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The further improved version of Toyota's fourth generation 'J150'-series Land Cruiser launched in 2018 was the preferred mode of transport in some of the world's harshest environments, so it's a safe bet that it will be up to pretty much anything you could put it through. It's not cheap but it is tough, dependable, will hold its value and probably out-last you. Even better off road and slightly better on it, this revised version of this J150 model was safer, smarter and a little easier to live with but remains as honest a large, luxurious 7-seater SUV as you could want.
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History
In an age of Crossovers, soft roaders and various other permutations of pretend SUVs, it's refreshing once in a while to come across the real thing. And this is it. Toyota's Land Cruiser.
The Land Cruiser model line goes back nearly 70 years - to the BJ series model, a Willys Jeep-like design introduced by Toyota in 1951 and used by the military in the Korean War. In 1955, this vehicle was re-named the 'Land Cruiser' and marketed to private buyers looking for rugged go-anywhere transport. A more car-like 'Station Wagon' version, arrived in 1966 but the key change in this model line's history came in 1985 when two separate Land Cruiser product lines were launched. One super-large design, in our market variously badged 'VX', 'Amazon' and 'V8', campaigned in luxury Range Rover territory. The more affordable alternative was what Toyota called its 'Light Duty Series' model, which targeted family-orientated SUV rivals that were merely large - models like Mitsubishi's Shogun and the Land Rover Discovery.
The car we're looking at here is from that more accessible Land Cruiser 'Light Duty Series' bloodline and was badged 'Prado' in quite a few of the 190 countries it was sold in around the world. Since the mid-Eighties, we've had, 'J70', 'J90' and 'J120'-series 'Light Duty' Land Cruisers, before this fourth generation 'J150' design arrived in 2009, available in our market only with 3.0-litre four cylinder diesel power. In 2014, Toyota's importers decided to stop selling the bigger alternative V8 full-luxury class Land Cruiser model in the UK, so pushed this 'Light Duty-series design a little more up-market with a facelift and an interior upgrade. Then in 2015, the 3.0-litre diesel engine made way for the slightly more efficient 2.8-litre unit. Finally, in early 2018, we got the further enhanced version of this MK4 model that we're looking at here, with its smarter looks, stronger standards of safety and interior improvements.
As before, around the world typical owners of this car could be anyone from a Kenyan safari guide to a Siberian mining contractor and it's these people, rather than green wellied housewives, that this rejuvenated Land Cruiser was primarily created to suit. Hence its continued use of the kind of separate traditional ladder framed chassis and live rear axle set-up that more car-like European rivals had long abandoned in search of tighter tarmac performance. That limits this big Toyota's market appeal of course, but loyal customers won't care. They buy this car because it's tough, spacious, it'll go anywhere and it'll probably out-live them. It sold in this form until late 2023, when an all-new J250-series model arrived.
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What you get
In a world of stylised luxury SUVs, there's something about this Land Cruiser's bluff-fronted suitability for purpose that's rather refreshing - if you like that sort of thing. With other cars, aesthetic changes to existing models are all about making them appear smarter. When Toyota changes the look of the Land Cruiser, the updates are all about making it even better off road - as was the case here as part of this 2018 update. The LED headlights and grille were moved up so that there would be less chance of them being blocked or damaged. The re-profiled bonnet gave a clearer forward view when inching over challenging terrain and the square front wings made judging the extremities easier. Plus the bumper was re-shaped to give the best possible approach angle for steep slopes.
At the wheel, as you'd expect, you sit high up in a pleasingly commanding position. Not so good are the dashboard ergonomics you survey from this elevated perch. The switchgear distribution has always been a bit muddled in previous Land Cruisers and to be frank, in this form it still was, despite the attempts made as part of this update to tidy things up. Some things were better; the re-designed controls for the off road and suspension settings in the middle of the centre stack are easier to use. But there are still plenty of switches hidden away by your knees and the graphics used on the 'Toyota Touch 2' multimedia screen seem very dated.
And the second row? Well once inside, you'll find excellent standards of head and knee room aided by the way that on most models, you can recline the seat backs and slide the seat base. What about the third row seating? You won't necessarily get that on cheaper Land Cruiser variants, though this is mandatory on a plusher derivative. Once you get yourself back into the third row, you'll certainly find it better than the kids-only zone offered by most cars of this kind. If you've second row passengers prepared to help out and slide forward a little, you'll find that two adults could happily cope back here, provided they weren't too tall and the journey wasn't too long.
Finally, let's examine your luggage capacity options - at which point you'll find yourself dealing with this Land Cruiser's most annoyingly distinctive design cue, its side-opening tailgate, a real pest in tight supermarket carparks. True, to compensate, Toyota has provided an opening tailgate glass section, but getting your bags in through the opening it creates is an awful lot of work, so high is the window line from the ground. With the third seating row upright, there's predictably very little luggage space - just 104-litres. Much of the time though, you're probably not going to be requiring the extra boot-mounted chairs and when they're not needed, you can use electric controls mounted inside the tailgate and behind the nearside second row seat to retract them neatly into the boot floor via Toyota's slick 'Easy Flat' folding system. Once the third row seating disappears, a 621-litre space is revealed. If that's still not enough, dropping forward that bench frees up 974-litres of total capacity.
