mmarshall

By CL-member request, a Review of the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser.

http://www.toyota.com/landcruiser/

http://www.toyotaqatar.com/en/produc...AmbW51PVByaQ==

IN A NUTSHELL: Big, comfortable, versatile, rugged, and expensive......essentially a Japanese Range Rover that won't break down.

CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Lexus LX570, Range Rover, Mercedes GLS, Mercedes G-Class (Gelandewagen), and standard-wheelbase versions of the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali, and Lincoln Navigator.





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(2nd and 3rd-row seats folded)





OVERVIEW:

The ubiquitous Toyota Land Cruiser, at least on paper, goes back to the 1960s, and was one of the first Japanese attempts to compete with the American World War-II-derived ****** Jeep and the original British Land Rover (which, after the war, was itself Jeep-derived, as the British simply took a Jeep frame/chassis and added their own body/interior and engine). I can remember the original Land Cruiser, which was considerably smaller and lighter than today's version, being not much larger than the small Jeeps it competed with. The original Land Cruiser's retro body-styling, especially in the front end, was mimicked by Toyota's FJ Cruiser, on the 4Runner's platform, until it was recently discontinued.

But the Land Cruiser of a half-century ago (not surprisingly) was certainly not the vehicle of today....in fact, in some areas, it was not even considered safe. Not only was it exceedingly crude and primitive inside and out, but its relatively narrow track, high center of gravity, short wheelbase, and general tipsiness/crude handling led to a number of roll-overs (like the Jeeps and Broncos of the period and Suzuki's ill-fated Samurai of 20 years later). Even worse, it earned a Not Acceptable safety-rating from Consumer Reports for having the fuel-line from the fuel-tank to the engine actually routed INSIDE the cabin, where any kind of leak or fire could have obvious consequences. Many people, in those days, of course, smoked and lit cigarettes often....need I say more?

Fortunately, as with a number of their other early vehicles, the Japanese learned quickly from their mistakes, and the Land Cruiser, over the years, gradually grew and developed into the large, comfortable, fully-off-road-capable SUV with the world-class credentials it has today. It was given a big incentive to catch up, of course, after the British introduced what was arguably the world's first true large, luxury-class Land Rover in 1970. Land Rovers were widely used throughout the Third World, were known for their extreme adaptability in dealing with almost any terrain imaginable, and the post-1970 versions, of course, combined a great deal of comfort/luxury (for the period) as well. But they had one Achilles heel....the notorious unreliability of British Leak-O-Matic gaskets/seals and the short-prone Lucas electrical systems. Toyota's Land Cruisers of the time could not equal the comfort level of the Land Rovers, but managed to stay out of the repair shop a lot more, which is one reason why they are so popular today in difficult areas like deserts and jungles. And, even today, though the Lucas electrical systems and poorly-manufactured seals are a thing of the past, Land Rovers, according to Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and other sources, still rank at or near the bottom in vehicle-reliability.

This particular review-request for the Land Cruiser came from someone in the Middle-East (Qatar), so, for reference, I included Toyota's Qatar web-site in the introduction above. In that Middle-Eastern market, the smaller Land Cruiser Prado is also offered, along with the full-size Land Cruiser (here in the U.S., the Prado's platform is represented by the Lexus GX). But, since I obviously cannot test a Mid-East version, for the review, I'll concentrate on the full-size American Land Cruiser, which is also sold in a slightly more upscale Lexus LX570 version (though there is sure isn't much downscale about the Toyota version that starts at almost $84,000 LOL)

For 2016, in the American market, one basic model/trim-line of the full-size Land Cruiser is offered....with a base price of (Ouch!)....$83,825 (the Lexus LX version, of course, starts out even higher). The only powertrain offered is the ubiquitous Toyota/Lexus truck-derived 5.7L V8 of 381 HP, 401 Ft-lbs. of torque, an 8-speed automatic with off-road uphill/downhill logic, a full-time AWD system with locking Torsen limited-slip differentials, and the usual specialized off-roading features in the drivetrain that is expected in a vehicle of this type and price. The basic structure combines a unitized body on top of a rugged, truck-derived, high-tensile steel ladder-frame with 10 cross-members. This ruggedness, of course is reflected in the vehicle's heft, with an empty curb weight being the better part of three tons (5765 lbs.).

