The updated Toyota Prado and the all new Land Rover Defender are
both seriously capable off-roaders, but how often will they actually be covered in mud?
We wanna know which is the best everyday all rounder and whether the high-tech
fancy pants Land Rover can outdo the rugged top-selling Prado. Let's find out.
Both vehicles have a proud history, the Son of Land Cruiser starting life in the mid-1980s is
a two-door machine, evolving into what is today, Australia's most popular large SUV, and globally,
it's clocked up over 10 million sales. And while the Defender can't compete on raw sales, the
British Mud Plugger's root date back much further to the iconic Land Rover series one from 1948.
Both of these vehicles are similar in price, size and execution,
both creates similar amounts of grunt with the Toyota powered by a four-cylinder turbo diesel
compared to the Land Rover's six-cylinder turbo petrol engine. But the exterior styling
is very different, one clearly built for purpose, the other is designed to turn heads
as well as engage in some off-road driving. And it's much the same with the interiors.
Let's start with the Toyota which gets this bigger 9-inch touchscreen system, which now comes with
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, better late than never. The interior panel is basic but functional,
it works well. This top-spec Kakadu model grade comes with power adjustable heated
and cooled leather seats, which are big and surprisingly comfortable.
A power adjustable steering wheel and three-zone automatic climate control are part of the package.
Although it doesn't look real flashy, and this hand-operated park brake is a real giveaway to its
age. All the controls are large, clearly labelled and really easy to use from the steering wheel to
the stereo, even the driving controls, however, storage options, not so good. The cup holders,
super shallow, super small. I don't even know what that is for, and when I thought I could get some
sunglass holders, I've got a mirror instead, but in hindsight, that's actually pretty cool. But I
really like the integrated car fridge feature, which is great for keeping food and drink cool,
and the 14 speaker JBL audio system is good, but there's only one USB port, which ain't so great.
Okay, so we're in the Land Rover cabin and well, it feels like a luxury spaceship compared to the
Prado. I mean, look at this dash, the design is amazing, and the way they've integrated that
touchscreen is really nice, obviously, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard as well.
It's got a sharper resolution and has more functionality and connectivity,
and to be honest, it's nicer to use. The overall design of the interior makes the Prado
look pre-historic by comparison, especially the gear shifter and temperature controls,
the fitment of a digital instrument cluster adds more functionality too, but unlike the Prado,
this model only gets partial powered seats and no powered steering wheel.
There's also no heating or cooling in the seats, but the leather and textile acorn grained finish
is lovely. However, it has way better storage and convenience features, you've got two hidden
cup holders quite large under that rubber mat, you've got large door pockets plus this huge
area down here for wallets, purses, whatever, you've got an area along here for phones, keys,
and there are up to seven USB ports, USB-A, USB-C there's one here, plus
wireless phone charging. And the icing on the cake, it's got a fridge, just like the Prado.
The Land Rover is slightly shorter but both cars have plenty of rear seat room.
ISOFIX and top tether anchorages for child seats, plus fold-out armrests and air vents,
the Prado gets its own rear climate controls, a flip-out screen and a
Blu-ray player with wireless headphones, but it doesn't have any USB ports like the Land Rover.
I really like the Toyota split tailgate setup where you can open the window separately,
easy for throwing small goods in there, however, you miss out on the rear-mounted spare wheel,
that's now under here, which deletes the secondary fuel tank. The powered third row seats take
forever to mobilise, but there's a decent amount of room back here for your gear or groceries,
and when all the seats are folded away, you can even get a bike in there.
The Land Rover has the same side-hinging tailgate as the Toyota, but because of this spare wheel,
you don't have that separate opening window.
Both have good space with four tie-downs and two bag hooks.
The Toyota has a very handy 220 volt power point but the Land Rover comes
with two elastic side pockets and these roof windows inspired by previous models,
and since we're here in the bush, it would be a shame not to have a quick off-road blast.
Both vehicles are hugely capable off-road, as we've reported in previous reviews,
they have loads of ground clearance, impressive wading depth and very good wheel articulation.
The Toyota's turbo diesel engine has plenty of low-end
urge and it works really well with the dual range six-speed automatic transmission,
whose off-road modes are easy to use and are very, very effective.
It has a crawl mode, locking center and rear diffs,
hill descent control and enough ride height to tackle challenging terrain.
The Land Rover's turbo petrol engine doesn't quite have the low-end grunt of the Toyota,
but it does have locking center and rear diffs and a low-range mode like its Japanese rival.
And I gotta say it is surprisingly good off road. This thing has really impressed.
It has a few clever tech-tricks to make off-roading easier too,
with more numerous and more advanced spotter cameras to see if you're gonna hit something,
it also comes with a multi-mode terrain select system, and this model also gets adjustable air
suspension, so you can really jack up the right height, but chances are, most people won't take
these cars up the Oodnadatta Track, in fact, they'll spend most of their time in the burbs
doing the after-school drop-off. So let's see which car is better suited to the concrete jungle.
The Toyota provides an excellent view of the road, and recent upgrades to the engine
deliver improvements to power and torque, which enhances drivability.
Handling is a bit slow and ponderous, which is no surprise given its rugged ladder frame chassis,
which has more in common with a dual cab ute than most city SUVs.
It's relatively comfortable most of the time, soaking up most bumps and lumps in the road,
but it can feel a bit rigid here and there, like a big tank, especially over speed bumps.
The Land Rover is based on a car-like monocoque chassis,
and you can really feel the difference in the way the car handles.
It's more planted. The handling is direct and it's more enjoyable to steer as a result. Refinement
levels are seriously good and they make the Toyota feel like a rickety old truck by comparison. The
petrol engine is much quieter and more suited to cut and thrust urban driving, while the advanced
safety systems are streets ahead of Toyota's with a full range of effective autonomous driving aids.
The Toyota recently added active lane keep assistance,
although it's about as effective as trying to put out a fire with petrol
and it simply cannot match the newer, smarter, more sophisticated Land Rover.
The only real downside to the Land Rover was fuel consumption, which was a fair bit higher
than the Toyota, but this was to be expected given the diesel versus petrol contrast.
Now it's time for the ultimate urban test, reverse parking. Okay, we've got parking sensors,
a reversing camera and a surround view camera in the Toyota to help, but look at the quality.
It's pretty awful. I reckon you'd be lucky to spot a jumbo jet flying past in this thing.
Still, the light steering and clear sight lines made that easier than expected.
The Defender also gets parking sensors,
but it has way more cameras and they're much higher resolution. Check this out.
The Land Rover has more blind spots that block vision a little bit more, but overall,
I felt more confident parking the Land Rover.
There is no disguising the Toyota's age. It looks old inside and out, and it lacks the on-road
refinement of the Land Rover, but it's a great adventure machine. It has a huge cruising range,
and it's got Toyota's rock solid reputation for reliability. But in terms of everyday usability,
doing the school run, getting the groceries and cruising on the highway, the Land Rover comes
out on top. It's just as capable off-road, if not more so, and has a better tow rating
as well. So in terms of an every day all-rounder, there's one clear winner, the Land Rover Defender.
If you enjoyed that video, we've got plenty more content where that came from,
and don't forget to subscribe.