2025 Toyota LandCruiser evaluate | CarExpert

It wasn’t that way back that for those who received a Toyota LandCruiser Sahara, you had been getting the top-dog SUV from the Japanese model.

Then, issues modified with the 300 Sequence of 2021. The Sahara received shuffled down, to the purpose the place there are literally two LandCruiser grades sitting above it in worth.

These variants, the GR Sport and Sahara ZX, are solely accessible with 5 seats so the Sahara does at the least have the title of fanciest seven-seat LandCruiser (although as has been the case for many years, there’s the LandCruiser’s fancy LX cousin from Lexus).

The LandCruiser 300 Sequence could have solely launched in 2021 however its evolutionary styling means it’s already wanting a bit previous.

The Sahara’s 18-inch alloy wheels additionally aren’t something flash, although its footwear is better-suited for off-roading than the chrome-finished 20s and lower-profile rubber of the Sahara ZX.

WATCH: Paul’s video evaluate of the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser VX

Inside, the LandCruiser can be nonetheless operating Toyota’s old-infotainment multimedia system, regardless of fashions just like the cheaper Corolla shifting to the model’s newest era of in-car tech. Stories out of Japan earlier this 12 months steered such an replace is across the nook.

Nonetheless, it’s not as if the 300 Sequence has change into a fossil within the area of simply three years. There’s little on the market that may method its mixture of dependability and off-road and towing functionality.

It arguably has only one direct rival within the Nissan Patrol, a a lot older beast that, whereas cheaper, packs a thirstier petrol V8 below the bonnet. Deliveries of the next-generation Y63 mannequin additionally gained’t start right here till 2027.

The Sahara we examined was actually one of many higher-mileage press automobiles we’ve pushed. In reality, it seems we drove this very car all the best way again in 2022!

Nonetheless, it’s consultant of what you should buy new in Toyota Australia showrooms… although the one you’ll take supply of will in all probability have a lot decrease mileage!

How does the Toyota LandCruiser examine?

View an in depth breakdown of the Toyota LandCruiser in opposition to equally sized automobiles.

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How a lot does the Toyota LandCruiser price?

On take a look at right here is the Sahara which sits beneath the off-road-focused GR Sport and splendid Sahara ZX.

To see how the LandCruiser compares with its rivals, use our comparability instrument.

What’s the Toyota LandCruiser like on the within?

I really like a beige inside – my very own automobile has one – however simply what was Toyota considering with this sea of beige?

Like my automobile, the highest half of the dashboard and doorways is gray, offering some distinction. However as a substitute of black carpeting for the ground, there’s beige. You recognize, on the little bit of the automobile you’ll put your muddy boots. There’s even beige carpeting within the boot.

I’ve not seen flooring this impractical in a brand new automobile for the reason that white carpets of the Mercedes-Benz EQE. You may resolve this by getting some darkish ground mats, or simply just by shopping for the Sahara with its different (black) inside colourway.

I’m loath to criticise a automobile firm for providing a vibrant inside, however this one is only a bridge too far.

The inside is basic Toyota, for higher or worse. The odor of the plastics jogs my memory of my dad’s HiLux work ute from after I was a child, and there are many large-print buttons. There’s nonetheless an honest-to-goodness CD participant within the centre stack, whereas the twin second-row screens can play DVDs and the sunroof is just a single-pane unit.

The infotainment system hasn’t been up to date to the most recent era, so its washed-out blue graphics are wanting drained. Nonetheless, there’s (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded satellite tv for pc navigation, surround-view digicam shows with common decision, and satisfactory response occasions.

There are additionally each USB-A and USB-C shops, in addition to a wi-fi cellphone charger. You’ll want to make use of the USB-A port for smartphone mirroring, nevertheless.

There are shortcut buttons for the infotainment, whereas there’s additionally an anchored menu that may flip from both aspect of the display screen and lets you navigate between totally different features just like the local weather management settings, however stops the smartphone mirroring from taking over the entire display screen.

