and they do offer a bit of extra space inside aswell, not that there is anything to fault with the 90's ride or handling.
Obviously it all comes down to dollars and what is for sale at the time, but I reckon you cant go past the KZ diesel in either a 120 or a 90. I was in the same situation when I bought my 90 and I only went with it because it came with all of the extras on my wish list.
Hope this is some help to you, I'm sure you will be happy with any of the models you are considering, After all its a Prado....