Interior layout.

Engine V6 undersized for this weight of vehicle. Hate to see how it tows...Joke.

Liked the looks and attention to Detail inside. Expensive to repair and slower than a turtle.

We test drove one overnight and my wife didn't like being reserved to the slow lane. Had the vehicle checked out by a pro inspector and it had million hidden things wrong with it.

Similar Products Used:

92 Suburban 350

bullet-proof reliability. seating for 5 adults. easy to work on. Go almost anywhere ability.

Not a highway vehicle above @ 60mph. It takes some looking for parts. Gas mileage (12-15 mpg) If you're looking for a luxury ride don't consider it.

Have owned truck for 14 yrs. and counting. These vehicles will last 2,3,4 hundred thousand miles with reasonable maintanence. Have had NO major breakdowns since purchased! Parts are plentifull if you know where to look. They are expensive but very high quality.
Not for everyone. Just for folks who like good dependable transportation that won't leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. No power windows,seats or doors, but it does have AC, PS, PB. What more do you need? This truck was designed more for off-road than on. It's overbuilt and I expect at least another 14 yrs. out of it.

Similar Products Used:

jeep-rover-

Power and a Big torquey motor
Tons of Room
Strength of Body
Strength of Motor and drive-train (take off in second or third Gear!)
Doesn't rattle, squeek or leak even on really bad off road tracks.
Mileage is quite good considering its a BIG and HEAVY Truck
Comfort levels are very high
Visibility is great
High jealously factor over other 4x4's and cars!

The 100 series is almost to good to take off-road.

I've owned Landcruisers for over 6 years (80 series and now 100 series).
We've travelled all around Australia, met lots of people with 4x4's and they come in two categories:

(1)people with Landcruisers who know how good the L/C is and
(2)people without Landcruisers who tell excuses why they didn't buy one.

Mileage is quite good considering, they are BIG and HEAVY trucks, lets face it they will not get a zillion miles per gallon. But we get over 1000km's Highway on 140 ltrs of fuel. You can drive for hours and hundreds of miles without feeling tired or weary - they are very comfortable. If needed seating for 8 people.

The 100 series is a big improvement over the 80 series, the overall styling, layout and comfort is fantastic. Better than alot of cars I've been in.

Inside the Landcruiser you're got a sense of safety and in-vulnerability.

After owning the 80 series for 4 years and loving it, I upgraded to the 100 series. Two years with the 100 series and everything is fabulous.

Similar Products Used:

Tested Nissan Patrols, Range Rover and Discovery. Some are ok, some are good - the Landcruiser is Great!

Build quality is unequalled. Period. Quiet and comfortable at 80 mph on the highway or at 3 mph on a jeep trail. Very reliable, it starts instantly and always, in all conditions... cold, heat, dust, whatever. Nothing ever seems to break or go wrong. It handles very well, for what it is (a large, overbuilt truck).

MPG, obviously. For these older 6's, 9-12 mpg isn't unusual... maybe 14 on the highway (I do have a heavy foot, as does my wife). The stereo is below average; the roll in corners is tidal; the front brakes are toast every 18,000 miles (go to Midas and get the lifetime warranty, you'll see them frequently but they don't seem to mind); the seats are mediocre; the fold-away 3rd-row seats were designed by a cretin; access to said 3rd-row seats requires agility and little regard for personal dignity (perfect for the kids); and the defroster absolutely will not handle a truckload of wet skiers in a storm (keep a few cloths handy in the large console, or you won't be able to see). These are basically nits compared to what the LC is: The most bulletproof off-road and winter weather companion you can find, that behaves just fine around town. I read once that a guide service in Kenya uses an old LC to carry Range Rover parts (the tourists like to ride in the Rovers, the LC follows discreetly). Think about it.

This tank-like truck now has about 112,000 miles on it, and is used daily. We have taken it on some of the toughest trails in the Sierra Nevada (short of the Rubicon, though I think it would do fine there) and never been stuck, or even especially anxious. We have rescued a few jeeps and other SUVs, though. In winter we ski most weekends, and the LC is comfortable, spacious and secure in even the worst winter storm conditions. With a roof rack we can handle the skis, boards and boots for 7 Tahoe-bound riders. The LC has had one significant mechanical problem (the speed control actuature) and one accessary problem (bad CD player), both fixed under warranty. Maintenance costs have been quite reasonable (aside from the MPG issue) and the LC shows every sign of hanging tough for another 200,000+ miles.

