First Drive: 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser

The new Land Cruiser manages to make a non-event of the even most technical terrain, and it's able to take the same command on blacktop. Like the Cadillac Escalade or Land Rover's Range Rover, it feels heavy and planted, and one off-road innovation actually provides sharper handling. The KDSS system's ability to disconnect the anti-roll bars means that Toyota engineers didn't need to compromise on their thickness. The bars, both front and rear, are girthier than would be allowed with fixed bars - the result is that the wheel articulation required for off-roading and the heavy-duty sway bars that help on-road handling can live together happily underneath the Land Cruiser. Body control in corners is more precise than one would find in a Hummer H2 or even a Land Rover LR3, and the steering feels more direct, too. Four-wheel vented rotors - 13.4 inches in front and 13.6 in the rear - made me confident that I'd be able to stop were a moose to stumble out of the Montana forest, and a new multi-terrain ABS system senses different weather conditions and automatically alters the braking profile.
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r_driver04 - 9/21/2007 10:26:19 AM

+2 Boost

Awesome SUV. It would made an excellent family vehicle two or three years old. The MSRP is outrageous.

w209w114 - 9/21/2007 12:33:06 PM

-2 Boost

Outrageous Price + 1999 4Runner styling = Failure next to the Range Rover, Escalade, Hummer, and GL550. Toyota lost its way with the land cruiser here in America a looooooooooooooooong time ago.

My uncle actually had 2 GX470s. He looked into the LX470 but it was ridiculously expensive and for much less he had a nicer car with the same engine, drivetrain, and most features. Even for the price of a GX (45K I believe) he would have never looked twice at a Toyota.

LuxuryFan - 9/21/2007 7:28:59 PM

+1 Boost

Your 'uncle' sounds like a pretentious moron. It must run in the family, no?

r_driver04 - 9/23/2007 9:00:10 PM

+2 Boost

Please don't compare and Escalade to a Rover or Cruiser ever again. An Escalade is only good on the tarmac. The Rover and Cruiser are far better off the tarmac than an Esca-Sled ever could be. Besides, it's only a chromed out Tahoe.

And if your uncle got a GX(or over dressed 4runner) for 45K, he must of bought it used and he got robbed. He could of gone and bought a new 4 runner for less, but either way...he got robbed.

JUGNU - 9/21/2007 1:11:11 PM

+3 Boost

"The Land Cruiser's best-seller success in the Middle East keeps it alive, and its heritage and brand equity keeps it here in the States, despite the fact that last year's 3500 units accounted for just one percent of Toyota's sport-ute sales. The other 99 percent of Toyota SUV owners are plenty happy with their Highlander and Sequoia's price tags, utility, and lack of overkill. But for those few who need an 8500-pound tow rating, loads of space, and go anywhere capability - and have the money for some added luxury - the Land Cruiser is hard to beat. More power, more rigidity, and more refinement, along with the addition of KDSS and CRAWL, make the new Land Cruiser utterly invincible."


That's the best description and i think it nearly covered every question of LC's existence and it being a little over-price (something like S Class in Luxury Saloons. You have to pay a little extra just because it's an S Class)

BTW Toyota sold only 3500 LCs last year in US. That’s a bit surprising (especially in a country where Trucks are best sellers).

Toyota sell more LCs than that in a day here(in Middle East).

JUGNU

S4cabriofoxone - 9/22/2007 11:58:15 PM

-1 Boost

That was a bit much... they sell 3,500 Land Cruisers in one day in the Middle East? Perhaps in a month, but every day that would equate to approximately 1,275,000 Land Cruisers a year- only in the Middle East.

Anyway, I agree with the rest of your post. But in the US, the LC is not an especially prestigious vehicle. It gets the job done and it's nice on the inside, but the S-Class of SUVs is the Range Rover.

SteveL - 9/21/2007 2:53:50 PM

-1 Boost

this thing is booorrringg. Whay coudnt Toyota restyle it and make it look somewhate like the FJ. That would be cool! The price is over the top

M53R - 9/23/2007 8:39:20 AM

+2 Boost

I got extremely bored of the 10 year old design on the LC, which you would see like 100 everyday to and from work. Its a good car but I just didnt like it because of the very dated styling. Its comfortable though, especially for long trips and can go anywhere, thats why it sells so well here.

Most buyers of this car in here dont actually drive the car themselves, but it is used by drivers to take children to school and etc.

I think this faces the same problem as the old one, it just looks old and it hasnt been out yet! The interior looks fresh but I cant get over the head and taillights. Please dont tell me I ll have to be seeing this for the next 10 years!!! *cries*

Thats also a reason I didnt buy one, I prefer the less common Chevy Tahoe Z71 (which surprisingly I have been seeing alot since I bought it) which looks better imo and the interior is almost there.