Toyota Land Cruiser Review | Auto-Express

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a very capable and reliable 4×4, but despite its legendary strengths, most drivers will find it just too agricultural compared to contemporary competitors like the Land Rover Discovery.

Wholesale revisions in 2018 don’t go far enough to help the Land Cruiser compete with the wide range of luxury SUVs and crossover models that are now available. Almost without exception, these competitors offer a level of sophistication and dynamism on the road that the Land Cruiser should never achieve. Additional updates in 2020 included an engine power upgrade and an additional standard kit.

If you need real off-roading skills with a little extra luxury, it’s still a great choice, and the latest updates make it better than ever. Put it this way: you wouldn’t prefer any of the Land Cruiser’s rivals to the Toyota for a hike through the African bush.

Few cars for sale are as off-roading as the Toyota Land Cruiser. The large SUV has built a reputation for more than 60 years as an unstoppable 4×4 matched only by one other car – the Toyota Hilux Pickup.

The UK Land Cruiser is not the largest version in Toyota’s global product line. While other markets are getting bigger V6 and V8 models, the British car is the slightly smaller model known in other countries as the Land Cruiser Prado. However, it is still one of the largest 4x4s for sale in the UK, with the range now ranging from functional commercial versions to luxury top models.

There aren’t many traditional 4x4s like the Land Cruiser for sale today. A price range of around £ 42,000 to £ 58,000 means the Land Cruiser competes with more modern SUVs like the Volvo XC90, Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE.

Where the Land Cruiser stands out is its availability as a 3- or 5-door body, although the range has now been reduced to the luxury-class Active and Invincible models. It is worth noting that you can only specify a three-door model with the Active Trim entry.

Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, while the Invincible top versions have larger 19-inch wheels, a JBL audio system and Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select system Add.

The Land Cruiser Commercial (offered in utility and active versions) is based on the 5-door body, but has only two seats and a large loading area in the rear.

The Land Cruiser Active has a choice of five or seven seats, while the Invincible models are limited to the seven-seat configuration. All cars are powered by a 2.8-liter diesel engine with 201 hp and 500 Nm of torque via a six-speed automatic transmission.