1997 Toyota Landcruiser gxl 3.4litre quad cam from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

This is the perfect all round on and off road 4 wheel drive

Faults:

Drivers' seat belt tensioner failed.

Brake discs warped several times.

Rear springs softened causing bottoming out.

Clutch slips under load.

Lacks torque on long uphill roads.

General Comments:

Generally an extremely quiet and refined vehicle which handles like a road car in most situations.

Performs extremely well off-road with a secure and surefooted feel.

Has a great soft ride on rough tracks/beach etc which reduces fatigue a lot.

Has plenty of room all round.

Quietest and smoothest engine I've ever experienced even with 261000klms on the clock.

Excellent fuel economy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st June, 2005

1997 Toyota Landcruiser FZJ80 - 40th Anniversary 4.5 with supercharger from North America

Summary:

Best 4x4 ever made - buy the Beater edition

Faults:

Head gasket blew due to previous owner never changing the oil (not the truck's fault).

Blew second 1FZ-FE engine, again covered under warranty due to poor diagnosis by dealer (the fan clutch had died so the truck ran hot for about 8 months and eventually killed the #6 rod bearing).

General Comments:

Greatest truck ever made. Super reliable and built tough. This is no SUV, it is made for off road use although it also cooks down the highway comfortably blowing by other cars.

Only gripes are seats don't go far back (far enough for me, but I'm short) and bad mpg - although I didn't buy it for good mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th August, 2004

23rd Oct 2007, 08:41

How can this be (in your words) 'super reliable' if it has already gone through 2 engines? I have never heard of a head gasket failure due to not changing the oil; they always fail due to overheating or poor design. As for engine failure no. 2, the temp gauge should have been reading warm and you should have noticed, OR the gauge read OK and once again a poorly designed 'stabilized' gauge was used in this Toyota which did not alert you to a catastrophic problem.

I would say get over the Toyota reliability hype and realize that indeed, 2 failed engines covered under warranty or not, do not describe super reliability. I would hate to be in a desert when your cruiser blows engine no. 3. And there are vehicles out there which drive nicer on the highway than your 80 series, but are still better off-road--the Range Rover, for example, or the Mercedes G-Class.

Good luck.

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1997 Toyota Landcruiser Prado GX 2.7 3RZ-FE petrol from Malaysia

Summary:

Power petrol cruiser

Faults:

Alarm system malfunctioned after 3 months.

Power steering pump leaked at 24,000 km.

The rear suspension was noisy at 28000 km. Replaced with new parts.

Shift lever cover broke after about 1 year.

Reverse gear a bit difficult to engage.

All faults rectified under the dealers' warranty.

General Comments:

Fantastic mileage for a petrol 4x4.

Smooth and silent.

Dashboard design could use a bit of sprucing up.

The best after sales service in my country.

Extremely roomy, especially at the back.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th October, 2001

1997 Toyota Landcruiser 80 Series DX 4.2 diesel 1HZ from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

An excellent 4WD. Nothing better

Faults:

Noting has gone wrong with the car.

It is excellent and I would not think twice about buying another Toyota.

General Comments:

This car performs and handles very well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th February, 2001