Ford Everest Platinum v Toyota Prado Kakadu 2024 Comparison

Each of the cars we’ve tested here is at the top of their respective model line-ups.

For the Ford Everest that means the Platinum trim (it replaces the Titanium that used to sit at the top of the tree), which in second generation guise automatically gets you the more powerful V6 engine. It’s priced from $80,154 plus on-road costs.

For the Toyota Prado – remembering we’re talking about the 150 Series that first hit the market in 2009 - the most lavishly appointed is the Kakadu. It’s tricky to find one in dealerships now, but as it bowed out the asking price was $87,468 plus ORCs. Head to the used car market, though, and there’s no shortage of near-new ones. With plenty of love for them as second-hand cars the asking prices aren’t far shy of what they cost new. That’s still a whole lot less than the $99,990 plus ORCs for the upcoming new generation Prado Kakadu.?

Each gets leather trim and heated, power operated and ventilated front seats, as well as heated outboard middle row seats. For the Everest the seat trim is quilted for a more upmarket look. The driver’s seat of each also has memory buttons, which is invaluable if there’s two of you sharing the driving duties.

Each front seat occupant can dial up their own temperature, but in the Prado the people in the back can also select different ventilation controls.

The Prado comes with 18-inch alloys while the Everest gets 21s. Those larger diameter rims may look snazzier but they’re not great for trips like the one we’ve got planned, so we chose the optional 18-inch alloys shod in all-terrain tyres. They also bring the metal underbody protection that all other four-wheel drive Everests get (the Platinum otherwise gets a flimsy plastic cover).

The Prado gets a sunroof but the Everest trumps it with a panoramic glass roof that allows more light in.

The Everest adds to the temperature adjustment with a heated steering wheel.

Each is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

The Prado needs to be serviced every six months or 10,000km whereas the Everest calls for a check-up every 12 months or 15,000km.?

The focus on safety tends to be on different things once you’re in the middle of nowhere. Third row airbags aren’t really a consideration, for example, because that space behind the middle seats is bulging with gear. The curtain airbags in each stretch to that back row, though.

And how good a job the car does staying on the blacktop is suddenly a lot more important.

The Ford gets off to a solid start purely due to its more surefooted dynamics.

But there are hiccups. The auto headlights that also have a terrific auto high beam function are sometimes too good at thinking for themselves. Every time you start the car they divert to an “auto” setting, which means those sexy C-clamp LEDs up front do the job of making the car more visible.

But on these vast outback roads I want more and am typically going for full headlights, especially at dawn and dusk. Being able to sometimes see kilometres into the distance makes me want to ensure other cars can see us before they try slipping around a road train at 110km/h. Giving any oncoming drivers that little more warning we’re off in the distance is a bonus.

Yet with the Everest the headlight override knob is buried near my right knee. Every time I get in the car I need to twist it to get those lights blaring.

It’s a tiny thing, but it’s one where the analogue controls of the Prado have an advantage. Set the lights to ‘on’ and they’ll switch on every time you start the car.

Of course, driver assistance systems also play a role and the Everest wins here – at the very least for its lane keeping assistance system.

I’m not a fan of them at the best of times, but the Ford’s kicks the Toyota’s for effectiveness. If there are clearly marked lines, it’ll track fairly faithful to them, adding confidence if you need to fumble for a water bottle or UHF radio and want the car to keep things tracking. On many roads we tackled it proved a handy addition.

It’s by no means perfect. On vast sections where the outer road markings disappeared it gave up, unable to determine where the car should be. And on gravel roads it was largely useless.

When those gravel roads included peaks between defined wheel tracks it suddenly decided to reawaken and steer the car when you really didn’t want it to; the ‘off’ button was used frequently.

Like all lane keep assist systems it wants to tug against your directions if you go to swerve around roadkill or a puddle.

The Prado had similar issues, but its usefulness was a lot less. Even on well-marked country roads it’s not nearly as effective as pointing the car on the right path. And when it does stray it wants to beep rather than subtly sort the situation. Cue the button to turn it off; it was disengaged a lot more on the Toyota than the Ford.

