Car reviews

Introduction

When it comes to Land Cruisers, some people will find them confusing. For decades there have been essentially two distinct types of Land Cruisers, a smaller, more civilised version and a more rugged, professional off-roader. The confusion follows the two models because they’re called by different names depending on where you live. The car that we’re talking about now (the civilised option) was initially known as the Colorado, but from 2003 the Colorado bit was dropped leaving just Land Cruiser. However, the majority of people will use Land Cruiser to refer to the full-size top of the range Toyota’s off-roader. That one is officially called Land Cruiser series 100 or Land Cruiser Amazon. Both cars are known for their reliability and off-road capability, however, the Toyota Land Cruiser is smaller, lower and more comfortable than the Amazon.

Exterior & Interior

As the "city" version of Land Cruiser, this car has seen more effort applied to make it as visually pleasing as possible. It bears very little resemblance with the older brother Amazon. If anything, the car features similar styling to the Avensis. As a typical ambassador for Toyota’s modern corporate styling, the Land Cruiser is a car that you don’t want to cover in mud and dust. It looks great in the city traffic flow and is often considered the white-collar Land Cruiser.

The interior is very comfortable. It is covered in good quality carpets and plush trim (or leather depending on your choice). There’s everything you need to enjoy a ride. The car is still built in an old-fashion manner with the body on frame. It’s good news for off-road enthusiasts, but in Land Cruiser’s case, it doesn’t mean the car is uncomfortable.

Drive

Although smaller than the Amazon, the Land Cruiser is still a bulky car. The size, however, doesn’t mean that it cannot be enjoyed as an everyday car. It will offer an exceptional ride quality and it’s not that difficult to park even in tighter spaces.

The driving position is very comfortable and there’s plenty of adjustment to the driver’s seat. It’s a very comfortable car but you notice it’s still a body-on-frame when you take a tighter roundabout or drive fast around a bend. There’s also quite a lot of vibration driving on a highway. The slower you drive, the smoother it gets. You cannot help noticing that its suspension has been calibrated for use in a city.

Faults & Repairs

It’s a very reliable car. Stick to the servicing schedule and make sure you buy a post-2004 car with a full service history. It’s very unlikely that something would fail. If you suspect it has been used as an off-roader then you should also check the under-carriage for any damage.