Isuzu D-Max vs Toyota Land Cruiser

What's the difference?

The D-Max X-Rider has adequate appeal as a daily driver – it’s functional and comfortable – and it’s also working off a proven 4WD platform.

This mid-spec ute lacks the polish of higher-grade D-Max grades, but it may still entice those ute fans who want a workhorse with a tractable engine and don’t care at all about frippery.

Does that 2.2-litre engine add anything substantial to the package? No, and the potential fuel savings it represents don’t seem so likely as the 3.0-litre doesn’t use a lot more fuel than the 2.2-litre D-Max anyway – and the 3.0-litre version only costs another $2000 or so to buy.

The 3.0-litre D-Max remains the better option because while the 2.2L is effective off-road, it’s only reasonable in general day-to-day driving, as it lacks grunt and has to work that much harder and is that much noisier under load than the 3.0-litre in most driving scenarios, including 4WDing.

The i-Force Max hybrid set-up is aimed at improving performance rather than fuel efficiency, but its effectiveness in that respect is hard to fathom.

Increases in power and torque are welcome, of course, but the 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel Cruiser is just as good as the hybrid off-road and with a bigger fuel tank and greater driving range.

The hybrid LandCruiser will certainly appeal to some buyers, but the lion’s share of those interested in the 300 Series are looking to tow big loads and go long distances in comfort, which is why the diesel Cruiser at this stage is the better pick of the two powertrains.

Nothing much – if anything at all really – is different about this D-Max’s exterior compared to others in the stable.

Sure, the X-Rider has a tweaked front grille, 17.0-inch gloss black alloy wheels and black sports bar but those elements are mere frippery on top of what is already a tidy looking package.

The D-Max X-Rider is 5205mm long (with a 3125mm wheelbase), 1870mm wide and 1785mm high.

Inside, it is a clear uncluttered space, which is spot-on for this ute and part of the line-up’s rough charm.

The D-Max retains even an undeniable robust presence when compared to the more stylish Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger, or even rivals such as the Toyota HiLux.

Nothing of note has changed onboard the Cruiser and the GR Sport variants are all the same, inside and out, no matter which powertrain you opt for.

And that’s fine because this is a good-looking rooster.

The GR Sport is listed as 4995mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1990mm wide and 1955mm high. It has a kerb weight of 2620kg.

This 300 Series looks much the same as it did at launch in 2021: big, chunky, imposing – like me if I was wearing high heels.

As a point of difference to other Cruisers, though, all GR Sports have variant-specific badging on the grille, front doors and rear tailgate.

Inside, it’s pretty much the same story which is borne out in how comfortable and practical it remains.

The X-Rider is a solidly spartan mid-spec ute.

From its myriad durable plastic surfaces through to its high-grade cloth seats, this ute is booted and suited for the dirt and dust of real day-to-day life.

Sure, it misses out on some of the more appealing aspects of higher-spec D-Max grades – including a bigger 9.0-inch touchscreen, built-in sat-nav, and less-tinny nine-speaker audio system – but it remains steadfastly true to the spirit of Isuzu’s workhorses where substance wins out over style every time.

As in any good ute, the cabin has a comfortably familiar feel about it and it’s an easy space in which to spend lots of drive time.

The interior is adequately spacious with supportive seats upfront and a reasonably comfortable bench-style pew for the three back-seat passengers.

While the touchscreen system is a bit clunky in operation – it takes some time and effort to navigate your way through menus and sub-menus to reach the area you want (usually the driver-assist tech that you want to adjust), the general mix of controls (on-screen and real switches, buttons and dials) are welcome.

There are plenty of charging options – a mix of USB-A, USB-C and 12V upfront, and USB-A for the back row – and storage places include recesses for your wallet, keys etc, a deep-ish centre console, as well as dual cupholders upfront and cupholders in the back seat’s fold-down armrest, and bottle holders in the doors.

Back-row passengers get USB ports, directional air-con vents and shallow under-seat storage.

The tub is 1570mm long (at floor level), 1530mm wide (1122mm between the wheel-arches) and 490mm deep. It has an under-rail tub liner, two cargo tie-down points, and it has tailgate assist.

Our test vehicle had a soft tonneau cover, which is annoyingly fiddly to close at the top edge of the tailgate.

