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What's the difference?
The Sahara used to be the big kahuna of the LandCruiser line-up – but no more.
It now sits third from the top in the LC300 range, under the GR Sport and the Sahara ZX.
However, that doesn't mean it's not full of the good stuff, because if you're looking for luxury and refinement, as well as real off-road ability and towing capability then this loaded LandCruiser pretty much sets the bar... and it sets it very high.
But, in the grand scheme or things, is the Sahara cock o' the walk or a feather duster?
Read on.
Contemporary large all-wheel drive SUVs represent a nice balance between on-road comfort and at least some sort of capability to tackle traction-compromised surfaces, such as rain-slicked bitumen or when the blacktop turns to dirt or gravel.
And when a vehicle’s price-tag heads north of the $100k mark surely you can be assured of a top-quality all-round driving experience, right?
Well, we tested a 2022 Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI R-Line to see if it’s worthy of your consideration.
The LandCruiser 300 in Sahara grade is a very impressive seven-seat 4WD wagon. It's nice to drive, it's refined and – bonus – it well and truly retains that renowned legendary LandCruiser off-road capability.
It's very comfortable and – as with previous-generation Cruisers – has heaps of potential as a top-class touring vehicle, but it has a big price-tag to match, there's no denying that.
While there's plenty to like about the Sahara spec, the GXL offers a nice compromise between price and features as long as you don't mind missing out on leather seats, the cooler box, 14-speaker JBL sound system and a few other bits and pieces.
The Touareg is a plush, comfortable SUV which is very nice to drive and, in R-Line guise, it has a welcome bit of saucy sportiness about it.
Let’s be honest: this is not a hard-core off-roading wagon, but to expect it to be such a vehicle is to miss the point entirely.
The Touareg is more than capable of tackling the large SUV market’s own version of dirt-driving adventures and it does it with aplomb and it does it while the driver and passengers enjoy supreme comfort.
The Sahara is 4980mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1980mm wide, and 1950mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 2630kg.
The Sahara's exterior has that distinctive LandCruiser appearance, but modernised: it's chunky, tough-looking and ready to be kitted out with accessories, whether they be Toyota genuine accessories or aftermarket gear.
Otherwise, there are chrome exterior mirrors and door handles, and dynamic indicators front/rear that add to its overall quietly classy appearance.
The 'Celestite Grey' premium paint on our test vehicle costs $675. Other paint choices include 'Glacier White', 'Ebony', 'Crystal Pearl', 'Silver Pearl', 'Graphite', 'Merlot Red', 'Eclipse Black', 'Saturn Blue' and 'Dusty Bronze'.
This large SUV is 4878mm long (with a 2899mm wheelbase), 1984mm wide, 1686mm high and has an official kerb weight of 2169kg.
There are nice touches inside and out and surely features like chrome roof rails, highlights and exhaust tips will bring at least a slight sly smile to even the most jaded SUV admirer’s face.
This is a sleek, stylish and so very premium-looking and feeling vehicle that it makes a lowly peasant like me feel more than a little bit uncomfortable.
The LandCruiser is renowned as a great off-road touring vehicle – due to its practicality and functionality – and that reputation is unchanged with the 300 Series.
There's a sense of familiarity in the cabin – it's a functional yet premium space – and it's easy to get comfortable.
The driver is spoilt with a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel and ventilated and heated, power-adjustable seat (with three-position memory). The front passenger also gets a ventilated and heated, power-adjustable seat.
All seats are leather-accented, comfortable and there are soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior.
The Sahara's 12.3-inch colour multimedia touchscreen is a main feature in the cabin and it's easy to use, with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there's a wireless charging pad near the shifter. There are USB-A and USB-C charging points, as well.
There's a cool box in the centre console and its lid can be opened from either side, so driver or passenger can access chilled drinks.
There's also a powered sunroof/moonroof, whatever you want to call it.
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, and the third row is a power-folding arrangement that stows away forwards and flat.
The Sahara's cargo space, when all seven seats are in use, is a listed 175 litres (VDA) behind the third row. That grows to 1004 litres when the second and third row are stowed away.
The rear cargo area has a 220V/100W inverter and four tie-down points.
If you’re considering a Touareg as your next SUV, there’s a good chance that you’re already pretty familiar with all that’s on offer inside, but I’ll give you the drum: this interior manages to succeed at being a nice mix of luxurious and practical.
While there are leather and soft-touch surfaces seemingly everywhere, there are also plenty of storage spaces, cup-holders, bottle-holders, USB charge points (front and second row), 12-volt power outlets (front and cargo area), temp and air-vent controls (front and second row), bag hooks (on backs of front seats and in cargo area), cargo tie down hooks/rings (cargo area) and a raft of other features that are well suited to real life.
All seats are supportive and comfortable.
The driver and front passenger seats are power-adjustable and heated and ventilated.
The rear seats are a 40/20/40 split configuration and the row can slide and recliners two separate sections. It has a fold-down centre arm-rest with cupholders.
