Toyota Land Cruiser FJ vs Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ

2.7 4x4 VX 6AT Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 761,400 ex-showroom
⚡ 122 kW 🔧 245 Nm ⛽ 9.3 km/l
VS
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

2.8 VX 4x4 Automatic Diesel 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 1,150,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 150 kW 🔧 500 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ vs Toyota Land Cruiser Prado: the short answer

Land Cruiser FJ and Land Cruiser Prado are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Land Cruiser FJ starts ZAR 266,000 cheaper Land Cruiser FJ from ZAR 714,000 · Land Cruiser Prado from ZAR 980,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Land Cruiser FJ Land Cruiser Prado
Maximum Power Land Cruiser FJ122 kW @ 5200 rpm Land Cruiser Prado150 kW
Maximum Torque Land Cruiser FJ245 Nm @ 4000 rpm Land Cruiser Prado500 Nm
Engine Size Land Cruiser FJ2700 cc Land Cruiser Prado2755 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Land Cruiser FJ9.3 km/l Land Cruiser Prado12.3 km/l
Ground Clearance Land Cruiser FJ245 mm Land Cruiser Prado220 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Land Cruiser FJ

Strengths
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Land Cruiser Prado

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

Land Cruiser FJ

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Land Cruiser Prado

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Land Cruiser FJ Land Cruiser Prado
Model Introduced Year 2026 1996
Generation First-generation compact Land Cruiser FJ introduced in South Africa in 2026 Current Prado represents the latest evolution of Toyota’s global Land Cruiser platform with modern safety and comfort upgrades
Facelift History New South African model line launched in 2026 Major redesigns in 2009, 2017 and latest generation updates improving technology and safety
Facelift Launched Since New South African model line launched in 2026 2017
Facelift Version Ending Current South African 2026 specification Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active active
Segment SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1970 kg 2250 kg
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Grey, Dark Blue
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Drivetrain Note - Drive layout derived from the official derivative naming: 2.8 VX 4x4 Automatic
Spec Land Cruiser FJ Land Cruiser Prado
Length 4610 mm 4840 mm
Width 1855 mm 1885 mm
Height 1890 mm 1890 mm
Wheelbase 2580 mm 2790 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 245 mm 220 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm 125 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 63 l 87 l
Boot/Cargo Space 488 l 120 l
Kerb Weight 1970 kg 2250 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2500 kg 2990 kg
Payload Capacity 530 kg 740 kg
Towing Capacity 2500 kg 3000 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.5 m 5.6 m
Front Headroom 994 mm 995 mm
Rear Headroom 958 mm 957 mm
Front Legroom 1044 mm 1042 mm
Rear Legroom 900 mm 882 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Land Cruiser FJ and Land Cruiser Prado comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Land Cruiser FJ 60 vs Land Cruiser Prado 76.

Efficiency index: Land Cruiser FJ 38 vs Land Cruiser Prado 49.

Safety-equipment index: Land Cruiser FJ 94 vs Land Cruiser Prado 98.

Practicality index: Land Cruiser FJ 74 vs Land Cruiser Prado 69.

Ownership-cover index: Land Cruiser FJ not separately scored vs Land Cruiser Prado 40.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Land Cruiser Prado leads by 1 points

Land Cruiser FJ and Land Cruiser Prado are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 69 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 95% source coverage
69
#1 Evidence leader

Land Cruiser Prado

95% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Ownership 40
Performance 76
Efficiency 49
Safety 98
Practicality 69
Ownership 40
Leads by 1 points
68
#2

Land Cruiser FJ

74% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 38
Performance 60
Efficiency 38
Safety 94
Practicality 74
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Land Cruiser Prado +16 Efficiency Land Cruiser Prado +11 Safety Land Cruiser Prado +4 Practicality Land Cruiser FJ +5

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Land Cruiser Prado

Performance 76/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 69/100
Ownership 40/100

Land Cruiser FJ

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 38/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 74/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota Land Cruiser Prado leads the specification evidence index with 69 pts vs 68 pts for Land Cruiser FJ

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Land Cruiser Prado leads. However, Land Cruiser FJ may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Land Cruiser FJ vs Land Cruiser Prado questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.