Ben Zachariah gathers his thoughts on his time spent in the Prado Kakadu.
- Cabin insulation
- Hydraulic steering is great
- Prado is still good value, honestly
- Engine might not be enough when fully loaded
- Misses out on the latest safety tech
- Will the 2.8 last the test of time?
The car has gone back, but I’ve now had time to reflect on a couple of months living with the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu – much of which was during lockdown, which curbed our plans somewhat.
It was, however, enough time for us to get to know the Prado and form a better understanding of how the model exists within the Toyota range, as well as in the context of the wider new-car market. And let me say now – the LandCruiser Prado is near peerless.
The Prado’s big sibling, the Toyota LandCruiser, continues to go head-to-head with the Nissan Patrol, but comparisons of ute-based four-wheel drives against the Prado aren’t always equitable – for those being compared. The Toyota Fortuner lives in that space anyway.
No, the Prado is more like a Land Rover Discovery competitor. A family all-rounder: capable and relatively spacious, but with all the mod cons expected nowadays. But the Toyota is $87,907 plus on-road costs, while the Disco starts at $101,875 before on-roads.
| Key details | 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu |
| Price (MSRP) | $87,807 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Peacock Black |
| Options | Premium paint – $675 Flat tailgate – no cost |
| Price as tested | $96,562 drive-away (Melbourne) |
| Rivals | Land Rover Defender | Nissan Patrol | Toyota LandCruiser |
On a price basis, then, the Prado could arguably be more closely aligned with the Land Rover Defender, but for the same money you’ll be getting a Defender with far less kit.
The Defender is larger in every dimension but lighter, and only has five seats (for now) to the Prado’s seven. Despite the Toyota being criticised for getting overly expensive in recent years, it’s a value buy when compared to those from Land Rover.
Any way you slice it, there is no direct competitor to the LandCruiser Prado. It looks like GWM Haval’s parent company has finally realised this, and could be launching the Tank 500 as a cut-price alternative in the coming years. But today, right now, there’s frankly nothing that matches the Prado punch for punch.
We’ll reserve our judgement on the Tank 500, but it’s difficult to imagine a car that will be as well screwed together and capable as the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu. There really aren’t too many new cars on the market today that deliver this kind of on-road confidence – a feeling of solidity and overengineering.
| 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu | |
| Seats | Seven |
| Boot volume | 120L to third row 620L to second row 1800L to first row |
| Length | 4825mm |
| Width | 1885mm |
| Height | 1880mm |
| Wheelbase | 2790mm |
At its best, the Prado seems to try to straddle the line between suburban family hauler and country tourer. My initial concern was the vehicle would fall short at everything: too big for the supermarket, too underpowered for the freeway, too expensive to make sense. But it turns out the opposite is true.
I had absolutely no reluctance to use the Toyota for a quick trip to the shops, and on the freeway it was a superstar.
A quiet, cocooned cabin with ample comfort, we wanted for nothing. The front seat heaters were cranked almost every day we had with the car (through the depths of winter), except for one slightly warm day when I used the seat ventilation to avoid… Well, you know.
While the vehicle wasn’t given a proper off-road test during our time with it – for that you can check out James Ward’s review here – we did find ourselves in a precarious situation where half of a sandy track on top of a hill had washed out when we ventured out for a hike.
Naturally, the car handled the situation like a pro, but that doesn’t mean its abilities should be downplayed. This is a proper four-wheel drive, make no mistake.
With the Prado about to enter its teenage years, to say this is an old platform is a bit of an understatement.
If it were a performance car instead, the car’s age would almost certainly be an issue. But given models like the LandCruiser 70 Series and G-Wagen are still considered some of the best off-road vehicles available – with their roots dating back to the 1970s and 80s – the number of birthday candles on the Prado’s cake really isn’t a problem.
Neither was it an issue when it comes to the car’s on-road manners. It still rocks an old-school hydraulic steering set-up – a rarity nowadays – meaning it misses out on some of the most cutting-edge, semi-autonomous safety systems that are the norm on vehicles with much smaller price tags. But the flip side is that its steering weight is consistent and its feedback is just about right.
That might be a negative in your book – and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone wanting the very latest safety gear for their family – but the old curmudgeon in me likes the unobtrusive nature of the Prado.
| At a glance | 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu |
| ANCAP rating & year tested | Five stars (tested 2011) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP |
It still gives you a whistle if you’re straying from your marked lane, but it isn’t fighting you as you drive down the freeway as some modern cars can do. This is highly subjective, but in this case, I personally think the Toyota’s old age actually works in its favour.
I spoke more about the Prado’s superb ride quality in the last instalment, but I also enjoyed how the big car handled. Let’s not delude ourselves – this thing ain’t a sports car, and nobody is outrunning the cops in it. But in the country, on long sweeping bends and after rain, the all-wheel-drive Toyota provided me with enough of an insight that I was confident of carrying decent speed. Big and heavy it may be, but vague – I don’t think so.
Probably my biggest apprehension before spending time with the Prado was its powertrain.
For what is a large vehicle, its 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine seems a little anaemic when reviewing specs, and the six-speed automatic isn’t winning any awards for innovation. However, the 150kW and 500Nm actually fit the car pretty well, and there wasn’t any point where I wanted for more performance.
| At a glance | 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 6 months / 5000km |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 7.9L/100km |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel tank size | 87L |
That is to say, the engine and gearbox were perfectly fine when the vehicle was two-up and had a few weekend bags thrown in the back. We never got close to loading the old girl up with big weight, nor did we have a chance to tow.
It’s probably adequate for a couple of grey nomads plodding down the freeway, but fill the car with a family and stick a horse float on the back, and I suspect the Prado will start to run out of puff. That’s when you want the venerable LandCruiser 300 Series.
It’s worth noting that while Toyota claims combined fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres, my time tended to hover around 8.4L/100km. This was a pretty even split across long-distance freeway driving, suburban shopping trips, and city driving.
| Key details | 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu |
| Engine | 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel |
| Power | 150kW @ 3400rpm |
| Torque | 500Nm @ 1600–2800rpm |
| Drive type | Dual-range four-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Six-speed torque-converter automatic |
| Weight | 2455kg |
| Tow rating | 3000kg braked, 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.6m |
I said in the first instalment of this long-term review that I never really understood the Prado. Despite its popularity with buyers, I just assumed the LandCruiser proper was the obvious choice. Now, having spent some time with the vehicle, I’ve been completely won over. So much so that we spent time considering one for our personal garage.
The 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu may be based on an older chassis, it may appear to have an underpowered engine on paper, and it forever lives in the shadow of its bigger sibling. But for those who need a spacious family town car and a vehicle for travelling long distances, this is a four-wheel drive that marries the best of both worlds, and does so with an exceptional level of quality.
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MORE: 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu long-term report 1
MORE: 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu long-term report 2
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