There is 1800 litres of cargo area volume with the second row folded; 810 litres with it in place.
The seven-seat Sahara has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $133,881 (excluding on-road costs). Surely a chunk of cash by anyone's calculations.
Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen (with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a wireless phone charger, four-zone climate control, leather-accented trim, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats (with three-position driver's seat memory), heated second-row seats (outboard), and power-folding third-row seats.
There is also cooled centre console storage, a 14-speaker JBL premium audio system and a dual-screen rear entertainment system. The list goes on and on...
Suffice to say, you get a lot for your money, but at this price-point, you'd hope so.
The VW Touareg 210TDI R-Line is a four-door, five-seat AWD wagon with an MSRP of $112,690, excluding on-road costs.
Our test vehicle had Antimonial silver metallic paint at an extra cost of $2200, as well as a Volkswagen Genuine Part towbar, which costs an extra $1110, plus $495 for fitment labour. Those features push the as-tested price of this vehicle to $116,495.
As expected on a vehicle with such a price-tag, the standard features list is a bloated one and includes a 15.0-inch touch-screen multi-media system (with Apple Car Play and Android Auto), a 12.3-inch instrument cluster display, massage functions (!) on the power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, power second-row seats, 20-inch alloy wheels…as well as leather everywhere, of course, and plenty more where all of that came from.
Options include Metallic Paint ($2100), Metallic Paint Premium ($2400), Pearl Effect Paint ($2100), a powered panoramic sunroof (glass, $3000), and a Sound and Comfort Package priced at $6500.
The Sahara has the 300 Series' 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel, producing 227kW at 4000rpm and 700Nm from 1600 to 2600rpm.
It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, high- and low-range 4WD as well as a centre diff lock.
It does not have some very handy 4WD-focussed driver-assist tech that is included in the two higher grades (Sahara ZX and GR Sport) but more about that in the Driving section, further down this page.
This diesel Touareg has a 3.0L turbocharged V6 engine – producing 210kW at 4000rpm and 600Nm at 1750 rpm – and it has an eight-speed automatic transmission.
It has VW’s 4Motion AWD and a variety of driving modes including eco, comfort, normal sport, individual, off-road (auto and expert), and snow, which adjust vehicle characteristics, such as engine performance, throttle response, and damping and steering, to suit your selection.
Official fuel consumption is 8.9L/100km on the combined cycle.
Our fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 12.8L/100km, which is okay considering we did a lot of low-range four-wheel driving.
The Sahara has an 80-litre main fuel tank and a 30L sub-tank so, going by those fuel figures above, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 860km from a fully fuelled start.
It has an official fuel-consumption figure of 6.8L/100km on a combined cycle, but on test we recorded 11.7L/100km, measured at the pump.
It’s worth noting here that we did do some low-speed AWDing along a very washed-out track.
This Touareg has a 90-litre fuel tank so, going by that as-tested fuel-consumption figure, you can reasonably expect a driving range of approximately 719km from a full tank, but that’s factoring in a safe-distance buffer of 50km.
It has a 24-litre Adblue tank.
Quiet, comfortable, and easy to spend big days in the driver's seat or as a passenger.
Steering is light and responsive and, with a 11.8m turning circle, this 4WD wagon still feels highly manoeuvrable.
The V6 offers up so much power and torque – and it's all managed so smoothly through the 10-speed auto – that the Cruiser is able to go from standing start to punching along the road at a decent clip, or transition from open-road cruising to safe overtaking without any lag of note.
Ride and handling are well sorted but this is a Cruiser after all so ultimately it tends towards being soft and comfortable, rather than dynamic.
Its suspension – double wishbone, independent at the front and live axle and multi-links at the rear with coils all-around – manages to soak up most imperfections in the road surface.
The 300 Series' brakes – ventilated discs all-around – brought the big Cruiser to a controlled stop during two of my patented 'Watch out for that bloody roo!' set-pieces.
In terms of on-road ride, handling and performance, the 300 Series impresses. But how does it perform off-road?
First things first: the Sahara-spec LandCruiser does miss out on some of the handy 4WD gear that the two higher grades (Sahara ZX and GR Sport) get, namely Toyota's swaybar-disconnect equivalent electronic-'Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System' (included onboard the GR Sport), front and rear differential locks (GR Sport), adaptive variable suspension (Sahara ZX and GR Sport) and a rear torque-sensing limited-slip differential (ZX).
But in the grand scheme of things that shouldn't impede you too much, if at all, unless you're really going all-out to break your Cruiser while 4WDing.
We managed all obstacles at our testing ground without any strife.
A few years back when Toyota announced it would replace the V8 with the V6 there was quite a lot of concern voiced over the change. Let's be frank here: there was a hell of a lot of whinging.
But people needn't have worried because though the V8 was a bloody good engine the V6 produces more power and more torque than it does (up 27kW and 50Nm).
