My next car is a....Toyota

Guzz226 · 20-01-2015, 04:59 PM

I have been a Ford man since the day I was a week old driven home from hospital in Dad's XW Wagon.

I have owned many new Fords, all but one (of the new) being locally produced Falcon and Territorys. Also a few Lasers thrown in simply as they had the same badge. I have looked at other brands from time to time but always settled for Ford - the one exception was the second car purchase in 2007 as the Honda CRV was much better equipped and better value than the Ford Escape competitor at that point in time.

With my current lease coming up soon I was probably going to get one last Territory having already had 3 and for the most part have been happy, except for the first one leaving me stranded when it dropped its transmission on a hot summer day.

The decision for Ford Aus to quit locally manufacturing was what got me thinking about other brands though and having a sister in law working at Toyota entitles me to their employee discount program. To me the imported Ford offerings simply didnt stack up to others when I looked outside of the oval so to speak.

Long story short I have landed on a Prado - I know it is different to a Territory and to be honest I would have still gone a Terry over a Kluger. The staff discount combined with the superior resale value of the Prados was simply too good to refuse.

I still have the GT as that is a keeper - will always have at least one Ford in the family fleet as a result.

So maybe now I need a Toyota tattoo to match the Ford one!
Hope this doesn't compromise my standing as a "blue blood" - I am sure I am going to cop flak from a lot of my mates - at least it is not a Holden, wouldn't have taken a lot, lot more to get me into one of those.

Lunch · 20-01-2015, 06:10 PM

You have a ford tattoo?

richo77 · 20-01-2015, 06:19 PM

Nothing in the Ford stable that can match a Prado mate, all the best with it.

Guzz226 · 20-01-2015, 06:40 PM

Nah no tattoo - my mates reckon I do though given I have been such a die hard over the years

marty351 · 20-01-2015, 06:50 PM

Guzz, you'll only cop flak if you buy a camry. lol

pottery beige · 20-01-2015, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty351

Guzz, you'll only cop flak if you buy a camry. lol

those dudes cop heaps and deserve every bit they get

new2ford · 20-01-2015, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richo77

Nothing in the Ford stable that can match a Prado mate, all the best with it.

To the contrary, if you want this type of vehicle you'd wait to check out the Australian-designed Ford Everest!

richo77 · 20-01-2015, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by new2ford

To the contrary, if you want this type of vehicle you'd wait to check out the Australian-designed Ford Everest!

I'm talking about what's in your local dealership today. Even if the Everest was around i'd still go with a Prado.

1TUFFUTE · 20-01-2015, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richo77

I'm talking about what's in your local dealership today. Even if the Everest was around i'd still go with a Prado.

It's not about you tho now is is it?

Everest or ranger for the win

Guzz226 · 20-01-2015, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richo77

I'm talking about what's in your local dealership today. Even if the Everest was around i'd still go with a Prado.

Especially given it is proven and at substantial employee discount

richo77 · 20-01-2015, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

It's not about you tho now is is it?

Everest or ranger for the win

Because an Everest is available now and a Ranger is even available as a wagon? Eejit.

carwant.com.au · 20-01-2015, 09:05 PM

Most enthusiast will be like Guzz, with one locally built Ford in the garage, and something else (ford or other) as our daily drive.

IMO the passion with Ford was driven by local design, manufacturing and competition (on and off the track). All this goes away when we're all driving imported car, regardless of the brand to some extent.

Good luck with the Prado, they're a great 4WD

Guzz226 · 20-01-2015, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floppy ears

Most enthusiast will be like Guzz, with one locally built Ford in the garage, and something else (ford or other) as our daily drive.

IMO the passion with Ford was driven by local design, manufacturing and competition (on and off the track). All this goes away when we're all driving imported car, regardless of the brand to some extent.

Good luck with the Prado, they're a great 4WD

Cheers mate - spot on. Recent events around the closure etc really got me thinking about the Ford brand and what really attracted me to it. With that going it was a great opportunity to open up my eyes and not be so blinkered.

Even 3 years ago I would have fallen over laughing if you said I would be getting a Toyota!

Ben73 · 20-01-2015, 10:48 PM

Good luck with the new ride.
I have driven current model and previous model Prados about 250,000kms combined in about 25 different vehicles. Never had one problem while driving except the inside of the wheel guard coming off 3 times on the previous model and a couple of unusual shudders at lower RPMs on a couple of the one on the wrong side of 300,000kms. Highest KM one I have driven was showing 370,000kms on the odo and still felt new. (It was only a few years old)
Look after it and I'm sure it will be good to you. Having said all that I don't think I could ever buy one RRP. If it's a really good discount I'd maybe consider it. Like all Toyota's they are expensive when compared to rivals.