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What to look for
What to look for? How about the smug feeling of satisfaction that comes with buying the toughest 4x4 in its class. Time and again, the Land Cruiser comes top of customer satisfaction surveys and there's a reason for that. It's been engineered to cope with enormous doses of punishment and Toyota has a track record of over sixty years of realising what works and what doesn't.
Inevitably though, our ownership survey came up with a few issues. The 2.8-litre D-4D diesel four cylinder engine has known 'DPF' ('Diesel Particulate Filter') issues, so some urban-based models have had problems with that issue, the DPF getting clogged up. One owner had a problem with the front wheel hubs getting hot on the left side and smoking. In a few cases, owners reported the engine light on the dash coming on when 'Eco' mode was selected; this will require a workshop visit for a check-up. One owner had a leak in the coolant system and had to replace their radiator after only around 10,000 miles. In one instance, an air conditioning compressor failed. And in another, there was an engine rattle at just under 2,000rpm. Look out for all these things on your test drive, along with signs of excessive off road use evidenced by bumper and under-body scrapes. Check the alloy wheels carefully for condition and the rear part of the interior for child damage. Insist on a proper service history.
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Replacement parts
(approx - based on a 2019 Land Cruiser 2.8 D4D) Given the remote probability of anything but consumables being required, the Land Cruiser works out pretty cheap on parts. Just be careful about the front end when tackling off-road inclines as some of the grille plastics and the headlight units are expensive. An oil filter will sit in the £4 bracket, a starter motor will be about £152 and wiper blades will probably cost between £2-£14, though pricier brands charge up to £22. A front brake disc starts at around £50, though you can pay up to around £111; a rear pair of discs sit in the £108-£182 bracket. A pair of front brake pads is around £25-£61 bracket, while a pair of rear pads is around £18-£38.
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On the road
You'll be expecting us to tell you that this Land Cruiser is a mighty effective tool off road. And it is - we'll get to that. To start with though, the more pressing issue lies with the paved surface compromises you'll have to make in order to be able to play 'Crocodile Dundee' at the weekends. Of course, because of its considerable weight and ladder-framed chassis, this car won't handle anything like as sharply as its more car-like, less capable monocoque-bodied competitors. But then, with just 174bhp on tap from its 2.8-litre four cylinder D-4D diesel engine - the only one Toyota offered - you won't be going particularly fast anyway. Most buyers choose a version with the 6-speed auto transmission we're using it, but a manual gearbox is available further down the range. AVS' 'Adaptive Variable Suspension' adaptive damping along with rear air suspension features on the top 'Invincible' model. As for the off road prowess you'll be surveying from the prominently raised driving position, well there's plenty of that. All models get a permanent 4WD system of course, with high and low ratio gearboxes you swap between via a central control dial, located along with the centre differential locking switches on the centre console.
What else? Well, there's 215mm of ground clearance that enables you to wade through water up to 700mm deep. In addition, an 'Off Road Pack' (which was standard on the top 'Invincible' and optional on the mid-range 'Icon' variant) adds a range of extra features that'll really help 'off piste'. A 'Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System' uses active anti-roll bars offer maximum body movement and therefore maximum grip; a 'Multi-Terrain Select' system allows you to adjust the 4WD dynamics to suit different types of terrain; a 'Crawl Control' system enables your car to pick its way along at speeds of up to 3mph over really awkward ground; a 'Multi Terrain Monitor uses a series of cameras to display on the dash what you may be about to hit; and if you should ever get really stuck, a rear differential lock may well help you ease yourself free.
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Overall
The Land Cruiser reminds you what an SUV used to be. And if you want one, you'll be one of those believing that this kind of car is really what those letters ought to stand for. It'll never let you down and it'll very comfortably get you and up to six passengers wherever you want to go, be your destination Kensington or Kenya. Such has always been the appeal of this Toyota. But is that appeal broad enough? In recent times, Toyota has tried to widen it by developing the Land Cruiser into a vehicle that can now blend a little more comfort with its capability. Yet still one eminently suited to the many third world users who wouldn't be seen dead driving anything else.
Don't get us wrong, if your ownership objectives lie purely in tarmac territory, there are many better large SUVs you could choose. But if you want to combine paved surface use with occasional visits to the wilderness - or if you just like the thought of being able to do so - it's hard to think of any other vehicle we'd prefer over this one: you just need to be able to justify it. As part of that process, the updates made to this J150-series model as part of the 2018 model year update certainly helped.
It'll always be a precision tool for an imprecise environment. And an SUV that can go anywhere - not just in terms of its 4x4 ability but also in terms of its wonderful class-less image: it's no more out of place halfway up the Kings Road than it would be half way up Kilimanjaro. It's a car that'll out-last you. And as an ultimately capable long term ownership proposition, there isn't much that beats it.
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