As for independent ANCAP safety ratings, the Everest still comes with a five-star score.

The Prado used to match it, but from 2023 the car was listed as unrated. Nothing had changed in the Prado’s safety systems, but the age of the car meant its ANCAP rating expired and Toyota never bothered getting the car retested.?

The Ford Everest may have off-road adventuring at its core, but it doesn’t forget about the techy things in life.

There’s a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 12-inch central infotainment screen.

That screen – arranged in a portrait configuration – does a good job of displaying phone apps in its main section while allowing easy access to commonly used functions.

You can also dart into more detailed settings and even dial up an off-road mode for some real time information on how the car is performing.

The Everest also has USB-A and USB-C ports in the front and centre rows, which makes it easy to keep gadgets topped up.

The Prado’s age starts to show in its tech.

If you want to charge via the USB ports, you’ll have to buy adapters for the 12V power outlets.

Its 9-inch central infotainment screen looks decided undernourished in an era of pixel overload. So too does the analogue instruments, which are effective.

Sure, the main features are there, but you’re plugging in for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, whereas in the Everest each can be activated wirelessly.

And in an era of iPads and tablets, the Prado’s rear seat Blu-ray entertainment system seems decidedly old school – and could do a lot more collecting dust rather than keeping the kids entertained.

Another thing lacking in the Prado is tyre pressure sensors. They’re standard on the Everest and a life saver (or, at least, a tyre saver) in the outback. We fitted external aftermarket sensors to our Prado so we could get a heads-up of any leaks.

The Ford gets a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system whereas the Toyota gets a 14-speaker JBL system.?

We may be steaming towards an electric future but there’s some old school in the thinking of modern car makers as they capitalise on the four-wheel drive boom. And it all comes down to grunt.

For Ford, it’s turned to cubic capacity for the Everest, with a 3.0-litre V6 single turbo diesel. It’s a familiar engine, relics of it having done duty in the Ford Territory as well as various Land Rovers, Jaguars, Citroens and Peugeots. Engineers focused on turning it into an off-road hero for life in the Everest, although it’s reliability that buyers will no doubt have top of mind – that’s something that can only be assessed over many years and hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Our 5000km jaunt will start that process, but it’ll be years to figure out if it’s got the heart people really want.

In the Everest it’s connected to a 10-speed automatic, something that adds to the already generous 184kW and 600Nm compared to the Prado’s 150kW and 500Nm 4-cylinder turbo.

When locked on cruise control there’s little benefit in those extra neddies. Any modern turbo diesel will easily hold 110km/h – or 130km/h in the Northern Territory – although the V6 in the Everest does it that little bit easier.

It’s uber refined, to the point of being almost inaudible while ticking over at 1700rpm. Call on more and there’s a slinkiness to the way it builds revs, a sense of refinement ever-present in its demeanour.

Passing road trains is also that little bit easier. Sink your right foot and watch the pace build swiftly, ensuring you’re back on the left side of the road a few seconds sooner.

The auto helps. Occasionally you can catch it out when reapplying power, a mild jolt as it awakens and plucks a ratio. But for the most part it’s all class, the spread of ratios ensuring the engine can do its best.

But the Everest engine is having to work harder. The Platinum is some 200kg heavier than its Prado stablemate – even though the Prado is a bigger vehicle.

Driving through a six-speed auto makes for decent acceleration in the Prado, something helped by the swift build-up of pressure in the 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, in turn making the full torque spread accessible soon after squeezing the throttle.

That’s arguably the Prado’s greatest asset – its ability to dish up the full hit of torque relatively quickly – because it’s ultimately outpunched by the Everest’s V6.

But there’s more noise and less thrust, meaning you’ll have to work it harder for overtakes or when trudging up hills.

When cruising, though, it works just fine and ambles along easily.

If there’s one area the Everest falls short it’s with economy. Over thousands of kilometres ours used 10.2 litres per 100km, some 20 per cent over its 8.5L/100km ADR figure.

The Prado was thriftier, although not as much as some may expect. Its average fuel use was 9.8L/100km, a full 24 per cent over the 7.9L/100km ADR claim.

