The likes of Nissan and Toyota have taken part in this segment, offering the X-Trail and the RAV4 respectively to the masses. Their compatriot Subaru, not to be left in the dust, came up with an equally impressive compact SUV; the Forester.

Subaru

Forester

($79/mo)

Browse Used Forester Listings

Avg. BE FORWARD Used Price:

$600 to $15,000

The Forester brings forth the spirit of Subaru, driving up the adrenaline with its loud engine and excellent off-road ability.

Let’s take a look at how the Forester encompasses the wild spirit of the Subaru.

Interior and Comfort

The Subaru Forester is a five seater and strives to offer as much comfort as possible to the occupants of the spacious interior.

To combat the stifling heat of the African off-road, Subaru provides a state of the art air conditioning system that ensures all areas of the cabin are at the optimum temperature.

While ensconced in this comfort, the occupants can keep themselves entertained on long journeys with the AM/FM/Weatherband radio with a single disc player in the standard trim. This is connected to four stereo speakers that aptly fill up the space with rich sound.

Back Seating Area

The rear seat is spacious enough to accommodate three passengers. The manufacturer carved out 40 inches of headroom, 54 inches of shoulder room and 33.7 inches for the legroom. In a move that is seen as small but welcome, Subaru introduced a movable armrest at the back.

Across all the trims, the rear seat folds along a 60:40 ratio. This is advantageous in a way that it increases the luggage compartment volume from 32 cubic feet to a maximum of 57.7 cubic feet.

Driver Seating Area

Subaru goes all out to ensure that the driver is in the best condition possible to focus on the road. This can be seen in the space the driver has to himself. For example, while the front headroom and shoulder room are identical to that at the rear, the legroom is larger, measuring 3.6 inches more.

The height of the driver’s seat is adjustable to ensure that the driver has a good view of the road ahead as well as the instruments. The seat is also bucket-shaped, ensuring comfort for the driver. This comfort is further enhanced by the heating provided to the seat – a very handy feature on those very cold mornings.

Features and Drivability

The Subaru Forester has a whole host of features that make it the off-road beast that it is. Standing out in particular among these is the power unit under the hood. With the iconic sound and performance, it is what makes the Forester a bona fide Subaru.

In the Forester, Subaru installed a 2.5 liter engine with 4 cylinders, each sporting 4 valves. This single overhead camshaft engine is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. However, there is the option of a 4 speed automatic transmission.

As a standard, Subaru offers the engine as a naturally aspirated power unit. For those who want to eke out more horses from the power unit, there is a turbo charged version.

Search Used Forester Listings   

Practicality

The Japanese car maker provides a number of features that make operation of the Forester very practical.

The positioning of the driver’s seat in the car is akin to that of a sedan and not an SUV. What does this mean? It means that from the driver’s position, you are able to see more of the road directly in front of the car instead of just the hood.

The Forester also offers plenty of cargo space in the back for hauling luggage. If you are headed upcountry, the folded rear seats increase the area for storage. The roof rails also offer another spot for additional cargo.

The strength of the engine also gives this little SUV the ability to haul just over a ton of stuff behind it.

Drivability

From the 2006 model, Subaru made a change in the engine configuration. They introduced a boxer set-up and installed the i-Active Valve Lift System. What this does is control the way the valves open at different stages of driving.

For example, at low revs, the two intake valves open at different positions, creating a mixture of air and fuel to boost torque. At high revs, both valves open in the high position to let in the maximum amount of air and fuel to aid power output.

Apart from the power, the Subaru Forester has all-wheel drive system. This helps it to navigate the African terrain with the nimble ability of a gazelle.

This compact SUV also handles perfectly due to the redesign of the independent suspension at both the front and rear of the car. There is also a stabilizer bar at both ends which prevents rolling when negotiating corners.

Safety and Pricing

The safety features incorporated throughout the Forester are a testament of Subaru’s commitment to keep its customers safe and sound.

