chromedome

Whether you're in Arabia or Australia, if you're going to the outback, the Land Cruiser is unbeatable. Too bad they don't sell the diesel variant in the US. How would you compare the Prado or Lexus GX to the LC/LX?

Toys4RJill

Good thing they don't. The gas 5.7 iForce engine out performs the Toyota .4.5 diesel in almost every way aside from MPG. The Toyota diesel is not good enough for the US market.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

The land cruiser is a 'classic' and is a truly off-road capable tank.
But it's old, inefficient (heavy, thirsty, space/size) handles poorly, and is expensive, and so the sales volume reflects this - they're tiny. The 3rd row seats flipping to the sides and clamshell rear door are outdated and poor from utility and ergonomics perspective.

Toyota no doubt continues to make money with them (probably way more outside the U.S.) so they will continue to be sold, but the u.s. market for them will continue to shrink.

mmarshall

The last time I drove a GX, I remember it as driving more or less like a Land Cruiser/LX, but somewhat more manuverable/better-handling and not quite as comfortable over bumps. The Land Cruiser, of course, also has significantly more space inside.

mmarshall

Perhaps so, but, lugging the Land Cruiser's weight and AWD drag around, even the 5.7L's performance is not that impressive.

Toys4RJill

Co

Motor Trend claims that the 2016 Land Cruiser is capable of 60mph is 6.8 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.2 and braking at 121 feet. Compared to the LS460 in AWD which Car & Driver claims can hit 60mph in 6.3 seconds, To me the Land Cruiser actually has outstanding performance in 5.7 iForce form.

Aron9000

That's actually fast, all things considered. Granted the Germans have faster SUV's, but they aren't as big and have turbochargers on them.

Toys4RJill

I know, there is no denying that the Land Cruiser is fast. It also holds a .75 skidpad which is impressive. The 5.7 in all Toyota/Lexus trucks and SUVs is quite impressive. That is why I question the comments of mmarshall.

mmarshall

Well, being brand-new vehicles with engines not broken-in, I don't floor it on acceleration. But I accelerate hard enough to get a good idea of what the response is in most normal driving conditions, which is the way the majority of drivers are going to drive most of the time. Otherwise, there would not be much sense in me wasting time doing a review.

Several other factors. One, I myself am a big guy, and considerably heavier than the average driver, adding weight to the vehicle. Two, I sometimes have others riding with me....(sometimes not).....which adds more weight. Three, I'm not driving on a race track or drag strip. Fourth, I've stated in the past that ultimate acceleration/braking/slalom/skidpad figures are NOT the purpose of my reviews....those who want (or need) those figures have plenty of enthusiast magazine-reviews to choose from.....among them, of course, the figures you quote. Fifth, I also stated in this specific review that it was raining when I drove it...so I didn't want to push it too far, even with advanced traction aids.

As I stated, my MM-reviews not intended for ultimate performance figures. They are to give a brief history of the vehicle, statically-describe the vehicle in detail, from stem to stern, and give a general explanation of what its typical daily-driving characteristics are like on the road, so that a buyer (or potential buyer) has a good idea of just what he or she is getting for the money. It is a successful formula that has worked for many years....judging by the requests I get for reviews. My style may not be for you. If not, as you note, there are plenty of magazine and Internet reviews....read away (or, of course, you can do your own reviews, as Hoovey2411 and a few others here sometimes do).

Fine...you're entitled to your opinion, but this one also comes from an engineer who has a number of LCs in his company:

SW17LS

And the bottom line is its your opinion. The numbers tell one story, the experience behind the wheel tells another story. Depending on gearing, weight, power band it may or may not feel powerful and brisk.

Because a vehicle does a certain figure WOT doesn't mean its going to feel that way around town.

mmarshall

Oh, absolutely. No arguments there. Numbers and actual everyday driving feel often don't match. That's one reason I never liked the Cadillac XTS or Lincoln MKS....to me, they simply did not drive or feel like luxury products. While I do state my opinions, though, I also try and be objective, recognizing that opinions can and do vary. A good example is the polarizing styling of the new Lexus RX....I myself am not a fan of it, but I could tolerate it if I actually owned one....to compensate, it is a very nice vehicle in a number of other ways. But there are those who both love and hate it....and we'll probably continue to hear those opinions back and forth for years.

BrownPride

Nice review. Unfortunately I just can't become a fan of the Land Cruiser. It's too expensive for what it is. Would much rather get a GL, RR, or LX for about the same or a little more. I can't see the justification behind a near-$90,000 Toyota.

Aron9000

That's why I think the Land Cruiser is a good value at that 3 year old mark with 20-30k miles on it for $50,000. Drive it for 10 years, sell it with 150k on it for $20,000 or give it to your 16 year old kid as a first car. Older SUV's are a great first car for your teenager, it is a TANK with a ton of airbags. Repair/service costs should be minimal compared to something like a Benz GL or Range Roonie. I agree that $85,000 is just too much new, might as well get the Lexus LX(although I'm not a fan of the big monster grill on the 2016 model).

mmarshall

Thanks.

I agree that 85K is a lot of money, but are you saying that you'd rather spend even more than that for a Range Rover (which typically runs over 100K) and take a chance on their reliability problems? I'm not quite sure I actually follow you here.

SW17LS

I wouldn't even consider a Land Cruiser. When you're paying $85k, what's another $10k to get an LX or a Range Rover? Or a GLS? It's not all about reliability at these price points. That's clear when you look at what vehicles sell the best.

The Land Cruiser doesn't feel like $85k at all IMHO. Tahoes feel more upscale.