2018 Toyota Land Cruiser | PH Review
Can Toyota's utilitarian 4x4 still wade through the ever deepening sea of Chelsea tractors?
It is, then, all it has recently been; the default choice, worldwide, for those who need what it can offer: off-road approach, breakover and departure angles on a par with a Land Rover Discovery, a low-range set of gears, a 700mm wading depth and the kind of reliability and durability that makes Toyota the dominant vehicle manufacturer in places that don't have shiny premium dealerships and where they value cars that don't trouble the warranty.
A mild redesign of the interior that wouldn't give an Audi Q7 much to worry about has mostly been done to make the Land Cruiser's off-road systems easier to use (an Audi interior redesign would probably make something like booking a restaurant easier, so context is all). As well as the low-ratio 'box, then, there's a locking centre differential, still a lockable rear-differential (an open one or the top-spec Torsen are the three options there), a crawl-control (low speed cruise control, effectively, but it's also very good at freeing the Land Cruiser from rest when you think it's otherwise stuck), a button to make it start in second gear, one to raise the body and a dial for 'Multi Terrain Select'. That helps the traction and stability control, ABS and throttle modulation do you whatever favours they can off-road: so in Sand and Mud you get more wheel slip than in rock, for example.
But being a body-on-frame design, and what with the Land Rover Defender having disappeared from sale, Toyota hasn't failed to spot another opportunity, so the new Land Cruiser gets a new Utility spec - coil sprung and steel wheeled, at not much more than £34,000 for a five-door manual. Which I think has quite a lot of appeal.
So do the more expensive versions, mind, so long as you remember what this car is about. Given the solid rear axle, high centre of gravity and the knowledge that most people around the world wouldn't look twice at the kind of 4x4 that dominates the UK sales charts, it's unreasonable to expect the Land Cruiser to feel as sophisticated on Tarmac as those road-biased luxury SUVs.
SPECIFICATION - 2018 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER INVINCIBLE
Engine: 2,755cc 4-cyl diesel
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 177@3,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 331@1,600-2,400rpm
0-62mph: 12.7sec
Top speed: 108mph
Weight: 2,430kg
MPG: 44.8
CO2: 194g/km
Price: £52,295
Nothing like a reliable car in these days of ever more complex (and problem prone) things.
Remember the old 2CV ad that had no features......NOTHING TO GO WRONG! was the slogan.
The last couple of times I've changed cars I've test driven one and liked everything about it except...the engine. It can barely get the car moving and it's totally gutless. Feels like it needs at least another 100bhp. That leads you to the V8 variant, the most recent of which are at least two years old now and fetching £55k vs new list price of £60k. Bugger.
Drop the V8 diesel in this version (or even a gutsy petrol engine) and it would be the only car I would ever need. Please do it Toyota.
Yet If Toyota had the foresight to offer the Utility in VAT qualifying Commercial spec (i.e. with blanked rear windows and no rear seats) then they would sell like hot cakes.
http://www.toyota.ae/new-cars/land-cruiser/
5.7L V8 Petrol Engine 3UR-FE: Whether you believe power is control or control is power, both concepts are realized in the 5.7-liter DOHC V8. Boasting four valves per cylinder and advanced Dual VVT-i, this massively powerful engine delivers awesome performance with surprising fuel efficiency. Ride comfort and drivability benefit from extensive noise and vibration suppression. The Land Cruiser now comes with Crawl Control and Turn assist function as standard options across the line-up to ensure that the Land Cruiser remains the best performing off-road SUV in the market.
I spent a few years living and working around the Middle East so knew how reliable they were - nobody busy a Land Rover in Iraq, for good reason.
We have loved it. It could be more refined, but does exactly what we want from it, and just needs the annual service - nothing else.
It amazes me people by Land Rovers when they could get one of these. They are more concerned with image than reliability and costs of ownership I guess.
Rich
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=12...
The LC is not a rusty car but when you have something that is built for 200k or 20+ years usable life you cant expect the underside to be maintenance free.
This is all assuming that you aren't using it in the deep desert etc so if it breaks down, it's not life threatening!
The Toyotas have interior design by Early Learning Centre ... they're so dated in every aspect compared to anything European or even some of the newer US stuff. And they're bloody expensive to boot! I decided that if I was going to have a 4x4 with a rubbish interior, I at least wanted it to be cheap, so I bought a Nissan Xterra. Every bit as reliable and good off road/on road as the Prado...but cheap as nuts.
1) The inordinately long development cycle foe this vehicle. This generation was introduced in Sep 2007 (as per wikipedia). Where is the next one?
2) That puny engine! They sell the Hilux-based Innova Crysta 'MPV' with that engine. The Innova weighs just 1.8 tonnes!
http://www.toyota.ae/new-cars/land-cruiser/
5.7L V8 Petrol Engine 3UR-FE: Whether you believe power is control or control is power, both concepts are realized in the 5.7-liter DOHC V8. Boasting four valves per cylinder and advanced Dual VVT-i, this massively powerful engine delivers awesome performance with surprising fuel efficiency. Ride comfort and drivability benefit from extensive noise and vibration suppression. The Land Cruiser now comes with Crawl Control and Turn assist function as standard options across the line-up to ensure that the Land Cruiser remains the best performing off-road SUV in the market.
There's also a 4.0L petrol Prado on there (essentially the car this thread is about) but with the engine I want - 272bhp and a 150 litre fuel tank (and just over £40k too). Perfect
https://nd-mediagallery2-public-production.s3.amaz...
Tough question Matt, what is the maximum approach angle again?
More seriously, that simple one with steelies is what Land Rover used to be before they started making money off the school run.... and far more reliable
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