Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado: Which Version Should You Buy?

The best Toyota Land Cruiser Prado version depends on whether you value performance, diesel torque, fuel economy, lower weight, or the simpler specifications of an older model.

The best Toyota Land Cruiser Prado version depends on whether you value performance, diesel torque, fuel economy, lower weight, or the simpler specifications of an older model. From the figures provided, the fifth-generation 2.4 AT Hybrid is the performance leader at 330 hp and 630 Nm, while the fourth-generation-restyling 2.8 AT diesel with 177 hp records the lowest measured combined consumption at 7.2 l/100 km. Buyers wanting a newer diesel can choose between fifth-generation 2.8 TD AT and 2.8 TD MHEV AT, both rated at 205 hp and 500 Nm. Price and sale data are not measured, so this comparison identifies what each version offers rather than claiming which one costs less.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado generations: what changed?

The first generation, produced from August 1987 to April 1996, is represented as an SUV 3-doors with 8 versions. Its listed engines are the diesel 2.5 AT, 2.5 MT, and 3.0 MT/3.0 AT, with outputs from 85 to 130 hp. Every listed version has AWD; gearboxes are 4-speed Automatic or 5-speed Manual. At 205 mm, its ground clearance is lower than the 230 mm recorded for the following generation.

The second generation ran from May 1996 to June 1999 as an SUV 3-doors with 20 versions. The restyling, from June 1999 to August 2002, retained the SUV 3-doors body and expanded the catalogue to 24 versions. The generation introduced Gasoline choices alongside Diesel: 2.7 MT, 2.7 AT, 3.4 MT, and 3.4 AT appear with up to 185 hp, while 3.0 MT and 3.0 AT diesels reach 170 hp. Listed ground clearance rises to 230 mm, and the tank grows from the first generation’s 90 litres to the same 90 litres—so capacity does not change.

The third generation covered January 2002 to December 2007 as an SUV 3-doors with 24 versions. Its restyling ran from January 2007 to December 2009 as an SUV 3-doors with 17 versions. Engine choice extends from the 95 hp 3.0 MT Diesel to the 250 hp 4.0 AT Gasoline version. Most listed examples retain 220 mm of clearance, although selected versions provide 230 mm. Ventilated disc front brakes are listed throughout, while rear brake specifications vary between disc, ventilated disc, and—in some earlier entries—other arrangements.

The fourth generation began in September 2009 as an SUV 3-doors with 15 versions and continued through August 2013. Its first restyling ran from September 2013 to January 2018 as an SUV 5-doors with 17 versions; the second ran from September 2017 to January 2020 as an SUV 5-doors with 11 versions; and the third ran from January 2020 to January 2024 as an SUV 5-doors with 6 versions. The major numerical changes include the arrival of the 2,755 cc diesel 2.8 AT, initially rated at 177 hp and 450 or 459 Nm, and later the 204 hp 2.8 MT and 2.8 AT with 510 Nm. Fourth-generation transmissions span 4, 5, and 6 speeds, while every listed version remains AWD.

The fifth generation starts in January 2024 as an SUV 5-doors with 6 versions. Its range comprises 2.7 AT, three distinct 2.4 AT specifications, 2.8 TD AT, and 2.8 TD MHEV AT. The 2,393 cc 2.4 AT is listed at either 279 hp and 430 Nm or 330 hp and 630 Nm; the 330 hp specification appears with both Gasoline and Hybrid engine types. The diesels provide 205 hp and 500 Nm. All listed fifth-generation versions are Automatic and AWD.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado engine specs compared

The table focuses on the fifth generation, where the current choice is clearest. Repeated names are distinguished by power and engine type without changing the database version name.

The 330 hp 2.4 AT produces about 137.9 hp per litre. The 279 hp 2.4 AT produces about 116.6 hp per litre, the 2.8 TD AT and 2.8 TD MHEV AT each produce about 74.4 hp per litre, and the 2.7 AT produces about 60.5 hp per litre. Compared with the 279 hp 2.4 AT, the 330 hp specification adds 51 hp and 200 Nm without changing its listed 2,393 cc displacement.

Across earlier generations, exact names often cover multiple specifications. The fourth-generation 4.0 AT, for example, appears with 249, 276, and 282 hp, while 2.8 AT appears with 177 or 204 hp. Buyers should therefore match the exact output, production period, and engine type rather than relying on the version name alone.

Performance, fuel economy, and mpg-equivalent comparison

For the fifth generation, acceleration from 0–100 km/h and top speed are not measured for every listed version. City and highway consumption are also not measured across the range. Combined consumption is 12 l/100 km for 2.7 AT, 10.7 l/100 km for all three 2.4 AT entries, and not measured for 2.8 TD AT and 2.8 TD MHEV AT. Thus, the measured fifth-generation difference between 2.7 AT and 2.4 AT is 1.3 l/100 km in favour of 2.4 AT.