Tub options for D-Max owners include a tonneau or roller cover (which offers at least some degree of security from thieves, and protection from rain, mud, snow etc), or an Isuzu or aftermarket canopy, although a canopy impacts the versatility of the load space because once it’s an enclosed area it makes it more difficult to carry long, awkward and/or large loads in the tub.

The LandCruiser’s cabin is a functional and comfortable space, and – no matter the spec level – it always has a sense of familiarity about it.

All seats in the GR Sport are leather-accented and comfortable and there are soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior.

The driver gets a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel and both occupants up front cop ventilated and heated, power-adjustable seats (with memory functions for the driver).

The GR Sport’s 12.3-inch colour touchscreen is easy to use, with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s a wireless charging pad near the shifter.

Physical buttons and dials make operational life in the Cruiser much easier than if all functions were adjusted via on-screen controls, as is the case in some new vehicles.

There are USB and USB-C charging points up front.

There’s a cool box in the centre console and its lid can be opened from either side, so driver or passenger can access whatever is chilling within.

There’s also a powered sunroof if you’re that way inclined.

Beyond those features, there are the usual storage spaces, cupholders, receptacles in the doors for bigger bottles and other spaces for your bits and pieces.

The second-row seats are in a 40/20/40 split-folding configuration.

The GR Sport’s cargo space, when all five seats are in use, is a listed 910 litres behind the second row, somewhat impacted by the underfloor presence of the hybrid battery. That cargo area grows to 1842 litres when the second row is stowed away.

The rear cargo area of the hybrid has a 200V/1500W inverter, four tie-down points and of course, there's a full-size spare.

All in all, the Cruiser has the goods when it comes to practicality.

The five-seat Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR (Gazoo Racing) Sport Hybrid sits near the top of the 300 Series line-up and as such has a price-tag of $155,990, before on-road costs.

It's worth noting the GR Sport is also available with a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine at $147,090, before on-roads.

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, a 14-speaker JBL audio system, as well as leather-accented seats, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and more.

The i-Force Max hybrid set-up is the big attraction in this package and, largely because of that new powertrain, Cruiser buyers have to cop a heftier price – just under $9000 – over the diesel variants.

As the highest off-road grade in the Cruiser line-up, the GR Sport is kitted out with front, centre and rear diff locks, E-KDSS (essentially an electronic active swaybar), and the long-time bolted-on LandCruiser 4WD heritage.

Exterior paint options include the no-cost Glacier White or Ebony, or choose from Crystal Pearl, Arctic White, Graphite, Eclipse Black or Merlot Red, each of which costs $710.

Rivals such as the Nissan Patrol Warrior (priced from around the $110,000 mark) or Land Rover Defender (from $102,000) offer similar levels of standard features, but something like the Denza B8 plug-in hybrid (kicking off from around the $91,000 mark) has a packed standard features list for much less cash.

The 2.2L D-Max X-Rider has a 2.2L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 120kW at 3600rpm and 400Nm between 1600-2400rpm and it’s matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the 3.0-litre D-Max has always been mostly unstressed in the majority of driving scenarios – even low-range 4WDing – the 2.2-litre feels underpowered.

It is noisy, especially under heavy acceleration or load. It has to work harder than the 3.0-litre and, again, it is noisy. Yes, the 3.0-litre D-Max is gruff, but there's a strained edge to the roughness in the 2.2-litre that is very noticeable while driving on sealed surfaces at speed.

Have I mentioned that it’s noisy?

The good news is that the eight-speed auto feels as slick and as smooth in application here as it does in this ute’s stablemate, the MU-X, and, as such, it feels right at home in this ute.

This D-Max has a part-time 4WD system which includes a dual-range transfer case (with high- and low-range 4WD) and a rear diff-lock. The driver is able to shift from 2H (two-wheel drive, high-range) to 4H (4WD high-range) while on the move up to speeds of 100km/h. The diff-lock may only be engaged when the vehicle is in 4L (4WD low-range).

The D-Max also has a switchable terrain mode system which tweaks the engine, transmission and traction control to suit the driving conditions. 'Rough Terrain' mode, like a steroids-enhanced off-road traction control, is king of these modes when you’re off the bitumen.

The big news here is the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain consisting of a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, an electric motor and a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota reckons the “purpose‑built 1‑Motor Hybrid system” is designed for towing, off‑roading and heavy‑duty performance and that the additional electric motor “enhances power and responsiveness (compared with an equivalent diesel-only model), working seamlessly alongside the internal combustion engine”.

