Toyota Landcruiser

Toyota Land Cruiser Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Toyota Land Cruiser here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Should I buy a 2014 Toyota LandCruiser if there is visible rust?

  Any time there’s rust on a Toyota LandCruiser from Western Australia, the alarm bells start ringing. And that’s because these vehicles are frequently used by the mining industry and lead very hard – and often very short – working lives. Salt water and acidic conditions in many mines means vehicles can have a very short life expectancy. Toyota works hard to rust-proof its vehicles, but mine work will still often overcome those efforts.

  The problem, as you’ve already identified, is that the person you eventually try to sell the vehicle to will be hearing the same alarm bells, and the vehicle may be difficult to on-sell even if the rust is merely superficial. That said, rust around the windows and underneath the car suggests that at the very least, the vehicle needs a close inspection by a specialist, and taking a punt on it doesn’t seem like a great idea to us. Perhaps an independent inspection by the RACWA would be a wise investment. I’d be finding out who the vehicle was previously registered to as a double-check.

  Buying from a Toyota dealer should perhaps infer some kind of protection, but bear in mind that in WA, unlike a passenger car less than 10 years old, a commercial vehicle (such as a LandCruiser ute) does not come with any statutory warranty. Ex-mine vehicles are often sold relatively cheaply. Your current experience is why.

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• Is the rear bumper interchangeable between a 1998 Toyota Landcruiser Prado and a 1998 Prado Grande?

  The two vehicles you’ve mentioned are, in fact, fundamentally the same vehicle. The only difference in the rear bumpers of each was that the base-model Prado’s bumper was finished in grey plastic, while the upmarket Grande’s was body-coloured for a more integrated look. So, yes, the two bumpers should be physically interchangeable.

  The only difference in any of the Prado’s side mouldings was that the entry-level model, the RV, with its skinnier wheels and tyres, didn’t have the wheel-arch flares, so the moulding that joins the rear bumper to the rear part of the wheel arch would be different on the RV compared with the other Prado trim levels.

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• Will the new 2021 Toyota Landcruiser 300 Series have the centre console fridge?

  The chilled box between the front seats of the current LandCruiser is on just about every four-wheel-driver’s wish-list. It’s a great idea and it’s a wonder more car-makers don’t offer this even as an extra-cost option, even beyond the off-road market. So, the smart money would say that the new 300-Series LandCruiser will continue with this feature.

  The catch – as it is now – is that you’ll probably have to pony up for the most expensive version of the LandCruiser to get the drinks chiller. In the current 200-Series Cruiser, you need to buy the range-topping Sahara to get the chilled centre console which also gets you heated and cooled leather front seats just to complete the decadence. Perhaps Toyota will make the chilled centre-console available on lesser versions of the new 300-Series, and perhaps as an extra-cost option for, say the volume-selling GXL model. That’s a distinct possibility as, historically, Toyota has moved the LandCruiser range further upmarket with every new model. It’s an option that would probably experience a pretty high take-up rate, we reckon.

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• Which of the Toyota LandCruiser is the most best?

  Only two six-cylinder diesel options were available in the LandCruiser from 2000 onwards. The 100 Series used a 4.2-litre turbo-diesel six-cylinder (dubbed the 1HD-FTE) which has lots of performance and a great reputation for reliability and durability. The base-model version of the 100 Series (officially known as the 105 Series) used the non-turbocharged 4.2-litre six-cylinder diesel (the 1HZ) which is even more long-lived with many owners recording more that half-a-million kilometres without major issues. The catch is that the 1HZ with just 96kW of power and 285Nm of torque felt pretty underwhelming in the relatively heavy LandCruiser. The turbocharged 1HD-FTE, meanwhile, could muster up a more meaningful 151kW and 430Nm. Both those engine options ran until the end of the 100 Series which was eventually replaced by the 200 Series in 2007. At that point, the only diesel engine offered was the twin-turbo V8 diesel. Early examples of this engine gave some problems, but Toyota made running changes to improve that and the V8 Diesel is now also highly regarded.

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