The preceding fourth-generation-restyling range provides more complete comparisons. The 204 hp 2.8 AT reaches 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds and has a 175 km/h top speed, while the 204 hp 2.8 MT requires 11.2 seconds and also reaches 175 km/h. The Automatic is therefore 1.3 seconds quicker in the provided figures. Its measured combined consumption is 10.4 or 10.6 l/100 km depending on entry, whereas the Manual records 7.7 l/100 km.

For Gasoline buyers, the fourth-generation-restyling 4.0 AT has 249 hp, 381 Nm, a 9.7-second 0–100 km/h time, and a 175 km/h maximum. Its consumption is 14.5 l/100 km in the city, 8.4 l/100 km on the highway, and 10.6 l/100 km combined. The 2.7 AT has 163 hp, 246 Nm, a 12.5-second acceleration time, and a 165 km/h maximum; its combined figure is 11.7 l/100 km. The 4.0 AT is 2.8 seconds quicker and 10 km/h faster while using 1.1 l/100 km less in the listed combined measurements, although those figures should be compared only as the supplied specifications.

Among all supplied figures, a fourth-generation-restyling 2.8 AT with 177 hp records 7.2 l/100 km combined, 9 l/100 km city, and 6.3 l/100 km highway. Its 0–100 km/h time is 12.7 seconds and its top speed is 175 km/h.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado dimensions, weight, and wheels

External length, width, and height are not measured in the supplied data, so no dimensions or size comparison can be made. The available measurements cover weight, ground clearance, tank capacity, and selected wheel sizes.

The fifth-generation 2.7 AT, both Gasoline 2.4 AT entries, and 2.8 TD AT each have a kerb weight of 2,285 kg. The Hybrid 2.4 AT weighs 2,450 kg, while 2.8 TD MHEV AT weighs 2,500 kg. Gross weight is 3,000 kg for 2.7 AT and the Gasoline 2.4 AT entries, 3,050 kg for the Hybrid 2.4 AT, 2,775 kg for 2.8 TD AT, and 3,200 kg for 2.8 TD MHEV AT. Ground clearance is not measured for every fifth-generation version.

Weight per horsepower sharpens the comparison. The 330 hp Gasoline 2.4 AT carries about 6.9 kg per hp, the 330 hp Hybrid 2.4 AT about 7.4 kg per hp, the 279 hp 2.4 AT about 8.2 kg per hp, 2.8 TD AT about 11.1 kg per hp, 2.8 TD MHEV AT about 12.2 kg per hp, and 2.7 AT about 14.0 kg per hp. The Hybrid weighs 165 kg more than the equivalent 330 hp Gasoline 2.4 AT, while the MHEV weighs 215 kg more than 2.8 TD AT.

Every fifth-generation version has an 80-litre tank, 7 litres less than the later fourth generation and 10 litres less than the first and second generations. Wheel choices are 245/70 R18, 265/65 R18, and 265/70 R18 for most fifth-generation entries. 2.8 TD MHEV AT instead lists 245/70 R18, 265/65 R18, and 265/60 R20.

Which Toyota Land Cruiser Prado version should you buy?

Choose the fifth-generation 330 hp Gasoline 2.4 AT when performance per unit of engine capacity and weight matters most. It combines the range-leading 630 Nm with the best calculated power-to-weight result, about 6.9 kg per hp, and its measured combined consumption of 10.7 l/100 km is 1.3 l/100 km below the 163 hp 2.7 AT.

Choose the 330 hp Hybrid 2.4 AT if the Hybrid engine type is specifically required. It matches the Gasoline version’s 330 hp, 630 Nm, 8-speed Automatic transmission, AWD, and 10.7 l/100 km combined figure, but its kerb weight is 165 kg higher. No price data is provided, so the value of that extra weight and engine type cannot be expressed financially.

Choose 2.8 TD AT for fifth-generation Diesel torque with the lower listed weight. It has the same 205 hp and 500 Nm as 2.8 TD MHEV AT, but weighs 215 kg less and has a gross weight 425 kg lower. Fuel consumption for both is not measured, preventing a data-based economy advantage for either version.

Choose 2.8 TD MHEV AT only when that exact MHEV-labelled diesel configuration is the priority. It shares the 2.8 TD AT engine output and 6-speed Automatic AWD drivetrain, while adding the distinctive 265/60 R20 wheel option. Its 2,500 kg kerb weight is the highest in the fifth-generation data.

Choose the fourth-generation-restyling 2.8 AT with 204 hp when verified acceleration matters more than having the newest generation: it records 0–100 km/h in 9.9 seconds and 175 km/h. Choose the 177 hp 2.8 AT with 7.2 l/100 km combined when the lowest measured consumption in this dataset is the deciding factor. Finally, choose an older 2.7 MT, 3.0 MT, or 3.4 MT only if a Manual transmission is essential; the fifth-generation catalogue contains no Manual version, and price, reliability, problems, maintenance costs, engine-oil capacity, and engine-number location are all not measured in the supplied data.