Most importantly, I'm convinced the LC saved my family's lives. My son was broadsided by a Nissan 300ZX going over 50 mph (the driver was cited for excessive speed), with my wife, daughter and friends also aboard. The impact point was the lower edge of the driver's door, inches from my son (driver) and 10-year-old daughter (driver's side second row seat). The Nissan was totaled and the driver taken away in an ambulance (broken wrists, broken leg, head injuries). The LC sustained $14,000 in damage, but none of the passengers had so much as a bruise. A fire dept. paramedic on scene looked at the LC passenger compartment, and said "This is the way it's supposed to be... major impact, no penetration of the passenger compartment. People could have died here."

OK, it's a tank with lousy mileage. Do you think I regret it now? You wouldn't either. (FYI: This was 18 months ago, and the truck has continued to drive like new following repairs... even way off-road.)

Equipment: AC, in-dash CD, locking diff., sliding moon roof, 3rd-row seat, after-market ski/roof racks, not much else. The cloth seats are bullet-proof, and I don't have to worry about wet snowborders or begrimed backpackers crawling in. The LC is made for it (at least in '94).

Overall: This is a body-on-frame, 7-passenger, AWD truck... perhaps the best ever made. It is not an SUV. It does not want or pretend to be an SUV. I will keep it until the doors fall off, because it meets my needs (for a truck) perfectly.

Similar Products Used:

Chevy S-10 Blazer (fell apart by 85,000 miles... of course). Dodge and Ford SUV's (my friends have them; we take the LC if going off-road). Audi A4 Avant 2.8 Quattro, my other car... perfect ski trip car, and good for surprising BMW drivers around town... but zero off-road capability.

Build quality, comfort, space, towing capacity and on road dynamics.

Fuel consumption, auto transmission sometimes caught out looking for the right ratio on hard acceleration. Size in tight carparks requires some manouvering.

My vehicle is a 4.5 litre automatic running on LPG mostly. This is a well built and presented vehcile. Now has 58,000 kilometres on the clock. It is very comfortable on a long trip easily covering Sydney to Melbourne without discomfort for driver or passengers. It is a bit difficult to manouvre in shopping centre car parks. Fuel consumption is a bit heavy, (hence the LPG conversion) Springs had to be upgraded to cope with the increased weight of gas tank, fuel and spare tyre now hanging off the rear. The automatic transmission is often caught out particularly on heavy acceleration. Only one warranty claim so far.

No squeaks or rattles, overall a great vehicle which has met all my expectations (including its thirst).

Don't buy if fuel consumption is a worry, or if you cannot use mirrors to reverse. (you will need to do this often).

Buy if you are looking for a strong, well built tow car with high levels of comfort and reliability.

Similar Products Used:

Previously owned a Discovery TDi for 4 years. Land cruiser is a far better build. Test drove Discovery TD5 and Nissan Patrol. Patrol was an ergonomic nightmare, poor visibility, cabin layout ok for a large person, but hopeless for smaller frames. The Td5 was a vast improvement over the Tdi, but the fit and finish did not match the Cruiser. The Td5 did not match the Cruiser's on road performance or comfort levels. Would love the TD5 fuel consumption though.

4.2 L turbo-diesel = tons of torque
Start on 2nd or even 3rd gear
Low range 4x4 = Mercedes Unimog "supercrawler" gear
Tows another SUV uphill easily
Super-comfy
Diesel engine is as smooth as gasoline one
ROAD NOISE is even better than Merc-Benz S class
Best (most ergonomic) seat ever (I'm 5'11")

Interior space is a bit cramped for a car this size.
Expensive, but it's well worth it.

The first modern Cruiser in our family. Used to own several FJ 40, both diesel and gasoline models. I used to ride this baby for showing off, and ride my "rebuilt" FJ40 to school.
My Dad sold it, and gets a newer '01 Land Cruiser Cygnus (Lexus LX 470).
4700cc, V8. yeee-ha !!!!

Similar Products Used:

None

* It's a Toyota. It'll outlast you
* Legendary reliability
* Very basic and easy to maintain
* NEVER OVERHEATS
* Tough as old boots
* No plastic bits to break
* Looks and sounds like a real four wheel drive

None at all. They just add to the legend.

Picked her up for about $4000 US. It is basically totally original except for some new seats, dual fuel tanks, new paint, and all of the rust has been repaired. The old faithful 3.9L engine still chugs away all day long.

