Bentley Bentayga VS Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Bentley Bentayga
Likes
- Practical and spacious
- Remarkable dynamics for its size and weight
- Twin-turbo V8 is no W12 but still awesome
Dislikes
- Not great value for money, but that's not the point
- Awkward looking to my eyes
- Interior could be more special
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Likes
- On-road refinement
- Off-road capability
- Modern, well-appointed cabin
Dislikes
- Seven-seater’s compromised bootÂ
- Real-world fuel consumption
- Not what you’d call fast
Summary
Bentley Bentayga
Yes, you can drive your Bentley and keep your family. It's called compromise, or the Bentayga, Bentley's SUV.
The Bentayga my family has been living with is the Azure grade which promises to be even more comfortable and pleasant than the rest of the range.
Comfort is important and we'll cover the Bentayga's lavish details in time, but our mission first and foremost is to find out if the Bentayga makes a good family SUV.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Is there a more anticipated new car launch of this year? Since the 250 Series Prado’s development started in earnest back in 2022, there have been rumblings about what to expect.Â
And while the LandCruiser Prado might not be as strong a seller for Toyota as a HiLux or RAV4, it is crucial to get this one right. Not only does the Prado have to be tough enough for rural work, it needs to be slick, comfortable and desirable enough for family buyers who like the finer things in life.Â
Like a pair of RM Williams boots, then, the Prado needs to perform as well on the cattle station as it does in the boardroom.Â
Read more about
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- New Toyota LandCruiser FJ: Everything we know so far about the sub Toyota Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series four-wheel drive
The latest 250 Series model is off to a great start in the looks department with chic retro detailing and dramatic surfaces. But the Prado’s talent needs to run a lot deeper than just looks.Â
An all-new ‘GA-F’ frame shared with the bigger 300 Series, revised powertrain and fully overhauled cabin has our mouths watering. What better test for Toyota’s new family wagon than a hot, humid and harsh Kakadu National Park?
| Safety rating | — |
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| Engine Type | 2.8L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.9L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Bentley Bentayga7.9/10
The Bentley Bentayga Azure may look a bit awkward and it surely isn't great value for money, but it is a true Bentley and a very good family SUV that not only provides terrific practicality but superb performance and comfort.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado8.8/10
The new Prado has nailed the brief. It manages to leap ahead in diametrically opposed areas; not only is it far more refined, comfortable and confident on road, it makes off-roading easier than ever before and can tow more weight.Â
While the cabin layout, design and practicality is mostly excellent, the seven-seat versions’ boot has issues. You may not be put off by the high load lip or uneven floor but I’d recommend properly poring over the new Prado in person before taking the plunge.Â
Despite carrying over an engine, it feels like the biggest step in Prado’s history. Expect the appeal of this effortless, rough-and-tumble 4WD wagon to resonate with Prado fans and a whole new urban buyer. Get ready to see an awful lot of these on Australian roads soon.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The drive route took place on the traditional lands of the Larrakia, Murumburr and Jawoyn people and CarsGuide pays our respects to Elders past and present. CarsGuide would also like to thank Joshua Hunter, a Jawoyn Traditional Owner of the Wurrkbarbara clan, for his generosity.
Design
Bentley Bentayga
You'd think of all automotive brands Bentley, with its beautiful swooping and powerful saloons, would be able to floor us with something just exquisite in SUV form. But right from the 2012 concept the Bentayga has struggled to stun the world with its design.
So, while there are Bentley family traits all over the Bentayga, from the intricate headlights and mesh grille, to the oval tail-lights and body which squats over the rear wheels, the overall design looks awkward to my eyes.
To me it appears the boxy design with the tall, flat roofline and elevated ride height favours practicality over the sleekness possessed by a lower, more coupe-like SUV.
I favour dark coloured clothes because it hides my shapes, creases and bulges, but these are the things you want to see in a car and our Bentley's 'Onyx Black' paint, despite being a beautiful colour with a blue hue added, make it a featureless blob in the sunlight.
A lighter shade or something outlandish like a turquoise or yellow would look amazing, and even better, upset your neighbours.
