GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado

The price gap is the story: $59,990 for the well-equipped Tank 500 Lux versus $72,500 for the base Prado GX, a $12,510 difference, and the Tank includes two extra seats and far more standard kit at the price.

Running costs lean slightly to the Prado, its 48V diesel sips 7.6L/100km versus the Tank's petrol-hybrid 8.5, worth roughly $260 a year over 15,000km. Reasonable for the Tank given it's a 2.6-tonne 4WD carrying a hybrid system.

Warranty favours GWM at 7 years/unlimited versus Toyota's 5. But the Prado's ace is resale: Toyota's big 4WDs hold value better than almost anything, which materially narrows the real-world cost gap over a long ownership period, exactly the kind of period these vehicles are bought for.

Both are 5-star ANCAP (2024) with the full active-safety suite, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise, as standard. Both are heavy, sturdy ladder-frame vehicles that carry a mass advantage in a crash. There's nothing to separate them on everyday safety.

The Tank 500 makes its value case loudest inside. Even the entry Lux is plush and heavily equipped, with a big touchscreen, leather, heated seats and a long features list, and crucially it's a genuine seven-seater. The base Prado GX, by contrast, is a five-seater with a more utilitarian cabin, you pay more for less equipment.

The Prado's strength is the Toyota ecosystem: the deepest 4WD accessory and aftermarket support in the country, a vast dealer network, and a reputation for going the distance that's been earned over decades. For remote touring where reliability and parts availability are everything, that reputation carries real weight.

Both are serious off-roaders with proper low-range 4WD, lockers and about 224–225mm of ground clearance. The Tank 500 matches the Prado's hardware on paper; the Prado has the harder-earned trust for the truly rough stuff.

The Tank 500 has the muscle. Its turbo-petrol V6 hybrid makes a strong 255kW and 648Nm against the Prado's 150kW and 500Nm 48V diesel, and it's the quicker of the two at 8.5 seconds to 100km/h versus 9.6. For a 2.6-tonne 4WD, the Tank feels genuinely brisk.

But the Prado tows more, the full 3,500kg braked against the Tank's 3,000kg. That 500kg matters if you pull a big caravan; the Tank handles most boats and camper trailers but falls short of the heaviest vans. The Prado's diesel torque and proven towing manners are also reassuring for long highway hauls. So the Tank wins on outright performance and value, the Prado on towing capacity and proven durability.