There are further bodily controls for local weather settings, and so they’re extraordinarily simple to succeed in. All these huge buttons won’t essentially be stylish in 2024, however usability within the Sahara is great.

Whereas a number of the Sahara’s inside particulars are virtually retro, the general atmosphere is fully nice.

Nearly each floor is roofed in soft-touch trim with stitching particulars. You’ll have to search around for the onerous stuff, which you’ll discover in small sections of the sprint and on the decrease reaches of the doorways.

Leatherette trim will be discovered on the perimeters of the centre console and the centre stack, so your knee has one thing comfy to relaxation in opposition to, whereas the sprint prime has the looks of being leather-wrapped.

The wooden trim has an fascinating texture to it, and it’s not probably the most realistic-looking pretend tree on the market. Toyota has completed a lot tackier woodgrain trim earlier than, although.

Gloss-black trim is stored to a minimal within the cabin, with far more in the best way of metallic trim used on the centre stack and the darkish, smudge-prone stuff restricted to some small elements of the inside like across the window switches.

Forward of the motive force is an instrument cluster that mixes a pair of easy, elegant analogue gauges and a 7.0-inch digital display screen. The general impact prioritises perform over kind, and it’s not as fashionable as the complete digital instrument clusters in some equally priced SUVs.

We’ve got no such gripe in regards to the head-up show, which is neat and well-detailed.

The steering wheel has Toyota’s reasonably plasticky leather-based wrapping, however we respect that the wooden inlays are on the within of the rim as a substitute of on the surface, the place such trim typically makes a wheel tougher to grip.

The centre console contains a cool field, good for maintaining drinks chilled. The lid opens from both aspect of the cabin.

The entrance seats are comfy, and have each heating and air flow.

The outboard second-row seats additionally characteristic heating and air flow, whereas on the rear of the centre console you’ll discover air vents (to enhance the floor-level ones), local weather controls, a pair of USB-C shops, headphone jacks for every of the leisure screens, and an HDMI enter.

There’s fairly a large driveline hump forward of those, limiting legroom for the centre-seat occupant. In any other case, the second-row lodging are comfy.

The second-row seats tumble ahead as a substitute of sliding, although it’s nonetheless a bit awkward clambering into the third row. You may also remotely launch the second-row seats from the rear of the cabin.

The third row is power-folding, and again right here you’ll discover air vents plus a USB-C outlet on both aspect.

I’m 180cm tall, and I discovered I had sufficient legroom again right here regardless that the second row doesn’t slide to release extra space. My head, nevertheless, was simply touching the roof.

With all three rows up, there’s solely 175L of boot area, so that you’ll wrestle to suit greater than, say, a number of mild duffle luggage. Nevertheless, the third row folds flat into the ground, and you may also drop the second row from again right here.

To see how the LandCruiser compares with its rivals, use our comparability instrument.

What’s below the bonnet?

The one powertrain accessible regionally is a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel.

To see how the LandCruiser compares with its rivals, use our comparability instrument.

How does the Toyota LandCruiser drive?

Hearth up the LandCruiser and also you’ll discover the turbo-diesel V6 has a purposeful, beefy engine be aware. No, it’s not as beautiful to take heed to because the previous turbo-diesel V8, however it sounds a hell of quite a bit higher than a four-cylinder Prado.

Engine noise is well-suppressed general. At freeway speeds the engine simply fades away into the background, sitting at 1500rpm, and all you possibly can hear the faint whistle of the wind. It’s very simple to carry a dialog on this automobile at excessive speeds.

You peer down a protracted, upright bonnet with what seems to be the Panama Canal operating down the center of it.

Whereas this can be a huge SUV, it doesn’t really feel too cumbersome to drive. The ability steering is properly weighted, making it simple to manoueuvre round carparks, however with out feeling as feather-light and unfastened because the Patrol’s system. It has a pleasant, linear really feel to it.