Keep in mind our driving was with cars carrying hundreds of kilograms of people and luggage and we were often on gravel roads that make the engine work that little bit harder.

Perhaps the biggest factor here is how far each can travel between refills, something that takes into account the size of the fuel tank.

The standard tank on the Prado is 87 litres, although for no cost you can have the spare wheel positioned on the tailgate and increase that to 150 litres.

For our drive, that would have given us a theoretical range of 1530km, which is huge. With the model we used, however, that range drops to a still impressive 885km.

And, interestingly, the distance to empty calculator was typically pessimistic, which is perfect for remote areas. It was suggesting more like 780km from a full tank – but always travelling a bit further.

In the Everest, the fuel tank measures 80 litres, which drops the real-world range to 785km. Ford has long promised an accessory tank that would take capacity to 120L, in turn increasing the range to about 1175km. However, we’re yet to see it, although there are plenty of aftermarket options to increase the capacity.

But there’s another consideration with the Ford. As well as using more fuel, it also needs AdBlue to ensure it meets modern emissions standards (the same thing is coming for the next gen Prado 250 Series). It’ll mostly be done at services but you may also need to add some to the second filler when you’re in the wilds, especially if you’re working the engine harder (such as traversing sand dunes).?

They’re competitors but there’s also some size differences between them.

At 4825mm long the sizeable Prado is actually 89mm shorter than the Everest.

The Everest is also wider, at 1923mm (excluding mirrors) compared with 1885mm for the Prado.

Not that you’d guess that by looking at them. The Prado has a bulk that from a distance suggests it’s a bigger machine. That may partly come from its additional height; at 1880mm high the Prado is 43mm above the Everest.

It also comes down to some of the design cues. From the rear the Everest looks neat and truncated.

The Prado has added visual bulk.

It’s also more of a climb to get into the Prado and you’re sitting higher, adding to its commanding feel.

And once inside the Prado it feels more spacious, especially for those in the middle row seat.

Let’s face it, the third row is useless for a trip like this. Anyone will have that space consumed with camping gear, supplies and luggage.

If you’re looking for shade or respite from some rain then the Everest’s rising tailgate is a plus.

But the Prado’s swing-out tailgate has its pros, the most notable of which comes when you’re trying to convince all your belongings to stay in the vehicle. The momentum of the door swinging closed makes it that little bit easier to coax a soft bag back into line.

If you’re looking to tow, the Prado 150 Series is limited to 3000kg (the 250 Series is stepping up to 3500kg towing) whereas the Everest can lug a full 3500kg.?

What are the Ford Everest Platinum and Toyota Prado Kakadu like on the road?

After 5000km in each the Ford Everest Platinum and Toyota Prado Kakadu we can honestly say we’d be happy to do it all again in either.

But if road holding and comfort are your thing then the Everest edges ahead.

The steering is nicely weighted and the damping well-tuned to keep things in check over lumpy bitumen. It’s quiet and refined, too.

It’ll still lean if you pitch into a corner too enthusiastically, but the Everest’s core chassis tuning also makes for a remarkably well behaved large off-road SUV.

The Prado also has comfort and control on its side, but it feels like a bigger machine with less subtlety to the way it goes about its business.

Light steering makes it easy to control, but it lacks the tactility of the Ford.

The solid body also feels more cumbersome when you ask it to change direction.

And while it’s respectably quiet, it doesn’t quite match the Ford for overall comfort.

To be fair, we’re splitting hairs because the Prado is a wonderfully adept device at covering big distances.

But it’s up against a new level for heavy duty off-roaders.

A fair chunk of our driving was done on gravel rather than bitumen. That said, we didn’t get to venture as far as we wanted due to road closures and flooding, especially in outback Queensland.

But it was enough to learn the differences.

Each of these cars will take you a heck of a long way off-road.

They’re terrific four-wheel drives designed for all sorts of rugged terrain – and both are accomplished at getting over it.

The Prado has 220mm of ground clearance, the Everest 226mm. The Prado can wade through 700mm of water, the Everest 800mm.

