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- Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon 4.2 TD
- Philip Caterer's review
Have a picture of Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon 4.2 TD?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of Keith Simpson.
| Performance | 8.1/10   |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 8.6/10 |
| Reliability | 9.3/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.3/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 8.6/10 |
| Overall Rating | 7.6/10 |
By Philip Caterer on 24th May 2006
| Year Manufactured | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 5 years |
| Doors | 5 |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 9/10 |
| Reliability | 10/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 9/10 |
 Philip Caterer's recommendation | |
Bomb proof build quality and reliability even after 93,000 miles with 4.2 TD VX. Very spacious. Performs the same whether fully loaded or unloaded. Virtually silent on motorway runs. Superb visability, hence safety. Super smooth off road and an effortless vehicle to tow with.
Finding big enough parking spaces can be tricky. 21mpg. Servicing every 4,500 miles. 4.2 diesel is noisy when pushed compared to modern diesels. Rather dated design. Headlights dim compared to modern Bi-Xenons. Not good for racing off the lights.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon is exceptionally spacious and comfortable but even the 2006 model looks dated alongside a Range Rover, Discovery 3, Merc ML, or most other modern 4x4's to be honest. Where it leaves the competition standing is in reliability and durability. Treat other 4x4's hard, perhaps with the exclusion of Nissan, and they will break. The Amazon won't.
To me, the most attractive 7-seat alternative is the Discovery 3 HSE which has been brilliantly thought out and has a mouth watering specification. I am very tempted. But read the What Car? user reviews and about 35% of owners report faults - some minor, some involving replacement vehicles. That may be new model teething problems but scary all the same.
In the outback of Australia, Toyota is the 4x4 of choice because they don't want a vehicle that breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
I said to my children, shall we sell the Amazon and get this fast and fantastic sounding Porsche Cayenne S and astonishingly, they (aged 8, 13, 15) all said "No, why don't you just buy another Amazon. We like this car". I have since taken them in the latest Merc ML and they still prefer the Amazon.
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John Cheetham on 31st Aug 2008