Don’t go considering that is some German luxurious crossover. Push it right into a nook and also you’ll hear the tyres howl and really feel the physique lean, however I’d prefer to see a BMW X7 go as far off the overwhelmed monitor as this.

There’s often a shunt felt when creeping by means of visitors at low speeds or whereas slowing down. Nevertheless, the 10-speed automated in any other case shifts easily and imperceptibly; you by no means appear to note it looking round for gears, regardless of having so many to select from.

There’s easy thrust from the LandCruiser, with peak torque accessible accessible from as little as 1600rpm.

It’s referred to as a LandCruiser, and by gosh it cruises. That is about as comfy as a body-on-frame car can get.

Its building is betrayed by the slight actions you possibly can really feel within the chassis when, for instance, you go over successive bumps, or while you’re on a highway that isn’t completely clean; a unibody car will sometimes really feel tighter.

Nonetheless, this boasts a particularly comfy journey, and it by no means crashes over bumps. It additionally manages to iron out garbage roads with out bobbing incessantly, with a commendable degree of physique management.

Nation roads and highways are lapped up by the LandCruiser, however there are a few issues stopping this from being the best highway journey car.

The brake-based lane help system nudges you again in your lane, however on winding nation roads it’s too assertive and may startle you.

Toyota’s lane centring system, referred to as Lane Hint Help, can be too twitchy and jerky. It’s a disgrace because the adaptive cruise management works effectively with the visitors signal recognition, making freeway driving even simpler, however then the lane ‘smarts’ show flawed.

That stated, the cruise management could also be simple to set, however it did wrestle to maintain the automobile to its set pace.

The Sahara is a cushty cruiser on bitumen, and it additionally proves sure-footed when tackling mild off-road trails.

Along with a full-time four-wheel drive system with selectable low-range gearing, there are selectable terrain modes, a locking centre differential, crawl management and hill descent management.

In order for you locking entrance and rear differentials, you’ll have to step as much as the GR Sport, which additionally brings Toyota’s Digital-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. Alternatively, you possibly can go to the Sahara ZX, which as a substitute provides over the Sahara a rear torque-sensing limited-slip differential.

Whereas I didn’t press the Sahara into any more durable off-road duties than easy trails, or use it to tow, we examined one in our Greatest 4WD SUV competitors in 2023.

On our off-road course, we discovered the LandCruiser to have spectacular wheel articulation and an clever four-wheel drive system, whereas it towed confidently thanks partly to its well-calibrated automated transmission.

You may learn extra about the way it carried out right here.

Most of my driving was round city, and it felt like I had a shed stuffed with instruments however no DIY to do. That stated, the LandCruiser is fully livable within the city grind, so the potential it boasts off highway doesn’t make it any much less nice on highway.

What do you get?

There are six members of the LandCruiser 300 Sequence lineup. The GX, Sahara ZX and GR Sport have a five-seat format, whereas the GXL, VX and Sahara have a seven-seat format.

2025 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Sequence GX highlights:

• Snorkel
• 17-inch metal wheels
• LED headlights with handbook levelling
• Computerized high-beam
• Crawl management
• Hill descent management
• Proximity entry with push-button begin
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster display screen
• 6-speaker sound system
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Material upholstery
• 60:40 break up/fold second-row seats
• Vinyl flooring
• Rubber ground mats
• One-touch energy home windows (all doorways)

GXL provides:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Projector bi-LED headlights with auto-levelling and washers
• LED entrance fog lights
• Variable intermittent wipers
• Rear privateness glass
• Aspect steps
• Wi-fi cellphone charger
• LED entrance inside mild
• Carpeted flooring

VX provides:

