Old Toyota Prado vs US Land Cruiser vs 300 Series: spec battle!

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Toyota’s Land Cruiser models have been known for decades for their rugged reliability, strong engines and off-road prowess and now the latest iteration has been unveiled in the US – a vehicle which is very likely to be the next Prado for Australia. 

But how does it compare to the current Land Cruiser Prado here in Australia, and more so, the larger and often more expensive 300 Series Land Cruiser?

It’s only a matter of time before Australia gains an official new-generation Prado SUV, but for now we have the US-spec Land Cruiser as the core comparison point. 

Let’s take a look across the outgoing Prado Kakadu, the upper-mid-spec Land Cruiser 300 Series Sahara and the upcoming US-market Land Cruiser in top-trim First Edition guise. 

Standard equipment compared 

The new US-spec Land Cruiser is set to feature three trim grades, however let’s take a quick look at the flagship First Edition variant. 

As standard, the Land Cruiser First Edition will feature the following features as standard:

• 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tyres 
• 12.3-inch touchscreen
• 10-speaker sound system
• Leather upholstery 
• Roof rack and rails 
• Rock rails 
• Front skid plate 
• Mudflaps 
• Multi-terrain select 
• Round LED headlights 

Meanwhile, the Land Cruiser 300 Series in Sahara guise – one of the closest in spec to the other SUVs in this list – here in Australia features the following items as standard:

• Leather upholstery 
• Heated steering wheel
• Four-zone climate control
• 12.3-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity 
• 14-speaker JBL sound system
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Projector LED headlights 

The outgoing Toyota Prado Kakadu is fitted with the following features as standard:

• 9.0-inch centre touchscreen
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• 14-speaker JBL sound system
• Leather accented seat upholstery 
• Three-zone climate control
• Drive mode select 

How expensive are these Land Cruisers?

Although pricing has not been fully revealed for the new US-market Land Cruiser, Toyota USA has said that the new SUV will be priced in the “mid-USD$50,000 range” in the United States. 

If translated directly to Australian dollars, this would see the ‘new Prado’ cost somewhere around the $82,000-$85,000 price range here in Australia in high-spec Kakadu guise however seems unlikely.

For reference, the outgoing Prado Kakadu here in Australia is priced from $87,468 before on-road costs and a new model would be expected to carry an incremental price increase across the range, as seen when the 300 Series was introduced.

High-spec Land Cruiser 300 Series sit at a much higher entry price, with the Sahara costing $135,501 before on-road costs. A more like-for-like comparison would be to look at the VX 300 Series which starts from $118,301 before on-road costs. 

No matter which way you look at it, this collection of Toyota SUVs are not for the bargain hunters out there, though some fans may argue the question of value from the model more than makes up for the extra spend.

Powertrains spec by spec 

Toyota USA states that the new Land Cruiser will be powered exclusively by a hybrid 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 243kW/630Nm.

A 35kW electric motor has been integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission which feeds off a 1.87kWh NiMH battery pack. Toyota has not yet released the fuel economy figures for this engine.

It’s expected that the Australian Prado in 2024 will receive a mild-hybrid 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine recently previewed in the Hilux, however this 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid engine is also possible. 

The current Toyota Prado locally uses a 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. 

The 300 Series Land Cruiser, in comparison, has a much larger and more powerful 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 engine that produces 227kW/700Nm. It’s mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission. 

How big are each of these SUVs?

Let’s start with the largest of the three vehicles – the 300 Series Land Cruiser. 

This large SUV measures in at 4980mm long, 1980mm wide, 1950mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2850mm. 

Next up is the current-generation Toyota Prado Kakadu which measures in at 4825mm long (without the rear wheel), 1885mm wide and 1880mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2790mm. 

The new and upcoming US-market Toyota Land Cruiser measures in at 4920mm long, 2138mm wide and 1859mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2850mm. 

So the new Land Cruiser is longer than the outgoing Prado here in Australia and wider too, but it’s a slightly shorter SUV. 

Both the outgoing Prado and the new Land Cruiser in the USA have 220mm of ground clearance. 

Off-road capability compared

Here, we’ll detail each of the vehicle’s off-road features, plus ground clearance and approach and departure angles. 

Starting with the new US-spec Land Cruiser, the SUV will be fitted with the following off-road focused features:

220mm ground clearance 

Approach angle: 30 degrees 

Breakover angle: 25 degrees 

Departure angle: 22 degrees

• Four-wheel drive 
• Rear locking differential 
• Crawl control
• Front stabiliser bar disconnect 
• Multi-terrain select 
• Multi-terrain monitor 
• Rock rails 
• Front skid plate (in first edition trim)

Meanwhile, the current Prado Kakadu has the following off-road specific features:

Ground clearance: 220mm 

Approach angle: 30.4 degrees 

Breakover angle: 21.1 degrees

Departure angle: 23.5 degrees 

• Full-time four-wheel drive 
• Rear differential lock 
• Five-speed crawl control
• Adaptive variable suspension system
• Multi-terrain select 
• Kinetic dynamic suspension system

Lastly, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series has the following off road capabilities:

Ground clearance: 235mm 

Approach angle: 32 degrees

Breakover angle: 21 degrees

Departure angle: 25 degrees

• Full-time four-wheel drive 
• Adaptive variable suspension 
• Crawl control
• Downhill assist control
• Multi-terrain select 
• Four-camera multi-view monitor 

Safety systems compared

In typical Toyota fashion, the new Land Cruiser will have a full suite of safety features fitted as standard and while only the 300 Series carries a current five-star ANCAP rating, the new Prado is expected to also pick up the honour when it arrives. 

Toyota’s safety sense 3.0 will feature on the new Cruiser, and will include the following:

• Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection 
• Lane departure alert
• Full speed radar adaptive cruise control
• Lane trace assist 
• Road sign assist 
• Auto high beams 
• Proactive driving assist 
• Blind spot monitoring 
• Rear cross traffic alert 

To compare, the current Prado Kakadu in Australia includes the following safety technologies:

• Toyota safety sense including:
• Pre-collision safety system
• Lane departure alert 
• Active cruise control 
• Road sign assist 
• Trailer sway control
• Seven airbags 
• Blind spot monitoring 
• Rear cross traffic alert 
• Panoramic camera 

Finally, the current Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series features the following standard safety equipment:

• Toyota safety sense including:
• Pre-collision safety system with pedestrian and cyclist detection 
• Adaptive cruise control
• Auto high beam
• Lane departure alert 
• Road sign assist 
• Lane trace assist 
• Blind spot monitoring 
• Rear cross traffic alert 
• Adaptive high beam system
• Front and rear parking sensors 
• 10 airbags