Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VS BMW X6

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. 

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. 

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. 

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). 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

You know you’re in a large SUV when you slide into the X6 because the cabin has a lot of space in both rows.

But also because of the higher centre console design, you feel tucked into the car despite the higher seating position. It makes it feel far sportier than your typical SUV. 

Even back rowers enjoy decent legroom and headroom, despite the panoramic sunroof and sloping roof design. Six-footers should be relatively comfortable in both rows but it's best to reserve the middle seat as a sometimes position for adults. The raised floor won’t allow true comfort for a longer trip.

Let’s chat luxury because there’s plenty to be had with the electric front seats and their cloud-like comfort.

The electrically-adjustable side bolsters and adjustable lumbar support makes it feel like you’re being cuddled by the seat and also hold you in place in a turn. The extendable under-thigh supports minimise leg fatigue on a longer trip.

However, the back seat is almost as comfortable as the fronts in terms of cushioning. You also sit in, rather than on top of the seats which is a nice change for an SUV. 

Individual storage is great in both rows and up front you get a dual-opening middle console, glove box and a handy utility area that houses the cupholders and two phone pockets.

There is also a storage nook on the driver’s side that will comfortably hold a wallet. 

In the rear you enjoy two map pockets on the front seat backs and retractable cupholders in the fold-down armrest.

The armrest houses a shallow device holder and sits at a good height. Both rows enjoy deep storage bins in each door and a large drink bottle holder.

Happily, the holder is tilted towards the user, rather than away which is what you usually see.

The boot is a great size at 580L with all seats in use. There’s a little lip that has practical metal scuff plates but otherwise the loading space is level.

The hands-free powered tailgate is welcome and the handy 40/20/40 split on the back row opens up your storage options.

You get a temporary spare tyre underneath the floor and it’s cool how the floor has a gas strut, which makes the area much easier to access.

The concertina-style cargo cover is a bit dicky to use but I like how solid it is. It could easily double as a shelf by itself. 

Charging options are abundant with a total of two 12-volt ports, a USB-A port, three USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad to choose from throughout the car. But it is annoying to use the pad when the front cupholders are in use.

I like having hardened kickplates on the backs of the front seats because my seven-year old loves putting his feet on everything.

The higher ground clearance makes this an easy car to get in and out of but it also makes for a great view for my son. He finds the doors a little heavy to close but the massive door grab handles help!

Amenities in the rear row make it a pleasant space to be in for kids and adults alike. You have reading lights, map pockets, two storage shelves and directional air vents.

There is manual climate control in this row, too, but it feels at odds with the rest of the high tech in the car.

On that note, the updated technology looks gorgeous.

The head-up display is clear and the digital instrument panel offers plenty of customisation. It's a super handy feature to access your recent call log via the steering wheel controls and see it pop up on the instrument cluster. 

The touchscreen multimedia system is responsive but you can also use the rotary dial to get around it. There is a stack of information in it, though, which will take a bit to get your head around. Can’t fault its graphics, it looks hot, but some users may feel flustered at first.

The system has built-in satellite navigation that features an augmented reality feature, which overlays dynamic instructions on the video feed. What makes it practical is how it can be viewed on your instrument cluster, which means more on-road focus for the driver. 

There is wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, with the latter being simple to connect to. You don’t have the important climate control buttons/dials up front and I find it annoying to access the multimedia screen to change climate and fan speed settings. 

What you lack in controls there is more than made up for in the centre console. There are a lot of buttons, from the push-button starter, rotary control wheel and everything in between.

Even after a week, my mind still has a mini freeze looking at them while on the go.