Toyota Land Cruiser 300 vs Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Toyota Land Cruiser 300 in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser 300

3.3D VX-R 4x4 Automatic Diesel Automatic
ZAR 2,149,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 227 kW 🔧 700 Nm ⛽ 9.4 km/l
VS
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

2.8 VX 4x4 Automatic Diesel Automatic
ZAR 1,150,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 150 kW 🔧 500 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Land Cruiser 300
Fuel Economy Land Cruiser Prado
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality Land Cruiser 300
🔑 Ownership Tie
Land Cruiser Prado starts ZAR 1849900 cheaper Land Cruiser 300 from ZAR 1,849,900 · Land Cruiser Prado from ZAR 980,000

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Land Cruiser 300 Land Cruiser Prado
Engine Power 227 150
Torque 700 500
Engine Size 3346 2755
Claimed Mileage 9.4 12.3
Ground Clearance 235 220
Boot Space 309 120
Airbags 10 9
Kerb Weight 2430 2250
Seating Capacity Available Available
Warranty 3 3

= leads in this spec

The Overall Score — Here's How They Stack Up

🏆 Winner
#1

Land Cruiser 300

70
/ 100
+4
pts
#2

Land Cruiser Prado

66
/ 100

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

The Bottom Line

Both Land Cruiser 300 and Land Cruiser Prado are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Land Cruiser 300 +3 pts
Efficiency Land Cruiser Prado +2 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality Land Cruiser 300 +3 pts
Ownership Equal

Score Breakdown by Category

🏆 Overall Winner

Land Cruiser 300

Performance 20/20
Efficiency 5/20
Safety 20/20
Practicality 13/20
Ownership 12/20

Land Cruiser Prado

Performance 17/20
Efficiency 7/20
Safety 20/20
Practicality 10/20
Ownership 12/20

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Land Cruiser 300

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Land Cruiser Prado

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

Land Cruiser 300

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Land Cruiser Prado

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Land Cruiser 300 Land Cruiser Prado
Ground Clearance 235 220
Wheelbase 2850 2790
Length 4985 4840
Width 1980 1885
Height 1910 1890
Kerb Weight 2430 2250
Gross Vehicle Weight 3300 2990
Seating Capacity 7 7
Boot Space 309 120
Towing Capacity 3500 3000
Front Track Width 1675 1550
Rear Track Width 1675 1540
Turning Radius 6.0 Available
Number of Doors 5 5
Boot Space Seats Folded 1500 1500
Load Bed Length Available Available
Load Bed Width Available Available
Front Legroom Available Available
Rear Legroom Available Available
Front Headroom Available Available
Rear Headroom Available Available
Front Shoulder Room Available Available
Rear Shoulder Room Available Available
Max Payload Available Available
Boot Volume Available Available
Doors Available Available
Seats Available Available
Front Overhang Available Available
Fuel Tank Capacity Available Available
Rear Overhang Available Available
Spec Land Cruiser 300 Land Cruiser Prado
Engine 3.3L Twin-Turbo V6 Diesel 2.8L Turbo Diesel
Engine Type V6 Twin-Turbocharged DOHC Inline 4 Cylinder Turbocharged
Displacement 3346 2755
Cylinders 6 4
Valves per Cylinder 4 4
Power 227 150
Power @ RPM 3000-3600 rpm 150
Torque 700 500
Torque @ RPM 1600-2600 rpm 400
Fuel System Common Rail Direct Injection Common Rail Direct Injection
Turbocharger Twin Turbo Available
Top Speed 210 175
0-100 km/h 7.5 9.8
Compression Ratio 15.4:1 10.5:1
Engine Position Front Longitudinal Available
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline 4 (I4)
Engine Aspiration Turbocharged Turbocharged
Engine Code Standard Standard
Cylinder Bore 82.0 82.0
Piston Stroke 92.0 92.0
Fuel Grade Required Petrol Petrol
Engine Oil Capacity Available Available
Power 150 150
Variable Valve Timing Available Available
Maximum Engine RPM Available Available
Engine Type Config Available Available
0–100 km/h Available Available
Battery Capacity Available Available
Charging Port Available Available
AC Charging Time Available Available
Engine Displacement Available Available
EV Range Available Available

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 wins with 70 pts vs 66 pts for Land Cruiser Prado

In structured scoring, Land Cruiser 300 emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Land Cruiser Prado may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Land Cruiser 300 edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Land Cruiser 300 5 vs Land Cruiser Prado 7. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Land Cruiser 300 20, Land Cruiser Prado 20. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Land Cruiser 300 12, Land Cruiser Prado 12. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Land Cruiser 300 13, Land Cruiser Prado 10. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Land Cruiser 300 20, Land Cruiser Prado 17. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Land Cruiser 300 edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Land Cruiser 300 scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Land Cruiser 300 and Land Cruiser Prado in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Land Cruiser 300 scores 20 vs 17.

Efficiency: Land Cruiser 300 scores 5 vs 7.

Safety: Land Cruiser 300 scores 20 vs 20.

Practicality: Land Cruiser 300 scores 13 vs 10.

Ownership: Land Cruiser 300 scores 12 vs 12.

Final structured scoring gives Land Cruiser 300 the advantage in this comparison.