Let's look at the interior design which is lavish with all the quilted leather and Mulliner customisation, but lacks the modern look of many contemporary cabins with its smallish media screen and busy mosaic of buttons.
I like the little chrome plungers for the air vents, the winged styling to the dashboard and the stitched leather upholstery, but it's easy to spot parts that are shared by other members of the Volkswagen Group (which owns Bentley).
For example, there are the indicator and wiper stalks, as well as the steering wheel buttons, all from Audi. Surely Bentley should have its own crafted parts?
The interior colour scheme on our Bentayga is 'Beluga' (black) and 'Camel' (tan) and the Mulliner option split the colours with a cream tone.
From a family perspective the tan and black will hide dirt, although the cream will struggle. It's possibly the best leather on the planet, however, coming from cattle living high enough that their hides are unblemished by insect stings.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Sitting on Toyota’s GA-F ladder frame platform, the Prado’s dimensions have changed dramatically. With a 60mm longer wheelbase, Toyota has minimised the Prado’s front overhang giving the impression of having a wheel in each corner.Â
Looking back to the past helped influence the Prado’s appearance, with more horizontal and vertical surfaces. It has the appearance of beings carved back from a block of clay, with sharp lines in relief giving the shape tension and purpose.Â
By stepping the window line down 30mm and raising the seat position 20mm, Toyota has improved the sense of space inside the Prado’s cabin dramatically. Partially a nod to past LandCruisers, the new Prado is not only better looking, but more practical, too.
Practicality
Bentley Bentayga
Being shaped like a bus does nothing for the Bentayga's beauty but makes it spacious for cargo and roomy for people.
With its large doors and elevated ride height (the car can be lowered for easier access) it's great for families.
Our Bentayga is a five-seater, which is fine for my little family of four, but there are four- and seven-seat configurations available, too.
Second row legroom is exceptional, even for me at 189cm tall, and sitting behind my own driving position there's still plenty of room.
Headroom is also outstanding throughout. We could be a family that loves top hats, on our way to the top hat championships, and not have to remove our top hats. That's how good headroom and hat room is.
Sun blinds in the second row are vital in Australia, and the electric ones in the Bentayga raise and lower quickly, not just offering protection but also more privacy.
Storage is good throughout with big door pockets and five cupholders.
It seems the cabin space eats into the cargo area because the boot isn't overly large at 484 litres with all seats in place.
Buttons in the cargo area allow the rear of the car to be raised and lowered to make it easier to hoist items in the boot.
For devices there's a wireless phone charger up front along with USB ports in both rows.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Only two grades of Prado are available in five-seat guise, the GX and off-road focused Altitude. And although, on paper, the seven-seat option makes more sense, it brings one of the Prado’s biggest flaws.Â
Toyota quotes a vast 906L space with the third-row folded in seven-seat versions (and much smaller 182L space will all seats up) but the reality is less appealing. Because Toyota had to package the 'V-Active' system’s battery under the boot floor, the sixth and seventh seats sit proud about 100mm when folded.Â
A flimsy plastic riser box with storage space brings the floor level up when the third row is stowed. It may be a good spot for wet swimmers or valuables, but it dramatically increases load height. It is also only rated to carry a maximum 60kg load. The third row can’t be easily removed, either. This isn’t the most elegant solution.Â
The Prado’s five-seat layout is more practical for touring than the small increase in boot space (954L) suggests, with a lower load threshold and more useable space. Fold the second row flat and the load area is close to, if not quite, flat, and space increases to 1895L (1829L in the seven-seat).Â
Payloads take a circa-100kg nosedive coinciding with a weight increase of about 270kg over the old car to between 2495-2595kg.
It means the Prado 250 Series can only carry between 580kg (Altitude) and 615g (GXL) before breaking over the gross vehicle mass (GVM) rating.
Still, improved chassis stiffness and a new transmission mean the braked towing capacity jumps 500kg to 3500kg.
