2022 Toyota Land Cruiser LC300 GX vs Nissan Patrol Ti-L vs Land Rover Defender 110 D250 comparison review: On road, off-road, and towing!

You might be surprised to learn that these three four-wheel drive wagons are pretty close on price. You’re likely to be even more surprised by the fact the Land Rover is actually the cheapest of the three, based on list pricing (MSRP - before on-road costs and options)

In fact, we’ve gone as far as piecing together a story about the differences in pricing and specs between these three four-wheel drives - check it out here.

The Land Rover Defender 110 D250 lists at $82,466 (correct at time of writing), though the model we had included more than a handful of options, pushing its as-tested price to $99,596. 

Some of those options are arguably unnecessary, though - the Santorini Black Contrast Roof ($2171), the Front Jump Seat ($1853), Privacy Glass ($999), Leisure Activity Key ($910), the black bonnet decal ($281) are all things you don’t really need.

The Off-Road Pack ($1663) with the electronic active differential/torque vectoring by braking, black roof rails and a 230-volt power point in the boot - that’s pretty good. The Advanced Off-Road Capability Plus Pack ($2210) while the tow hitch receiver ($1432) is pricey, and the Clearsight interior rearview mirror ($1274) is a good option to have, as the visibility isn’t terrific without it. There are a few things you should get standard, but don’t, which are detailed in the table below.

Next most expensive on list pricing is the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series GX, which lists at $89,990. Couple of options for our car, including a towing kit with electronic brake controller, and silver paint. This five seater is pretty basic, but there’s a bunch of stuff you’d expect for this amount of money that is included, and plenty that isn’t. Compare them in the table below.

The most expensive on this test is the Nissan Patrol Ti-L, listing at $94,115. It is showing its age from some of the tech inclusions, but the comfort and convenience measures in place are pretty impressive. 

Let’s look at the multimedia/infotainment situation for each car, first.

Next, let’s look at some other interior trim elements - which is the most luxurious based on its furnishings, and which is very much aimed at a rough-and-tumble buyer?

Right, so what about what sets them apart on the outside? There are some visual differentiators, and we’ve detailed the tyres you get here, too.

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There are multiple trim levels above and beyond what you see here in the LandCruiser and Land Rover, so you can spend a whole lot more if you want to. 

In fact, we’d suggest you spend up on the GXL version of the 300 Series at least, that way you’d get seven seats, carpet, added safety gear, and Toyota’s multi-terrain select system, too.

And the sky's the limit when it comes to what you can add to your Land Rover Defender - there are literally thousands of combinations - including a multitude of engine options (and a mammoth petrol V8, too!) - but just be prepared for the prices to be sky high, too.

As for the Nissan Patrol Ti-L? On pricing and specs it’s the clear winner here. It might be the most expensive on list price, but it has the most standard inclusions, and could be a great option for families looking for an adventure rig for under a hundred grand. 

There are three very different looks and feels when it comes to the cabin presentation and finishes, and also the amount of space and storage on board these three four-wheel drives.

First up, let’s consider the cabin of the Land Rover.

It has a far more adventurous look and feel compared to the other two - the materials are interesting, from the wetsuit-like pad across the top of the dash to the soft plastic toppers on the doors, to the white plastic dashboard finish embossed with “DEFENDER” in front of the passenger. This is a far more fun and interesting place to be than its rivals.

Our test car had the Jump Seat (the middle front seat) option, which has a pair of cup holders integrated into it but they have a hard plastic edge and can be uncomfortable on your arm. The standard middle option is a console box with armrest. 

The storage incorporated by the dashboard design is clever, there are plenty of spots for loose items. And like the other models in this test, you get bottle holders in all the doors, too.

The Pivi media screen is high resolution and crisp in its display, fast to respond to inputs and pretty easy to use on the road, too. We did have some pairing issues when using Bluetooth and iPhone, but it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The part-digital instrument cluster is an interesting feature, too.

One thing we found encouraging was that not all the functions run through that infotainment screen - instead, you have knobs and dials for the air-conditioning and fan, which also double as controls for the off-road modes (which then show the selected mode on both the media and driver info screen). It might sound complex, but it’s simple.

