Toyota Prado vs Lexus LX500D

What's the difference?

They call it the Toyota LandCruiser (two words) but to Australian eyes it looks like what we affectionately call a Prado. But it’s what’s underneath the surface, beyond the name, that makes this car so interesting.

We recently had the opportunity to drive the Toyota LandCruiser in the US, where the engine isn’t the usual turbo diesel found in the Prado, but rather a petrol-electric hybrid that Australian buyers are denied.

So we wanted to know if we were missing out on something special or if Toyota Australia made the right call to stick with a diesel-only option. Aside from the engine the LandCruiser is very similar to the Prado, so we’ll focus on the key difference rather than detailing the minor changes across the pair.

We spent time behind the wheel of the US LandCruiser to find out, spending a few days driving it around Los Angeles to get a feel for it.

The Lexus LX range has undergone significant updates across the board and the carmaker has also introduced an off-road-focused variant, the Overtrail, to the Aussie market.

The LX500d Overtrail is geared up for 4WDing and, as such, is kitted out with front and rear locking differentials, Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres on 18-inch rims, as well as a stack of driver-assist aids – including the proven Multi-Terrain Select from Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 Series – all aimed at making you The Absolute King of the Dirty Weekend.

But, being a Lexus, the Overtrail is of course on the right side of premium, replete with a features list as long as … something that is long.

So, how does it perform off-road?

Read on.