Safety

In the front row, the driver and front passenger are protected by dual stage front air bags in the event of a head-on collision. If the Forester sustains a hit from the side, there are side airbags as well to cushion the impact.

The Forester also has seatbelts to protect the occupants from secondary impacts resulting from inertia. At the rear, the seatbelts are attached to the car at three points, an improvement from previous models.

Subaru also installs anti-lock braking systems (ABS) as standard across all trims of the Forester.

Used Subaru Forester Price

You can find excellent deals for a used Subaru Forester by browsing the BE FORWARD catalog. The prices range from $600 to $15,000 for model years running from 2000 to 2012.

Subaru Forester Overall Opinion

The Subaru Forester is an excellent compact SUV, offering class-topping off-road capability. Its rugged looks house a spacious and comfortable interior. The air conditioning and bucket seats are perfect for providing comfort in the sweltering African conditions.

Subaru installed a more than capable power unit under the hood that gives the Forester the right amount of power to traverse the uneven terrain.

To this drivability and comfort, the Japanese car maker added a number of safety features to complete the Forester. The air bags, three-point seatbelts and ABS make this compact SUV the complete package.

Search Used Forester Listings   

During this time, the younger generation was yearning for a car that would act as a transition from the mundane sedan to the exciting SUV. Enter the compact SUV.

Toyota

RAV4

($79/mo)

Browse Used RAV4 Listings

Avg. Used Price:

$1,400 to $10,000

Toyota did this to perfection with the RAV4, a cheap compact sports utility that offered decent mileage in urban areas but was also up to the task when faced with the rough terrain away from the city. Let’s take a look at what makes the Toyota RAV4 such a practical vehicle and worth the purchase.

RAV4 Interior and Comfort

As with many of the offerings from Toyota, the interior does not disappoint. The Japanese car maker focuses on the occupants of the car having as much comfort as possible. The seating is also geared to achieve this same goal, as you will see below.

In the hot African sun, being stuck in traffic is akin to baking slowly in the oven. The Toyota RAV4 has a dual zone climate control air conditioning system. This cools you down, ensuring that you avoid those embarrassing moments when your shirt gets stuck to your sweaty back while climbing out of the car.

Back seating area

The rear seats of this compact SUV are covered in plush cloth. The more advanced trims get leather upholstery, marrying comfort with elegance. There is enough space to avoid discomfort and cramping on long journeys.

Toyota incorporated 1,008mm of headroom and 973mm of legroom at the rear. Add this to the fact that the seat reclines for better posture and you are in for an excellent ride.

The rear row seat can also be folded along a 60/40 split to increase the 1,015 liters of cargo space to 2,074 liters.

Driver’s seating area

There’s enough space in the front. The RAV4 provides 1,037mm of headroom and 1,062mm of legroom.

The front seats are crafted to ensure that comfort is a given, especially to the driver. The driver’s seat also has power control to ensure precise adjustments to its position. Not only does this offer sitting comfort but it also adjusts the driver’s reach to the steering wheel.

The driver faces a well-designed dashboard and hub. The latter is aligned centrally, making it easy to reach all the vital buttons and knobs. It is also furnished with various metallic accents that add an elegant aesthetic to the cabin of the RAV4.

Toyota RAV4 Features and Drivability

The Toyota RAV4 offers a number of features that make it quite a success in its class.

Toyota offers only one kind of engine for the RAV4; a 2.4 liter engine with 4 cylinders attached to a direct overhead camshaft. The engine has proved reliable, offering plenty of power and torque for the environments it is driven in.

You can opt for the engine mated to a 5 speed manual transmission or a 4 speed automatic.

Practicality

A number of features on the RAV4 provide that user experience that a customer didn’t know they even needed.

For example, when traveling on the murram roads in Africa, the rear window always ends up covered in dust or mud. In order to see what’s behind you via the rear view mirror, the RAV4 has a rear intermittent wiper to clean up this window.