It might be the widest in terms of exterior dimensions but it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly broad inside. There’s certainly enough space to feel comfortable. With five adults on board, all agreed the seat comfort was best in the Defender. The front seats have manual adjustment.

The space in the second row is good, too, with a nice amount of width for shoulder room, a decently flat floor and easily enough knee and toe room for adults and kids alike. As with the other vehicles in this test, it has dual ISOFIX rear outboard seat attachment points and three top-tether points. 

What you miss out on in this spec of Defender, though, is a pair of map pockets in the back, and there’s no fold-down armrest and no cup holders. At least you get rear directional air vents, and a few USB ports to choose from.

While the overall feeling in the cabin of the Defender is one of rugged luxury, it does come with “durable rubberised flooring” which might not be to all tastes. Just get some floor mats.

In the boot area there is a nice sturdy lining to stop your muddy boots from ruining any carpeting, and the test car we had included a 230-volt power point in the back, too. 

The biggest potential annoyance with the boot of the Land Rover is the side-swing tailgate, which is assisted in the way it opens but can still almost shut on you if you’re parked on an incline - you have to make sure it opens and the opening lock actuates so as not to get swallowed by the door. Note, that door is also huge if you reverse park close to a wall. Boot space dimensions and details are below.

Next, the LandCruiser 300 Series, which in GX spec is basic and, frankly, a bit boring. 

There are cloth seats with manual adjustment up front, while the floor is vinyl. That’s great for adventure, but - as with the Defender - you might expect more when you’re spending this much. That said, the GX version of the ‘Cruiser has always been aimed more at fleet and business customers than private buyers - but we included it here because it was on price parity.

The cabin space is a tall and airy feeling than the Land Rover, with a simple but clean layout. The controls all look a bit more modern than the old 200 Series, with up to date switchgear and a more digital-influenced design - though it’s hardly at the cutting edge.

There’s a mass of black plastic inside, and no real distinguishing features to add any “special” or “adventurous” or even “luxurious” feel. 

But it does what Toyota does well - the controls are all placed logically, interacting with them is simple, and anyone could simply sit in the driver’s seat and understand what’s what. That’s not necessarily the case in either of the rivals.

The 9.0-inch touchscreen media system is flanked by buttons and knobs to make it simple to use, but it’s the only one here without sat nav built in. The screen has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it looks small, and so does the 4.2-inch driver info screen between the dials. Just a note - if you buy a more expensive LandCruiser, you can get a bigger driver info screen and a larger multimedia screen, too.

The result is that you feel a bit shortchanged by the up-front experience in the LC300 GX, though the requisite storage and smarts are all good: you get bottle holders in the doors, cup holders between the seats and a few storage nooks and crannies in the cab, too. A plastic steering wheel adds to the utilitarian bent of the interior.

The back seat is about equal to the Land Rover for foot, shoulder and head room. You can fit three adults across the back, and like the Defender and Patrol there are three top-tether points across the second row, and two ISOFIX attachment points in the outboard second-row seats, too. 

While the rear seat has directional vents, they didn’t work in our test car. We tried for about an hour to figure out why they weren’t and consulted the owners manual too - but to no avail. 

As with the Defender, you don’t get a fold-down armrest, there are no rear cup holders, and there are no map pockets, either. 

In the boot there’s a large flat vinyl-lined floor, easily large enough for multiple large bags and camping gear (see boot capacity figures in the table at the bottom of this section). The spare wheel is mounted under the boot floor, and there’s a 230-volt powerpoint in the boot.

If there is one of these SUVs that feels like it was inspired by early 2000s business class cabin interior design, it’s the Nissan Patrol Ti. 

With its wood and leather-laden interior, it is most certainly aimed at a different type of customer to the other two vehicles here. 

The thing is, this interior was probably actually designed in the 2000s, because the Patrol went on sale in 2011 and - in Australia at least - hasn’t seen any significant interior improvements. As such, it’s a button-fest, with a small screen by modern standards, and seats and finishings that feel, well, really old.