And then we come back to the overwhelming positives in the Prado which continues in the cabin which is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor.Â
That said, it doesn’t go overly-digital like GWM’s Tank 500, maintaining physical controls for low-range, locking diffs, drive modes, crawl control and, most important of all, the HVAC and seat temperature controls.Â
Every Prado has 12 cupholders, including two in the front centre console. The door bins are a little small but a refrigerated centre cubby (GXL and above) means you can keep bottles of water nice and cool.Â
Material quality is stand-out, even the GX has lashings of squidgy rubber and synthetic leather trimmings on the dashboard and door cards. GXL and above get squishy knee-pads on the transmission tunnel, too. Only the too-low armrests and a driving position geared towards shorter drivers are worth the smallest of complaints. The seats, though, are very comfortable no matter the grade.
The Prado’s second row has plenty of knee room for me (188cm) but the floor is set quite high, compromising comfort for taller occupants. There’s also hard plastic cladding on the transmission tunnel that impacts middle seat comfort. A fold-down armrest, 60/40 split backrest with several levels of recline, third climate zone (in GXL and above), face-height vents, two USB-C charge points and a 12-volt socket mean it’s pretty comfy in the back.
With tumble-forward second-row seats and a big, square door mean getting into the Prado’s third row is easier than before and simpler than a Ford Everest. Once back there you’ll find four more cupholders, two USB-C charge points and adjustable backrest decline. Again, the high floor means it isn’t suitable for carrying seven adults great distances.
For child seats, the Prado has ISOFIX tabs on the outboard second row seats and a total of three top tether anchors for the second row.Â
Price and features
Bentley Bentayga
Reviewing every type of car on the market provides a pretty good perspective, but when it comes to Bentleys we enter a realm where value-for-money often isn't as crucial as it is for more mainstream options.
The same goes for the price. Bentleys are among the most expensive cars in the world. So if, like me, you flinch at the thought of paying more than half a million dollars for an SUV, it may not be the car for us right now.
With that I can tell you the Bentley Bentayga Azure's list price is $475,000 and our car with all of its options comes to $515,000.
That's more money than any SUV from Mercedes-Benz and BMW costs. Even Range Rover can't quite reach that mark.
Only the likes of Aston Martin's DBX 707 and Lamborghini's Urus can match the price.
There are always bigger fish, though, and Rolls Royce's Cullinan swims in at $700,000, making the Bentayga's price seem quite reasonable.
Let's look at the standard features.
Coming standard on the Bentayga Azure are the prettiest LED headlights in the world. There are LED tail-lights, too, as well as a proximity key, roof rails and a panoramic glass roof, plus a hands-free tailgate.
Inside there's the 10.9-inch media screen, sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.
The diamond quilting to the door trims is also standard and so are the Bentley sports pedals.
Many of these features are standard on lower grades in the Bentayga range, but the point in choosing the Azure is that many of the optional bundles on offer are fitted as standard here.
So, while leather upholstery is of course standard the 'Colour Specification' package gives you a choice of all interior colour combinations and an extended choice of hide colours.
The 'City Specification' brings extra safety tech like rear cross-traffic alert and a top view camera.
The 'Front Seat Comfort' specification adds 20-way power front seats, ventilation and massage as well as comfort headrests.
The 'Touring Specification' brings adaptive cruise control, a head up display, lane keeping assistance and 'Night Vision'.
And then the 'Sunshine Package' adds electric sun blinds, which are great for kids in the back.
Despite the multitude of standard packages there's plenty left to option on the Azure.
Our car was fitted with about a dozen options including piano black veneer ($5884), 22-inch alloy wheels ($4733), rear privacy glass ($2617), LED welcome lights ($2238), self-levelling wheel centre caps ($1208), a heated acoustic windscreen ($1094), luggage management for the boot ($937) and a heated steering wheel ($543).
Then there's Mulliner, Bentley's in-house customisation division which will personalise your Bentley.
The Mulliner custom features on our Bentayga Azure include the addition of an extra colour in the leather upholstery ($13,492), 'Honeycomb' stitching on the steering wheel ($5391) and contrasting stitching on the quilted areas of leather trim ($2688).
Best family features would have to be the privacy glass, temperature control in the second row and the rear sun blinds.
The second row also comes with a removable tablet which can be used to adjust the climate control, sunroof and media settings among other functions.
