May 2025 issue of 4X4 Australia is out now!

The massive May issue of 4X4 Australia magazine is out now!

On shelves and in letterboxes this week, the May 2025 issue is loaded with quality 4×4 goodness including a 250 Series Prado perfected by none other than Mr 4WD.

The Prado ‘Altitude with Attitude’ has been given a thorough transformation, with new front and rear protection, uprated suspension by JMACX, Toyo tyres, and Rhino-Rack’s all-new Recon roof rack with an Alu-Cab roof-top on top. There’s a long shopping list of equipment to come including a winch and awning, as well as a revamped interior with storage drawers and a camping fridge. 

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On the topic of Prados, we managed to wrangle an original 70 Series Prado – granted, a substantially modified one – and lined it up against an all-new 250. The old-versus-new comparison yielded some interesting results, and we posed the owner of the 78 one question: Would you trade it in for a new one?

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The BYD Shark has been making waves since it launched in Australia at an eye-popping $57,990, enticing more than 2000 orders in its first 24 hours on sale. At less than $60K, owners are treated, not only to a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but to a vehicle loaded with premium equipment. But, more importantly, how does it perform off-road? Not great, all things considered.

A different beast altogether is RAM’s all new turbo-six 1500, a vehicle which has essentially left the old HEMI V8 in its dust and not looked back. The Hurricane inline-six powering the current 1500 produces an impressive 313kW and 635NM in standard trim (SO) and an intoxicating 403kW and 707Nm in HO trim – considerably more than the old V8 could muster. Sadly, this test didn’t include any dirt, but this thing is a monster on tarmac.

We did, however, take a 200kW/400Nm turbo-petrol 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon SWB to some rather challenging off-road tracks, which the Jeep coasted over thanks to its triple diff locks, a disconnecting sway bar and BFG muddies straight from the showroom floor. Did someone say “unrivalled off-road performance”?

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On the custom front, we peaked under the lid of a 60 Series LandCruiser that was saved from the scrapheap courtesy of an Isuzu 4JJ1 3.0-litre engine transplant. The impeccably clean build also wears a long list of custom parts – as Mark Allen puts it in the article, “it’s an amazing amalgamation of old and new parts and technology”.

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What else is there?

• How to 4×4 on sand – a step-by-step guide
• Following the route of Leichhardt’s 1844 expedition in the Gulf Country
• Touring Victoria’s Wyperfeld National Park
• A 20,000km update on our set of Cooper AT3 LT tyres
• Bowden’s Own cleaning products put to the test
• An update on the BT-50 GT in our long-term shed
• New products, news and MUCH more!

The May 2025 issue of 4X4 Australia magazine is out now!