Ford Ranger vs Toyota Land Cruiser

What's the difference?

There’s a lot to like about the Ford Ranger Sport, especially with the V6 engine. It's nice to drive, comfortable and packed full of features and tech.

Sure, it’s better suited to towing and open-road/track recreational duties than being used as a rock-crawling 4WD, but that doesn’t matter one iota to the Ranger’s core market.

One thing though: the bi-turbo is just as good as the V6, I reckon. And it’s cheaper. 

However, if you plan on repeatedly towing large boats or horse floats over long distances, then perhaps the V6 is the better option, especially if you’re concerned about the smaller engine’s ability to withstand the stresses and strains of lugging loads over an extended period of time.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR Sport is a total knockout when it comes to its looks, comfort and practicality. It’s stupidly easy to drive and has a fuel efficiency that should make you swoon but the servicing is a bit annoying and it’s not the most affordable option on the market. However, even though it hasn't benefited from any updates this year, you don't feel like you're missing out on any luxuries.

My son adores it, wants it and will be very disappointed when we hand it back. Naturally, he gives it a 10/10.

The Ranger Sport is the same look (inoffensive) and size (big) as other dual-cab variants in the line-up but it has those few aforementioned styling differences – black grille, machined alloy wheels etc – to set it apart from its stablemates.

Lower-spec Rangers look good, and the Sport is essentially a mildly jazzed-up version of a standard Ranger – not quite reaching the stylistic levels of Wildtrak, Platinum, or the Raptor – and so its appearance lands it squarely on the correct side of inoffensive.

Design is 100 per cent subjective. I love the look of the LC300 GR Sport because it features what I feel is a timeless, handsome shape.

For some, it may look too big and brutish, because you could throw a bunch of beefy words at it, and somehow, they’d all fit the roadside presence of this extra-large SUV.

What visually sets the GR Sport apart from its siblings are the multitude of black accents across the body from the rear badging, wheels and arches, door handles and roof racks. The grille is also distinctly different in its horizontal design with the Toyota badging capitalised in a bold white font for extra effect. 

Head inside and the cabin looks ruggedly capable with the dimensions of the centre console and dashboard complementing the external looks.

Technology looks upmarket, joinery is solidly put together and the leather upholstery adds to the plush comfort of the seats but there is a sense of capability in the physical buttons and dials still found on the dashboard.

Which is where I start to really like the LC300 GR Sport because everything is where you expect it to be - this is not a car you’ll get flustered in but nor does it have that generic Toyota look.

The Ranger cabin does pretty well in terms of practicality and comfort – for the ute segment anyway.

The multimedia system is easy enough to navigate and operate and that screen is big enough and crisp enough so even my old bloke eyes could cope with it.

Driver and front passenger have easy access to plenty of storage options – centre console, cupholders, big door pockets, a pocket-dump shelf etc – and charging points – wireless charger, USB and USB-C sockets – in this ute’s control room.

There’s also plenty of space inside for the driver and the passengers, front and back. The seats are supportive and comfortable upfront and only marginally less so in the back row. There’s enough room back there for a three-person party – I sat behind my driving position and had loads of space.

Second-row passengers get a fold-down centre arm-rest, door pockets, and map pockets as well as air-con vents and controls.

The business end of this ute, the tub, has a sturdy-looking liner, four tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet, and LED lighting.

But beyond all that it has a handy built-in step at the rear right-hand side of the vehicle. I can attest to the usefulness of something like this because a few years ago while loading a ute – not a Ranger – I injured myself trying to get into the tub by standing on top of one of the tyres. It was raining at the time, the tyre was wet, and the soles of my old boots unfortunately didn’t provide the requisite amount of traction required to prevent me from slipping. I sustained a deep haematoma to my upper right thigh, which calcified and still troubles me to this day. Boo-hoo, I hear you say. Well, my point is this: well done, Ford, because that step is a worthwhile addition, not at all a novelty.

