Toyota LandCruiser Prado 2026 review: GXL five-seat 

Toyota tends to take an ‘if it ain’t broke…’ attitude into its product planning, or at least it certainly seems that way from outside the walls of the brand’s headquarters. The 14-year lifespan of the 150 Series Toyota LandCruiser Prado is just one pointer for that.

From 2009 until 2023, the Prado 150 carried out duties from school runs to National Park ranger-ing and even then it was pretty closely related to the 120 Series from 2002. But even Toyota couldn’t hold onto the existing (but reliably proven) Prado after essentially 20 years.

As the new 250 Series LandCruiser Prado approaches a year since it launched in Australia, it’s showing Toyota that sometimes a change or something new is good - in 2025 up to the end of August it’s the brand’s third-best seller behind the very old HiLux and ageing RAV4.

And since the Prado is now built on Toyota’s 'GA-F' platform, it’s likely showing customers that maybe change is alright, too. Strides over the previous model in refinement are key to its success, and we’ll get to that, but there was also an issue that became rather prominent when the Prado launched.

The seven-seat SUV had severely compromised boot space thanks to its packaging, especially with the 48-volt battery a new consideration compared to the previous generation.

Inclusion of an AdBlue tank is required to meet increasingly stringent emission standards, but the third row’s height (even when folded) and the plastic storage box included to flatten the floor caused backlash.

Since the launch, Toyota has introduced a five-seat option to the line-up, and we’ve grabbed the GXL variant to see if more boot space makes the Prado 250 a more sensible choice.

At $78,990, before on-road costs, it’s $1000 cheaper than the seven-seat version like-for-like. As it stands at time of writing, the GXL is the only grade that’s available with five or seven seats - the others are limited to one or the other.

It’s likely a smart move, because the value in the GXL grade is clear. There’s plenty of kit and comfort, with features like synthetic leather seats with heating and ventilation up front, a wireless smartphone charger, roof rails, a power tailgate, extra USB-C charge ports and the pairing of a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen.

The seating all-around is spacious, my 178cm frame easily finds a comfortable resting position for driving and there’s enough space for another of me to stretch their (or my - let’s not get existential) legs behind me.

The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable but the second row also has backrest angle adjustment, so it’s a win for comfort unless you find yourself in the centre seat which has a little raised plastic flooring panel in the footwell for the transmission tunnel.

The seats fold with a 60/40 split and still ‘roll’ forward despite there being no third row to access, which creates a little more depth for loading in the boot.

The dimensions of the boot are significantly better compared to the seven-seater, and even though there’s still a raised floor to accommodate the hybrid bits, diesel tanks, AdBlue and of course the spare tyre, it’s a lot more convenient with five seats.

There’s a claimed 954 litres of space with the seats up, compared to the seven-seater’s 906L with the third row down. More than just the 48 extra litres, the lower loading height makes the five-seater easier to live with. Fold all the seats flat(ish) and there’s 1895L of space, compared to 1829L in the seven-seat.

It’s still not as well packaged as rivals like the Ford Everest or Isuzu MU-X in terms of the space itself, but there’s plenty of room if you can get away with not needing a third row.

Where the new Prado does make huge progress over its forbear is on the road. 

While its drivetrain remains relatively agricultural, it’s not as loud or rough as it was - strides in NVH are noticeable.

But the biggest advance is in terms of the Prado’s suspension and handling. The GA-F platform is, like all its other TNGA siblings, a well-sorted basis for a car, and the reason most new Toyotas are much better than their predecessors on the road.

The steering feels less like commanding an ocean liner, better body control means much less (though still some) leaning through corners and the responsiveness of inputs has generally improved across the board. It feels sharper, but still comfortable.

It mirrors the way the Prado looks on the outside - its lineage is still clear, but it’s toned up and brought things into the 21st century - finally.

As you’d expect, a maximum five stars from ANCAP, Toyota’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty (seven if you service with them), and servicing prices capped at $390 a visit all help make it a little easier to live with after you buy, it doesn’t however help that intervals are a relatively frequent six months or 10,000km.