Yet the Land Cruiser, in today's market, despite its ruggedness, is just as much at home at the shopping mall or country club as it is in the Sahara Desert or Amazon jungle. Indeed, you will see them parked in those places with Range Rovers, Cadillac Escalades, Lincoln Navigators, and, of course, its own Lexus LX 570 brother. It has become one of the modern classic status-symbols of the upscale city or suburban life.

In the Washington, D.C. area, where I did the review, Toyota shops don't typically stock many Land Cruisers....even the biggest ones will only have a few on hand to choose from. Not many factory options/accessories are offered either, so that tends to keep the list prices of those on hand relatively constant in the mid-80s (still a big chunk of cash, of course). For the review, I chose a gray one with black leather for the review.....it was typical of those in stock in this area.





MODEL REVIEWED: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser

BASE PRICE: $83,825


OPTIONS:

All-Weather Floor Mats: $145

Remote Engine Start: $499


DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $995 (reasonable for a large vehicle this size)

LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $85,464



DRIVETRAIN: Full-time AWD with Torsen-locking differentials, Longitudinally-mounted 5.7L V8, 381 HP @ 5600 RPM, Torque 401 Ft-lbs. @ 3600 RPM, 8-speed automatic transmission with Road/Terrain-adjustable modes.


EPA MILEAGE RATING: 13 City, 18 Highway


EXTERIOR COLOR: Magnetic Gray Metallic

INTERIOR: Black Leather




PLUSSES:


Smooth, refined engine and drivetrain.

Good road-noise and wind-noise control.

Generally good ride comfort for this type of vehicle.

Real spare tire/wheel instead of cost-cutting substitutes.

Unibody and frame-rail construction combines the best of both types.

Almost Range-Rover-level comfort/plushness, with better reliability.

Good outward vision from the conservative body styling.

Typically well-done Toyota/Lexus paint job.

Nice grade of seat leather inside.

Comfortable front seats.

Decent headroom/legroom, front and rear.

Well-done gauges/controls/buttons/dials.

Good exterior and interior hardware.

Excellent reliability reputation.






MINUSES:


Wallet-draining price.

Battleship-grade handling.

Bulky to manuver and park.

Very slow steering response.

Spongy brake pedal.

Gas-guzzing MPG.

Only six exterior paint colors offered.

Split third-row seats useless for adults.

No body-side moldings for parking-lot protection.

May be difficult to find in stock.





EXTERIOR:

Walking up to the 2016 Land Cruiser from a distance, it is physically so large that it could, at first, be mistaken for the huge (and slightly larger) Toyota Sequoia. But the Land Cruiser has its own distinctively-styled plastic grille, and, this time, unlike the flimsy plastic grilles and exterior trim we saw on some past Tundra pickups, Toyota got it right.....the plastic feels thick, strong, durable, and substantial. (some earlier Tundras even had a problem with the tailgate sheet-metal buckling under load). Except for the fact that there are no body-side moldings to protect from parking-lot dings (the existing large chrome-strips, lie on some other vehicles, are mounted too low), and the fact that there are only 6 dull exterior paint-colors offered on an 85K vehicle (which is overt bean-counting), I couldn't find much to criticize on the exterior. All four of the doors close with a reasonably solid thunk (maybe not quite as solid-sounding as the last Land Cruiser I sampled). The conservative body-styling is high, tall, boxy and traditional SUV...generally the best way to get good space-efficiency inside (more on that below). The large, square/rectangular windows, except for the somewhat large D-pillars at the back, give good outward vision out the rear and sides (somewhat like a larger version of the Subaru Forester). This is getting difficult to find nowadays, as most vehicles worship at the altar of aero-styling, with droop-rooflines and rounded-off corners. For entry, the high body stance generally requires stepping on the built-in running-boards for even a person of my size, though I found I could let myself slide out without much need for them. The twin outside mirror housings twist and snap-fold slickly and easily, and contain built-in turn signals for safety. The paint job itself (once you get past the funeral-shade colors themselves), is the usual Toyota/Lexus excellence in application, and up overhead are two very solid-feeling, durable roof-rack rails for carrying things. Unlike many SUVs, the Land Cruisers I looked at did not seem to have dark body-cladding around the lower-body edge for protection from road debris...but the running-boards themselves will give some protection down the sides.