That isn’t aided by the media screen and sat nav map graphics that are close to dot-matrix levels of clarity, and while it has a surround view camera, the clarity of the image is poor - I’ll expand on these comments in the towing section.

Further, the controls for the screen are a bit convoluted, as there’s an array of buttons in different configurations - a circular section at the top, and a couple of rows of buttons and dials below. Let’s just say that modern screens are better laid out.

There’s another dial controller behind the shifter for the off-road controls, and that’s a pretty simple setup to get to grips with. 

The storage up front includes a few cup holders that you can hide away, a big covered and cooled centre console bin, plus bottle holders in the doors. A bit more loose-item stowage - like somewhere to store a larger smartphone other than in the cup holders - would be helpful.

The second-row experience in this car is a considerably more luxurious one, as it has flip down cup holders, map pockets, sumptuous leather trim, and it’s the only one here with rear entertainment screens. The screens are capable of playback of DVDs (there’s a CD/DVD player in the front), plus it can do USB or HDMI playback, too. There are remote controls and headphones as well.

There are rear temperature controls and vents, too, and it feels more plush as a result of all those inclusions.

Plus it’s the only one with third-row seating in this test, though the middle row doesn’t slide like some other SUVs - it just folds. Read our family review of this car to see how the third row stacks up.

As you can see from the interior pictures, the Patrol has a third row seating setup with two additional seats, and the driver’s rearmost seat includes a top-tether attachment point, too, adding a little bit of extra flexibility for families. 

Here are the boot space figures for all three. It is worth considering that the Defender’s boot is notably smaller than its rivals here, despite the numbers being relatively close. In our testing - with our suitcases - we noted that the Patrol and Cruiser both had much more room to play with. And considering the Patrol’s cargo zone also hides a pair of extra seats, it’s particularly impressive. 

So for the interior, it’s going to depend on what you need. You can option seven seats (or six) in the Defender, while the Patrol comes with seven standard (and eight if you choose the cheaper Ti model). It’s only the LC300 that you need to spend-up on the next model (the $101K-plus GXL) for third row seating, but then at least you’re getting a few more creature comforts, if at a high price.

Our on-road testing saw us drive these three SUVs across the same roads to see how they compared for driving dynamics, comfort and efficiency. Here are our findings. 

Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series GX

It handles itself well, and the suspension is well sorted.

The LC300 doesn’t feel as big as it is in urban and highway driving, and it kind of shrinks around you. 

Part of that is to do with the steering, which is easy and predictable in urban settings and reassuring and confident at highway pace. As we found in the towing test, the steer-by-braking system for lane keeping can be a bit invasive, so be prepared for that.

It handles itself well, and the suspension is well sorted, offering a nice and comfortable ride over bumps and dealing well with sharp edges, too. Overall, it’s very comfortable for urban driving and probably perfectly suited for family buyers because of that.

Our driving loop didn’t cause much concern for the engine and transmission, both of which performed with grunt and precision. The gearbox has plenty of gears at its disposal and it isn’t afraid to shuffle through the cogs to ensure the best ratio for smooth and efficiency progress, and while I was fine with the transmission being a bit picky, some buyers might find it annoying - especially if they’re stepping into a 300 from a 200 Series, which had a relaxed and composed powertrain.

The main concern, really, is that in the GX (again) it’s a little bit noisy - the V6 diesel engine is not as quiet as the other two in terms of cabin insulation, but our testers all thought the engine sounded pretty good, and there was no issues with the power and torque on offer, no matter the speed or situation.

Land Rover Defender 110 D250

The ride comfort in the Defender is exceptional, with a really comfortable and quality level of suspension control.

The LC300 was good, but the Defender 110 offers an even more refined and plush drive experience. 

There’s less noise to contend with than in the other two SUVs here, and indeed it is a more refined noise from the engine, too. Almost VW- and Audi-like.

The engine isn’t perfectly linear in its power delivery, with some lag to contend with from slower pace or standstill. The engine in the LC300 by comparison was just a touch more linear and less fussy, could be to do with the number of gears available for use in that SUV.

