I don’t consider cars like the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavor because of their high popularity.

BHPian pranavarya74 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Greetings to the people of this forum.

I live in rural Loharu, Haryana and basically belong to a landlord family. So far we have owned two Mahindra Scorpios 2WD back to back (2008 and 2013) and we have been quite impressed with their capabilities and they have served us well. The 2008 one we sold in 2014 and because this area is mostly dry has excess salt in the ground water the car was very rusty and the person who bought it committed to restoring it but soon it died in a car accident in this vehicle or so my information goes. The one from 2013 is a white VLX with 1,10,000 km and now this one is also very rusty. It had cosmetic work done 4-5 years ago and so far it doesn’t seem to be repairable. The A-pillar is rusty along with all the doors and the floor and God knows the rust spots under the plastic covering. I also changed out all 4 control arms and it was an eye opener as all 4 were very rusty with rust holes big enough to get your fingers through. The car has always been repaired at authorized dealers at regular intervals. But the car has problems and we are ready to retire it and are now looking for another SUV.

So far, the search criteria has been geared towards imported Japanese luxury SUVs. Specifically, Pajero SFX, Montero (after 2011). Land Cruiser Prado (150 series) and Land Cruiser (100 series).

The search started a week ago and the Mitsubishis are entirely out of the game due to the availability of their spare parts. The car will be for my grandparents and will be driven by our drivers. I myself will be moving to Australia in the next 3 months for my studies, but spare parts are still an issue. Also, it’s hard to find a good Montero. The Pajero SFX can be found in the Chandigarh area or around Delhi NCR, but I’m saving this option in case other options aren’t viable.

Bringing me to LC Prado, I tested one in Delhi yesterday and I have to say, man, is that something. I’ve driven Scorpio extensively and Fortuners and Endeavors occasionally, but nothing comes close. The one I tested was on sale at a retailer I found on OLX. The car is from 2010 with 1,60,000 km. The mileage is higher but I still wanted to try. Over the phone, the dealership admitted the car was as original as it gets, but on inspection it didn’t even come close. All doors have been repainted as well as bumpers, fenders, side skirts and bonnet. The dealer agreed to have the bumpers and side skirts repainted but had no idea about the rest. The rear door has not been repainted so that the car does not look repainted. Good try. Interior was ok, not good. The driver and passenger seat had a tear in the leather as well as visible dust spots on all windows and a few panels were even loose. Mechanically, there was a visible drop of oil from the oil pan, the front shocks were leaking, no injector work was done, which is necessary on 1KD-FTV engines. The EGR was permanently stuck open because idling was hard. The brakes had not been replaced and the dealer showed me no service records. During the test drive, the car definitely didn’t show its age, not even a little. If you had told me that it traveled 50,000 km, I would have believed you. The brakes felt sharp but with age I think they would almost be replaced. There was a weird Scorpio-like rear kick, which I thought was odd, but my diagnostics indicate there was also something wrong with the rear suspension. The KDSS was working but the movement was too slow. The steering was noticeably lighter than the Scorpios and Fortuners I’ve driven. The seating position makes you feel like a king, the window sills are high but the view is good. It was rush hour in Gurugram so the test drive was short. The car was also driven through wet concrete which could be seen by dried concrete in the wheel arches. The tires he was riding on were old and dry. I liked the car, but it was not serviced and the dealer was over-quoting and not open to negotiation. The car is still for sale on OLX and the same car is offered by three different dealerships. My conclusion is don’t go for this car unless you can bargain a bit and try to avoid this dealership.

I haven’t had any luck with other cars but my mind leans towards Prado. Mainly because my dad owns a 120 series Prado in Australia and he likes it a lot. In fact, all of Australia loves Prado.

Now this is where I need your help. If you know of a dealership or someone selling any of the aforementioned cars, please let me know. Your help will be highly appreciated. My preference is for a single owner with around 80,000 km. I also have color and interior preferences, but I’m willing to overlook them for now. Please also advise me on any other vehicles I should consider. The main selling points are reliability, sturdiness and occupant safety. Fortuner and Endeavor are not considered solely because of their popularity.

Below I mention some problems I have studied on LC Prado (150 series):

• Cracking of injector seats
• Interior protection cracking
• Rust on door sill
• Seepage in the steering racks
• EGR blocked open
• Lower control arm bushings

Other than these, if you know of any issues I should consider, please let me know and if anyone else is considering a Land Cruiser Prado, visit Prado Point and check out FOURBY4DIESEL on YouTube. They can be your main sources of information.

With this, I will conclude.

Here is what GTO had to say about it:

The skill levels of cars from mainstream brands in the 20 to 40 lakh segment have improved significantly over the past ten years. I would buy a newer SUV officially sold in India any day than a 10 year old import with over 1 lakh km on the odometer. I would buy a Fortuner, Endeavor – even XUV700 – over an old Prado.

You seem to have made up your mind on the Prado and are eliminating the other cars for frivolous reasons.

• For your grandparents, something like an Innova Crysta with captain’s chairs will be three times better than any other options you’re considering.
• You are leaving for Australia, but you are going to leave them the maintenance worries of an old import.

I suggest you buy a used Prado in Australia since you love it so much, and get a more suitable vehicle for your grandparents here.

Here is what BHPian Jaggu had to say about it:

That in itself is reason enough not to venture down the Prado road, there are very few authentic ones and even if you find an authentic one it would have traveled at least a lakh or a lakh and a half . At this age and this odo reading, no matter what, these vehicles are going to need a little maintenance. Yes, Toyota dealerships could help you with even the oldest vehicles, but do you really want such a vehicle parked for your grandparents’ use?

I suggest you look at younger SUV type vehicles that are available in the market. Yes, a Prado has a huge presence on the road, but even a new Safari or XUV would be a better bet and they come with a warranty.

Here is what BHPian Turbanator had to say about it:

I have been in this position and checked a lot of LC200, Prados and so on. Most of them will have very high mileage and only 1 in 10 Prados, possibly only one owner. LC200, chances are you’ll still find it somewhere as a sole proprietor, but these will be very high mileage cars.

Buy an Innova or a Fortuner and forget about it all. If you can’t, start looking at LC200, increase your budget to 60 Plus. You can try at Ludhiana or Chandigarh market. But again, those with only one owner and low mileage will be over 1 Cr more. To give you an idea, I get a little more for my 2019 LC-200 than I originally paid Toyota, sole proprietor with less than 20K.

Here is what BHPian The German Badger had to say about it:

Okay, so as an LC 120 owner, I would have told you to buy the car ASAP. Any LC – the 100, 120, 150 or 200. They are amazing.

But I think for your grandparents who own and drive it, that might not be the right thing. It will be a wiser choice to get a newer car. Parts can sometimes be a little hard to find and believe me, Toyota’s service department has no idea what to do on these cars. They will just replace and charge you crazy money for even the slightest defects.

I know a few LCs for sale, even a nice 100 with a CH number. Some 150 too. The 200s are in the 60 lakh-1cr range plus even with 1 lakh km on the odo.

My car is a 1GR -FE 4.0 V6 and has done 1.6 lakh km. The only thing I’ve ever had replaced are tires and a full service including all oil changes. I’ve driven it at over 10,000 feet, minus 15 degrees Celsius, and over 600 miles nonstop. He didn’t even flinch. I have other cars like a BMW X3 and I’ve had other SUVs imported entirely from Japan, but the LC has converted me like no religion ever could.

Attach a photo of my 120 in snow in February.

Check out BHPian’s comments for more ideas and information.