In general driving, it’s difficult, nigh on impossible, to discern the positive impact, if any, of the i-Force Max. But the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine alone is impressive.

There’s no denying this Cruiser now benefits from a substantial increase in power (up 114kW to 341kW combined peak output) and torque (up 90Nm to 790Nm combined peak output) over the diesel Cruiser.

The Dakar Rally-inspired LC300 GR Sport’s 10-speed torque converter auto cleverly handles open-road driving and high- and low-range 4WDing, micro-managing power and torque to maintain a level-headed but involved driving experience.

The GR Sport has full-time, dual-range 4WD, a well-calibrated off-road traction control system, as well as front, rear and centre diff locks, so it’s almost unstoppable.

In this realm, the Cruiser holds its own against the likes of Nissan Patrol Warrior and Land Rover Defender.

Official fuel consumption for this D-Max is 7.1L/100km.

Real-world fuel consumption on this test was 8.4L/100km.

The D-Max has an 76-litre fuel tank, so, going by that on-test fuel consumption figure, you should be able to get a driving range of about 904km.

But remember, your fuel consumption has the potential to be much higher than our tested figures because chances are you'll have family, friends, pets, camping gear, water craft, the whole kit and caboodle on board. I only carried vehicle recovery gear, MaxTrax, and a first-aid kit, so I didn’t have a huge amount of weight on board.

Official fuel consumption is 10.0L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

Our fuel consumption on this test was 13.6L/100km, which is substantially more than the claimed figure, but testing did, of course, include high- and low-range 4WDing.

This hybrid Cruiser has a 98-litre fuel tank (the diesel holds 110 litres) so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 720km out of a full tank.

The D-Max has for some time been regarded as reasonable on-road - comfortable, composed, and somewhat refined for a 4WD ute.

However, while the 3.0-litre D-Max is gruff and laggy and yet retains a certain rough charm, the 2.2-litre version is simply noisy and sluggish and forgoes the charm.

This D-Max has to work harder than the 3.0-litre does, and it makes that abundantly clear with a caustic edge to the roughness in the 2.2-litre that is very noticeable on road.

It’s slow off the mark, exhibiting a disconcerting lag under heavy throttle from a standing start. And it’s far from the most dynamic vehicle to drive. But its low-key appealing tractability almost manages to negate these flaws – but not quite.

As mentioned earlier, the eight-speed auto is a smooth operator, micro-managing the engine as best it can.

When it comes time to leave the bitumen and hit the dirt, this D-Max – with a kerb weight of approximately 2010kg and a not-insubstantial turning circle of 12.5m – feels nimble on bush tracks and it is still very capable.

Even though the 3.0-litre D-Max is not the ute segment’s torquiest, it offers plenty of pulling power across a broad rev range – with peak torque between 1600rpm and 2400rpm – and it delivers that torque in an even-handed way. It still has a decent amount of low- and mid-range torque, which makes dirt-road cruising and low-speed 4WDing easy.

One of the major differences between the two engines is that the 2.2-litre D-Max has to work that much harder than its stablemate, and, as a result, it’s noisier and harsher.

However, this D-Max has part-time 4WD (with high- and low-range 4WD), a rear diff lock and an effective off-road traction control system (which has been recalibrated over the years), so it still retains all of that off-road capability the D-Max has built its reputation on.

Ground clearance is 235mm and wading depth is 800mm, so there’s an adequate amount of clearance for most reasonable off-road challenges (for standard unmodified vehicles) and its listed off-road angles of 26.9 (approach), 23.9 (departure) and 23.3 (ramp-over) all check out.

This ute’s wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down relative to the chassis – has more than an adequate amount of flex, stretching its tyres close, if not all the way, to the dirt.

This D-Max’s 255/65 R17 all-terrain tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek AT25s on 17” x 7” alloy rims) are adequate for off-roading but an even more aggressive set of all-terrains would boost this ute’s off-road capability.

The general rule applies here as with any standard unmodified off-road vehicle: drive with care, control and consideration and you shouldn't have any trouble tackling light to moderate 4WDing in this ute.

The 2.2L D-Max has a listed kerb weight of 2010kg. In terms of packability, gross vehicle mass is 3100kg, so theoretically this ute has a payload of 1090kg (GVM - kerb weight = payload), but Isuzu has based that figure on the cab-chassis variant’s weight.

This ute’s payload total – after the weight of onboard accessories and a 200kg total of driver and passengers are subtracted – is 818kg, according to Isuzu’s own payload calculator.