For measurement nerds, such as myself, the tub measures 1464mm long (at the floor; a pallet-swallowing 1217mm between the wheel-arches), 1520mm wide and 525mm deep. Opening width at the tailgate is 1393mm.

If you’re keen to build your Ranger as an adventure vehicle then you’re in luck. When you order a new Ranger you can order an ARB ‘Build’ to suit your lifestyle. That chosen build will be fitted to your Ranger prior to you taking delivery of it. 

There are three builds – Family Adventurer, Tourer, and Serious Off-roader – and each one includes a specific set of aftermarket accessories (covering protection, suspension, lighting and more) and, when you’ve specified which build you want at Ranger-ordering time, those will have already been fitted to it when it comes time for you to collect it. The builds are covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited km warranty. 

The front row is roomy and even with a co-pilot, you feel like you have yards of space to settle into. The seats offer a wide seat and plush padding, as well as heat and ventilation functions which adds comfort for longer trips.

Individual storage is good with a large glove box, two cupholders, two drink bottle holders and a large middle console that also features a 'cool box' function for drinks or snacks.

The comfort of the front is replicated in the backseat, which deftly accepts the height of my 183cm father. The width of the seat can easily accommodate three adults in relative comfort or, if you have a few tots in tow, three child seats.

Amenities and storage in the back row are what you'd expect for a top model in this class. The rear outboard seats feature heat and ventilation functions and there is dual air-conditioning and climate control, as well as, four directional air vents.

The fold-down armrest features two cupholders while the doors hold a drink bottle each and a small storage bin. There are also two map pockets and you can access the middle console cool box with a rear-mounted button.

The GR Sport does remind you that it's a big car with its 235mm ground clearance and my seven-year-old son declared I needed to hold all of his stuff this week as getting in and out is a ‘two-handed- operation'. Like him, I too am grateful for the grab handles and side steps in this car.

The technology is well-rounded and simple to use. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and is responsive to touch. It has built-in satellite navigation and a Toyota Connected Services app with three years of complimentary updates. There is also wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM radio and DAB+ radio but there’s not much else to access in this system.

The mostly analogue instrument cluster features a 7.0-inch tech screen and this is where you can do a lot of your customisations with display and safety.

The charging options are solid up front with the choice of a USB-A and C port, 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad. The rear gets two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket as well.

The boot is cavernous with its 1131L of luggage capacity and that’s with all seats in use. The squared shape of the boot and the 90-degree angle the boot lid opens to are quite practical, especially when fitting bulky items or loading things in the rain.

All GR Sports come with a powered boot lid and a domestic 220-volt socket for charging larger items while adventuring.

The LC300 series is offered in six grade levels for our market and the second-from-top-spec GR Sport model (the Sahara ZX is slightly more expensive) is on test here. It’s priced from $145,876 before on-roads which is almost $4K dearer than last year’s pricing but doesn’t feature any new upgrades.

Its price point also positions it more towards the top-end of the upper-large SUV market, compared to its rivals. Sitting at the top of that list is the Lexus LX500D F Sport at $180,061 MSRP and then the Land Rover Discovery D300 at $129,020 MSRP.

The most affordable rival is the Nissan Patrol Warrior for $104,160 MSRP but it's important to note that the Patrol is only available with a hefty 5.6L V8 petrol engine, there's no diesel variant. Which is something to consider when you're at the bowser.

In terms of luxuries, there is a heated steering wheel, powered front seats with heat and ventilation functions, leather upholstery and synthetic leather trims throughout. The rear outboards seats also have heat and ventilation functions and a sunroof comes standard.

The technology looks premium with a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster headlining the dashboard. There's some 'old world' charm with the CD/DVD player at the front.

Tech is rounded out by the wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation, Toyota Connected Services App, head-up display, three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad. There is also a 220-volt domestic socket located in the boot and a premium 14-speaker JBL sound system.