Roll through all the key dimensions and there’s not much separating the two.

However, when it gets really tough the Prado starts to fight back.

Its traction control system is beautifully calibrated, meaning you can coax it over some fairly challenging terrain. The electronics work well, even if the way of tweaking the settings isn’t overly simple.

There’s a rear differential lock, but most of the time the traction control does a brilliant job of apportioning drive to the wheels with grip.

The Everest, on the other hand, doesn’t quite match the Prado when things get really tough.

Its traction control can sometimes be left spinning the wheels, so you’re more likely to need the rear differential lock to get you out of trouble.

Ultimately, it’s extremely capable, but sometimes you have to work at it more.

One thing the Ford does have in its favour is easily selectable drive modes. Choose them via the selector dial and it tailors the electronics to the terrain.

While rocks can challenge the traction control, in sand the Everest is more convincing, perhaps helped by the more easily accessible grunt of the V6.

The Everest’s suspension is also beautifully suited to faster gravel roads where bumps can sneak up on you and upset the ride.

It’s nicely controlled and settles quickly.

The Prado also deals admirably with bumps, although its body isn’t as well controlled over big hits.

It copes with them fine and casts them aside with reassurance, but the Ford just has a little more sophistication in the way it recovers.

It may be a different story on the 21-inch wheels that come standard on the Everest.

The optional 18s with all-terrain tyres may not have the bling, but they’ll do a better job of staying inflated if you do head off-road. The extra air between the rim and whatever you’re driving over also makes the ride a little more supple.?

It’s more about functionality than outright luxury in the cabins of each, although there’s also enough pampering to make longer journeys thoroughly enjoyable.

The Toyota Prado is more traditional with wood-look finishes and an upright seating position. There are hints of old school, but it works well – and there’s a familiarity that makes it comfy to settle into.

The Prado also perches you slightly higher, so there’s a better view of the road.

The coolbox between the front seats is a nice touch, and even if you’re not running the ventilation to keep the snacks cooled it’s a sizeable binnacle.

The middle row seats also dish up slightly more space.

While the screens help give the Ford a more modern look, so too do its finishes and materials. Quilted trim in the Everest is a big step up on plain old leather.

There are soft touch finishes all over the cabin and some stitching and contrasting hues add to the sense that some serious thought has been put into sprucing up a cabin that also caters to the mainstream.

Throw in good front seats and it’s an easy car to cover big kays in.?

With the new Toyota Prado 250 Series due imminently there’s lots that will soon change in this heavy duty 4WD market.

But after 5000km in the 150 Series it’s clear there’s still lots to like about the outgoing Prado, especially in Kakadu guise tested here.

It’s still a mightily impressive machine with a spacious interior, especially behind the front seats. And it copes beautifully with big bumps and off-road punishment.

Age may have wearied the basic design, but it hasn’t taken the edge off some solid core engineering.

Toyota’s well-earned reputation for dealing with that punishment for many decades means any for near-new Prado should have lots of adventures ahead of it.

And what the four-cylinder lacks in outright grunt it makes up for with willingness and an easy cruising nature.

We’d feel very happy about heading back to the Red Centre in a Prado.

But the Prado is edged across the line though in this test. The Ford Everest Platinum is the winner.

We expected big things from the new Ford Everest and it mostly delivered.

We say mostly, because there were some things that were short of perfect, including its hardcore off-road ability.

Sure, the Ford has effortless V6 performance that makes outback touring so easy. And the refinement and quietness of the cabin alone is a reason to divert to the Blue Oval.

It’s also loaded with tech and that tech typically does a better job, whether it’s keeping you entertained or helping keep you on the road.

It’s a worthy winner.

For now…

Now that there’s a new Prado moments away from dealerships means that the pressure is set to ramp up on the current king.

Cue the next big adventure…

2024 Ford Everest Titanium at a glance:
Price: $80,154 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 184kW/600Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 224g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: 5-star (ANCAP 2022)

2024 Toyota Prado Kakadu at a glance:
Price: $87,468 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Some still in dealerships, otherwise check out second-hand options
Engine: 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 150kW/500Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 208g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au