Toyota Land Cruiser - long-term review

After a few months of running TG’s Land Cruiser, I can confidently say it might just be the finest car I’ve driven in over 25 years in the industry. While my Caterham provided plenty of fun, the Land Cruiser feels like it truly ticks every box.

What’s more, my entire family has warmed to it. Remarkably, even my wife, who is usually the harshest critic of any new car I bring home, admits she loves it. My eight-year-old has christened it 'Mustard' (a generous nickname compared to some I’ve had), and strangers constantly stop me to chat about it. Even Defender owners quietly confess they’re tempted… until they hear the price.

But what’s it like to live with as an everyday family car?

The Land Cruiser impresses on almost every front. Its size is undeniable, and many tell me they couldn’t live with a car this big, yet it never feels unwieldy in town. The raised driving position, generous flat-screen visibility, overhead camera tech, and intuitive road placement make it surprisingly easy to manoeuvre in tighter spaces. I’d take this sense of control and comfort over the compromised practicality of most supercars any day.

Climbing aboard is a different story. At over six feet tall, I’ve yet to find a graceful way of getting in - it feels like scaling a stepladder. For my youngest, it must be the equivalent of tackling Mount Everest. My 80-year-old parents do find it a struggle. We recently completed a 1,000-mile round trip to France, and not once did the children complain about space - a small miracle. Inside, it’s plush enough to feel premium yet tough enough to withstand the abuse that comes with family life.

On the motorway, the Land Cruiser returned an impressive 42mpg, while around town it averaged closer to 36mpg - entirely reasonable for a vehicle with a kerb weight exceeding 2,000kg. A full tank often gets you 400 miles, which is impressive. The 2.8-litre diesel engine can grate a little at low speeds, but as I’ve mentioned before, I think it’s perfect for this car: enough power to get up to speed quickly, then smoothing off beautifully at motorway pace. Big gas-guzzling engines feel like a thing of the past.

Ride quality is another standout feature. It’s supremely comfortable on long journeys, yet even when luggage rattles in the boot, the occupants remain unaffected, which is a magical feat of engineering. Body roll is noticeable on B-roads but still better controlled than in any Discovery I’ve driven.

Boot space is generous at 566 litres, easily accommodating a family of five even with the two additional seats folded flat. However, with all seven seats in use, capacity drops to just 130 litres—adequate only for light packing. Fold all the rows of seats down and you’ve got enough space for an entire adult mountain bike, six-foot fence posts, a full tip run, or that flatpack furniture you’re inevitably asked to collect off Facebook Marketplace.

But this is the thing about the Land Cruiser: it’s the perfect all-rounder, capable of handling anything thrown at it. The question is, does that mean it’s compromised as an off-road adventurer? Find out soon.