However, the ride comfort is exceptional, with a really comfortable and quality level of suspension control. The airbags front and rear make for a cushy ride in most situations, though - as is the case with many airbag-equipped vehicles, larger sharper bumps can be felt with a bit more of a jolt than in the more traditional suspension of the Toyota for instance, but it’s not to the point of annoyance and the general ride quality is so good that it’s easy to overlook such a minor complaint.

The steering is just a little bit slower than the Toyota, but again that lends to that luxurious feel of the Defender’s urban driving character – plus there is good feel to the wheel, too.

Probably the only complaint really is visibility from the driver’s seat. Over shoulder is pretty poor thanks to those odd boxy design features at the C-pillar, and unless you order the optional camera-based rearview mirror you will be stuck with a spare tyre in your view too. However something to note, in bright light at certain times of the day that camera based mirror can also suffer from lens flare.

Nissan Patrol Ti-L

The petrol V8 engine in the Patrol is very punchy and also sounds terrific.

Sit in the Patrol and you instantly feel like you’re driving something much larger and much heavier than the other two vehicles here. 

Despite that, the steering despite is extremely light and actually kind of off putting because it is so light - it’s so quick to turn at times, but then you still have to turn the wheel quite a lot to get the thing to about face - it’s just not nearly as pinpoint accurate or enjoyable as either of the other two.

The suspension can be a little bit firm at times but also slightly wobbly when it comes to the body control, and the front suspension can shudder a little bit over sharp jolts. it’s all a bit hodgepodge, and the sheer mass and size of the thing makes it a little unwieldy by comparison.

What is enjoyable about this drive experience is the petrol V8 engine, which is very punchy and also sounds terrific. If that’s what you’re into, you’re gonna love it.

But you might find yourself taking gear-shifting into your own hands, as the transmission can be lazy in taking its time to downshift when you’re climbing hills and coming to a halt.

It’s almost like stepping back in time here – this is an old feeling drive experience, and just isn’t quite as polished or enjoyable as either of the rivals in this test. It’s a convincing third place for the urban and highway driving experience. 

Thanks to our mates at Avida for loaning us the Topaz test caravan for our towing review. This multi-terrain model tips the scales at just over 2750kg, meaning a pretty decent towball down weight of 275kg or thereabouts. The Avida Topaz Multi-terrain model we tested has a list price of $115,000. 

That’s within the 3500kg braked tow rating of all three of these models, and representative of what you might tow if you have a family of four and all the associated holiday gear when considering your overall gross combination mass and payload capacity. 

Before we get into it, hitching up this 8165mm-long caravan to the back of each of our 4WDs required a tow ball adjustment (pin-type towing attachment rather than the 50mm ball each came equipped with), and we also measured the rear suspension sag or deflection when the caravan was hitched. We also checked and corrected our tyre pressures, too.

For reference, the least deflection was from the Defender, with its airbag suspension clearly better catering for a more level towing stance (it dropped just 35mm at the back). The Patrol already looked comparatively squat, but it dropped a further 60mm at the back. And the high-riding LC300’s rear slumped by 65mm to accommodate the caravan. 

Here’s how they went over our multifaceted towing loop, which incorporated tight urban streets, open country road cruising, smooth highway driving and “can I keep up” freeway testing, as well as a few steep climbs thrown in for good measure.

Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series GX

The LC300s engine definitely feels up to the task, but it can also sound a little raucous when pushing hard.

To say we expected better of the LC300 would be apt. It wasn’t nearly as composed or comfortable as its rivals for the driver or passenger during our towing test loop, and felt considerably more busy and prone to swaying and body movement overall.

There was lots of nose-to-tail bobbing and you can really feel it has a shorter wheelbase compared to its rivals (2850mm vs 3022mm for Defender and 3075mm for Patrol). The ride comfort and outright stability just wasn’t as good or controlled as its competitors. It’s also important to note the LandCruiser is the only one of this trio to use a less-sophisticated solid rear axle.

