Best 4WD – Commercial DCOTY 2018

A little brother to the legendary LandCruiser- hence why it still carries the badge - the Prado blends excellent off-road nous and suburban family-friendliness with a touch of luxury and plenty of gear.

While this model has been around for a while, it was recently updated with new styling to the front-end and, more importantly, Toyota's latest suite of crash-avoidance technology.

The Prado is available in four model grades, starting at $53,490 (plus on-roads) for the entry-level GX with a manual transmission and topping out with the full-of-fruit $84,490 Kakadu that comes with tricky active suspension, among other goodies. 

We're testing the second-from-the-top VX that costs $73,990 (plus on-roads) that comes exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission, leather trimmed interior, larger 18-inch alloy wheels and additional safety features. 

Like all Toyotas, it is covered by a less-than-stellar three-year, 100,000km warranty and has a capped-price servicing scheme that, while affordable with the first three years costing just $1440 to keep it maintained, requires visiting the dealership every six months or 10,000km. 

The Prado's claimed average fuel consumption figure of 8L/100km is pretty reasonable for a car of this size and its long range tanks - which total 150L in capacity - will give you more than 1500km of driving between refills.

There's a lot to like about the Prado, from its outstanding four-wheel drive ability to its comfortable on-road manners. 

But there's some nice treats too, such as the air conditioned centre console that keeps drinks cooled while on the run, super-comfy seats and easy access to its flexible seven-seat layout. 

It also feels rock solid, with high-quality materials throughout the cabin and dependable mechanical elements that won't leave you stranded beyond the black stump. 

The Prado offers a lot for the money, which is a reason why it is so popular. 

The cockpit design might not have as much flair as European luxury rivals, but everything has its place with a logical layout to the myriad of buttons and dials and plenty of storage spaces and power outlets to keep mobile devices topped-up. 

The front seats are comfortable and supportive, the driving position has plenty of adjustment and there's good forward vision. The spare tyre mounted on the heavy, side-opening tailgate, however, does restrict the rear view, but the reverse camera compensates with a clear image on the large display screen. 

Those in the middle row are treated to generous legroom – enough for adults to travel comfortably - and their own controls for the air conditioning system, and it can slide forward to create more for the third row when it is in use. 

The 480L boot is generous when in a five-seat configuration but limited in what it can carry when all seats are being used.

As mentioned earlier, the Prado's recent update brought with it a more comprehensive suite of active crash-prevention systems. 

Grouped together under the banner of Toyota's Safety Sense driver assistance package, the Prado VX has automated emergency braking with pedestrian protection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning as well as blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. 

Occupants are further protected by seven airbags, and the Prado has a five-star ANCAP crash test rating from 2011. 

All Prado variants are powered by a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that uses an average of 8L/100km to generate 130kW of power and 450Nm of torque. 

It's a nice engine that has a linear power delivery and is beautifully refined for a diesel, while the cabin is well insulated from any exhaust or intake noise under acceleration. 

It works well with the six-speed automatic to remain in its sweet spot, and shifts down promptly when overtaking. But, ultimately, it has to move a lot of metal and doesn't feel as energetic as some of its rivals. 

The Prado's cabin is a comfortable place to be – for the whole family. 

There's generous headroom for all occupants and plenty of legroom for those in the middle when in the five-seat configuration. 

Accessing the third row is relatively simple for small kids and only suitable for adults on short trips, even though the middle row can be adjusted to create extra leg room. 

Those in the front needn't worry as the individual seats are super comfortable and there's plenty of adjustment in the driving position to suit a range of people. 

The dash is a bit fussy in its layout, but it houses a wide range of small-item storage spaces, including a flip-open binnacle in the centre that can hide mobile phones or wallets from view and a deep centre console that is air conditioned to keep drink bottles cool while driving. 

The infotainment system has a crisp screen and incorporates sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a reverse camera – as well as specific four-wheel drive information – but doesn't have smartphone mirroring for Apple or Android devices. 

The boot has a cargo-carrying capacity of 480L in the five-seat configuration, which is big enough to handle family duties or weekend getaways, but limited in what it can carry when all seven seats are being used. The side-opening tailgate is heavy and cumbersome with the spare tyre mounted on the door. 

The Prado doesn't do much wrong. 

Around the suburbs, it is comfortable, refined and quiet and masks its body-on-frame construction well enough to the point it feels much like a modern SUV rather than an agricultural four-wheel drive. 

The suspension is naturally soft, which means its compliant over rough surfaces and soaks up speed humps like they don't exist. But, at the same time, it feels a bit floaty and can take time to settle down while leaning heavily when cornering enthusiastically. 

The steering, however, has a linear feel across the ratio, even if it does feel overly light and a little disconnected from the front end, and the electronic safety nets intervene early enough to ensure it remains sure footed in slippery conditions. 

In the bush, the Prado feels almost unstoppable with excellent traction and plenty of wheel articulation. 

The four-wheel drive system is easy to engage through a rotary controller in the centre console while a secondary knob tailors the electronics for different conditions, such as rocks, mud or sand. 

The Prado was a unanimous winner of this category as the judges praised its well-rounded package, offering excellent value for money, plenty of gear, the latest in safety technology, a spacious cabin and the ability to go anywhere easily. 

Knowing you'll get there is a big part of the Prado's appeal, but knowing that Toyota has the country covered if you get stuck adds to the peace of mind.