Toyota goes a step further to add mud guards behind each wheel so that this spray of mud doesn’t muck up the entire bodywork and other road users.

The 17 inch wheels are also handy in navigating this kind of terrain. Coupled with the car’s decent ground clearance, you can go off-road without worrying about causing so much damage to the undercarriage.

Drivability

The RAV4 has mastered the art of driving over both the bound and loose surface and any combination between.

Originally, this compact SUV was merely a front wheel drive car. However, it is now all wheel drive, sending power to whichever wheel needs it the most in any given driving situation.

The suspension of the wheels – both the front and back – is independent of each other, making this small SUV able to go over even the most uneven of terrain.

Toyota also offers an excellent cruise control system that comes in handy on especially long trips.

Safety and Pricing

Given the ubiquity of its products, Toyota takes the safety attributes of its offerings very seriously.

Safety

In the event of a head-on collision, the RAV4 is equipped with airbags in the front to protect both the driver and the individual riding shotgun. Safety is further added by the three point seat belts. These are found both in the front and rear row.

The RAV4 is also well equipped to stop in time. It has anti-lock brakes that impede skidding. This braking system is bolstered by electronic brake force distribution to ensure that each wheel gets the right amount of braking force required to bring the car to a standstill.

RAV4 Used Car Price

There are plenty of great deals if you are looking for used Toyota RAV4. For model years running from 2000 to 2008, you can browse through the BE FORWARD catalog. Prices range from $1,400 to $10,000.

Overall Opinion

The Toyota RAV4 is an excellent example of merging the meekness of a 90s sedan with the outgoing qualities of an SUV. The result is a compact SUV that is the total package.

The RAV4 offers plenty of space in the cabin. This ensures that the driver and passengers are ensconced in comfort. The cargo hold also has plenty of space for luggage.

Performance-wise, the RAV4 does well in the city and urban limits. This, more often than not, belies its abilities when it is taken off the bound surface and thrown into the rough tumble of the African upcountry road.

The Japanese manufacturer also provides the safety features needed to ensure that the occupants of the car are alive and well in case of an accident.

All in all, the RAV4 is a very handy and capable car to have in your possessions.

Browse Cheap RAV4 Used Car Listings   

Nissan took a measured pause as its compatriots Suzuki and Toyota ventured forth with the Grand Vitara and the RAV4, respectively. The pair tested the market’s appetite for a compact sport utility vehicle, giving Nissan all the time to refine its own offerings.

With everything in place, it offered the Nissan X-Trail. This small SUV was a combination of excellent off-road ability and a comfortable bound-surface experience.

Nissan 

X-Trail

($79/mo)

Browse Used X-Trail Listings

Avg. Used Price:

$900 to $9,800

It also doesn’t hurt that Nissan put a reasonable price tag on this car, even with the comfort and safety it offers. Let’s take a look at what makes the X-Trail the ideal car to traverse the African continent.

Interior and Comfort

The cabin of this compact SUV is surprisingly spacious. There’s every indication that a lot of thought was put into the design of the layout within.

The instruments – buttons and knobs – are arranged in a way that they are within easy reach of the driver. Nothing is cluttered in front of the person in the driver’s seat; many of the electronics are accessed via the central console.

This central console has a silver sheen to it, accentuating the chic aesthetic of the interior.

Front Seating Area

Facing this symmetrically laid out dashboard is a plus in and of itself. There is plenty of leg space to ensure that you can complete a long journey in the utmost comfort.

This comfort is further heightened by the heated cloth seats. The driver’s seat goes the extra mile with 6 way manual lumbar adjustment and support.

Back Seating Area

The rear seating is not left out of this comfort party. Nissan makes it so that the three passengers at the back have no qualms about their experience during the journey.

The rear row of seats fences off a compartment taking up to 29.2 cubic feet of space for storage of luggage. However, these seats can be folded along a 60:40 ratio to further amp up this space. The storage space then grows to 72.8 cubic feet.

