Test Drive Land Rover Discovery LR4 since 2009 SUV
Land Rover Discovery 4 against Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Legend and rumors
Land Rover Discovery 4. Price: 2 153 000 rub. On sale: since 2009Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Price: 1 974 500 rub. On sale: since 2008
When it comes to real SUVs, it will not be possible to remember these cars. Moreover, quite recently they updated and again on hearing. But if Toyota decided to step in 2010 a model year with a fully new Land Cruiser Prado, then Land Rover decided to limit only to a thorough refinement of his Discovery, after which she easily changed the number three to four. What did the consumer in the end?
Test pilots
Oleg Kalaushin, 40 years old, car journalist, driving experience 22 years old, personal car - Renault Logan
Igor Kuznetsov, 48 years old, car journalist, driving experience 31 years, Personal car - Nissan Quashqai
The consumer is we we. We stand and look at two absolutely different cars. What does each of us think about? Isn't that sometimes the best is really a good enemy? Who in Toyota decided that it would be better? Give it here, put next to us, and we are more than confident that after a couple of minutes he will leave, breaking. Alas and ah, but the new Prado in Discovery 4 looks fresh. He is like roll, but without tuna, Nori, avocado, soy sauce and Vasabi. In general, boiled rice, no more. Discovery, on the contrary, has become too good in order to knead the dirt on it somewhere under Syktyvkar. Tell me, what normal person will close in a swamp in a tuxedo? Apparently, there are not many such brands, therefore, due to the most of its highway, Discovery 4 will spend on the asphalt, turning into a banal parqual. Unquided for such a seriously equipped car fate, is it not true?
But Prado will not make sure they will not, in connection with what to penetrate the spirit of freedom and adventurism at the Toyota chance of much more. Moreover, the lack of pity for Prado will be more due to a kind of appearance, but legendary reliability. Why regret what is almost impossible to break? Land Rover is less fortunate in this regard. Here, rumors about relative unreliability were glued to legends about the unconditional passability. What, however, more rumors than facts. The facts also suggest that the number of calls for owners of Land Rover cars in service does not exceed the number of appeals, say, Porsche Cayenne or Volvo XC 90 holders.
And the facts say that no longer Prado would see more Discovery, and the latter is still larger in all respects. That in itself quite strange, because more spaciously feeling in the Toyota salon. This is especially noticeable when you sit on the second row. But the finish materials are richer at Discovery. Yes, and the ergonomics of Land Rover closer to European. For example, the lighting here is turned on with a handle on the instrument panel, and not tied to the steering wheel switch, as in Prado. But the traditional for Land Rover is a narrow folding armrest unequivocally inconvenient. On a huge armrest box, Prado hand lies much comfortable.
And yet, if we talk about comfort, then in Discovery it is incomparably higher. To begin with, it is worth mentioning noise insulation. Despite the fact that the car stood a 2.7-liter diesel engine, noise in the cabin was slightly more than from gasoline, if not less. And the engine itself did not rocked, as it should be expected, but unusually spiked. In this regard, that at idle, that when moving along the highway, the motor was practically not heard. Prado on this indicator frankly disappointed that strange. In a gasoline car, there were no complaints about noise insulation. There was also a feeling that part of the insulation of the cabin was simply deleted. Noise was localized both in front of the engine and behind the wheeled arches. A significant contribution to the assessment of the comfort of cars makes the suspension. It is her ability to not focus on the quality of the ugliness, which is called our roads, we appreciate so high. And this high assessment earned in our first Discovery. What do not say, and pneumatics is a thing. And let the age of its inheritance, and the systems often give a failure. But when it works Prado, also well feels on the asphalt and even resists the centrifugal strength in turns, increasing the rigidity of the stabilizers. However, before smoothness, Discovery is not reaching. Dynamic characteristics in cars, despite the different power of the engines, are actually the same. More thunderous, but less powerful 3-liter 173-strong Diesel Prado is able to disperse an SUV to hundreds in 11.7 seconds. While the 2.7-liter Discovery, the engine capacity of which is 188 liters. p., accelerates to hundreds for a second longer. And during the march-throw to the off-road landfill, we were able to evaluate how long the cars can resist that dirt, which rises from the road to the running transport. The result of this test, alas, not in favor of the brutal Land Rover. The front door windows were covered with a dense layer of mud literally in five minutes, thereby strongly limiting the side review by the driver. Toyota This indicator is also not a standard, however, the lumens, due to more verified aerodynamics, left on the side glasses. In general, a rag in the trunk of these cars in rainy weather should be obliged to carry the rules of the road.
It would not hurt the cable. With all those systems that have that Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, that Land Rover Discovery 4, we would recommend that Land Rover Discovery 4, we would recommend only if available. Or at least in the company shovel. As our races showed, off-road for machines no problem. But only if under the wheels more or less loose snow or rolled dirt. It is quite another thing when the snow is covered with a fragile infusion.
Here you seem to go, suddenly the wheel, the prolaming is nasty, go down the centimeters for ten and fifteen, and that's it. Machine in captivity. Helplessly rotates all four wheels. And here it is no longer helped by the corporate terrain response from Land Rover, which, by the way, in the four, also subjected to modernization, neither the ability to block the intersecting differential from Toyota. By the way, the richest package of Prado also has a system similar to Terrain Response. It is called Multi-Terrain SELECT and allows you to adapt the car to driving on different coatings (in its capabilities we fully made sure, conducting a test drive of the PRADO gasoline version). But, as it seems to us, and she would not help to get out of captivity on their own. In this regard, we can assume that the off-road capabilities of these cars are located on the same level. And the ability to get out of these situations is due only to the performance of one who keeps the shovel in their hands.
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 4
The covered Discovery 4 received a modified suspension, new engines, more chain brakes and an improved adaptation system to various Terrain Responce road conditions. In addition to this modernization, the car was subjected to a salon and added such a useful option for an SUV as a circular review camera.
Driving
The car bribes only the smoothness of the course both by asphalt and off-road. Diesel power is enough for both dynamic driving and swimming in the mud.
Salon
The salon is spacious and is still not much space on the back sofa, as it might be, taking into account the size of the car.
Comfort
Good noise insulation pledge of a longitudinal trip.
Security
At a fairly high level.
Price
High, of course, the nomashin is worth it.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
The new Prado not only grew up in size and received a new interior. The car was significantly finalized for stable behavior on the asphalt, and also significantly strengthened its off-road abilities. In particular, the car received the Multi-Terrain system, which contributes to the adaptation of the car to different road conditions.
Driving
Due to the system that increases the rigidity of stabilizers, the car is very stable by Nasafalte.
Salon
It is quite spacious and moderately sissing. It is smoothly so much as it likes for this SUV.
Comfort
In this car, it is equally comfortable as a driver, so Ipassazhram, however, noise insulation of this equipment seemed insufficient.
Security
At the level of competitors.
Price
Depends on the configuration. But in principle adequate.
Our verdict
And what's the result? And in the end we were convinced that in our technical equipment, dynamics, dimensions, in the end, the cars are very similar. They differ only in the image and comfort. Land Rover Discovery 4, which is more to the premium class, of course, comfortable and cozy, and what is sin, luxurious. On the other hand, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is more broken and Spartan. And here you yourself will have to choose which style of life is closer to you. We choose comfort and comfort for the money that cars are standing, we want to get more.
Author: Oleg Kalaushin
Photo: Igor Kuznetsov
A source: Magazine 5 Wheel [May 2010]