Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

OUR MASSIVE TOYOTA  has been with us for almost two months and its presence in the TopCar garage is hard to ignore mainly due to the fact its Thule roof rails barely clear our parking garage ceiling. It was a nerve-(w)racking experience inching slowly under each aircon duct and concrete ramp when it first arrived, grimacing as I half expected to hear a resultant thump or crunch. But thankfully, this never came and confidence has since been restored… well, while navigating our garage anyway. The Prado’s size is apparent not only in confined spaces but also when towering above the surrounding city traffic, offering you a clear and secure view of the road and obstacles around you.

Another plus of the Prado’s intimidating on-road presence is that it serves as an effective means to usher indignant road snails out of the fast lane, a regular Cape Town highway menace. While a roof mounted bicycle rack is out of the question for the aforementioned reasons, the addition of my three bike Thule rack to the back of the Prado exaggerates its length even further. This also means you have to take extra care while manoeuvring in busy car parks.

Unfortunately, the rack obscures much of the view from the rear reversing camera, while the park distance sensors chime continuously when reverse gear is selected. After fitting the rack to the Prado’s detachable tow hitch, we also had to tape a makeshift rubber protector to the back door’s spare wheel cover as the tight tolerances cause the rack to scuff the cover when loaded. Apart from that, the Prado’s size is a real luxury for a growing family with an active lifestyle. Few vehicles offer the Prado’s level of interior space, comfort and practicality.