Not so much a review, but more about why they are popular.
If you are like me, and you have managed a vehicle fleet, studied accounting or outgrown a car fetish you may start to think of cars in a less romantic sense.
Most vehicles suffer from depreciation and increasing operating costs as they age - what differs is the degree to which they do. There are exceptions where demand outstrips supply, especially in the case of classic or rare cars.
Cars are much more than mere transport for many motorists. For some of us the car we chose to drive is a reflection on us personally. I don’t think you can explain prestige cars appeal in any other way. Most prestige brands have no additional functionality, higher operating costs and higher depreciation.
In our specific case, we chose to live in a regional area to afford a larger property to pursue our love for horses and big dogs. In regional areas you typically rack up greater mileages and hence reliability from your vehicle comes to the forefront.
My average mileage was floating around 40,000km per annum. My wife around 24,000km.
The road conditions we experience can be demanding on suspension components, livestock and wildlife wandering onto the road poses an increased risk of front impacts. Weather, especially flooding and extreme heat add a layer of seriousness to driving. Taking all this into account its no surprise four-wheel drives are a popular choice for farmers. They retain their value even into higher mileages, they have robust suspension and generally are powered by diesel turbo engines that offer excellent reliability and longevity. The king of which is the Toyota Landcruiser.
I will openly disclose I desired one for many years before I finally made my purchase. I had owned two popular cheaper alternatives, scoured auctions and test driven new models all without pulling the trigger on a new one. No matter how you look at it, a Landcruiser is a significant purchase decision. The current 300 series are well over $100,000AUD before any modification or insurance takes place. I mention that because once you have made the decision it's important to ensure it meeds your needs. I'd recommend you include whatever extras you need in the initial purchase especially if you are financing and be sure to include the modifications in your insurance policy.
Unlike anything else the second-hand market the Toyota Landcruiser see very little depreciation. Even damaged and high mileage vehicles command eyewatering prices because they can be rebuilt, stripped or parted out.
My own choice has seen ridiculously low depreciation and even a burst of appreciation due to fears of discontinuance of the popular V8 power plant. I have a 2014 VDJ76R (70 series Wagon). It has live axles and the aerodynamics of a house brick however its stiff, light and has a quadcam V8 turbo engine and manual transmission. It was the closest thing i could get to a lotus super-seven in 4WD form. I love it. But it's an acquired taste.
With climate alarmism pushing intolerance towards combustion engines and no viable options on the horizon many regional dwellers are holding onto their Landcruisers even after ordering new ones. There are electric and Hybrid SUVs offerings however I don't expect these to have significant impact due to their poor range and longevity. Most Landcruisers will have an effective range of +750klm, offering the driver an entire days journey without filling up. I am sure that sometime in the future a Hybrid or Hydrogen powerplant could offer an alternative, but it will not be here for at least a decade.
The value proposition that Toyota offer is reliability and fiscal responsibility.
This is without any doubt why they are the number one car manufacture globally in real terms. I understand they have their haters, both the brand and the Landcruiser itself are the subject of negative reviews in motoring journals and social media. I have often though the reason Nissan Patrol owners form clubs is from mutual hate of Landcruisers. I have driven past countless broken down Patrols and Land Rovers since moving to our current farm. There are a number of popular 4WD parks and camp grounds accessed by the roads that pass nearby us. It's usually poor maintenance causing the breakdowns of course, and I would suggest people who purchase a less reliable option indicate their priorities.
Environmental concerns and status anxiety
There are plenty of vocal opponents to SUV ownership. Five minutes on almost any regional Reddit or Facebook group and you can find posts from concerned Karens venting their anger over a 4WD in their local carpark. Certainly there are Landcruiser drivers that have no genuine need to own one. But when we live in a world where environmental influencers globe trot in jets, lollop around on luxury yachts, or have a second business blasting tons of fossil fuel into space to support their proliferation of space junk, I think its ridiculous to single out members of the general public.
If you are unaware of the efficiencies of diesel engines, do some homework in case you end up in an argument with some who has. I can’t name a single EV proponent who either knows or admits to knowing the total cost of financial ownership or the greenhouse gas emission of the average EV over its lifecycle (yes, manufacturing and supply chain counts). The batteries are such a significant proportion of an EV’s cost that when they lose 50% efficiency, and they do frequently, the EV is an economic write-off. In contrast my Landcruiser is engineered to last 750,000klm (before a major drive train component may need replacement). They frequently do more than that. This allows it many times longer to make up for its emissions cost to manufacture than an EV. Did I mention Its fuel is a byproduct? Also, biodiesel is an option, albeit somewhat inefficient, but it smells nice.
I’ll cover what the specific capabilities my VJD76R Wagon has rather than attempt to cover all.