In the hands of children this is every parent's nightmare and there's a 100 percent chance of the tablet being lost forever, possibly on the motorway between Sydney and Canberra.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Grade for grade, the 2025 Toyota Prado has jumped in price significantly with the GX $9670 more than before and top-spec Kakadu $12,552 dearer.Â
Despite the same basic engine, there is justification with classier recycled cloth upholstery in the five-seat GX ($72,500), ice cold dual-zone climate control, a strong 10-speaker sound system and 18-inch alloy wheels.Â
Auto LED headlights, manual seat adjustment, keyless entry, auto wipers, five USB-C charge points, a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and generous 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with 12 months of Toyota connected services along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make the GX feel like a mighty complete specification.
That said, it still has manual seat adjustment, a urethane steering wheel and rubber floor mats but then it is the workhorse. Practicalities like 12 cupholders and 220-volt three-pin power outlet in the boot mean it’s fit for purpose.Â
The Prado GXL ($79,990) is what most will think of as the minimum family trim with roof rails, a power tailgate with rear window hatch, heated and ventilated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, eight-way power adjust driver’s seat, leather-accented steering wheel and shifter, a total of seven USB-C charge points and a wireless smartphone charger.Â
The next step is the VX; a more luxurious urban-oriented trim that gets a different (and a little ugly) ‘Lux’ front grille reminiscent of the old Prado, 20-inch alloy wheels, body colour wheel arch and body trims and Bi-LED headlights with auto levelling and high beam.Â
For its near-$90K asking price the VX’s cabin bumps the digital cluster to 12.3 inches, adds leather-accented upholstery, power lumbar adjust for the driver, four-way power passenger adjust (without height), a refrigerated centre cubby, carpet floor mats, power-adjust steering column, a 14-speaker JBL sound system — that isn’t a huge upgrade — and terrain monitoring cameras.
Visually closer to the GXL with the square grille and ‘TOYOTA’ lettering, the $92,700 (before on-road costs) Altitude is Toyota’s off-road focused model. It’s also probably the best looking, available in two exclusive paint colours ('Tanami Taupe' and 'Ningaloo Blue') and riding on tough matt grey multi-spoke 18-inch alloys with Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres.Â
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Inside it’s much like the VX, though upgraded with a heated steering wheel, digital rear-view mirror and a sunroof. It loses tyre pressure monitoring, oddly, but picks up a locking rear differential, passive dampers and front stabiliser bar disconnect.Â
Right at the top of the tree is the Kakadu which pairs the VX’s exterior appearance with illuminated side steps, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated rear outboard seats and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential.
Under the bonnet
Bentley Bentayga
When Bentley stopped putting its W12 into the Bentayga this year I was unsurprised yet sad. The world is moving toward tighter fuel emissions but the twin-turbo petrol V8 in this Azure is still a beast.
The 4.0-litre turbo-petrol V8 is from the Audi family and I love it as much for its plentiful torque and superb acceleration as the deep rumble of its exhaust.
Making 404kW and 770Nm the V8 can lift and throw the 2.5-tonne Bentayga to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 290km/h. I reckon you could get it to 300km/h with the wind behind you.
Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission and a Torsen-type centre differential.
Default drive balance is 40/60 front to rear, with up to 70 per cent of power able to be sent to the front wheels and up to 85 per cent to the rear axle.
I don't think you'll be astounded to hear this powertrain uses a lot of fuel? Let's go there...
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
This is not a hybrid, I repeat, not a hybrid. That’s what Toyota keeps saying, at least, even though the Prado’s 48-volt ‘V-Active’ Australian-honed integrated starter generator system is what some other manufacturers call ‘hybrid’, or ‘mild hybrid’.Â
There’s an 8.4kW/65Nm electric motor generator powered by a small 4.3Ahr battery that contributes to mildly improved acceleration and extended stop-start cycles. Toyota says changes have been made to the diesel engine, including a new turbocharger, higher flow injectors and changes to the block and head.Â
None of the tweaks increase the Prado’s ‘1GD-FTV’ 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder’s power and torque outputs beyond 150kW (at 3000-3400rpm) and 500Nm (1600-2800rpm).
