Your questions answered: Should I buy a new Toyota Prado GXL?

New Toyota four-wheel drives always get plenty of interest and it’s no different with the new Prado 250 Series.

But there’s also concerns and questions about the new model, as we’re learning from our readers.

There’s also concern about the new Chinese EV brands gearing up to make their mark on the Australian new-car market and one reader wants to know about the risks involved with buying something relatively unknown.

Plus we’re looking at small hybrid hatches, private imports and whether to buy a small SUV to replace a dying Holden.

Question: I currently drive a Toyota Prado GXL bought new in July 2013 and it has done 167,000km. The caravan I pull is a four-wheel type weighing 1780kg but fully loaded at 2200kg.

I’m sure the new Prado will pull it OK with a towing capacity of 3.5 tonne as to the one now has only 2.5-tonne capacity.

I am not really going off-road, maybe some gravel roads, but not doing anything extreme at 85 years of age. I like the Prado because if I should have a problem anywhere out back you can always get them fixed.

I was interested in the new GXL model, which looks great.

Are there any downsides to having the latest design not proven on the roads as yet?

Also the more expensive models have 20-inch wheels; what difference is there going to 20-inch tyres? I know it can be hard getting some tyres in the outback if they are a new size being used. Cheers – Claude

Answer: As a general rule smaller diameter tyres are easier to get in remote areas. So the 18-inch tyres will certainly be more prevalent in the outback over the 20-inch hoops. That said, it's getting easier to find tyres up to 20 inches these days.

There are so many cars with bigger wheels and tyres that they're becoming more common generally.

The bigger issue with the tyres is how the car drives.

My experience was the Prados on the 18-inch wheels – GX, GXL and Altitude models – were nicer to drive, generally speaking. Each has passive dampers that seem to work better in terms of comfort and body control.

I found the adjustable dampers of the VX and Sahara too spongy in Comfort mode and too firm in Sport. And the lower profile of the 20-inch tyre seemed to send more smaller jolts into the cabin.

As for towing, the new Prado has stepped up to a 3500kg tow capacity, but you don't have much payload left when towing that much.

The equation is a lot better when you're not towing as much. With your circa-2200kg van, for example, you'd have about 400kg of payload remaining, depending on the towball downweight.

As for having a non-proven design, that's obviously a potential risk with any new model.

But Toyota does a heck of a lot of engineering – much of it in Australia – to minimise any potential issues. And keep in mind that much of the Prado's underpinnings are very much proven.

The 2.8-litre engine has been around for about a decade and the Prado 250 Series architecture is shared with the LandCruiser 300 Series.

So, short story is this: I wouldn't be worried about reliability and suitability to Australia.

The biggest issue with the new Prado is its luggage space, especially on the GXL.

The boot floor is relatively high because it allows for the batteries for the hybrid model available in America. Once you fold the third-row seats they sit unnaturally high and soak up a fair bit of the boot.

But elsewhere there's loads to like about the new Prado. I know you're not really heading off-road, but it's super capable in the rough stuff. It's also a lot more comfortable and composed on the road.

Question: I’m looking to take out a novated lease on a new EV and was originally heading down the Tesla path.

Is there a risk in buying a car from a brand I’ve never heard of? – Phillip

Answer: It’s certainly a leap of faith buying from a brand with no track record in Australia. And some of the newcomer brands have a very short track record globally, too.

There’s obviously the concern of what after-sales support will look like once you’ve taken delivery of the car.

That comes down to the dealer/service network but also the willingness of head office (or the importer) to ensure they do the right thing by customers.

Australian Consumer Law is there to protect customers, but that doesn’t always help if it means fighting for a fair go through the ACCC or your state/territory fair trading outlet.

Perhaps the bigger risk is what will happen to the value of your car over time.

New or unknown brands typically perform poorly early in their life (it’s not always the case; Tesla was a rare exception) regarding residual and resale values. It's worth checking pricing authority RedBook to get an overview on how cars are tracking in this respect.