Nissan X-Trail Features and Drivability

To edge out its competition in the compact SUV class, the Nissan X-Trail brings together a host of features that seem genius but actually make plain sense. This practicality, coupled with the driveability, make this car an excellent choice for the African road.

Nissan offers three kinds of engines for the X-Trail, each attached to a different variant of the model. For the petrolheads, you can opt for a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine or a higher displacement 2.5 liter alternative.

In Africa, where diesel is cheaper than petrol, you can opt for a 2.2 liter engine that has a turbocharger which coaxes out more power from the unit.

Practicality

As we have already mentioned, placing the buttons in symmetrical way on the central console makes it easy for the driver to reach.

Also, the fact that the rear row of seats folds easily in a 60/40 split makes it easy to increase the load of stuff to carry. This alone makes the X-Trail a suitable car if you are planning to surprise your relatives in their country homes off the beaten path.

Compared to other SUVs, the Nissan X-Trail rides quite low. Not only does this make it easier to access the cabin, but it also gives the boxy SUV plenty of stability when hurtling along on the highway.

How Well Does the Nissan X-Trail Drive?

The X-Trail handles very well when it drives over the tarmac of the more developed areas. Better yet, it manages to hold its own and deliver an impressive performance when you swerve onto the loose surface.

On the gritty and murram surface, the X-Trail’s ‘Smart Drive’ advanced all-wheel drive system comes into its own. Whereas others in this class employ a system that slides first and grips later, the X-Trail anticipates these slips and offers all round grip.

This ensures that your journey upcountry is devoid of any heart-in-mouth moments when you encounter uneven terrain. Add to this the well balanced suspension and front and back anti-roll bars and you have a compact SUV doing big boy SUV stuff.

Nissan X-Trail Safety and Pricing

The Nissan X-Trail is a bastion of safety in the compact SUV category. It offers a number of vital features that ensure your safety when driving.

Nissan X-Trail Safety Features

The driver and passenger have airbags that can cushion their impact during a head-on collision.

The Japanese car maker ensured that the car has active anti-lock braking system (ABS). This means that when you are braking and a wheel tries to lock up, sensors detect this and ease up on the braking force being applied to that wheel.

Not only that, the X-Trail has electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), further aiding the car’s ability to safely come to a stop.

In the earlier X-Trails, Nissan only offered lap seat belts. When the company upgraded the compact SUV in 2003, it decided it was a wise move to offer three point lap sash seat belts just like at the front.

This kind of seat belt at the back also enables you to attach a baby car seat and be sure that your young one will be safe.

Used Nissan X-Trail Pricing

If you are looking for great deals on used Nissan X-Trail model years 2000-2008 in Africa, you can find great prices from Japanese car exporter BE FORWARD, ranging from $900-$9,800.

Browse Used X-Trail Listings   

Overall Opinion

The Nissan X-Trail is an excellent example of good things coming in small packages. The compactness of this SUV belies the amount of space within the cabin.

This space ensures that you are not cramped while the seats offer comfort. The instruments panel is well designed and intuitive giving the driver no hassle when driving.

The driving experience itself is enjoyable. Nissan offers a range of power units that are up to scratch, providing the necessary power to navigate the varying terrain of the African cities and countryside.

In the plus column, you can also add the all-wheel drive system as well as the safety features that ensure that you get your destination safely.

It is no wonder that today it has become the perfect workhorse, mostly for transporting people from one point to another.

Cheap Toyota HiAce Van Models for Sale

When you order a used HiAce van from Japan, you usually have the option of buying a cargo van or a commuter van. What started as a small, rudimentary van with a direct injection engine has today become a favorite community bus with many drivers loving it for its load ability, durability, and overall responsiveness.

In this review, we are going to take a closer look at the 2009 model of the Toyota HiAce van.