UNDERHOOD:

Open the large but not particularly heavy hood, and two nice gas struts hold it up for you. Under the sheet metal is a large, thick insulation pad. The underhood layout, IMO, generally gets mixed marks. The big, longitudinally-mounted 5.7L I-Force V8 fits into even this big underhood compartment rather tightly, with not a lot of room to reach components down the sides of the block. The top of the engine is covered by a huge silver-plastic engine cover, blocking virtually all top-access. The battery is to the right, open and uncovered, and easily accessible....but appears to have old-fashioned twist-out cell-caps where you periodically add water instead of the Maintenance-Free design commonly used nowadays. Everything else underhood is generally free, uncovered, and easy to reach, including the dipsticks, filler-caps, and fluid-reservoirs. But added to this, of course, is the fact that this vehicle, like most large SUVs, has a rather high stance......so even some otherwise easily-accessable components underhood could still require someone shorter than about 6 feet or so, if they don't stand on something, to stretch quite a bit to reach back into the large and tall underhood compartment for even uncovered components.




INTERIOR:

Inside, the Land Cruiser's decor and basic layout is more or less similar to those of several other Toyota trucks and SUVs, though, perhaps because of the high price, the general quality of those materials seems better than in any other recent American-market Toyota product I've looked at. I could only find a couple of small parts inside that I felt were cheap or flimsy, mainly the plastic lid to the bi-level glovebox and one or two of the small flip-open-compartment lids. The rest of the interior seemed to have good fit/finish, decent hardware (though not quite as solid-feeling as the last Land Cruiser I sampled several years ago), and a well-designed layout. The gauges were clear, simple, and easy to read. The rotary dials for various functions (and there were plenty of different functions in this quite-complex vehicle) were all large, well-attached, and easy to use. The buttons were reasonably large, well-labelled, and also easy to use. The sun-visors and ceiling headliner were both done in a nice ivory-colored soft fabric. The steering wheel, with a wood and leather rim, used a slightly darker, matte-finished wood than is usual. The console, with a heathy-dose of chrome/brushed-metal trim on it, is rather wide, but it has to house a number of controls on it, not only including the usual shifter and parking-brake handle (true off-road SUVs often forgo an electronic parking-brake), but also several dials and buttons controlling the several different drive-modes and safety features. You'll probably have to study the Owners' Manual to understand all of the different drive and terrain-modes for both on and off-road performance...but more on that below. Because of the large size of the interior and conservative boxy styling, there is OK headroom, front and rear, for six-foot-plus guys like me, even with the sunroof housing, though if the front seat cushions would adjust a little further downward, the headroom would be even better. There's also a decent amount of of legroom, front and rear. Rear-seat passengers get their own climate control, ceiling/console vents, and computer/entertainment trays/screens built into the back of the front seats...and that hardware is VERY solidly attached. The two front seats are generally comfortable, but not particularly supportive, and I personally would prefer the thicker, cushier type of pudding found in some Buick seats. The seat leather used on all the seats is very nice...feels Lexus grade, which perhaps is not surprising at this Lexus-grade price. The second-row seats, like the front, also recline for added comfort, and, of course, fold down for added cargo capacity. The seat multi-adjustments for the two front seats are power-operated, while manual levers control the functions of the second and third-row seats (more on the small third-row seats below, which are generally not usable for adults). There are nice angled door-pulls built into all four of the doors, covered with brushed metal trim. The main console storage compartment has a nice precise solid outer latch (they tend to be flimsy in many vehicles)...and inner latches below the main one separate the layered mini-compartments inside, including a deep one on the bottom, which has a separate power switch to turn on a cooler for your drinks. The shift-lever on the console, like on most Toyota/Lexus products, has a zig-zag pattern...I tend to find that annoying, though I know opinions on that differ, and some disagree with me. The center-dash video screen containing the stereo/NAV/camera and some climate-functions, was, as is usually the case, somewhat more complex than the other controls, but the stereo sound quality itself was excellent.




CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:

The Land Cruiser has a clamshell-style, double-lift gate that is hinged both top and bottom. The upper part,which lifts up, contains the rear window, the main part of the lift-gate, a huge chrome strip with the vehicle-name on it in big raised-chrome letters, and the electronic release-mechanism. The smaller, lower, all-metal part, which folds down from a plastic release-lever like a small tailgate, is basically just that.....a small tailgate, though not quite large enough for tailgate parties or for a person my size to sit on it. Inside, once again, the conservative boxy styling and high roofline gives good cargo-space efficiency, though one must fold down the smallish third-row seats to get any real space. The twin-seats are folded by a double-manual action...pull a couple of strap-levers to release and fold the tops down, then a couple of additional plastic levers to flip the two folded assembles up to the sides....against the two walls. I did not see any standard cargo-covers to hide contents from prying eyes on the particular vehicle I reviewed. My vehicle had the optional rubber factory all-weather mats, which included a large black rubber logo-adorned mat for the cargo bed, and, under that, of course, some nice carpeting. I've saved the best for last. Underneath the rear of the vehicle is........(are you ready for this?).........a REAL spare tire and wheel. That's right.... a real one, not a donut, temporary, run-flat, or compressed air-bottle.




ON THE ROAD:

Start up the big 5.7L I-force V8 with a nice START/STOP button, and the big engine catches and idles with the noted smoothness/refinement of (what else?)......a Toyota/Lexus V8 LOL. This is a torquey power plant, with 400 ft-lbs., but, of course, is lugging a considerable amount of weight and AWD drag behind it....the better part of three tons, even empty. And don't plan on winning any fuel-economy runs, either. EPA gas-mileage is more or less equivalent to what many big American V8 sedans and wagons were running back in the 60s and 70s, before the major downsizing. Somehow, though, the Land Cruiser manages to avoid the Federal EPA Gas-Guzzler tax seen on some big-engined muscle-cars...perhaps because it is classified as a truck.

Then...just as I started the engine.......

This was a rather unusual road-test for me, as I lost a bet with a line of approaching showers (we have had 16 days straight of constant or intermittent rain, drizzle, or showers here in the D.C. area). I don't usually test vehicles in the rain (I try not to get brand-new vehicles fro the dealership dirty, so they can be re-parked and/or re-displayed without having to go through the wash-bay again). But the dealership insisted (they didn't care if it got dirty). So, I figured....why not? I had a review-request waiting, didn't know when another unsold Land Cruiser would be available for review (in fact a salesperson told me that someone was coming in that very afternoon, after I got back, to look at at it for a possible purchase). So, I spent a couple of minutes checking out all the drive-mode controls and re-adjusting everything, turned on the intermittent wipers, dropped it in gear with the (IMO) somewhat annoying zig-zag shifter, and hit the wet road.

Obviously, in a suburban setting tike this, one cannot accurately sample its off-road or mountain-goat abilities, but I got a pretty good idea of what most on-pavement driving would be like with it. A vehicle of this class, of course, can handle a lot more than just a little bit of rain....it rivals Range Rovers in that regard. The engine, as mentioned previously, was very smooth, quiet, and refined, but the vehicle's weight made itself apparent when it came to acceleration. I tried a couple of the on-pavement drive modes (some off-road ones are programmed into the computer as well), and the excellent engineering of this drivetrain is apparent. Road noise from both the tires and from water-splash underneath was well-controlled (for 85K, you would expect some good sound-insulation), and wind-noise likewise well-controlled. I was generally impressed with the ride comfort....... you could feel the bumps, but the bumps seemed quiet and muted, like there was maybe a big thick extra layer of rubber in the bushings or sub-frame. There was some small but noticeable fore/aft porposing over some bumps and from low-speed acceleration/brake inputs, which is common with large heavy SUVs. And, of course, this is a rather large bulky vehicle to try to maneuver and park at close-quarters. I was not particularly impressed by the brakes, which, to me, felt a little spongy and unresponsive at first, though the pedal-location, relative to the gas pedal, wasn't too bad for my big size-15 feet.

And I also wasn't very impressed with the handling, although that, to an extent, is to be expected with a vehicle of this type. Steering response was very slow at best (it was so slow, ironically, that the front end couldn't respond fast enough to even check for body-roll). The best way to describe this vehicle's steering response is like a Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier pulling out of its port. Of course, this is the way many vehicles from the 1960s, with recirculating-ball steering, handled back when I was first learning how to drive....we've clearly been spoiled by modern suspensions/steering systems.



