The Toyota Land Cruiser stands out as the obvious choice for everyone in need of an off-road vehicle. Not only does it have lots of power and a roomy interior, it is also a four-wheel drive (4WD), making it very effective for off-road driving.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is well suited for rugged terrains, able to comfortably navigate rocky paths, sandy beaches and everything else in-between. These performance features are made possible by the LandCruiser’s V8 turbo engine and four-wheel drive.
V8 Turbo Engine
The Toyota Land Cruiser’s engine has eight cylinders that fire to deliver maximum power. Every model comes with one of two engine types: a 4.6L petrol engine or a 4.5L turbo diesel engine. The petrol engine is typically more powerful than the diesel variety. Get a Land Cruiser with a petrol engine, if you intend to perform power-intensive tasks like towing other cars and driving along steep slopes.
The diesel engine is more fuel efficient and gets more torque from its 4.5L engine than the petrol variety. This means that it has sufficient power and is able to reach top speeds even when the vehicle’s spacious 8-seater cabin is fully occupied. Whatever engine type you choose, the Land Cruiser is capable of incredible performance.
However, the downside to owning any car with a V8 engine is that it is going to consume a lot of fuel. The 4.6L petrol engine consumes about 13.4 liters of petrol per 100km, while the 4.5L diesel engine only requires 9.5 liters of diesel for the same distance. However, these consumption rates are acceptable when you consider what the car can do.
Four Wheel Drive
The Land Cruiser’s 4WD train is capable of simultaneously providing torque to its individual wheels, making it well-adjusted for off-road activities. You should know that this also means that the car will undergo more wear and tear than vehicles with a two-wheel drive train.
The maintenance costs are not as high as other vehicles in a similar class. Expect to spend about $650 to service the car per year, on average for more recent models, such as the 2017 variant.
Still on maintenance, you also need to pay special attention to deep water crosses as the Land Cruiser has electronic components mounted relatively low in the engine bay.
Should You Buy A Toyota Land Cruiser?
The Toyota Land Cruiser has a spacious interior big enough to accommodate eight people. You can drive a large party comfortably with space. On top of that, the diesel engine variety has incredible fuel efficiency and torque.
The Land Cruiser also has about the same maintenance costs you can expect from other 4WD cars with its level of performance. Land Cruiser parts are relatively easy to get, making maintenance even easier.
The only difficulty you may experience driving a Land Cruiser arises due to its larger size. It makes it slightly more challenging to drive in cities and areas with dense traffic. But for rural areas and off-road activities, that size comes in handy.
Considering its incredible performance ability, spacious interior, fuel economy and easy maintenance, there’s no reason why shouldn’t own a Toyota Land Cruiser.
