Toyota Land Cruiser 200 series 2007 review

This time around, Toyota's famed Cruiser series has eschewed the workhorse machines and started the four-wheel drive wagon range with the V8 petrol-engined GXL.

That's made the entry level that bit higher in price, a bit more packed with gear and technology.

It has also placed the 200 Series firmly in the premium SUV category, both in pricing and features.

Explore the 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser range

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• Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series 2007 review

So while in the bush or on the beach it is hard to go past a LandCruiser's ability. There are some European marques offering some dirt track ability with a premium badge outside and luxury fittings inside.

And if, having won Lotto, a family was setting off around Australia without concern about travelling budgets, the 200 Series LandCruiser would be the choice of vehicle.

The Toyota is a big wagon not out of place in fancy digs nor bush camps, a comfortable rig for long highway hauls or exploring the roughest of country.

There is the added benefit of understanding there should be a Toyota dealer or service point in just about every town from Brisbane to Bullamakanka.

(And the nice folk at Toyota have given this new LandCruiser a fixed schedule at $180 each for the six standard services over the first three years or 60,000km.

That doesn't quite take the sting out of the purchase price, especially that $10,000 premium for the V8 diesel engine, but it is a nice gesture to keep Toyota buyers coming back to Toyota service centres.)

So climb aboard the all-new Cruiser and there's an air of familiarity.

There is the all-new body but it does not stray too far from Toyota's current style DNA; it looks like a LandCruiser with hints of an overgrown RAV4 or Kluger.

It is a big vehicle, 60mm longer and 30mm wider than before.

And that size is noticed around the town and in the car park, particularly after a steady diet in recent times of new SUV offerings from the likes of BMW.

The Cruiser body, though more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor, fills out to the wagon's four corners where the Europeans have a little more swoop and curve.

The Cruiser's 17-inch alloys look a little short-changed, which may add to the perception the Cruiser's is a big body.

And so the 200 Series Cruiser's bulk is noticed in the traffic. It is quite manoeuvrable in tight spots but needs a little extra road room than some.

With the GXL now the entry level model there is a wealth of cabin do-dads for comfort and convenience and safety.

There is the keyless entry and engine start, trip computer, the extra two seats out back, leather upholstery, dual zone air conditioning and a quality stereo system. (Now it may be a bit sissy, but with all these buttons and dials why no audio controls on the steering wheel?)

There is a deal of gear in here, decent instruments and a high and mighty drive position, aided by electric adjustments for the two front seats. There is a good deal of interior space (130mm more cabin length than before) and, as usual, fit and finish is to a decent standard. VX and Sahara models score a busload of airbags; front, side, knee, curtain and second seat.

The 200 Series is quite refined for a large wagon that's eminently capable of tackling the worst of conditions.

Here the V8 petrol engine is well muted, the five-speed auto transmission quick (and quite adaptive to driving styles).

A long highway run, with light load, saw consumption at 14.3 litres/100km. Around town, that edged closer to 16 litres/100km.

The VX petrol Cruiser weighs in at 2.6 tonne. As good as the new suspension is, this weight cannot always be disguised.

The ride is soft, sometimes it feels too soft at suburban speeds with the smallest hint of wallow. Likewise on tighter turns; at street or highway speeds; there is a touch of body roll and steering response would appear a little slow.

So it takes a little adjustment but soon enough the Cruiser fits like a (big) glove and there is always plenty of grip from the four-wheel drive, aided in VX and Sahara models by vehicle stability control and traction control.

Switch off the VSC for attacking sand tracks and the petrol Cruiser loafs through deep and soft drifts, the V8 working away, transmission slurring through its shifts.

Switch on the crawl control button for attacking nasty off-road inclines and descents in low range. This feature regulates engine responses and braking system to keep vehicle speed steady (there are three speed settings). This is much appreciated as it allows a driver to concentrate on the line of attack, feet off the throttle and brake pedals.

It is a very comfortable, comforting machine in the real tough stuff, a big and comfortable wagon for touring tar or dirt roads with the family in safety.

The 200 Series is a better riding, more advanced machine than the 100 Series wagon that came before. It is packed with technology and a load of comfort features. It remains one of the world's best four-wheel drives for serious off-road work, it remains a robust tow vehicle.

But at these new prices there is now competition for the LandCruiser as a town taxi from some of those European machines and from cheaper, less-frills four-wheel drives (such as Toyota's own 70 Series wagon) for off-road work.