Land Rover Discovery LR4 test drive since 2009 SUV
Land Rover Discovery 4 against Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Legend and rumors
Land Rover Discovery 4. Price: 2,153,000 rubles. On sale: since 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Price: 1 974 500 rub. On sale: since 2008
When it comes to real SUVs, it will not work not to remember these cars. Moreover, more recently, they were updated and again by ear. But if Toyota decided to step in the 2010 model year with the completely new Land Cruiser Prado, then Land Rover decided to limit himself only to the thorough modification of his Discovery, after which he easily changed the number three by four. What did the consumer end up?
Test pilot
Oleg Kalaushin, 40 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience 22 years, personal car - Renault Logan
Igor Kuznetsov, 48 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience 31 years old, personal car - Nissan Quashqai
The consumer is us. We stand and look at two completely different cars. What does each of us think about? Is it not about that sometimes the best is really a good enemy? Who in Toyota decided that it would be better? Give him here, put it next to us, and we are more than sure that after a couple of minutes he will leave, bursting. Alas and ah, but the new Prado in Discovery 4 looks fresh. He is like a roll, but without tuna, nori, avocados, soy sauce and Basabi. In general, boiled rice, no more. Discovery, on the contrary, became too good to knead the dirt on it somewhere near Syktyvkar. Tell me, what normal person will climb into the swamp in a tuxedo? Apparently, there are not many such daredevils, in connection with which most of his car life, Discovery 4 will spend on the asphalt, turning into a banal SUV. Fate unenviable for such a seriously equipped machine, isn't it?
But Prado will definitely not regret, in connection with which to imbue the spirit of freedom and adventurism, Toyota has much more chances. Moreover, the lack of pity for Prado will be more due to an unreasonable appearance, but legendary reliability. Why regret what is almost impossible to break? Land Rover was less lucky in this regard. Here, rumors about relative unreliability were glued to the legends of unconditional cross -country ability. Which, however, is more rumors than facts. The facts suggest that the number of appeals of owners of Land Rover cars in the service does not exceed the number of appeals, say, the owners of Porsche Cayenne or Volvo XC 90.
And the facts also say that no matter how Prado may seem more Discovery, but the latter is still larger in all respects. Which in itself is quite strange, because it is more spacious in sensations in the Toyota salon. This is especially noticeable when you sit in the second row. But the decoration materials are richer in Discovery. Yes, and the ergonomics of Land Rover closer to the European one. For example, the lighting here is turned on the handle on the instrument panel, and not tied to the steering wheel switch, as in Prado. But the narrow hinged armrest, traditional for Land Rover, is definitely uncomfortable. On a huge armrest-box, Prado's hand lies much more 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 there was a 2.7-liter diesel engine in the car, the noise in the cabin was not much more than from gasoline, if not less. Yes, and the engine itself did not rummage, as it should be expected, but hissed unusually. In this regard, at idle, that when driving along the highway, the motor was practically not heard. Prado, according to this indicator, openly disappointed, which is strange. In a gasoline machine, we did not have any complaints about sound insulation. There was also the feeling that part of the noise insulation of the salon was simply removed. The noise was localized both in front of the engine and behind the wheel arches. The suspension also makes considerable contribution to the assessment of the comfort of cars. It is her ability not to hide on the quality of the disgrace that is called by roads that we are so high. And this high rating has deserved us first of all Discovery. Whatever you say, but pneumatics is a thing. And even if her eyelids are short -lived, and the systems often fail. But when it works, Prado also feels good on the asphalt and even resists centrifugal strength in corners, increasing stabilizers' rigidity. However, it does not reach the smoothness of Discovery. The dynamic characteristics of cars, despite the different engines power, are virtually the same. A more voluminous, but less powerful 3-liter 173-horsepower Prado diesel is able to disperse the SUV to hundreds in 11.7 seconds. While the 2.7 -fraud of Discovery, the engine power of which is 188 liters. S., accelerates to hundreds per second longer. And during the march to the off-road landfill, we were able to evaluate how long the cars could resist the dirt that raises from the road ahead of the transportation. The result of this test, alas, is not in favor of the brutal Land Rover. The front door windows were covered with a dense layer of dirt literally five minutes later, thereby very limiting the side overview to the driver. Toyota is also not a standard according to this indicator, but the gaps, due to more verified aerodynamics, left on the side glasses. In general, a rag in the trunk of these cars in inclement weather should be obliged to carry the rules of the road.
The cable would not have prevented. With all those systems that have the fact that Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, that Land Rover Discovery 4, we would recommend to move from the highway to the spring thaw only if any. Or at least in the company of shovels. As our races showed, there are no off -roads for cars. But only if the wheels are more or less loose snow or rolled dirt. A completely different matter is when the snow is covered with fragile nastom.
So you seem to be going, suddenly the wheels, breaking the backbone, go down about ten to fifteen centimeters, and that’s all. The car is captured. Helorious rotates with all four wheels. And here, neither the brandy Terran Response from Land Rover, which, incidentally, in the four, was also modernized, nor the ability to block the Toyota, which, incidentally, also help. By the way, a richer Prado set also has a system similar to Terrain Response. It is called the Multi-Terrain Select and allows you to adapt the car to drive on different coatings (we were fully convinced of its capabilities, conducting the test drive of the gasoline version of Prado). But, as it seems to us, and she would not help to get out of captivity on her own. In this regard, we can assume that the off -road capabilities of these cars are at about the same level. And the ability to get out of such situations is due only to the performance of the one who holds a shovel in his hands.
Land Rover Discovery 4
Discovery 4 turned out to be finalized, new engines, more tenacious brakes and an improved adaptation system to different road conditions Terran Responce. In addition to this modernization, they subjected the car interior and added such a useful option for an SUV as a circular review chamber.
Driving
The car bribes exclusively by smooth move both on asphalt and off -road. The power of the diesel engine is enough for a dynamic driving and for bathing in mud.
Salon
The salon is spacious, but there is still not much space on the back sofa as it could be, taking into account the size of the car.
Comfort
Good noise insulation the key to a long -perfect trip.
Safety
At a fairly high level.
Price
Of course, the nomashin is high.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
The new Prado not only grew up in size and received a new interior. The machine was significantly modified for stable behavior on the asphalt, and also significantly strengthened its off -road abilities. In particular, the car received the Multi-Terrain system, which helps to adapt the car to different road conditions.
Driving
Due to the system that increases stabilizers, the car is very stable for naasfal.
Salon
It is quite spacious and moderately exquisite. Exactly as much as this is appropriate for a real SUV.
Comfort
In this machine, it is equally comfortable as a driver and signs, however, the noise insulation of VETA seemed to us insufficient.
Safety
At the level of competitors.
Price
Depends on the configuration. But in principle, adequate.
Our verdict
And what in the end? 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 gravitates more to the premium class, of course, more comfortable and comfortable, and what sin to hide, luxurious. On the other hand, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is more broken and Spartan. And here you yourself will have to choose which lifestyle is closer to you. We choose comfort and comfort for the money that the cars cost, we want to get more.
Author: Oleg Kalaushin
Photo: Igor Kuznetsov
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [May 2010]