THE VERDICT:

If I were in the market for a large heavy SUV like this, I'd consider the Land Cruiser before several of its competitors. Like its upmarket Lexus LX570 twin, it offers excellent build-quality and reliability...and the LX, for even more money, doesn't really offer much more than the Land Cruiser does, except some more wood inside and a trick power-suspension leveling feature that raises/lowers the vehicle ride-height. The Land Cruiser offers much of the comfort of the British Range Rover, with far better reliability...and most Range Rover buyers (as well as those of the Land Cruiser) will probably rarely, if ever, use the vaunted off-road capability of either vehicle. Ford, Chevy, GMC, Lincoln, and Cadillac all offer big-money/big-size SUVs like this, but trailing the Land Cruiser and LX570 in build-quality and reliability.

But, on the other hand, does someone really NEED to spend this kind of money (or that of its competitors) to get a well-built, versatile SUV that is at home on either dry-pavement or off-road? Me-Thinks not. There are a number of smaller, lesser-cost alternatives...two of the best, IMO, being Toyota's own 4Runner and Lexus's own GX460. The Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Kia Sorento are all excellent as on-pavement, bad-weather vehicles. And, for those who are willing to take more of a chance with reliability, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, IMO, is one of the most refined and best-driving mid-sized SUVs on the market, and has an impressive-looking interior to boot.

But, when you pull up to the country-club, status is often what matters. That's one reason why I avoid country-clubs LOL.


And, as always......Happy car-shopping.

MM

Toys4RJill

Are you sure you test drove LC? The pics you posted looks like it has body side mouldings.

mmarshall

Yes, it was an American-spec LC....which is basically the same as a Lexus LX. If you read my text in the review, I mentioned the chrome lower-body moldings, but that IMO they were mounted too low to adequately protect the doors in parking lots.

CEOEngr

I find your review very fair and well balanced. We have over a dozen of these in our company fleet for field engineer's use. I have visited a few job sites as a passenger which are long ways from Houston and in very remote areas. LC really delivers in all areas you mentioned especially in inclined muddy (soupy) fields. FYI - A few of these vehicles have exceeded 90,000 miles of heavy rough usage and none of them needed any major repairs (zero) except for routine maintenance items and a few minor TSIBs.

mmarshall

Thanks. I put a lot of time and effort into my reviews...glad people enjoy them.

You mention being a passenger.....do you get to drive any of the company LC's?

CEOEngr

I do drive them quite often usually when I make surprise visits. On long trips (12 hrs) Houston -El Paso or anywhere in west Texas I let the young engineers drive us.

mmarshall

Next time you take that long Houston-El Paso trip (presumably on I-10), if you haven't already seen it, you might want to stop off in San Antonio and see the Toyota truck plant there. I have't been to the plant myself, but from what I understand, they produce the 5.7L I-Force V8s that also go into the Land Cruiser. In El Paso, the Scenic Drive above the city along the southern rim of the Franklin Mountains is also nice....catch that if you have the time.

CEOEngr

Toyota plant in SA has been on my agenda since the day it opened; hopefully one of these days one of our area car clubs will organize a visit. I do agree on the Franklin mountain, I have taken that drive many a time especially at sunset and thereafter, the view is spectacular of the city and of Mexico across the border.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I would carry a drivers hat for him on those occasions and rename them Jeeves for trip

12hr trips?! Why not use an airline?

corradoMR2

Thank for the review mm.

Battleship-grade handling? I was thinking Love Boat...

I would think the LX has more than just the interior and suspension differences. What about more sound deadening?

CEOEngr

We have quite a few locations just off I-10 between SA and El Paso and logistics make driving far more efficient then flying. The drive of 12 hours has its own merits: (1) the speed limit on I-10 is 80 MPH and most are doing better then that , (2) undisturbed bonding and brain storming, (3) automobile, wide open spaces, and being on the road is my passion.

mmarshall

Anytime. Glad you enjoyed it.

Translation in plain English.............Move steering wheel, no turn.


Perhaps (?). Both of those vehicles have so many features that it it would be difficult to sit down and compare each item one-on-one. But, as I understand it, the main difference is more wood trim inside and the feature that raises/lowers ride-height.

mmarshall

Next planned reviews: Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XT5, Lincoln Continental

Fizzboy7

The Love Boat... exciting and new...
Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to share with us your findings.

mmarshall

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.