The key practical features include a powered tailgate, cool box (middle console), four-zone air-conditioning and climate control, push-button start, keyless entry and a full-size spare wheel.

Our test vehicle has the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine, producing 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750-2250rpm.

It has a 10-speed automatic transmission and a 4WD system with selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be used on high-traction surfaces.

It has a variety of selectable drive modes – including Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Sand – and a locking rear diff.

The LC300 models all share the same 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel engine that produces a hefty 227kW and 700Nm of torque. Making it powerful enough to easily handle its 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.

The GR Sport has a 10-speed auto transmission and has a full-time 4WD system with high and low range. It also has front, rear and centre diff locks, so adventuring pursuits should be a breeze but check out Crafty’s off-road review on this model for more 4WD insights.

Official fuel consumption for the Sport V6 is 8.4L/100km on a combined cycle.

I recorded fuel consumption of 12.4L/100km on this test.

The Ranger has a 80-litre tank, so, going by the above figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 645km from a full tank.

It's big and has a lot of power, so it should be pretty thirsty ... right?

Wrong! The official combined fuel-cycle consumption figure is 8.9L/100km and my real world usage came out at 9.8L/100km after doing a mix of long open-road trips and some urban stuff.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and the two fuel tanks, which equal 110L, you’d be able to get a theoretical driving range of 1236km.

I've driven a lot of variants of the Ford Ranger on all sorts of terrain and I've always been impressed with how well they've performed.

The Ranger is nice to drive on-road – quiet inside, refined, comfortable and that engine and transmission are a clever and relaxed combination – and it’s very capable off-road but one or two niggles prevent this ute from being a great all-round daily driver.

Let’s get a few of those negatives out of the way first.

This ute is hampered by its own physical dimensions when it comes to four-wheel driving. The Ranger's extended wheelbase especially impacts its ability to traverse steep rock steps without experiencing bumps to the underbody or scuffs to the side-steps.

Its wheelbase is longer than in any previous iteration, great for giving the Ranger a settled stance on a road or track but not so helpful for traversing challenging terrain. Because that stretch has impacted ramp breakover angle which is now listed as 21 degrees, whereas the previous-gen Ranger offered 25 degrees.

For reference, approach and departure angles are 30 and 23 degrees respectively.

The Ranger’s tyres – Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT (255/65R18) – are not as off-road-suited as you might like, especially for anything beyond light-duty 4WDing. (As always, with most standard 4WDs, these kinds of problems – compromised off-road angles and less-than-ideal off-road tyres – can be addressed with a mild - two inch or so - aftermarket suspension lift and a good set of aggressive LT-construction all-terrain tyres.)

I still think the driver-assist tech that has off-road applications – the track-view/360-degree camera and vehicle-info read-out (displaying driveline/diff lock indicators, and steering, pitch and roll angles etc) – are more novelty than necessity, but on this test I became more used to them than on previous trips.

The brake pedal feels spongy – taking a long time between initial foot pressure to actually ‘biting', and then the brakes – discs all round – quite abruptly clamp into action.

I’ve previously expressed annoyance at the auto transmission shifter – a kind of joystick on steroids – but it’s also another element in the Ranger to which I’m becoming accustomed.

Anyway, to the positives…

Off-road, the Ranger does well.

With a listed length of 5370mm (with a 3270mm wheelbase), a width of 2208mm, a height of 1886mm and an official kerb weight of 2351kg, this is not a small ute. It has a turning circle of 12.9m, but never feels too unwieldy on bush tracks, no matter how tight they become.

The V6 engine is rarely stressed, offers plenty of torque across a decent spread of revs and it doesn't have to work hard to get you through most obstacles or challenges.

The 10-speed auto transmission is clever – scrambling between ratios has been minimised if not completely ironed out – and if you want to take over duties yourself you can do so via the manual shifter. The ‘e-Shifter’ in 4WD Rangers is mildly annoying but, as I mentioned earlier, I’m getting used to it.