• LED rear indicators
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Puddle lights
• Car Dynamics Built-in Administration
• Sunroof
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster display screen
• Satellite tv for pc navigation
• 10-speaker sound system
• 4-zone local weather management
• Leather-based-accented shifter
• Woodgrain and leatherette inlays
• Leatherette upholstery
• Energy-adjustable steering wheel
• ‘Premium centre cluster, inside door handles and door change trim’
• 8-way power-adjustable entrance seats
• Energy driver’s seat lumbar adjustment
• Heated and ventilated entrance seats
• Second-row centre armrest
• 40:20:40 break up/fold second-row seats
• Rear LED inside lights
• LED door courtesy lights
• Carpeted ground mats
• Distant energy home windows

Sahara provides:

• Sequential flip alerts, entrance and rear
• Energy tailgate
• Head-up show
• Heated steering wheel
• Leather-based upholstery
• Heated and ventilated outboard second-row seats
• Driver’s seat reminiscence
• Energy-folding third row
• Cool field
• 14-speaker JBL sound system

All new LC300 automobiles include three years’ complimentary entry to Toyota Linked Companies, which incorporates stolen car monitoring, an SOS emergency name perform, and automated collision notification.

You may also entry info and management options remotely by way of the myToyota Join app.

Is the Toyota LandCruiser secure?

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Sequence has a five-star ranking from unbiased security authority ANCAP, primarily based on testing performed in 2022. This doesn’t apply to the GR Sport.

Customary security gear consists of:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• Daytime bike owner detection
• Adaptive cruise management
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep help (brake-based)
• Velocity signal recognition
• Blind-spot monitoring (GXL and up)
• Rear cross-traffic alert (GXL and up)
• Lane Hint Help (lane centring; VX and up)
• Reversing digicam
• Multi-Terrain Monitor with surround-view digicam (VX and up)
• Entrance and rear parking sensors (GXL and up)
• Rear parking assist brake (VX and up)
• Trailer sway management
• 10 airbags

How a lot does the Toyota LandCruiser price to run?

Whereas Toyota has a number of the least expensive service pricing within the business, the LandCruiser 300 Sequence – like lots of Toyota’s four-wheel drive merchandise – has quick six-month, 10,000km servicing intervals.

To see how the LandCruiser compares with its rivals, use our comparability instrument.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Toyota LandCruiser

The Sahara mightn’t be the fanciest LandCruiser anymore, however it’s nonetheless probably the most luxurious seven-seat LandCruiser and among the many most succesful seven-seat SUVs available on the market.

In the event you prioritise luxurious above all else, a equally priced Audi Q7 might be a extra fascinating possibility, and it might probably tow as a lot too. Nevertheless it doesn’t method the LandCruiser’s degree of off-road functionality, nor can any of the German luxurious manufacturers match Toyota’s in depth seller community or its entrenched popularity for dependability.

The LandCruiser Sahara nonetheless has a protracted checklist of apparatus to maintain it in rivalry with luxury-brand rivals. And, actually, even for those who had been to step as much as its posher, pricier Lexus LX cousin, you’d truly be lacking out on varied luxurious options like ventilated entrance seats as these are restricted to five-seat members of that lineup.

The 300 Sequence inside would possibly look a bit retro in elements, however materials high quality is sort of good, and the third row is sort of hospitable.

Nonetheless, for $18,000 much less, the VX seems like stronger worth. Positive, you swap leather-based upholstery for leatherette and miss out on a head-up show and energy tailgate – admittedly options that ought to be commonplace in a $121k LandCruiser – however you continue to get loads of commonplace package and the identical terrific powertrain and four-wheel drive system.

Then there’s the Nissan Patrol. It’s older than the hills and gulps down extra gas, however even in its most luxurious Ti-L trim it’s round $37,000 cheaper. That saving can pay for loads of refuelling…

The LandCruiser Sahara is a terrific little bit of package, there’s little question about that. It’s comfy and straightforward to drive, succesful off-road, and has loads of grunt, whereas its inside is surprisingly luxurious. It’s not low-cost, although.

Fascinated about shopping for a Toyota LandCruiser? Get in contact with one in every of CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here

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