Interior & Comfort

The Toyota HiAce can be used in a variety of ways, with many opting to buy it for use as a cargo van, or in other cases to convert into a tour or camper van for the family, or for hiring out to other people commercially. No matter the purpose, this durable van offers a surprisingly high amount of comfort and interior features.

Back Seats

Should you decide to go for the commuter bus HiAce, then it will come with seats already installed in the back. The seating capacity will differ from one van to another, with some having 12 seats and others coming with 14 seats.

Comfortable seats with high-quality fabric, and an aisle between the seats to access the very back seats, are also available. The floor is corrugated for extra safety and tenacity. Each of the windows located in the back-seating area can also slide open or shut for better ventilation.

Front Seats

This van can carry three people in the front; the driver and two passengers. It is a high boxy van, so there is a lot of cabin space for air circulation and overall comfort. For entertainment, there is a radio CD player fitted with two speakers.

The driver seat is adjustable in many ways, such as for moving forward and back as well as adjusting the lean angle. It comes with power windows on both doors, power steering, and power mirrors. Leg space for front passengers is plentiful as this van has the gearshift mounted close to the dashboard, thus leaving all the space under it free.

Features & Driveability

Practicality

The Toyota HiAce van is made to be more functional and practical than for its aesthetics, but to the surprise of many this van still manages to look quite attractive. It has a boxy look from the back, but it maintains a nice streamlined look and build in the front, perhaps to help it move with more speed on highways.

It is a 4-door van, with a driver’s door, passenger door, boot door, and a sliding door on either the left or the right side, depending on whether the van is a left-hand drive or a right-hand drive vehicle. This van has been built with self-employed people, couriers, and business people in mind.

Therefore, it is easy to access cargo either from the side sliding door or from the back. Opening the doors is easy and, what’s more, it is not too high from the ground but has just enough ground clearance to not scrape its underparts on rougher terrain such as the case with many roads located throughout Africa.

Driveability

Driving this van is simple and straightforward, but it has several added driver assist features all the same. The latest HiAce vans come with a number of added features such as reverse camera, power windows, air conditioning, and a central locking system with remote control. Whichever way you look at this van, it comes ready for work, and that shows why it is so common on the road and a favourite of many Africans.

For extra safety when parked, it has an engine immobilizer. This gives you peace of mind that your vehicle is safe right where you left it.

The average engine displacement capacity is 2,694cc, with a 4-cylinder engine and tank capacity of around 70 liters and a fuel type of petrol or diesel. Looked at from the angle of a home use van, the 2009 model of the Toyota HiAce has a slightly higher fuel economy, at 12.6 liters per 100 kilometers.

The driving experience is solid overall, and basically if you have driven an SUV before you will love this van too. Another highlight is that the driver is offered high visibility, with the left side (for right-hand drive vehicles) being set towards the front as such that it is ahead of you, but to the left. This means you do not have to turn your head to the left to see it. It also comes attached with a curb mirror to assist with parking.

While this van can also be used for camping, it would need to be modified for driving off-road. It is made to drive predominantly on less rough terrain only, otherwise the driving experience can be worsened.

Safety, Pricing & Verdict

Safety

The Toyota HiAce Van has a level of safety on par with its competitors. At the front of the van, there are driver and passenger SRS airbags, fitted for the front only. Although airbags aren’t fitted in the passenger area, its seats include secure safety belts.

Audio controls for the speakers are located on the steering wheel, saving the driver the trouble and possible danger of bending over to fiddle with the radio while driving.

Other features include cruise control, disc-ventilated brakes for the front wheels, and drum brakes for the back wheels. A reverse camera is also available, since this is a model of the feature-rich 5^th generation.

Pricing & Overall Opinion

The price of a used 2009 (5^th generation) HiAce Van starts at around $5,000 and peaks at around $6,000, depending on its condition. Remember, the 5^th generation HiAce was launched in 2005 and since then, it has simply gotten better with time.

