Faults:

Nothing yet. Except for slamming into off-road obstacles; most recently hit some concrete while doing dough-nuts at 50MPH. Did a couple grand worth of damage but... I was still able to get her home after a quick tire change. Fun fun fun!

General Comments:

LOVE IT! She's a BEAST. But fuel costs are a tad pricey; but it's paid for so who cares. Oh, and the brakes pads go pretty quick.

Faults:

Steering ball joint replaced 3 weeks after purchase

Trip meter stuck 7300km

Rattling exhaust baffle.

General Comments:

Having been resistant to Land Crushers as I felt they were just oversized toys compared to the more honest Land Rover Defender Troop Carrier or Pajero. I ended up with a cruiser after a disastrous Pajero and the inability to acquire a decent Land Rover in my adopted home Cambodia. Most imported Cruisers are luxury US spec with Auto Transmission and thirsty V8s.

I found my 97 1 HZ with Manual Transmission and 4.2 6cylinder diesel in Jan 08.

As a road car; the 6 cylinder diesel is turbine smooth and quiet unless pushed hard. Its performance though, is almost embarrassing compared to my old and lighter 2.8 turbo Pajero. One needs to work the gears hard to maintain momentum on hills and overtaking requires a lot of pre planning.

Off road is a different story.

Cambodia has the worse roads in SE Asia and in my first couple of months of ownership of the cruiser I have taken it on a some of the steepest, roughest dustiest and muddiest roads to remote temples on adventure tours.

The 4WD system works well with easy transfer box control (provided the hubs are locked) I’ve used the low drive more than I expected. The lever requires a hefty push

Off the beaten track thru rice fields and bush in search of rare wildlife; the cruiser has been excellent; helped in part to the Michelin XML tyres. The only time I have been in trouble was due to grounding (my error).

Comfort, ride and handling on and off road couldn’t be better. One thing I do hate is the split tailgate which makes access to the rear awkward and precluded the fitment of a rear mounted spare tire, the under slung tire was quickly removed to the roof rack for expeditions.

Faults:

Rear electric windows stick down sometimes. Electric antenna does not work. Not bad for a 8 year old 4 x 4.

General Comments:

I've owned many imports and American built cars and trucks. No other manufacturer comes close to Toyota's reliability and quality. The Landcruiser itself is the best 4x4 by far. Jeep, Chevy, and Ford don't come close to the Landcruisers traction and handling. I've spun out many 4x4s on ice and wet pavement. I can never seem to get the Landcruiser to break traction. Last winter, my vehicle would consistantly go up a very steep clay / dirt road when wet and icy, when most other 4x4s couldn't. Beyond performance, I love the plush interior and climate control. I'm also impressed with how well the body and paint hold up since I almost never wash it. No rust.