The 2.2L D-Max can legally tow 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 3500kg (braked). It has a listed gross combined mass of 6000kg.

Steering, now electric, is light but precise and this 4WD wagon feels highly manoeuvrable; with a turning circle of 11.8m it's quite nimble.

The new hybrid set-up is aimed at performance rather than fuel efficiency and as before the Cruiser remains a comfortable open-road cruiser, smoothly tapping into oodles of power and torque when required, all managed smoothly through the 10-speed auto.

This Cruiser’s on-road ride and handling are composed but it is soft rather than dynamic. Its suspension – double wishbone, independent at the front and live axle and multi-links at the rear with coils all-around – soaks up most irregularities in any road surface.

Its ventilated disc brakes front and rear brought the big Cruiser to a controlled stop during our emergency-braking scenarios on test.

When it comes to off-roading, this LandCruiser benefits from handy 4WD gear some other Cruiser grades miss out on, namely Toyota’s swaybar-disconnect equivalent E-KDSS (electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System), front and rear differential locks, and adaptive variable suspension.

The E-KDSS set-up acts like an electronic active swaybar, adjusting tension on the front and rear sway bars to suit the terrain and driving conditions.

While it’s a high-value addition on-road – tightening them for better body control at higher speeds on sealed surfaces – it gives the vehicle a lot more flexibility in terms of wheel articulation off-road, offering full stretch on the axles when tackling off-road scenarios.

This hybrid 300 Series tackled all obstacles at our unofficial testing and proving ground without any strife; its top-tier power and torque levels are consistently delivered across a broad rev range and that 10-speed auto is never caught out, scrambling through ratios to find the sweet spot.

High- and low-range gearing are solid in the 300 Series, and the suite of driver assist tech, aimed at making off-road driving easier and safer, is comprehensive: the traction control system has been further fine-tuned over previous versions, and is now even more precise in application.

The 300’s multi-terrain select system gives you the option of cycling through driving modes – for example, Sand, Snow, Mud, Rocks and Dirt – to suit the terrain. When engaged, the modes adjust vehicle systems, throttle, engine output etc to best suit the conditions, driving style and terrain.

Off-road measurements and angles are on point for a large 4WD wagon. Ground clearance is 245mm, wading depth is 700mm, and approach, ramp-over and departure angles are 32, 25 and 25 degrees, respectively.

Besides that, whether it’s being able to access 790Nm of useable torque across a broad rev range, or relying on the LC300’s well-calibrated traction control, or if you are engaging front, rear and centre diff locks, this Cruiser is an almost unstoppable off-roader in the right hands.

Even without the diff locks engaged, this 300 conquers every obstacle you drive it at, through and over.

If you plan to use this 4WD wagon for anything more difficult than dry-track 4WDing in good weather then get more aggressive all-terrain tyres to replace the standard Bridgestone Dueler all-terrains (265/65 R18).

The GR Sport’s full-size spare is mounted to the underbody but it doesn’t impact running clearance.

The 300 Series can legally tow 750kg unbraked, and 3500kg braked.

Here, the Cruiser remains true to its old-school spirit – albeit with a tech edge – in the same way the Nissan Patrol Warrior does, while something like the Land Rover Defender is more spaceship than scrub explorer.

All of the 300 Series line-up, except the GR Sport, have the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in January 2022.

Safety gear includes 10 airbags, two ISOFIX anchor points, as well as AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, active cruise control (all-speed), lane departure alert (with brake to steer), road sign assist (speed signs only), trailer sway control and more.

Off-road driver-assist tech includes crawl control, downhill assist, hill-start assist, multi-terrain select, multi-terrain monitor with panoramic view and active traction control.

The D-Max has a six-year/150,000km warranty and seven years of roadside assistance. Unlimited kilometres in the warranty would be welcome.

A free inspection is pencilled in at the three-month or 3000km mark (whichever occurs soonest), then service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest.

Capped-price servicing covers the first five scheduled services (up to five years/75,000km – whichever occurs soonest) at a cost of $489 for each service.

Isuzu Ute Australia has a nationwide network of more than 160 dealer sites.

The hybrid Cruiser is covered by Toyota’s five year/unlimited km warranty.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 20,000km (whichever occurs soonest) and costs are, at time of writing, $450 per appointment for the first five years or 100,000km (whichever occurs first).

Toyota Australia has more than 300 authorised service centres around the country.