This van is particularly recommended for business people, the self-employed, construction and courier companies, as well as for airport transfer services. If you love camping, it can be also be modified into a solid camper van.  In addition, being a popular Toyota vehicle, spare parts are readily available anywhere in Africa for added convenience.

Cheap Toyota HiAce Van Models for Sale

Cheap Mitsubishi Pajero Models For Sale

With the Pajero series, Mitsubishi outdid themselves. It is an excellent grand wagon for Africa, Australia, Asia and other places in the world where off-roading may be necessary. While the Pajero is often closely compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, it has carved itself a big niche in the SUV market for off-road driving thanks to its abundance of features and durability.

In this review, we will take a closer look at the used 2009 model of the Mitsubishi Pajero GLX series to get a better idea of its features and capabilities.

Interior & Comfort

The 4^th generation of the Mitsubishi Pajero comes with many features, in particular for driver and passenger comfort. Firstly, the cabin is spacious, bearing in mind that the Pajero is a big vehicle. While it is not a body-on-chassis model, it is far ahead of its smaller counterparts like the Honda CRV, RAV4, and others in terms of its size.

Back Seats

The seats are soft and comfortable, and made with easy-to-clean fabric in the case of accidental spills. Passengers in the second row of seats have enough space to seat even larger passengers without their knees being pressed into the seats in front of them.

The third row is made of seats that stash into the floor after use. It can take some a little time to set up these seats, but they do come in handy for children and smaller passengers.

Front Seats

The driver’s dashboard is well-thought-out, with all important switches and knobs within arm’s reach for easy adjustability. Additional features include a digital compass and elevation reader that are useful for when driving off-road, along with control over the vehicle’s power windows, mirrors, and more.

Seating for the driver features lumbar support for the back, and both the driver and front passenger seats are easily adjustable.

Features & Driveability

Practicality

No matter whether you’re driving on- or off-road, both the driver and passengers are in for a very smooth ride. This 5 door (also available in a smaller 3 door version), 7-seater 4WD vehicle is very practical for off-road as well as for on-road driving thanks to its height and greater visibility. It handles like a marvel on rough terrains and at the same time, it handles beautifully on urban roads.

Passenger leg space is great, and this applies to both second and third row passengers. However, the third row of seats are best suited for smaller people or propping up luggage and cargo while on the go. Convenient cup holders are also included in the back row for any accompanying passengers.

Driveability

The Mitsubishi Pajero feels quite solid in the driver’s hands. In the first place, this is a full-time 4WD vehicle with a 3,200cc diesel or, less popular for this kind of car, petrol engine and a monocoque chassis, meaning that the vehicle derives its structural support from its shell.

Other features that make driving this car fun and safe include the independent suspension, ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, and engine brake assist control. In addition, its active traction control and hill hold assist features are some of the most important when you are driving off-road. These features can attest to the fact that this vehicle was made to contend with all kinds of off-road conditions.

While great for off-road, you can drive this very versatile car across cities and highways comfortably as well. In fact, the included super select system enables the car to pop from rear wheel drive and vice versa at speeds of up to as much as 100 km/h. If you are looking for a versatile car that is responsive to all kinds of road conditions, then the Pajero is a great buy.

Its tank capacity comes in at around 88 liters, with a fuel consumption of about 9.1 liters for every 100 km. However, depending on the conditions and style it’s being driven in, this amount may differ from driver to driver.

Thanks to its ample amount of space, there is a lot of available storage in the Pajero. This includes door pockets in both front and rear doors, expansive glove compartment, floor console with tray, cup holders and a big boot, which can be further extended to create more space by folding the rear seats.

Safety, Pricing & Verdict

Safety

In this article we had a brief look at some of the safety features of the Pajero, in particular its active traction control and engine brake assist functions. In addition to these, other safety features include high-quality safety belts, driver and passenger front SRS airbags, curtain ARS airbags, smart braking, a multi-mode anti braking system, and active stability control.