Turbo-diesel V6s in the Ford Everest and larger LandCruiser 300 Series easily outpunch the Prado, yet it still makes assured progress when lightly loaded. Additionally, the suppression of the engine’s vibrations and noise is much improved.
A new eight-speed automatic transmission gets a lower first gear ratio and taller cruising gears. Toyota says the shifts are 25 per cent faster than the old six-speed, from the driver's seat they feel slick and confident. There are fewer early down changes, too, making for a smoother drive.Â
Toyota does not claim a 0-100km/h sprint time for the new Prado but it doesn’t feel meaningfully quicker than the old car, which got there in a bit more than 10 seconds. The Prado will go onto a top speed between 165km/h (GX, GXL), 170km/h (VX, Kakadu) and 175km/h (Altitude).Â
Efficiency
Bentley Bentayga
Bentley says the Bentayga Azure with the V8 petrol engine will use an average of 11.4L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads.
But what happens if you live in the suburbs not far from the city and drive the Azure every day to do the school drop offs and trips to the shops and then take in some fun country roads? You use an average of 22.8L/100km according to the car's trip computer.
This is still not as high as I was expecting. I've driven V6-powered SUVs which use more than this under the same conditions.
That said, even when using as much fuel as Bentley says you should, an 85-litre fuel tank is only going to deliver an approximate 745km driving range.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
For all that electrification and engine improvement, the new Prado’s combined consumption figure falls only a whisker from 7.9L/100km to 7.6L/100km. We saw about 10L/100km on the Prado’s trip computer during a mix of rural highway and dirt road driving.Â
To combat NOx emissions, the Prado’s Euro 5 compliant diesel now gets a 17.4-litre AdBlue tank. Toyota says the Prado will use around a litre of AdBlue every 500km, meaning it will need a top up once every 8500km, depending on driving style and conditions.Â
The other thing to note about the 250 Series is its reduced fuel capacity. Having only an underslung full-size spare wheel and battery to package means no extra tank and a maximum of 110 litres of diesel onboard, instead of 150L. That’s still easily enough for a 1000km driving range from a fill-up, though.
Safety
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga doesn't have a safety rating as like many extremely high-end cars it hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
That said, the Azure grade comes standard with an armoury of safety tech including AEB (with turn assistance), lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
Front and rear parking sensors are standard (and the most relied-upon feature I use daily), while exit warning saved my child and myself more than a few times from leaping out into the traffic on the school run.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
More and more, safety is becoming a byword for systems that incessantly beep, bing and bong offering more a stressful soundscape than genuine help. In Prado's case, things are different.Â
It may not have an ANCAP crash safety rating yet, but as it is equipped with nine airbags, auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitoring and occupant alert, the Prado is off to a strong start. All trims get these safety features, too.Â
The calibration suits Australian roads and driver standards with the only warnings we noticed being a few tugs at the steering wheel to stay within the lane markings and a gentle suggestion to take a break after two hours behind the wheel.Â
Plus, they’re pretty simple to disable. When off-roading, there’s a single button that disables those that can get intrusive on tight trails, such as low-speed AEB and rear cross-traffic alert.
You need to dive through the digital driver’s display to disable the parking sensors which sound like an RSL pokies room when you’re passing low-slung bushes.Â
The stability control (tweaked depending on drive mode) steps in gently to correct any wrong-doing on dirt and still lets you power out of boggy situations. Also, the ABS system is very effective and silent at work, helping keep the brake pedal feeling confident no matter the surface.Â
Ownership
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentayga is covered by Bentley's three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 16,000km.
The good news is all new Bentley's have five years regular servicing included in the cost of the vehicle.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Toyota backs the Prado with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty from the factory. Providing the 4WD is serviced on schedule, Toyota will extend this warranty to seven years.
Maintenance is due a little more regularly than your run-of-the-mill family seven-seater like a Toyota Kluger or Hyundai Palisade but that is to account for the Prado’s heavier use case. It is capped at $390 a visit with Toyota calling for the car to return every six months or 10,000km.
Another clever feature is the Prado’s front end, which is split into smaller sections including the fog light bezels, lower valance and grille, which can be replaced individually if damaged.Â