Low-range gearing is adequate and the Ranger has an electronic rear diff lock for more traction-boosting control.

There’s plenty of driver-assist tech onboard and off-road driving modes include Mud/Ruts and Sand. These are no substitute for track-worthy 4WD mechanicals, but these modes do effectively adjust engine throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to suit the driving conditions.

Hill descent control is effective, and held the Ranger to a controlled 3-4km/h while we crept down to the turn-around point on a set-piece hill.

Wading depth is 800mm and, while there had been recent rain in our 4WD proving ground prior to this test, I couldn’t find any mudholes deep enough to seriously challenge the Ranger’s water-crossing ability. 

Wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down relative to the chassis – is not great, with the Ranger’s tyres sometimes left to dangle in space rather than stretching to the dirt.

If you’re planning to use your Ranger as a remote-area touring vehicle or even a weekend adventure machine, then take note of the payload and gross vehicle mass (GVM) figures, which are 929kg and 3280kg respectively. Remember: any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, roof rack etc), people, pets and camping gear must figure in your payload and GVM equations.

If you want to use the Ranger as a tow vehicle, it’s handy to know that its towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). Gross combined mass (GCM) is 6400kg.

The Ranger’s big physical dimensions, long wheelbase, and settled driving feel may seem like it’s a shoe-in as a tow vehicle of choice, but there have been rumblings in the general public about the 10-speed transmissions becoming unusually hot when the vehicle is under load for a sustained period of time, so keep an eye out for any reports on those kinds of issues.

The GR Sport is a massive car but it doesn’t handle like one. That's not to say it handles like a small car but it doesn't feel like a truck to drive.

The power is effortlessly gutsy and there's no issue keeping your speed consistent on hills. The 10-speed auto transmission manages its gear changes and power hits smoothly. The rumble of the V6 engine is also quite therapeutic when it comes time to tackle an overflowing causeway or muddy road.

The GR Sport feels solidly grounded and even on winding roads, the roll in corners isn’t bad at all. Less so than a Prado, actually. 

The ride comfort is very good in the GR Sport grade as it has special adaptive suspension and that means that you really aren’t bothered by the road surface. Besides some whistling from the roof racks, there’s also little outside noise and it feels refined in the cabin because of it.

The wide windows and high seating position offers great visibility all around but I'm very aware of how large the car is as I can't see my son when he walks around it. The sensors alert you but make sure all kids are accounted for before you start moving.

Despite its size, the GR Sport is very nimble to manoeuvre with a small 11.8m turning circle and steering that is responsive.

Parking has been no issue for me this week and while the 360-degree view camera is a bit too fish-eye lense for me, its clear and you get used to it pretty quickly.

The GR Sport is the only grade not covered by the LandCruiser 300 Series' 2022 five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Toyota doesn’t have any plans to get it rated but it still features all of the safety equipment of its top-spec Sahara siblings.

Standard items include AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree camera system, trailer sway control, parking sensors (front and rear), and a rear parking support brake.

Other safety highlights include an alarm system, SOS emergency call button, stolen vehicle tracking and an automatic collision notification system.

The GR Sport has 10-airbags but misses out on the newer front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. You can absolutely get three child seats installed but you miss out on a third row due to the grade level. Which might be a bummer for larger families who are wanting this spec.

The Ford Ranger line-up has a five-year/unlimited km warranty and five years of roadside assistance as long as you always service your Ranger at an authorised dealer.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs soonest.

Capped-price servicing applies to a MY24 Ranger’s first four services for a total cost of $1516, according to the Ford Service Price Guide.

The GR Sport comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and if you stick to your service schedule, you get an additional two years of engine coverage.

There is capped-priced servicing for up to five years or 100,000km, which entails a total of 10 services or two a year as servicing intervals are a pain at every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.

Services are $400 which equates to $800 per year, which is a bit expensive but not outrageous for the class.