The LC300’s steering was a highlight however, with nice weighting and feel to the driver’s hands. The LC still runs a hydraulic steering setup, and that system does offer a level of engagement that is impressive.

The lane keeping tech can correct the steering line by braking certain wheels rather than actively torquing the steering wheel itself and it is mostly pretty benign, but I did have one moment where the steer-by-braking system caught me unawares, and that’s not ideal with almost three tonnes in tow.

So what about the engine? Well, it definitely feels up to the task but it can also sound a little raucous when pushing hard. The GX’s passenger-side snorkel definitely adds some additional engine noise to contend with, too.

And yes, on paper, the new 3.3L V6 offers more grunt than the old 200 Series V8, but it also has additional gears to play with for hilly roads and when accelerating from a standstill - we’re talking 227kW and 700Nm through 10 gears, as opposed to 200kW/650Nm and six gears.

I would say most people are probably going to think that the 200 Series with the lazy acceleration of the diesel V8 will be more suited to towing, and I’d agree. The transmission and the fact that there are more gears to play in the LC300 can mean it felt busier, and as though it’s doing more work than it might need to be doing – that’s the impression you get.

That isn’t to say it isn’t settled at freeway pace. We sat at 110km/h and the rev readout was just a touch under 1500rpm, and it appeared to be in 10th gear, too.

As for our hill climb at the end of the freeway - for those playing along, we’re talking about Lapstone Hill, just the other side of the Nepean River at the end of the M4 freeway in Western Sydney - the LC300’s transmission dropped back several gears to maintain 90km/h up this ascent, and we noted it ended up in fifth gear to do so.

But what was annoying was that in drive (rather than in manual mode) there is no “current gear indicator” - we had to slip it into manual mode to see what gear it was in.

That said, the engine was definitely up for it, even if the transmission was a little busy.

On the road, then, it was a bit of a mixed bag. And hooking up the van was a bit of a challenge, too.

Firstly, the offset-mounted reversing camera has a guide line (in the GX at least) to hook up where the middle of the back of the vehicle is, but it doesn’t line up with where the towbar is - that’s annoying.

Plus that camera doesn’t have active steering guidelines like its rivals in this test, and for a new car it offers poor resolution.

And one final towing trouble - the reversing camera turns off instantly as you shift out of Reverse, making fine adjustments of centimetres at a time very frustrating.

Land Rover Defender 110 D250

The Defender offers a confidence-inspiring towing experience.

While the Toyota was a pain to hook up because of its terrible camera setup, the Defender was easily the best of the bunch. In fact, it’s the best camera setup this particular tester has ever experienced when hooking up a trailer.

That’s because it has a surround view camera but also a prioritised rear view camera at the touch of the screen. There’s a towing mode for the (centrally mounted) camera with the towbar lining up at the centre of the camera. It made for a simple hook up.

There is also a towing mode for the side cameras that can give you a broad view of the road on either side of your caravan.

Further, you can adjust the car’s smarts by using a bespoke towing mode - we input the fact we were towing a caravan (options included a trailer, car trailer, camper and more), and also the length from towbar to axle midpoint, and the overall width, which allowed the car to figure out how its systems (air suspension, electronic stability control and more) behave. 

And behave it does, with the Defender offering a confident and confidence-inspiring towing experience, with a level of control and comfort that the LC300 simply falls short of.

It is refined and composed for the most part, with far less nose-to-tail bobbing and good body control while towing. The wheelbase length advantage over the LC300 was clear, as was the tyre contact patch, with the wider rubber of the Defender helping it feel more in tune with the road below.

The steering is light and manageable, without quite as much feel to the driver’s hands as the Toyota offered, 

Admittedly, it didn’t have the same urgency under acceleration as the LC300 - understandably, as they’re close in terms of kerb weight but the Toyota produces 44kW and 130Nm more. But it’s not slow, and was easily capable of keeping up with traffic (highway speed - eighth gear at 110km/h, revving at 1500rpm) and holding its own for the hill climb test (dropping to fourth gear to maintain 90km/h).

