Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Off-Road SUV Under $80K finalists announced – UPDATE
Today at 11:28 PM
Here are the finalists in the running for the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Off-Road SUV Under $80,000 category.
Drive Car of the Year 2025
Now in its 20th year, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards program continues to be the Australian new car buyer's most-trusted advisor.
At Drive, we test drive more than 200 new cars every year, evaluating each against its innate promise to sort the best from the rest. We divide the 400-plus new passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs and utes into 19 price-banded categories focused on the end-user. Then we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every car to find the cream of the automotive crop.
Drive Car of the Year 2025 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Off-Road SUV under $80K
The first round of voting has concluded, and the judges have put the spotlight on the Toyota LandCruiser Prado and GWM Tank 500 as new finalists to join the Ford Everest, the reigning champion in this category, in the battle for the title of the Best Off-Road SUV under $80,000.
This will be no mean feat, as the incumbent Ford Everest was swept to the top of the category in 2024 through its combination of practical prowess, family friendliness and off-road chops.
Few models are as important to Toyota as the LandCruiser Prado, which is normally one of the brand's best-selling offerings in Australia. You could argue that it's already lined up for success, but you could also say it's going to come under greater scrutiny as it attempts to fill historically big boots.
This year's awards bring a new-generation LandCruiser Prado into play, which now shares more with its big brother LandCruiser 300 Series than ever before. All variants receive a 48-volt-assisted 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, which makes 150kW/500Nm and runs through a new eight-speed automatic transmission.
Both the five-seat GX and seven-seat GXL variants are available underneath the $80,000 before on-road costs threshold for this category.
Read more about the Toyota LandCruiser Prado here.
The GWM Tank 500 is an all-new model for the Australian market, with a unique combination of attributes.
Firstly, it's petrol only, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder aided by a hearty hybrid system for impressive combined outputs of 255kW and 648Nm. This runs through a proper four-wheel-drive system that offers good off-road capability, especially in the Ultra variant with twin differential locks.
Outputs are impressive, and they're made all the more alluring by the sharp pricing of the Tank 500 range.
When balanced against the extensive range of standard technology and equipment, even with the $66,490 drive-away Lux variant provides a high level of standard equipment. Going up to the Ultra – at $73,990 drive-away – gets you a range of equipment that will make some cars at twice the price blush.
Read more on the GWM Tank 500 here.
The Ford Everest was a standout in the category last year, combining smart family-friendly practicality, a comfortable and responsive driving experience, and excellent off-road capability.
The Australian-led engineering in the Everest, conducted in concert with the latest platform-sharing Ranger ute, shine through in the quality of the base offering. The two turbocharged diesel engines available are well sorted, with the larger V6 being the prime pick.
Adopting Watts linkage rear suspension provides impressive on-road decorum for a body-on-frame vehicle, while still offering a good level of off-road ability and a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.
Many buyers will appreciate the attention to detail inside the Everest, with a sliding second row making the third row usable and comfortable. There are plenty of practical touches, and a long list of technology, all of which increase the Everest's appeal as a daily-driving family adventure machine.
Read more about the Ford Everest here, and click here to read about its 2024 Drive Car of the Year category victory.
The Drive Car of the Year Best Off-Road SUV Under $80K will be announced on 24 February 2025.
The below was published on 15 November 2024:
For those who want a family jack of all trades, then a four-wheel drive SUV is the best ticket.
And I’m not talking about false posturing and veneers of aesthetics, where a bit of body cladding and a tough-sounding name is enough.
To succeed in this part of the world, you need to play both sides of the street adeptly. On one hand, you need to provide the practicality, comfort, safety and technology that the modern Australian family demands.
But on the other side, you need to back that up the capability and utility that’s required in this part of the world: big towing capacities, decent payloads, off-road capability, and general suitability for camping, bush driving and long-distance touring.
Last year, it was the Ford Everest that stood head-and-shoulders above the competition. Following on from the success of the Ranger four-wheel drive ute, this co-developed Everest seven-seat SUV provides an effective interior for family usage, loads of safety and convenience technology, and impressive driving characteristics.
You’ve got a choice of four or six diesel cylinders under the bonnet, and a four-wheel drive system that provides improved grip on-road and good off-road ability.
But this part of the world is moving quickly, as carmakers compete for the attention and dollars of the buying public. Jeep’s iconic Wrangler has been updated this year, and Isuzu’s MU-X has been updated with the option of an efficiency-focussed 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine.
New models in this competitive segment are as interesting as they are different.
On one hand, the GWM Tank 500 provides high levels of value with the sharp asking price, and the unique offering of a hybrid petrol powertrain. For those who want all of the bells and whistles without spending the big bucks, this Tank 500 is no doubt appealing.
On the other hand, the next generation of Toyota’s perennial LandCruiser Prado has finally arrived, and combines familiar powertrain components with a new body. Plus, it now shares platforms with the big brother LandCruiser for the first time.
FAQs
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive's rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
- Be all-new or significantly updated.
- Be on sale with customer deliveries commenced by 31 December 2024.
- Retail examples be made available for Drive to road test before that cut-off date.
- Pricing cut-offs exclude discounts and limited-time offers.
| Contenders | Not here in time |
| – Cars that are all-new or significantly updated since they last contested Drive Car of the Year. – New categories are open to all cars that fit category requirements. – Last year's winner is an automatic inclusion. | – These cars meet category requirements, but are not due to arrive in time for Drive Car of the Year 2025 judging. |
| Ford Everest (defending) GWM Tank 500 Isuzu MU-X Jeep Wrangler Toyota LandCruiser Prado | None |
What are the next steps?
The winner of the Drive Car of the Year 2025 – Best Off-Road SUV under $80,000 will be announced in February 2025.
Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver the best combination of family friendliness, off-road ruggedness and overall utility.
Read more:
Drive Car of the Year 2025 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year Overview
Drive Car of the Year 2024 winners
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