How many cylinders does the Prado 3.5 have?
2 Answers
The 3.5-liter engine is a six-cylinder, while the 5.0-liter and above are eight-cylinder engines. Number of engine cylinders: Common cylinder counts for car engines include 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 cylinders. With the same cylinder diameter, more cylinders mean larger displacement and higher power output. For the same displacement, more cylinders allow for smaller cylinder diameters, enabling higher engine speeds and thus greater power. Displacement and cylinder count correspondence: Engines with 1.0-1.5 liters displacement typically use 3 cylinders, 2.0-liter engines are usually 4 cylinders, 2.5-liter engines are 5 cylinders, around 3-liter engines are generally 6 cylinders, around 4 liters are 8 cylinders, 5.2-liter engines are 10 cylinders, and engines above 5.5 liters use 12 cylinders.
My neighbor's Prado 3.5 is this exact model, equipped with a V6 engine that has a total of 6 cylinders. After driving it a few times, I noticed that the six-cylinder design gives it particularly strong power, with quick and stable acceleration, especially when climbing or off-roading on uneven roads—the engine runs smoothly without any hiccups. Compared to a four-cylinder engine, this six-cylinder one has much less vibration and noise, making long-distance drives less tiring. In terms of fuel consumption, it averages around 11L combined in city and highway driving. While it’s not as fuel-efficient as smaller-displacement cars, it balances well with the Prado’s heavy-duty and four-wheel-drive system. Before buying, I looked into it—Toyota’s 3.5L engine is very reliable and can typically last over a decade with just regular oil changes and maintenance. Among the Prado series, the 3.5L version is a classic choice, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts.
