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<p dir="ltr">Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.</p>

<p dir="ltr">That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.</p>

<p dir="ltr">However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.</p>


TOYOTA

LAND CRUISER

<p>The Toyota Land Cruiser is a proper off-roader, but it's beaten by most rivals on the road.</p>


Used Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 2003 - 2009

<p>In addition to being big, the Land Cruiser is expensive to buy and run. It's almost as dear as the latest Land Rover Discovery, and has running costs to match.</p>

<p>That said, it's no worse than its rivals. For example, insurance groups are almost exactly the same as the Discovery's and slightly better than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jeep/grand-cherokee/4x4/review/n144">Jeep Grand Cherokee's</a>.</p>

<p>Likewise, the fact that the Land Cruiser returns barely 30mpg on the combined cycle may not look very attractive, but again it's virtually identical to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/jeep">Jeep</a>'s and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/land-rover">Land Rover</a>'s.</p>

<p>Where the Land Cruiser is more impressive is in its regular servicing costs, which are lower than both the Grand Cherokee's and Discovery's. However, there is a risk that any unscheduled repairs could be dear. Warranty Direct tells us that repair costs on Toyotas (and on previous Land Cruisers in particular) are higher than average.</p>

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The Toyota Land Cruiser is a proper off-roader, but it's beaten by most rivals on the road.

<p>The best Toyota Land Cruiser is one from after October 2004, when our favourite engine, the 3.0-litre diesel, was uprated and the whole range gained extra standard equipment.</p>

<p>The only alternative to the diesel engine is a 4.0-litre V6 petrol unit. However, although it gives the big Land Cruiser an impressive turn of speed (even with a standard automatic 'box), it drinks a frightening amount of fuel in the process.</p>

<p>That's not say the diesel is particularly frugal, but it is at least more economical, and its stronger low-down pull is better suited to off-roading or hauling around heavy loads.</p>

<p>All models are well equipped, with air-con, alloys, electric windows and a CD player across the board, so there's little point buying anything dearer than the cheapest model, the LC2 or, after the range was cut back in October 2004, the LC3.</p>

<p><strong>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a></strong></p>

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all passengers</li> <li>Large boot with lots of clever storage solutions</li> <li>Good fuel economy and running costs</li> <li>All-round comfort</li> <li>High-quality interior finish</li></ul>

<p>We define a large SUV as anything longer than 4.5 metres. These cars aren’t usually particularly cheap to buy or lease, so in return we expect a roomy cabin, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent cruising refinement.</p>

<p>A few models in this class are two-wheel drive, but the vast majority have four-wheel drive for at least a modicum of off-road ability.</p>

Large SUV

<p>Apart from a few early cars that were recalled because of a possible fuel leak, the Land Cruiser seems bereft of problems.</p>

<p>Mind you, that should come as no surprise. Toyota has consistently performed well in JD Power surveys, and other 4x4s from the company have also done well.</p>

<p>Warranty Direct has no figures on this latest Land Cruiser, but the omens are good. The previous generation car has enjoyed better than average reliability and the company's <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/small-suv">smaller SUV</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/rav4/4x4/review/n130">RAV4</a>, has always been one of the most reliable cars on the company's books.</p>

<p>Last, but not least, reports from owners have been good. True, there is the occasional glitch, but for the most part there have been no reports of any major problems.</p>

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<p>There's no getting away from it, the Toyota Land Cruiser is a very big car – longer than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/shogun/4x4/review/n17561">Mitsubishi Shogun</a> and barely any shorter than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery/4x4/review/n17342">Land Rover Discovery</a>. Like those rivals, it's extremely impressive off-road, helped by optional features such as hill-start assist and hill-descent control systems.</p>

<p>The trouble is that almost everything that makes it so good off-road means it's not so good on-road. Cars such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/review/n38">BMW X5</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/review/n99">Volvo XC90</a>, which are designed almost exclusively for road use, are better to drive, and even the Discovery shows up the Land Cruiser's limitations. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/toyota">Toyota</a> suffers from too much body roll and slow steering, although we do like the smooth low-speed ride.</p>

<p>Likewise, you can't really fault the Land Cruiser's interior practicality – even the three-door has plenty of room for five, and the five-door will take eight – but the Discovery most things better.</p>

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Used Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 2003 - 2009 reliability

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Used Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 2003 - 2009 review

Apart from a few early cars that were recalled because of a possible fuel leak, the Land Cruiser seems bereft of problems.,Mind you, that should come as no surprise. Toyota has consistently performed well in JD Power surveys, and other 4x4s from the company have also done well.,Warranty Direct has no figures on this latest Land Cruiser, but the omens are good. The previous generation car has enjoyed better than average reliability and the company's smaller SUV, the RAV4, has always been one of the most reliable cars on the company's books.Last, but not least, reports from owners have been good. True, there is the occasional glitch, but for the most part there have been no reports of any major problems. 

What to look for when buying a Toyota Land Cruiser 2003 - 2009, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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Used Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 2003 - 2009 reliability

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