Prado 150 vs 250: the short answer
The Toyota Prado 250 is the all-new model that launched in South Africa in 2024, built on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform shared with the Land Cruiser 300, with a boxier retro design and the 2.8 GD-6 turbodiesel. The Prado 150 is the long-running pre-2024 generation, sold here from the late 1990s through 2023 across the 3.0 D-4D and later 2.8 GD-6 diesels. On landcruisersa.co.za, the 250 currently shows a median asking price of R1,389,990 across 303 active listings, while pre-2024 Prados show a median asking price of R599,900 across 500 active listings. These are asking prices aggregated daily across AutoTrader, WeBuyCars, Cars.co.za and specialist dealers, not final transaction prices. In plain terms: the 250 is the current, more expensive model; the 150 is the established used buy at roughly half the median.
What actually changed
The jump from 150 to 250 is one of the bigger generational changes in the Prado’s history. The headline differences:
- Platform. The 250 moves onto the TNGA-F ladder-frame architecture shared with the Land Cruiser 300 and the latest Hilux. The 150 used the older, separate Prado platform that dates back over a decade.
- Design. The 250 adopts a deliberately boxy, retro-inspired look — flat surfaces, square lights, upright glasshouse — a clear break from the rounded 150.
- Interior and tech. The 250 brings a modernised cabin and infotainment in line with Toyota’s current range, where the 150 feels of its era, especially the earlier model years.
- Engine continuity. Both the 250 and the later 150 models run the 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel, so the powertrain story is more evolution than revolution. Older 150s used the 3.0-litre D-4D diesel.
If you’ve owned a later 150, the 250 will feel familiar to drive but noticeably more contemporary to sit in and look at.
What they cost in South Africa
Here is the current picture from our live data. Remember these are asking prices aggregated across listing platforms, updated daily — what sellers are advertising, not confirmed sale prices.
| Pre-2024 Prado (150) | Prado 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 500 | 303 |
| Median asking | R599,900 | R1,389,990 |
| Lowest asking | R55,900 | R949,900 |
| Highest asking | R2,200,000 | R3,199,900 |
| Model years | 1997–2023 | 2024–2026 |
A few things to read into those numbers.
The pre-2024 Prado range is enormous — from R55,900 to R2,200,000. That spread isn’t noise: this figure groups several older Prado generations that buyers colloquially lump together, spanning two diesel engines and more than two decades of model years, condition and spec. A high-kilometre early example and a near-new 2023 GD-6 sit in the same bucket, so treat the median of R599,900 as the centre of a very broad used market rather than a tight “going rate”.
The 250 range is tighter, as you’d expect from a model that’s only been on sale since 2024. The R949,900 floor will typically be earlier or higher-mileage demo and entry examples, while the R3,199,900 ceiling reflects top-spec or low-availability units while supply is still settling. The median of R1,389,990 is the more useful anchor for what a current 250 is being advertised at.
For the up-to-date spread, including how these asking prices are moving as more 250s reach the used market, see the live market data for the 250-series.
Which one should you buy?
There’s no single right answer — it comes down to budget and what you value.
Buy a pre-2024 Prado (150) if you want maximum value and don’t need the newest platform. The huge supply (500 active listings) means choice, and you can target a later 2.8 GD-6 model to get the modern diesel without paying 250 money. The wide price range also means it pays to compare carefully — a well-kept later 150 and a tired earlier one can look similar on paper but sit far apart in real-world condition.
Buy a Prado 250 if you want the current car: the TNGA-F platform it shares with the Land Cruiser 300, the latest interior and tech, and the newest design. You’ll pay a clear premium — the median asking gap is roughly R790,000 — but you’re buying the model that will hold its “current generation” status for years.
Whichever way you lean, the smart move is to compare specific examples rather than medians. Browse the live Prado 250 listings to see what’s actually available, and use the finance calculator on any listing page to estimate monthly repayments before you commit.
How we get these figures
landcruisersa.co.za aggregates Land Cruiser and Prado listings across AutoTrader, WeBuyCars, Cars.co.za and specialist dealers, then surfaces the asking prices daily. We report asking prices, not final sale prices — sellers often negotiate down from the advertised figure, so treat our medians as the top of the conversation, not the closing number. The benefit of working from aggregated asking data is that you walk into a deal already knowing roughly where the market sits, which is the strongest position from which to negotiate.
Bottom line
The Prado 250 is the all-new, current model launched in SA in 2024 on the TNGA-F platform it shares with the Land Cruiser 300, asking a median of R1,389,990 across 303 active listings. The pre-2024 Prado (the 150 and its predecessors grouped together) is the value play, asking a median of R599,900 across 500 active listings, with a very wide range because it spans many years and two diesel engines. Decide on budget first, then compare real examples on the listings and market-data pages rather than buying on the median alone.
