Toyota Land Cruiser LC4 D4D Manual Review

Overall Rating

Super smooth ride quality, beautiful cabin, excellent specification, staggering build quality, major services at 20k intervals (oil changes in between)

Body roll during spirited driving, rear door very heavy with spare wheel mounted on it (accident waiting to happen on a windy day!) Doesn't have a Land Rover badge (a problem for many people, judging by the sales!)

I took delivery of my LC4 in June, and have just turned over 10,000 miles.
My previous car was a Volvo V70 D5 SE, so naturally, the XC90 was a serious option. However, long waiting lists and miserable dealer part-ex offers for my V70 put me off.
Plus, I wanted a vehicle that would launch my boat on a rocky beach, and the XC90's lack of low ratio gearbox put me off. I took a test drive in a Discovery, but the gear stick top came off in my hand, and the panel gap on the drivers door was three times that of the passenger door, which, er, put me off a little!
The TLC in Ember red with beige leather is stunning.
The interior makes a mockery of the Discovery's useless door pockets (can't access them when the doors are closed) and 80s looking switchgear: everything is straight from the Lexus stable with nice soft plastics, and the "Optitron" instrument display is lovely. Another nice feature is the electric sunroof which is HUGE; not as big as a "moon roof" (such as that on the Subaru Forester) but easily the largest standard sunroof I have ever seen (twice the glass area of my buddie's BMW 330D).
On the road, the engine is strong and reasonably quiet for a big diesel, though the power band is quite narrow, so you do need to time the gear/revs quite well for safe overtaking.
Many have criticised the new TLC's body roll at speed, and I have to agree, it does swing around on the twisties (and dive under hard braking). But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Body roll can be thought of as the car's way of telling you that you are approaching the limits of traction, so start backing off!! By contrast, a Discovery with their much-touted "Active Cornering Enhancement" will ride flatter through the corners, but if you DO push it to the limit, the tyres will break away very suddenly. Take your pick.

Off road performance is superb; my boat launching on a 1:4 sloped rocky beach is safe and easy. I did lose traction once, crossing a large patch of wet seaweed. No problems; just hit the difflock button, and all 4 wheels started turning again: superb. Low ratio 1st gear is the lowest I have ever used in a 4x4, apart from a LR Defender. Great progress over the heavily rutted ground on the way to the beach.

A few more points: tyre wear is a big plus. Anyone who has driven a modern diesel with front wheel drive will be no stranger to tyre costs! My Volvo D5 needed 2 new front tyres at 9000 miles: £150 each!! At 10,000 miles, the TLC has 7mm at all four corners! Superb.

Economy has been the other surprise. I really do drive hard (frequent long journeys at 80+ on motorways and A-roads) and I simply CANNOT get it to do less than 30mpg!! Mind you, I have never managed more than 33mpg either. So at least its predictable.

To sum up, there is something about Japanese cars "built in Japan" that just exude the feeling of fantastic build quality & attention to finish. This is one of them.
I am a fierce British patriot & supporter of UK businesses, but after my test drive in a Discovery TD5 ES, stepping into the TLC felt like it should cost twice as much.
It's so superior in every single area, it's just not funny, and a sad day for the Solihull crowd. Here's hoping for a great new Discovery next year, and commiserations to my boss whose £33k Disco rear axle broke at 500 miles, and my Dad's Defender 90 TD5 which broke down at 32 miles on the way home from the dealership

Members' Comments oneyemajic's Review

• eyemajic on 8th Apr 2004

  Just turned over 20,000 miles; not a single problem. Still a good 3-4mm tread on all 4 tyres!! Not a squeak or rattle from anywhere.... engine loosened up more now: overtaking much safer!! What an under-rated vehicle this is.... I love it. Will post again at 30k or 40k (next 6-12 months!)

• eyemajic on 20th Apr 2004

  Oops, correction. Tyres: 6mm rear, 5mm front. Unreal!
  Boss's Discovery TD5 ES broke down again last week at 28,000 miles.... it wouldn't go over 5mph!! New fuel injection system required: £1000+ as out of warranty (European import).
  I don't want to tempt fate *snigger* but I will be honest and post here if my wonderful LC ever does this!!

• Demzo on 6th Jul 2004

  130,000 miles just coming up to 3 years old , never a problem, regular sensible priced service,
  built to last,will order another shortly

• john creedy on 12th Oct 2004

  Taken delivery of exactly similar vehicle, and with almost exactly similar proposed usage, including RIB (rigid inflatable boat) launching and towing etc on slippery "slips" and shingle/sandy beaches. I love the car so far, with only one rather serious comment...as a seven seater (not for me) the rear compartment seats two persons who may need to exit in an emergency...but there is no way of opening the tail gate from inside! Serious stuff. Also I miss the raising tail window of my old Frontera. With a boat in tow, it will be much more difficult to use the rear luggage compartment.

• peter s smith on 4th Mar 2006

  I to had a td5 it leaked water from day one, six months later they still said "but its a land rover" sir. yes and all £21.000 of it. it still leaked the day i sold it after 11 times back to the dealer. now i have the LC4 its been back once in 18 months and that was for a service, bye land-rover until you wake up and don't still trade on the old green badge.