Prado 120 2007 vs Fortuner 2011

[Venom119]

Hi all, Im planning to buy a prado 120 for around 11 million. Can I know the pros and cons of it specially related to fortuner ?

[iRage]

Okay...so have long-term used (Prado) and owned (Fortuner) both. 

Which exact engine you are looking at makes a HUGE difference. I am assuming the Prado's V6 is out because you hardly get those in SL and considering the current economic climate of the country, it is NOT a very sensible purchase.

In general:

The Prado's interior feels a lot more refined than the Fortuner. The textures and the materials used are a lot better. The Fortuner's interior, although made to look and feel nicer, still feels very utilitarian (as it is borrowed from the Hilux). Also, the Prado's interior feels more airy and larger, whilst in the Fortuner the back feels like a cave with small windows, etc... In both cases the 3rd row rear seats are for people with no legs and is utterly useless and takes up unnecessary space (because when not in use they hang on the sides and eats up cargo space...only other option is to remove it when you don't need it)

The Prado's ride quality is marginally better. The Fortuner just feels a bit twitchy and bouncy on normal roads with bumps. But it is not bad...just that the Prado has a slight edge. On the other hand, the Prado, when driving, just feels "loose" compared to driving the Fortuner. Probably has to do with the slightly softer suspension setup.

Now...here is the kicker. The Prado with the 2.7L 2TR engine is abysmal! Like...it is slow and lethargic. The same engine (with some minor changes) is a lot better in the Fortuner. The main difference is the weight. The Fortuner is lighter than the Prado so the engine is more suited for the Fortuner than the Prado. In either case, try to purchase the diesel variant. For reference, given a 2.7 petrol Prado and a diesel Fortuner, I would personally go for the diesel Fortuner followed by the Petrol Fortuner (even though the Prado is the more refined car).

The Prado, especially if it is a used car import from Japan will have more accessories/bells and whistles than the Fortuner (but considering the age of these vehicles they would mean nothing).The Fortuner just has the basic accessories that makes sense.

In terms of safety, the Prado has scored fairly better than the Fortuner in crash tests (also some variants of the Prado has curtain airbags, etc...which help outshine the Fortuner). Both cars are old school body on frame SUVs that simply are not that good in terms of handling.