Nissan Patrol (safari-LWB)or Prado-v6 or FJ cruiser

RaZe
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Hi every one,

I am looking for a new 4x4, one for the road and dunes.
I have looked at many cars and ended up in these :-
Nissan Patrol Safari(LWB)
Toyota prado V6
and FJ....

It seems to be a FAQ and having too much confusion about the question of which is the best 4x4 on road ans off road.....
My 80% of commutes are on road and only during the weekends i touch the sand....

Hope i get my answer from this post.....
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Abu Jimmy
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All are capable vehicles on and off road . If space is not an issue I recommend the FJ .
What goes around , comes around .
Dave
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The FJ has very poor visibility as a driver, especially from the rear. The Prado is effectively the same car with a bigger body shell,and better visibility. If you are mainly on road driving about town the Prado is more practical, has more space and is easier to park. Off road it's almost as capable as the FJ. The Patrol LWB is a bigger and stronger car but maybe not as ideal for around town driving. From what limited information you give about your needs I would suggest going for the Prado. But test drive all three first. All three are great cars.
RaZe
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FJ is a really good off roader, I really liked the new TRD version as well.........Image
But the rear visibility is very low, Imageand the rear sets entry are not kind of my type.. my kids also would only see a small world through those tiny window Image
But if FJ i will wait for the extreme version to come..... which would be the last of the FJ's in production...Image
RaZe
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Abu Jimmy;41196 wrote:All are capable vehicles on and off road . If space is not an issue I recommend the FJ .
FJ is a really good off roader, I really liked the new TRD version as well.........Image
But the rear visibility is very low, Imageand the rear sets entry are not kind of my type.. my kids also would only see a small world through those tiny window Image
But if FJ i will wait for the extreme version to come..... which would be the last of the FJ's in production...Image
RaZe
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Dave;41209 wrote:The FJ has very poor visibility as a driver, especially from the rear. The Prado is effectively the same car with a bigger body shell,and better visibility. If you are mainly on road driving about town the Prado is more practical, has more space and is easier to park. Off road it's almost as capable as the FJ. The Patrol LWB is a bigger and stronger car but maybe not as ideal for around town driving. From what limited information you give about your needs I would suggest going for the Prado. But test drive all three first. All three are great cars.
I Agree with FJ,:thumbsup:
Prado is a good car, it has good shocks, means good ride comfort, but how is the mileage...? compared to the nissan.......!

But if i am comparing the prado and nissan, my heart is after the patrol, mostly bcs i have heard a lot about its capability off road, but on the other hand i have, no idea of the car on road, i cant even get one to test drive , bcs they say i need to wait for a month for the test drive.." Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat....."" yaaa....,Image
I dont know how the interior feels also and how the techs are or how the ride comfort is all compared to the Prado .

What makes the patrol stand apart from all the other 4x4...?Image
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caprihorse
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Latest model of Prado is much worse then the models driven in 2006-7 and therefore not good for off-roading at all. This statement is coming from good off-roaders, Prado owners, they kept he car at home as the second car for the wife... And it's true, as you can see hardly Prado in a desert.

FJ has poor visibility, but it's excellent car.

Patrol, with no doubt, is top of the range, but only 4,8L engine.

Both last cars, when equipped with M/T, are currently top models for off-roading.
Orsomucca
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I'm a happy owner of an FJ. I do around 30K km per year and desert once/twice a month. I can't be happier and It's almost perfect for the purpose. Very comfortable on-road and capable off road. the only two issues, as said are visibility and rear seats accessibility.
Technically speaking I prefer it over the Patrol for 2 reasons: shorter wheelbase and front indipendent suspensions.
Regarding the trim level, my suggestion is to go with the basic model and then in case use the extra cash for some mods when needed. When I bought it the difference was massive (35000 AED) and the main differences were the cruise control, passenger armrest, subwoofer and A-trac.

Anyhow, any of the 3 are a good choiche even if probably the prado has a bit too much plastic around the bumpers
pato mwazi
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ever consider Xterra.....?....
C N Sreejith
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I drive a Patrol Safari LWB and I can tell you its pros and cons.

Onroad - bad vehicle. Not as comfortable as Prado (I don't know about FJ). If you have driven a Mahindra CJ series in India, Patrol Safari is its equivalent here. Yes, it has AC, power steering, power windows, wood-like finish on the dash, soft padding everywhere, commands excellent road respect, but it's not as comfy as the New Patrol or Prado. Steering wheel vibrates at high speeds. Fuel efficiency - 4-5kms per liter, mixed driving.

Offroad - the best! You don't get stuck easily, it forgives most of your mistakes, very stable, very powerful. You'll end up pulling out most of your buddies from tough situations. Because you don't get stuck easily, you'll take longer to learn. And when you get stuck, if you don't have all the tools and accessories, you'll need a bigger vehicle to pull you out [or @Defragmantor and his jeep :)]. I have spent approximately 2000kms off the road (current mileage 7000kms in 3 months) with my car on mountains, wadis and desert, got stuck 3 times exactly in soft sand. 2 times bad, once easy, guided out easily by experienced marshals.

In spite of the poor onroad comfort, I would still recommend Patrol Safari. And if you are buying this vehicle, go for the Manual Transmission (if you have the MT licence). Trust me, there's a big difference in offroad performance, especially in self-recovery situations and you won't find any big difference in onroad driving, especially if you have driven in India.

If you're planning to drive in the mountains and wadis, negotiate with Arabian Automobiles to give you AT tyres. The Bridestone HTs that they give with new vehicle is OK for desert but not good on rock and gravel. I cracked a sidewall once and had to crawl down a steep hill with a flat tyre as there was no safe position to change the tyre uphill.

The biggest drawback is that there is a waiting period of up to 2 months now. And no interesting colour options. Only white, black, silver and gold. I have a friend in Nissan to help you if you're planning to buy a new Patrol Safari. Do let me know.

Cheers,
Sreejith
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