Other useful components include reverse camera, 3-point emergency locking retractor, seat belt warning lamp, and childproof rear door locks. Overall, the Mitsubishi Pajero was made with maximum safety in mind, and as many safety features as is possible for this price range have been included.

Pricing and Verdict

There are thousands of opinions about the Mitsubishi Pajero, with many people swearing by it. It is a great car and although it has ever been in the shadow of the Prado, it is still an incredible car in its own right.

For use as an urban family car for traveling upcountry in Africa in some places that lack proper roads, this SUV, with its many off-road driving assist features, does not disappoint at all. It has high ground clearance and minimal body roll, making it faster than most SUVs.

A used Mitsubishi Pajero (such as the 2009 4^th generation), is often the priced between $2,000 and $6,000, depending on the model and year. Manual as well as automatic transmissions are available.

Cheap Mitsubishi Pajero Models for Sale

Search Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Listings

Are you considering buying a used Toyota Land Cruiser Prado? The answer depends on many things. The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has come a long way and today, it is very different, or perhaps we should say a better, more comfortable version of the first in its line of production that was first released into the market in 1985.

Now in its fourth generation, this car has become a mark of pride and achievement in many places, but especially Africa, Asia, Middle East, Australia and many other places. What makes it so beloved is that it is built for urban comfort and maneuverability as well as for tough rural and off-road capability.

In this article, we will look at the kind of user experience you should expect from a 2009 Land Cruiser Prado. Old? Not really! You will see why this vehicle, no matter how old it is, does not disappoint even when you put it alongside its more modern tech feature-laden counterparts from Europe and the Americas. In terms of price, it is totally unmatched.

Interior & Comfort

What do you get when you take Prado’s Big Brother the Land Cruiser, and add many urban and technological comforts? You get the Land Cruiser Prado. Although this SUV was built incorporating a number of urban comforts and off-road ability, its interior is not exactly luxurious when compared to a similar car such as the VW Toureg, but it is close.

For the earlier models of the Prado, you are probably looking at leather seats, a wood grain steering wheel and a wood-grain console. Newer Land Cruisers may not have this.

For entertainment, there is a 6-disc DVD/CD changer and 14 speakers. The front seats are heated, and with a tilted, sliding sunroof you can enjoy some fresh air as you go for a drive.

Back Seating Area

The back seating area can accommodate for up to five passengers, making the Prado a choice car for families. It has more space than most common 4WD off-road vehicles in the market, making it ideal as an office car during the week and a family cruiser for weekends.

In addition, there is a roof mounted 9-inch monitor, a full-blown rear seat entertainment system from which passengers can play DVD movies or video games if they hook up a gaming console.

The back seat row can be folded automatically to create more storage space. However, most people do not buy the Prado for this. Rather, they buy it for the ultimate comfort that seven adult passengers can enjoy as they travel.

Driver’s Seating Area

The driver area in the Toyota Land Cruiser is made to make the driver as comfortable as possible. Firstly, the driver seat is 8-way adjustable, meaning you can adjust it to suit your height, posture, knee space, steering wheel reach, and many more.

The seat also stores all of your settings so that you do not have to adjust it again. The dual automatic climate control also gives you a good escape from the hot African weather.

There are many switches scattered around the driver area of the Prado that allow for maximum personalization. The glove compartment is spacious, lockable, and can hold many of your personal items. This car also has heated front seats.

Features & Driveability

The Prado comes with many driver-assist and comfort features. In addition to the roomy and spacious cabin, there are features like cruise control, which lets the driver relax on long road trips while the audio-visual navigation system will ensure you do not get lost.

If you go for the GLX, you will get it in two types of engines – the V6, 4.0-litre petrol engine or the 2.8-litre diesel turbo engine. Later versions also offer turbocharged 3.0-litre diesel engines. The diesel engine is more popular in places like Africa where diesel is considerably cheaper than petrol.

