Decades of abuse in the world's most remote regions have proven that Toyota makes some of the best off-road vehicles on Earth. Hollywood types might prefer Range Rovers - opens in new window or tab., but around the globe, from conservationists in African nature preserves to agencies operating in war-torn regions, Toyotas—specifically Land Cruise - opens in new window or tab.r—are often the go-anywhere vehicle of choice.
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American-market Land Cruisers have fulfilled the demand for ever-bigger luxury SUVs with the 200 series, an SUV that is too big and packed with too many luxury amenities for hardcore off-roaders. All those features also resulted in a starting sticker price around $85,000.
But for the rest of the world, Toyota continued to build more utilitarian, bare-bones, and affordable Land Cruisers, like the imported 1996 Land Cruiser Prado recently for sale on eBay in Cookeville, Tenn.
Join the Prado Parade
The example for sale is a short-wheelbase Land Cruiser Prado variant. For serious off-roaders, these are preferable because the smaller dimensions let the rig squeeze between trees and boulders. Less weight reduces the risk of getting bogged down in sand, mud, or snow. Less distance between the wheels lowers the chance of getting high-centered on a rock or log between the front and rear wheels, turning the car into a seesaw with its belly as the fulcrum.
This Land Cruiser Prado has everything you need and nothing you don’t. Many overseas models had diesel engines, but this one is powered by a Toyota 5VZ-FE 3.4-liter V-6. It's the same unit found in a US-market Tacoma - opens in new window or tab. or 4Runner - opens in new window or tab., so parts availability won’t be an issue. It’s mated to a five-speed manual transmission for those who like to finesse tricky conditions by modulating the clutch. It also can be bump-started if the battery dies miles from civilization. Crucially, it also comes with locking center and rear differentials to help extricate the car from daunting low-traction situations.
Precious Property
According to the seller, the Land Cruiser Prado was imported from Japan and titled correctly. It has 133,672 kilometers on the metric odometer, which translates to 83,059 miles, barely a blip. Land Cruisers are known to run strong even after a quarter million miles. As a bonus, its metallic red paint is a rare color for this generation.
It also has useful additions like a brush guard - opens in new window or tab., fog lamps - opens in new window or tab., and window visors - opens in new window or tab.. And no Japanese SUV would be complete without an inspirational graphic like the Prado’s tire cover - opens in new window or tab., which has an image of a mountain peak with the words, “Beautiful nature is our precious property.”
If, after all this, there are any lingering doubts about the Land Cruiser Prado’s off-road abilities, why not turn to James Bond? In 2021’s No Time to Die, the centerpiece car chase - opens in new window or tab. had Daniel Craig’s 007 on the run in Norway. Bond drove this exact generation of Land Cruiser Prado, albeit a long-wheelbase version. Bad guys chase him in a fleet of new Range Rover Sport SVRs - opens in new window or tab. that start at $115,000 each. The 30-year-old Cruiser dispatches them with ease, even though the scene exists as Range Rover product placement. You can’t get a much better endorsement than that.
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