Toyota LAND CRUISER 3.0 D4-D (2003 - TO DATE)
MODELS COVERED: (3/5dr 4x4 3.0 diesel [LC2, LC3, LC4, LC5])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
Although here in the UK we like to think of
Land Rover as the real thing and our transatlantic cousins hold Jeep to be the genuine article, the rest of the world doesnt necessarily agree. Ask an Australian, a South African or even a Nepali what the authentic dyed in the wool 4x4 is and youll get the same answer the
Toyota Land Cruiser. Its been around in one form or another for more than fifty years and the 2003 iteration marked a clear change in philosophy, Toyota endowing the Land Cruiser with a whole lot more glossy sophistication than ever before. The 3.
0-litre D4-D diesel engine that powered the overwhelming majority in this country helped create what has to be one of the most attractive family 4x4 packages around. There arent too many good used buys in this sector but the Land Cruiser D4-D stands out like a beacon.
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The Land Cruiser had to replace the old Land Cruiser Colorado range and go head to head with rivals such as the
Land Rover Discovery and the
Mitsubishi Shogun. Expect a rival for a
BMW X5 or a Mercedes M-Class and you may find the Land Cruiser a little too blue collar for your liking, but if you want a car that can walk the walk when the walking gets waterlogged, the Land Cruiser is a better bet. Four trim levels were offered, LC2, LC3, LC4 and youve guessed it LC5,
Toyota obviously feeling that were all a little too flush to bother with an LC1. Penned by British designer Lance Scott, the shape draws heavily upon the RAV4, with a dramatic look to the front and rear lights and a toothy chromed grille.
Like the RAV4, its also available in three or five door body styles. Designed to be more European in feel than past Land Cruisers, this vehicle was developed at Toyotas ED2 design studio in southern France, the same facility that brought us the latest Avensis, Corolla and Avensis Verso models. Whereas many 4x4 manufacturers including Land Rover have found a way of mating a car-like monocoque chassis with proper 4x4 capability, Toyota keep faith with the separate ladder chassis. This gives the Land Cruiser huge wheel articulation when the going gets tough but the downside is on-road body control thats not quite as tight as the class best.
As with any big 4x4, a number of compromises have been built into the Land Cruiser and for a vehicle geared towards the roughntough end of the scale it does a good job. The fact that the test vehicle was riding on knobbly all-terrain tyres that were designed to show the vehicles mud-plugging capabilities in a favourable light may have had something to do with the slightly ponderous feel.
Prices have yet to settle for the Land Cruiser D4-D although early models are changing hands for just under £20,000. There are a number of parallel imports doing good business towards the lower end of the market and these will have different trim levels to the UK cars.
The Land Cruiser D4-D models are largely reliable, as would be expected from any Toyota product. The only problem with claiming to be the tough stuff is that, just occasionally, some people will attempt to find out just how tough it is. Therefore, check the underside of the car for damage to the exhaust, steering and suspension. Transmissions can become worn on older vehicles or those which have done a lot of towing, and some of the early turbodiesel engines may now be getting a little smoky.
Buy the latest of these that you can afford and always look for a decent service history. Otherwise, the Land Cruiser is one of the hardiest examples of its ilk.
(approx based on a 2003 Land Cruiser 3.0 D4-D) Expect to pay £375 for a new clutch assembly and £350 for an alternator. A replacement starter motor is £400 whilst if you break one of those compound headlamps dont expect too much change out of £195.
The diesel engine is a cracker and feels utterly bulletproof with huge reserves of torque. The 161bhp power output looks especially generous when compared to the136bhp that a Land Rover Discovery Td5 can muster and you feel the benefit of that extra shove right from the word go, pick up being superb. For 2005 torque was upped from 343Nm at 3,200rpm to 410Nm at 2,000rpm and the difference between the two is tangible. The manual gearbox isnt the Land Cruisers strongest feature and the LC4 and LC5 are available with a sweet automatic box but again, things were improved for 2005 with the 5-speed manual upgraded to six speed and the 4-speed automatic getting a fifth cog.
Acceleration is strong, the post 2005 diesel car hitting 60mph in 12.5 seconds and running on to a top speed of 106mph. Get a later example and these figures are boosted to 11.4 seconds and 108mph.
If youre at all serious about off roading, the Land Cruiser will be your idea of heaven. With class-leading ground clearance and a whole raft of high tech electronic aids, youll need to be pretty determined or breathtakingly hamfisted to get one of these stuck. The Downhill Assist Control (DAC) is Toyotas take on Land Rovers Hill Descent Control, a system which ensures that when negotiating a tricky downhill slope, the vehicle never exceeds brisk walking pace. Instead of leaving it at this, Toyota have reversed the thinking and have become the first manufacturer to introduction Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).
This detects when the vehicle is slipping backwards or wheelspinning when starting on a gradient and automatically feathers the brakes and throttle to maintain an easy getaway. Available on automatic LC4 and LC5 variants, this system removes that heart stopping moment when all you have is a screen full sky, a rev counter pegged to the max and your peripheral vision confirming the awful suspicion you may be going backwards.
The Land Cruiser 3.0 D4-D will never be the trendiest 4x4 you can sport on the drive, but it may well be one of the most hardwearing. Dont be fooled by its chrome, leather and healthy amount of standard equipment. Beneath those chamfered lines is a genuine workhorse.
Many used family-sized 4x4s cant hack the rough treatment. Heres one that keeps coming back for more.
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