But that won’t really be known until the cars are in market.

And, of course, there’s the risk of whether the cars will be reliable and trouble-free over time.

In short, there are a lot of unknowns.

You may get lucky, but there’s also the potential for things to go wrong.

Obviously we’ll report what we learn as we learn it, so keep up to date with our reviews on site and at the carsales YouTube channel for those newcomers.

And in the meantime, don’t be afraid to push the button on a Tesla. Sure, there are a lot around, but there’s a reason for that.

Question: I drive a 2014 Hyundai i30 Trophy and would like to trade in for a newer car. I'm very happy with my Hyundai.

Can you advise what is a similar vehicle, maybe two years old, 2022. How about a Toyota Corolla?

I drive in the country regularly, at least monthly, 800km round trip. The rest of my driving is around the suburbs.

Safety is my main priority, then fuel economy and value for money as I'm a pensioner.

Also, most cars I've seen are hybrids, what does this mean, is it important? – Eliza

Answer: Small cars used to be very popular in Australia but these days a lot of people are gravitating to small SUVs. They’re very similar, but tend to ride a little higher, so you’ll be positioned higher in the vehicle.

There are still loads of great small hatches and the Toyota Corolla is one of them.

It’s not very spacious in the back seat or boot but is terrific in terms of safety and driving manners.

Others you could look at include the Mazda3 and Kia Cerato, each of which also does a great job on safety features and driving manners. Don’t ignore the Hyundai i30, either. It still stacks up really well as a used car.

As for hybrids, the full hybrids (as opposed to mild hybrids) can halve your fuel use around town. They’re an excellent way to lower running costs.

And the Corolla Hybrid is a great option.

Prices tend to hold up well, so you’ll typically pay more for one as a used vehicle. But that price premium should pay itself back in lower running costs.

The fuel saving benefits of a hybrid aren’t as dramatic on a freeway but they’re still fairly frugal.

But it’s around town where the biggest advantages are.

Question: I am considering buying 2018 Nissan Note Nismo from a dealer. I test drove it and it feels a good car for city driving. It has 75,000km and it was imported from Japan last year.

I look for a car that should last me up to 10 years.

What are your thoughts about this car? Is there something that I should check out? – Helena

Answer: The Nissan Note was never officially imported into Australia. So the only examples here have been privately imported, which has pros and cons.

Generally those private imports are cheaper than a car of a similar age/condition/size that came through the official brand channels.

However, finding parts for them can be trickier because Nissan dealers typically won’t stock them.

Plus, if there’s a recall or service campaign a Nissan dealer won’t be doing it; the onus falls back on the person who imported it.

So it can pay to do some research on who’s looking after issues like that.

Also check how much it’ll cost to insure. Sometimes those less common models can cost more.

And, obviously, you want to check the car generally for condition, repairs and so-on. Sometimes cars privately imported from Japan had crash damage in their homeland and were repaired to go to export markets.

We are being told it has a head gasket issue and the quotes are excessive and seem to indicate a whole engine rebuild.

We are instead thinking of a trade-in for a new Kia Seltos or similar. Does that make sense? – Belinda

Answer: Head gasket repairs can get costly if it has warped the head as a result of overheating (the gasket keeps oil in the engine separated from water in the cooling system).

The gasket itself will be cheap. It’s usually everything else around it that requires reconditioning or replacing that can get expensive.

On a 12-year-old small car it would generally render the car a write-off. So, yes, buying something newer makes perfect sense.

The Kia Seltos is a terrific place to start.

Also look at a Hyundai Kona as another great value small SUV. A recent update and price reduction to the Honda HR-V also makes it worth considering.

As for your Barina, see if a wrecking yard will pay for recycling or parts. It won’t be much, but may help ease the pain slightly.

And don’t forget to cancel the registration and insurance and at least get a pro-rata refund on that.

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