Landcruisers come in all sizes and engine options from smaller four-cylinder models to hefty V8s, single cab utilities to seven seater monsters. It is important to reiterate you should ensure your Landcruiser meets your needs. This should be done at purchase with the selection of the right model and the additional to any factory fitted modifications. Insurance companies don’t like modifications they are unaware of, police don’t like ones that can render your SUV unsafe.
As previously mentioned one of the key value propositions of Toyota is reliability. In the case of the 76 wagon Toyota went to the extreme with the mantra of, ‘if it ‘aint broken don’t fix it’.
The VJD 70 series Landcruiser was effectively designed in the late 70’s. They have live (or solid) axles, oversized leaf springs in the rear and coils at the front. They have a combination chassis consisting of a ladder rail with a monocoque cabin. Toyota have been making only the necessary changes required to avoid emissions issues, typically engine upgrades only. The 70 series is a highly utilitarian beast that is built to traverse poor quality roads with a heavy load and do it using a frugal amount of fuel. Mine had the much larger and wider 4.5V8 Diesel turbo engine developed for the heavier 200 series dumped in it, almost certainly a cost saving exercise. This meant Toyota had to widen the front wheel base by over one inch, they neglected to do the same with the rear wheel base much to some owners bug bear. This along with almost no sound proofing gives the 70 series a great deal of character (that’s how we describe it).
The 70 series with its ridged body and ample power allows it to carry an impressive weight. Those of you who have taken desert excursions know the importance of carrying extra water and fuel. My wagon came from the factory with a 130l fuel tank. Combined with the frugal fuel consumption offered by a large turbo diesel engine, a manual transmission and the ability to run the vehicle in rear wheel only mode offers over 1200klm of range at moderate speeds.
Narrow body and clear approach and departure angles. The 70 series can be easily and cheaply modified to improve an already good clearance on the side, front and rear. If you should find yourself needing to traverse a narrow or washed out trail the 70 series will escape scraping or becoming beached.
Towing capacity and in particular towing characteristics is the real talent of the 70 series. The available toque and flexibility offered by the drive train makes the 70 a staple of many Australian farmers. Many punters new to the world of towing might think that power (HP/ KW) is the only consideration. It’s actually torque and structural rigidity that’s most important. Some people will go for years towing up and down highways before encountering a situation that exposes the limitations of their tow vehicle. I first became a licenced driver mostly so I could tow my horse to and from equestrian events. I was towing horses in floats on my P plates in a modified family station wagon. Fortunately, my horse wasn’t that heavy, but the car was (2600kgs). It also had a factory ‘towing pack’ with upgraded brakes and suspension and chassis braces. It wasn’t until many years later when I had moved back into horse ownership after a hiatus of 15 years, I encountered my first near disaster. My wife and I had recently purchased our first farm in a hilly region and descried to purchase a few dairy cows. The farm where they originated from was on the same mountain range as our farm but a challenging 160km of winding roads between us. I was driving my very capable and fun Ford falcon Ute towing our oversized horse float. I picked up the girls and made my way back to the farm and it started to rain lightly. I didn’t think much of it, the Ute was powerful, had very capable antilock brakes and a towing computer onboard. The cows were small jerseys and would not have weighed nearly as much as out half draught mares we usually transported. I was descending one of the many passes around a sweeping bend when the girls lurched forward, pushing the weight balance onto the tow hitch which in turn shifted the weight to the rear axels of the Ute and very quickly my steering became vague as my front wheels lost downward pressure. Together with the slightly wet road I lost control of the situation, and I was forced to perform a very inelegant emergency stop with one of the cows partially exiting the front door of the float. That spelt the end of my Ford sports Ute ownership. I ordered a Toyota Hilux 4WD.
Animals and liquid move around in transport. A good tow vehicle will provide feedback to the driver when the weight shifts and for that you need towing suspension and a rigid chassis. These things do not make for comfortable daily drivers.
My second near death experience towing occurred passing our state capital city on a busy motorway. A city-slicker saw an opportunity in front of me (additional braking distance) and decided to move into it just as the traffic was compressing. I was forced to emergency brake and only pulled up one inch from his rear bumper. The horse I was towing was young and nervous. Fortunately, our chosen breed of horse was very trusting and remarkably flexible in certain situations, and she rolled into a ball and slid under the support rails inside the float. There was the mother of all traffic jams as I repositioned her for the trip home but apart from a slight scape on a fetlock everybody was OK. I did however make the decision that the Hilux was still unacceptably light and too easily pusher around by the laden float.
I don’t tow as much as I used to. But I still have my Landcruiser.
Every so often I’ll need to put a car or tractor somewhere on the transporter and I know I can always count on an uneventful journey. The 76 will climb the Great Dividing Range in 4th gear with a full trailer approaching its maximum GVM. It never gets hot, never complains and importantly never lets a trailer tell it what to do.