The magic recipe that makes the 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser the Iron Man of SUV's

Love those classic LC's from the 60's. This new breed seems to have lost it's way somehow...

The old/original Landcruiser was nothing more than a cheap copy of the GP (Jeep). It had a GM six-cylinder engine. But over the years it got its own personality and I really started liking those things.

But this new Landcruiser 200 is just horrid. It's made for Americans and it shows. Much of the Landcruiser soul has been lost over the years as they grew fatter and become worser off-road.

One of the best SUV's in the world.

this is the only respectable product toyota makes.

Wrong! the FJ Cruiser and Avalon are also great vehicles and represent top value in the Toyota stable.

The Avalon has a nice interior and so-so performance, but the looks ruin it for me- it's ungainly. The Azera makes it look like a boat, to be honest.

9

kpaxx...time to take off the blinders

corolla --(32 million-plus sales over 9 generations)
camry -- need we say more
supra -- "hogan knows best"
prius -- HYBRID vehicle, leader in its time
LS -- effectively changed the mindsets of luxury competition upon introduction

and i'm sure there are more...the new tundra, the future LF-A, etc.

Pathetic. Go look up on some of the European brands and you will be blown away.

Land Cruiser is a great SUV. And yes Lexus brings up the luxury side. The only problem I have with it, is the new styling. Everything on the outside seems very bulbish. But I guess its more superior function over looks.

Way to go Toyota, another benchmark SUV created!

Bulbous? I agree. The rear end is fine but the front end is a bit too bulbous and derivative. Interior is an evolution- which is good. Looks luxurious as usual.

to each his own OPINION.

Note: you missed the picture of the tire's valve cap!

"Not some girly fashion-show-ready over-decorated soccer mom mobile look."

Like my wife's Lexus RX330?

A little late to the party. Cross linked air suspension was first done on the LR3.

Toyota's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System is a copy of Land Rover's crossed linked suspension design.

Toyota's CRAWL Control system is a clone of Land Rover's Terrain Response system.
Again, all of these features revolutionized by the LR3.

speedmaster,

The kdss is not a copy of LR's cross linked air suspension, KDSS is based on the Kinetic RFS system <www.kinetic.au.com> the LR system is active, kdss is passive (needs no electronics, pumps or motors) LR has cross linked air bags, LC200 has coil springs. The Kinetic RFS system was patented before many years ago and has been used by the Citroen WRC teams and Mitsubishi Daker teams until it was banned by the FIA. The only similarity between the two systems is that they act on the sway bars.

I am totally unimpressed. I am looking at the slide "18-09-20070909.08.43.jpg" from autospies.

Here are the stats of the LC from TOYOTA. The Landcruiser doesn't compare to any Rover.

Toyota's spec from that slide
30 degree approach
20 degree departure
21 degree breakover angle
8.9 ground clearance?


Compared to


Range Rover
34 approach
26 breakover
39 departure
10.8 ground clearance


LR3

37.2 degrees, ramp breakover angle of 27.9 degrees and a maximum departure angle of 29.6 degrees.


Heck, even the Range Rover Sport has better offroad specs than the Land Cruiser.


I know I am going to get deboosted but what I just posted are facts. facts. facts.

Gosh darn it, I guess I was right all along.

"The only thing Range Rover has over the Land Cruiser is the trick air suspension that lifts it."

Exactly, which is why it's a better off-roading vehicle. It's still part of the car- Land Rover is not "cheating." You sound similar to the turbo argument that you guys used against the BMW 335i. It's still part of the engineering process; Toyota/Lexus could have used it if they wanted to.

"With the suspension in normal mode the RR is not one bit better than the LC except in the departure angle, which is simply due to the lack of a 3rd-row seat."

I again mention the air suspension, as the whole reason it is there is so that you CAN off-road better. It would be nonsensical for its owner not to use it in an off-roading situation, so what you said is BS.

Third-row seat? The Range Rover is seven inches longer than the current LC, so unless Toyota has stretched it more than seven inches, the Cruiser should have the advantage.

Well for less money the LR3 has trick air suspension too - don't forget the last LC/LX had air/pneumatic suspension that wasn't very adjustable either.

XeroKool,

The problem is that it can't even compete against a $42,000 LR3. The LR3 out-specs the Land Cruiser. It has better offroad hardware.
You just made my point.

"Sure, for $15k more the Range Rover better has that trick air suspension. Like I said, the LX570, a truly fully loaded Land Cruiser, comes with the trick air suspension and will make a much more valid comparison with the Range Rover."