Vesper Martini · 21-01-2015, 01:31 PM

We have both Tez and Prado albeit a bit older than yours,

They are chalk and Cheese to drive, but both very nice for their purpose.
but you can tell that the Prado is built to last

and you still have your GT for a Spirited drive

jimmyxr6t04 · 21-01-2015, 07:11 PM

haha Guzz, i'll forgive you... What model prado did you get? I just traded my 2014 titanium territory on a new car too... With a growing family, i wanted something bigger, and offroad capable. Considered the Prado Kakadu, but it didn't feel much bigger on the inside, and i wanted something with a bit more grunt. Options were down to two... 200 series landcruiser, or Y62 nissan patrol. The 200 series was basically priced out of the market, so i opted for the patrol. It's a great wagon, plus it's a V8 with 298kw so even when i am not in the GT i have a V8 haha

4VCLEVO · 21-01-2015, 07:17 PM

Unlike Guzz226, I did buy a holden. And every day I go to drive it and see that huge lion on the front of it and think to my self "what have I done". It honestly makes me feel ashamed, and it's been 1.5 years and I'm still not used to it. I am a die hard Ford fan, I have a '73 GT, '81 XD, '98 XR6 and a '02 wagon.
The wagon is nearing 300,000km and it's going to be replaced by a twin cab. I wanted the ranger in a 4x2 base model with the 3.2L but Ford don't make them. So now I'm getting a BT50, but I don't feel as bad about that.

Guzz226 · 21-01-2015, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

haha Guzz, i'll forgive you... What model prado did you get? I just traded my 2014 titanium territory on a new car too... With a growing family, i wanted something bigger, and offroad capable. Considered the Prado Kakadu, but it didn't feel much bigger on the inside, and i wanted something with a bit more grunt. Options were down to two... 200 series landcruiser, or Y62 nissan patrol. The 200 series was basically priced out of the market, so i opted for the patrol. It's a great wagon, plus it's a V8 with 298kw so even when i am not in the GT i have a V8 haha

I looked at the 200 series but was overkill for our needs - the Minister for War and Finance kabooshed it too on the basis of everyday parking etc which I understand.

Settled on the VX given the savings.

Looks like our mates at Bayford dipped out twice this time around!!

Guzz226 · 21-01-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

Unlike Guzz226, I did buy a holden. And every day I go to drive it and see that huge lion on the front of it and think to my self "what have I done". It honestly makes me feel ashamed, and it's been 1.5 years and I'm still not used to it. I am a die hard Ford fan, I have a '73 GT, '81 XD, '98 XR6 and a '02 wagon.
The wagon is nearing 300,000km and it's going to be replaced by a twin cab. I wanted the ranger in a 4x2 base model with the 3.2L but Ford don't make them. So now I'm getting a BT50, but I don't feel as bad about that.

My 93yo Nana still drives her 1980 Holden Gemini that only has 50,000km on the clock. She is as pro Holden as I am pro Ford.

It wouldnt suprise me if she leaves it to me in her will just to have the last laugh and ensure I finally own a Holden at some stage.

jimmyxr6t04 · 21-01-2015, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guzz226

I looked at the 200 series but was overkill for our needs - the Minister for War and Finance kabooshed it too on the basis of everyday parking etc which I understand.

Settled on the VX given the savings.

Looks like our mates at Bayford dipped out twice this time around!!

VX is a good compromise, the GXL was too bland for my liking. My wife was worried about the size of the Patrol, but with all the gadgets and cameras to assist, it's actually quite easy to park. Don't get me wrong, it's a bloody massive car, i have to manually get out and push my automatic roller door up a few more inches lol. I need to adjust it properly.

I wanted the 200 series Sahara, but at 100k for a second hand one with 20-30k on the clock, i couldn't justify it. The top of the line Patrol was 50k off retail price, so that covers a lot of fuel over the savings in the diesel LC200. I basically got it cheaper than a new the GXL LC200.

I used Bayford for my territory, plus my brother is using them too, so they haven't done too badly out of me!

jmack · 21-01-2015, 10:44 PM

had the same dilemma last year decided it was time for something with a bit more ground clearance to put the boatin.looked around at tezzas and even had a glance at other brands but couldnt bring myself to do it so opetd for a v8 explorer(might have the same power as the tezz but has a better noise)i have owned 1 holden a vhsle2 in the past but with 5 fords in the shed and a 351 in the boat(appropriately named blueblood)its hard to sway from the blue oval

mik · 22-01-2015, 08:19 PM

Nothing the matter with toyos Guzz, in our household one ford and 4 toyos....... albeit older ones, one of the things I like about them is attention to detail that you often don't see in other makes,
for example above my rear vision mirror is a tiny sunvisor for when the afternoon sun peaks through, ...........often the toyota cars come with a very basic tool kit, its only small things, but when you add all these things up, even looking around the engine Bay you see some neat bits where they have put a lot of thought into and effort in to things like a float level in the washer bottle on some models , when you hop in the car and drive Off.......... at 20 kph the doors lock automatically, doesnt take too much thought to see why toyota sells so many cars.