And that power and torque is consistently delivered across a nice spread of revs.
In combination with the 10-speed auto it's a smooth-as pairing. That auto is very clever – smarter than you and me – because it's never hunting through ratios to try and find the sweet spot, it's always bang-on.
High- and low-range gearing are solid in the 300 Series, and the Cruiser has a 50:50 centre diff lock.
And, on top of all that, you also have access to a comprehensive suite of driver assist tech aimed at making your driving life off-road easier and safer.
The traction control system has been really well calibrated – fine tuned, very precise and seamless in its application.
The 300's multi-terrain select system gives you the option of cycling through driving modes such as 'Sand', 'Mud' and 'Rock' to suit the terrain you're on.
In action, those modes adjust vehicle systems, throttle, engine output, etc to give you the best chance possible of getting through every obstacle safely and in a controlled fashion.
Off-road measurements and angles are decent: ground clearance is 235mm, wading depth is 700mm, and approach, ramp-over and departure angles are 32, 21, and 25 degrees, respectively.
So, all in all, in terms of measurements that are suited to hardcore low-range four wheel driving, the LandCruiser 300 Series ticks all the boxes.
And while there's no denying the 300 Series is a big unit, it feels pretty nimble in the bush, even on tight tracks or pinched approaches to hills or creek crossings.
As well as a dialled-in off-road traction control system and all of those driving modes, it has handy tech such as crawl control, which works like a low-speed cruise control.
So, the only flaw in the 300 Series off-road set-up is its tyres, as its standard Bridgestone Dueler all-terrains (265/65 R18) are better suited to dry-track 4WDing in good weather than taking on any difficult stuff.
In terms of towing capacity, the 300 Series can legally tow a 750kg unbraked trailer, and 3500kg braked.
Very comfortable.
For starters, as driver you have the ability in the Touareg cabin to set up your preferred position with almost-pinpoint accuracy via the 18-way powered seat (with memory) and the tilt- and telescopic-adjustable steering wheel/column. The steering wheel is even bloody heated!
The 3.0L V6 is a punchy unit and the Touareg manages to harness its 210kW/600Nm via the eight-speed auto with mostly considered control.
This is a reasonably dynamic vehicle – for a large SUV – and it manages to maintain a commanding stance on-road and on the move, while feeling nimble enough around town and on bush tracks – more about that later – to deftly avoid any criticisms about being a clumsy drive.
It has a turning circle of 11.19m.
Acceleration is mostly okay from a standing start and while overtaking on the open road, although persistent turbo lag in those scenarios is off-putting.
Cycle through the driving modes (eco, comfort, normal, sport, individual, off-road (auto and expert), and snow) – via a dial near the auto shifter – to further determine your sweet spot in terms of steer-ability, throttle response, engine performance, damping and steering, among other characteristics, to match your selection.
Speaking of steering, its all-wheel steering is pretty sharp as is and, as mentioned, the auto is generally on-point, but for an even more direct driving experience switch to manual mode and have fun with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
Adjustable air suspension with electronic adaptive damping control lends a welcome flexibility to ride and handling, which is generally well sorted. The rotary dial control to adjust the air suspension is to the left of the drive mode dial.
If you notice an all-wheel drive system actually working then that’s probably not a good sign and if you notice the Touareg’s 4Motion kicking in then you’re more sober than I am: it’s a seamless application, capable of sending up to 70 percent of drive torque to the front axle, or up to 80 percent to the rear axle, depending on driving conditions. It is quietly effective during daily driving and seemingly masterful in traction-compromised circumstances of which we have had many due to recent heavy rainfalls; I’m talking about rain-slicked blacktop through to muddy gravel tracks – again, more about that soon.
The Touareg’s tyres – Pirelli P Zero (285/45 R20) – are well suited to driving on sealed surfaces and well-maintained and dry gravel and dirt roads, but they’re far from ideal for anything more challenging than that.
It has a "weight and space saving inflatable spare wheel”.
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 (A-TRC).
The Touareg has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating as a result of testing in 2018.
It has eight airbags (driver and front passenger, driver and front passenger side, rear side, curtain – front and rear), three child seat top tether anchorage points on the rear seat-back, and ISOFIX child seat anchorage points on the outer rear seats.
Safety tech includes AEB, lane assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, area view camera, front cross traffic assist, as well as hill descent control and more.
The LandCruiser 300 Sahara is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty which is par for the course in the mainstream market.
Capped-price servicing applies to the first 10 services at a cost of $375 each (correct at time of writing), which is pretty competitive.
Service intervals are scheduled for every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. Which is shorter than the more usual 12 months/15,000km.
That said, owners may extend the engine and driveline warranty to seven years by adhering to service schedules.
The Touareg has a five year / unlimited kilometre warranty and that includes one year of 24-hour roadside assistance.
This variant requires a service every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first.
Assured Service Pricing applies to the first five standard scheduled services with listed prices of $539, $886, $539, $1306, and $539.