This beast isn't a shopping trolley, and should be driven as such. The steering is hard, but you get used to it. The gearing is interesting to say the least. You're either in a gear or out. I would recomend that you replace the seats for something more comportable, or you could get a pretty sore rear end. The ride is noisy, but that's expected.

The previous owner re-painted and fixed the rust which is farily important, as rust can be and is a major issue. If you're looking to buy one, try and find one with an original engine. They perform much better in the bush, and when the old temperature guage hits 40 degrees celcious (That's about 140F) I'd trust my old 1974 toyota engine to a Holden, Ford or Chevy any day.

The bottom line is this. If you're a rich yuppie snob who wants to make an impression, get the $100K Lexen. If you're after a good starter fourby like me, then it's hard to go past a shorty 40 for rugged good looks, legendary toughness and reliability (Australia has some of the most harsh and isolated climates in the world), get a FJ-40. If you've got a bit of cash in the kitty, then a 4.2L Diesel 100 Series might be the go.

Basically it's a bush vehical. You want power windows? Use the winder, CD Player? Use the radio, Central locking? Use the bloody key. Power Steering? Steer Harder!!

Similar Products Used:

Toyota Troop Carries (78 Series), Landcruiser 100, Landrover Defender. All tough vehicles. Get one of these if you can afford it.

Economic for a 4WD. Tough. Big. Comfortable. Cheap. Durable. Big. Bullet-proof 4WD system. Easy/simple to maintain. No electric this, that and the other. Big.

If it does break, it will be expensive to fix. Not as able off-road as the SWB versions ( but then I couldn't take the family along).

Tough; easy maintenance (3B diesel motor, 4 speed trans.); reportedly bullet-proof motor (friends have them 300,000kms and going strong); it's big, so am I (6'5"; 105 kgs)and it's comfortable without having to shoehorn myself in; it's a daily driver and I can cart two kids, wife, 2 dogs and a weekends gear to the lake house in one go.
Fuel economy is good (28-30 mpg highway, 23-25 town), pretty good for a 2.2 tonne truck. A bit slow on the road with the 4 speed, but I'm willing to live with the speed vs economy trade-off. I didn't buy it to go racing. It goes all places I need it to go. It's my first 4wd, I may change it for a short wheel base 'Cruiser when the kids leave home. My daughter drives it and claims it gives her 'cred' at school, etc.
Who should buy it? Families if you need to go off-road or on tracks, people with lots of gear to shift.

Similar Products Used:

1997 L/Cruiser 4.2l turbo; too 'fiddly', with too many electrics to go wrong.
Hilux, Landrover, 70-series Landcruiser. '79 flat-deck single-cab 'Cruiser. Too small to suit me and my family, etc.

Best off road vehicle on the planet. This is not a soccer mom or grocery getter vehicle. We have added a 4" OME lift and 35" BFG A/T tires and it is now unstoppable off road. Only stuck once in river where we sunk in wet sand. Awesome reliability had a 93' before our 97' and traded our 93' at 100,000 miles and never had any major problems. Our 97' has 70,000 miles and have not had any problems. Land Cruisers will go forever. The INLINE 6 is one of the best engines around.

Brakes work great but the LC eats them up to fast.
Some say MPG are bad but what do you expect form a 3 ton
SUV. Under powered only when towing up hill.

Best SUV ever produced. For over 50 years Landcruisers have been proving themselves on the toughest roads all over the world. We have had to pull out all kinds of vehicles from Mini Vans to jeeps to full sive pickups. The Landcruiser will only reach its full potential when it is taken off road. This vehicle was built for the off road so buy a Van or a Ford for driving aroung the city. The Toyota Landcruiser (any model) is by far the best SUV on earth and I pitty any one who thinks other.

Similar Products Used:

Chevy Suburban- does not even come close when going off road.
Ford's- HA HA are a joke.

Only vehicles that come remotely close to the off road capability would be some Jeeps, Hummers, and Defenders. But the Landcruiser is more reliable then all of them put together.

Where do I start ???? Towing, ride, interior, styling, engine, shifting, a/c and value.

3rd row seat "jumps" when you go over bumps and it's in the "stow away" position.

Best SUV on the road - period. I've always been a 4Runner guy and finally decided to take the plunge. I'm buying another sailboat and feel confident - this vehicle will stay in the family a long time. King of the Road!

Similar Products Used:

Toyota 4Runner - big difference but feel at home with many of the same interior switches, instrumentation, etc.