The Prado is a fulltime 4WD vehicle. This however does not hamper its performance and operation on the road. Although this car is made to go anywhere and on any terrain, there can be a lot of body roll on twisty urban roads, requiring you to lower the driving speed considerably. Most people say that the car becomes very intuitive when you are off-road, since it was made to thrive there.

You will get the Prado with a 5 or 6-speed automatic gearbox. It has 18-inch alloy wheels, giving more than enough ground clearance, and power steering.

Practicality

The passenger riding in the cabin with the driver is almost as comfortable as the driver. The passengers in the two back seat rows are also very comfortable. The boot space is a humongous 650kg, which can be increased much further by folding the electronically folding seats. The spare wheel is mounted on the under floor, which is a good thing because opening the boot door could feel too heavy with the spare wheel mounted on the door.

Driveability

As has been reiterated repeatedly in this article, the Prado handles best when it is driven off-road as the twisty turns on the tarmac can give the car too much body roll. Toyota seems to have invested more on driving comfort rather than driving dynamics, because the suspension is a bit soft compared to its rivals. However, for rough roads or for no roads at all, you will not find a better car.

It is very comfortable to drive since it has high ground clearance and thus the driver has better visibility. The memory seat also helps save time as it saves driver settings and needs, while the heated mirrors retract electronically.

Most models of the fourth generation Prado come in 4.0-liter petrol or 2.8 and 3.0 diesel turbocharged engines. The turbo charged diesel engine sells fast, but the petrol one is not bad either.

Driving on the road at low speeds, the Prado handles like a small car. However, when it drives on off-road terrains, it handles like a beast. Thanks to the multi-terrain selection feature, the vehicle intuitively knows how much wheel spin is needed for every kind of terrain. This feature has settings for mud, rock, mogul, loose rock, and sand.

Mostly, the 2009 Prado and later come mostly in automatic transmission, but there are manual choices too. It has reliable shifting 5-speed automatic gearbox and good fuel efficiency of between 8 and 10 km/litre.

Safety, Pricing & Overall Opinion

Safety

Some people say the Prado can keel over if you drive too fast. However, any heavy car with high ground clearance and body roll is bound to do that if you try to negotiate corners at high speed. It has been awarded four stars for driver protection by Used Car Safety Rating (UCSR), and it has been rated for other road users’ protection when there is a crash. We can confidently say that the Prado is one of the safest SUVs around. Safety belts for all passengers, lane departure warning, and emergency braking systems further enhance the safety of this car.

Pricing & Overall Opinion

A used Toyota Prado imported from Japan can cost any amount from around $4,000 depending on the year of manufacture, with some being as old as 20 years. For countries like Kenya, which have a 7-year restriction on secondhand car imports, a 2011 Prado can cost about $20,000 while any newer than that can go up to $30,000 or more.

This car is best suited to older drivers who have families to haul along as they take long weekend road trips and who would like to visit their upcountry homes from time to time where off-road capability comes in handy. An always-in-a-hurry urban driver may not love the Prado because overtaking has to be keenly calculated and at high speed, with the chances of keeling over increasing. If you are a city dweller, buying a smaller, niftier car that can negotiate the twists and turns of urban roads is recommended.

Finally, the Toyota Land Cruiser comes in many models like the CBA–TRJ150W, TA-VZJ121W, Q-LJ78W, LDA-GDJ150W and LDA-GDJ151W to name but only a few. These are not exactly the same vehicle, but they are sisters. Some have 2690 CC, others 2750 CC. Some have 18-inch alloys, some 17-inch alloys. But they are all Land Cruiser Prados from the trusted Toyota make.

Ready to browse used Toyota Land Cruiser Prado listings? We’ve partnered with online Japanese used car dealer BE FORWARD to bring the most affordable and high-quality used Prado vehicles to our JapanCarReviews readers!

Browse Prado Listings