Is The Toyota Land Cruiser a Good Car?

We all want a good car, right? But we all want something different in a car. Some seek practicalities for larger families, some prefer the fancier options with the latest and greatest technological advancements in a vehicle, while others just want their car to go the distance, last the miles, and take them for rugged and memorable off-road adventures.

The Toyota Landcruiser is a decent vehicle for on and off-road use. Car experts have deemed the Toyota Land Cruiser to be one of the most capable off-roaders you can buy on the market today and that the Land Cruiser has been a favorite SUV and 4×4 car for over 60 years.

If you’re looking for the perfect off-road vehicle that will most likely outlast any other vehicle you’ve owned before, you’ll want to take a look at the Toyota Land Cruiser. Is it a good car you ask? Read on below to find out what you need to know about the Toyota Land Cruiser and if it’s the right vehicle for you.

Is The Toyota Land Cruiser a Good Car?

Yes, if you’re in the market for a good, reliable, spacious, and tough-wearing car then the Toyota Land Cruiser is the vehicle for you. Land Cruisers are well-known as good cars and have a reputation for their longevity and durability as well as being a fairly low-maintenance vehicle in terms of repairs and maintenance costs.

Some, like those at whichcar.com.au, might even go as far as to say the Land Cruiser is one of the best 4×4 vehicles ever manufactured in history.

Toyota is revered for its excellence in engine performance and when it comes to the Land Cruiser Toyota is taking the lead on the most sustainable 4×4 SUV vehicle on the market today.

The Land Cruiser is one of the best-selling vehicles of all time and as of 2019, the Land Cruiser has sold over 10 million units worldwide.

Here are some Toyota Land Cruiser facts:

• More than 10% of Land Cruisers have been bought in Australia despite Australia only making up 0.33% of the world’s population. Australians love Land Cruisers
• Can sell for US15,000 – US$20,000 on the secondhand market if mileage is low enough
• The original Land Cruiser was designed to look much like a jeep until it took on its own shape eventually
• Toyota Land Cruisers are one of Toyota’s flagship model vehicles
• The Toyota Land Cruiser has set a record for the longest ever driven journey with one of its 60 series models. This one vehicle was driven to more than 180 countries by an ambitious couple who racked up over 460,000 miles in their beloved Land Cruiser.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the couple had to leave their vehicle behind in 2020 and have still not been able to claim it back. We wouldn’t be surprised if someone else has claimed it because let’s face it, it’s a Land Cruiser and who wouldn’t want to claim it?

What is Toyota Land Cruiser Best Known For?

Land Cruisers are mostly known for their longevity and off-road abilities. Although more than capable on the smoothest of roads, some might claim the Land Cruiser beast is best left to its off-road devices.

Ever heard the saying “If you want to go into the jungle or the bush, take a Land Rover. But if you want to come back out again, take a Land Cruiser”? If you haven’t heard it yet, it’s a famous Australian saying that dates back years, but it’s catching on.

When talking about the Land Cruiser, here are some common words you’ll hear in conversation:

• Tough
• Reliable
• Capable
• Spacious
• Great reputation
• Unstoppable

The Land Cruiser is most importantly best known for its off-road adventuring capabilities and its powerful capacity to go pretty much anywhere you want it to go.

Although it’s a large and heavy vehicle, the 3.0-liter D-4D turbocharged four-cylinder engine has a powerful torque and can generate enough speed to reach 60mph in approximately 11 seconds.

One of the best things about the Land Cruiser? If you’re willing to learn some simple engine mechanics, you can pretty much fix and maintain a Land Cruiser yourself which, although already cheap in repair costs and maintenance, will save you a bit of cash on repairs at a garage.

“a survivor is exactly what the Land Cruiser is” – Top Gear

Toyota Land Cruisers have an impressive payload and towing capacity which also puts them above the competition. The payload capacity is approximately 1895lbs (860kg), while the towing capacity is a whopping 6613lbs (3000kg).

How Long Will a Land Cruiser Last?

Land Cruisers can last for “hundreds of thousands of miles” without needing repairs.

Land Cruisers have been known to last 600,000 miles and more if well looked after and maintained but the average is approximately 300,000 – 400,000. The average amount of miles an American drives in a year is typically 13,500, which means your land cruiser can last you almost 30 years or more!

Land Cruisers are built with a thicker grade of exterior metal to be able to withstand harsh off-roading conditions for years. They truly have been built to last.

Chief executive, Phong Ly, of iseecars.com has even gone as far as to say that “Toyota Land Cruisers were built to last at least 25 years”.

Which Land Cruiser Year and Model is the Best?

Although only a few problems for the Toyota Land Cruiser have been reported over the years for every year model and make, the Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series is the best Land Cruiser on the market.

The 80 Series was manufactured between 1989 – 1998 and saw a few upgrades from the previous models of the Land Cruiser, the 60 Series, 45 Series, and the 45V Series.

Here is a list of the main changes for the 80 Series which is now known as the best Land Cruiser Series:

• Coil springs replaced leaf springs to improve both on and off-road performance
• 4.5-liter 1FZ-FE engine replaced the 3F-E petrol engine
• 4.2-liter six-cylinder diesel engines replaced the 4.0-liter diesel engine
• Turbocharged and direct-injection 1HD-T was brought in

A British company that sends durable vehicles to peace zones, UN sites, and other similar zones in hard to reach and rugged places, have the older 80s series specifically manufactured for these situations because of how reliable they are as a vehicle and how drivers can depend on them to keep them out of sticky situations.

The 80 Series Land Cruiser has decent reviews in safety, longevity, mileage, and reliability.

Is it Expensive to Maintain a Toyota Land Cruiser?

If you speak to an owner of a Land Cruiser, they will tell you that all you need is three spanners to fix your Land Cruiser yourself without having to go to a garage. You might need a couple more tools than a spanner, but in hindsight, they’re not entirely wrong.

Obviously, we’re not recommending this because of safety reasons and how much you actually know about vehicles. But the option to learn how to repair your Land Cruiser yourself is there and it’s going to save you costs in repairs and maintenance in the long run.

Regular servicing costs for the Land Cruiser are lower than the average SUV or 4×4 at approximately US$580 annually.

Conclusion

Although the Land Cruiser is one of the oldest vehicles in the Toyota lineup, it is Toyota’s flagship vehicle and has sold the second most amount of car units worldwide just behind the Toyota Corolla.

The Land Cruiser is a reliable, durable, sturdy, and hard-working 4×4 that won’t easily let you down.

If you’re looking for a tough car that can hold its own and will last over 20 years, with minimal maintenance and maximum off-road tripping, the Toyota Land Cruiser is the right vehicle for you.