2016 Toyota LandCruiser Prado 2.8L GXL Manual Review

Head for a freeway on-ramp and roll on to 110km/h and as you work through the gears at speed, the smooth nature of the gearbox remains evident. Whichever way we looked at the diesel/manual combination, it was one we liked. The speed didn’t matter, neither did the load we placed on the engine. Short shift or spin it out to redline, in typical Toyota fashion, it could not care less.

When you’re going to head off road, or around Australia towing a caravan, you’ll require reliability, ergonomics and comfort and the Prado delivers on all fronts. Toyota’s vast service network doesn’t hurt either. Around town, the Prado wafts over potholes, poor surfaces and nasty speed humps with ridiculous ease. Its sense of comfort is never disturbed, and despite the fact it’s handling at the limit is a little wallowy, for this class the payoff of a more comfortable ride is worth it.

I like my SUVs to be comfortable especially if you’re surrounded by average road surfaces. In a market flooded with large European SUVs that routinely feature sporty handling and 20-inch plus wheels, the Prado is a refreshing reminder of what you might be missing. Head off-road for any length of time, especially on corrugated dirt surfaces and that point is really rammed home.

The high and mighty seating position affords excellent visibility and the cabin benefits from the added insulation and refinement that comes by way of the new 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine. It barely clatters at start up and once warmed into a smooth idle, you’d be hard pressed to even pick it as a diesel if you walked past. Even under load as you build up speed, or roll on along the highway, the engine remains quiet.