The big take away was that with two fewer gears, the powertrain felt a bit more relaxed, and a hushed soundtrack from the diesel power unit meant it was more relaxing in that respect, too. We also loved the transmission throttle-blipping on downshifts when approaching intersections, as it just offered a level of reassurance that you know what’s happening at all times, without it being intrusive or confusing.

A final consideration? The optional Clearsight mirror is useless when towing a caravan of this height. It just looks straight at the caravan. 

Nissan Patrol Ti-L

The Patrol felt more stable with a load in tow.

Hitching up in the Patrol was difficult. The camera resolution is poor, the image quality is squint-worthy and also annoyingly offset. I relied on my colleagues the most when trying to line this vehicle up to the trailer.

As for the towing experience, it could be better too. 

The biggest issue I had with it was the steering response and accuracy, which simply doesn’t offer a very true feel for the road. It’s very hard to find a comfortable position for the steering on the straight-ahead, and maintaining a line requires a lot of constant adjustment.

Further to that, when you start to turn the steering is more direct and reactive and you might think it will be based on the straight-ahead impression, and that can be a little disconcerting and take some getting used to.

But, with a 225mm wheelbase advantage over the LC300, the Patrol felt more stable with a load in tow, with its all-independent suspension ironing out bumps and lumps better than both of its rivals. While the nose-to-tail bobbing was bad in the Toyota and improved in the Defender, it was almost non-existent in the Patrol.

The engine is a strong and revvy character, with a nice soundtrack to it and you’ll hear plenty of it in traffic or when accelerating. Even so, it’s quieter inside than the Toyota, and that could come down to the fact it has double-glazed windows.

The seven-speed auto holds gears as long as it thinks it needs to, and doesn’t muck around too much between ratios either. It’s pretty quick to react to sudden throttle inputs as well. However, it is better at higher speeds, because when you’re going slower it can be a little eager to hang on to higher gears rather than down-shift.

Of note, the Patrol was revving a little higher at 110km/h (1800rpm) in seventh gear - it has fewer ratios than its rivals, and of course, it’s a petrol, so it will have a tendency to sing a higher tune. And on our hill climb, it dropped as low as third gear, with some evident hustling between gears to hold 90km/h.

Couple of notes on the brakes - they felt good and nicely progressive through the pedal when driving, but that foot-operated park brake is a pain in the backside.

You might be shocked by this, but on paper it actually looks as though the Land Rover has the advantage when it comes to ownership.

We know - it’s competing against a Nissan and a Toyota, both of which have sturdy reputations for reliability and longevity. But each of those big SUVs has its downfalls when it comes to the ownership promise. Here’s a table for the info you need:

So, the Land Rover works out cheaper to service if you opt for the service pack - and why wouldn’t you? - plus it has longer servicing intervals that are condition-based, meaning you don’t have to worry about setting a reminder on your phone to take your car in every six months for servicing.

Six-month intervals are just the start of the question-marks around both of the others. If you consider the annual costs - because you have to get them serviced twice a year - you’re looking at higher expenses for running costs, and the Toyota doesn’t even come with roadside assist included, you have to pay extra for it.

Update: Nissan adjusted Patrol service intervals to 12m/10,000km and cut capped service costs in January 2022, after this story was published.

The counter argument is that if you’re doing the big Aussie trip and you’re stuck with some kind of problem, you’re always going to be closer to a Toyota workshop than you are to any other brand in the country. That’s just a fact, and it’s why you see so many ‘Cruisers in the remote areas.

But even so, we can’t give the Toyota the win in this section because, on paper, it’s worse than the Defender (apart from that conditional seven-year warranty extension if you have your car serviced on time). The Nissan? Its costs make it run third in this section.

Oh, you might be wondering about common complaints, concerns, recalls, issues, reliability quibbles and other ownership question marks, right? Well check out our dedicated pages which will likely highlight any key issues: Land Rover problems; Toyota LandCruiser problems; Nissan Patrol problems.

Where is the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series built? The answer is “made in Japan”, and that’s the same answer for “where is the Nissan Patrol built?”. But if you’re asking “where is the Land Rover Defender made?”, you may be surprised to learn the answer is Slovakia… not England.