Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series 2018 Tow Test

Our test vehicle was a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series GXL, a vehicle with a reputation as big as its own dimensions.

The LandCruiser is really a bit of a throwback to a bygone era when four-wheel drive vehicles were big, beefy, seemingly indestructible brutes of things with large-displacement engines that could lug all day with big loads on board, and cover huge distances across the nation’s deserts.

In the good ol’ days, the big-engined, heavyweights of the four-wheel drive scene were the LandCruisers, Nissan Patrols, Land Rovers and the like. Fuel consumption wasn’t really a problem; just throw another fuel tank in it and continue on.

These days, however, manufacturers are a little more circumspect in their design of 4x4s and small sub-three-litre turbo-diesels have become the norm. But the big LandCruiser endures, complete with a 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel, much to the delight of the grey nomads and people on the land.

What do you get?
The GXL used to be a mid-level specification in which you got a fair bit of kit and technology for your money, but now it seems to have slipped to a virtual entry-level spec with little or no account for luxury. The only level below the GXL is the workhorse GX spec mainly suited to trade and agricultural duties.

What you do get in the GXL is electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, a quite basic reversing camera, sat nav, Bluetooth, eight seats, some handy plugs… and not much more.

The seats are OK without being outstanding, and adjustment is manual. All the rear seats fold up to reveal a fabulous cargo area for all your holiday needs. It’s interesting to note, however, that although the LandCruiser has a 12-volt accessory plug up front in a little cubby hole in the dash, down the back there is a three-pronged 220-volt plug for your fridge. We used this to great effect for our big car fridge, but if you only had a 12-volt fridge, you’d have to run an extension cord to the front of the vehicle.

How much does it cost?
The 200 Series LandCruiser range all comes above the luxury car tax threshold meaning that the $88,541 sticker price for our GXL translates into just under 100 grand when you add the taxes and on-road costs.

The luxury car tax (LCT) is really a bit of a misnomer, especially in this instance. LCT is imposed at the rate of 33 per cent on the amount above the luxury car threshold which stands at $65,095. So our GXL is considered a luxury can even though its spec level is more akin to a well-equipped motorbike than a luxury car…

Some folks may be able to get around the tax issue like primary producers and some commercial operators, but for most of us, this equates to a pretty expensive vehicle.

Of course, you also have to add your heavy-duty tow bar and trailer-brake controller if you’re going to be towing.

If you are looking at one of these vehicles, it might be an idea to up the ante a bit and go for the slightly higher spec VX for about $10K more or even the top-spec Sahara for about $20K more than the GXL. That way, at least you may feel like you’re getting a bit of value for your hard-earned.

But all that said, the LandCruiser does feel like it’s going to last. It is nothing if not tough. The solid feel of the ‘Cruiser is a refreshing change from the tinny-feeling offerings in the small to mid-sized four-wheel drives on the market at the moment.

The solid feel is evident throughout the vehicle. From the suspension, to the way the doors offer a reassuring clunk when they close, even to the door handles and controls – the entire vehicle feels tough.

Then there’s the engine…
It may seem like I’ve buried the lead in this story, but really I’ve left the best until (nearly) last. From the first push of the starter button, this grunt factory gives a burble that oozes power even at idle!

Slip it into drive, press of the accelerator and the 2630kg bulk of the Cruiser fairly jumps forward and powers up through the six-speed automatic transmission.

It may be big, but unlike its forbears, this engine isn’t lazy, and as the twin turbochargers spin up, its 200kW/650Nm become acutely evident. It’s smooth, quiet and very civilised as it goes about its work. I found that as I drove it more, I could almost forgive Toyota for the asking price.

The suspension is great too. Smooth and compliant, it doesn’t wallow through corners and sits flat and inspires confidence through the twisty bits on the secondary roads we travelled.

Around town, the LandCruiser delivered me to work and back in comfort and with a bit of style. The big engine returned a real-world economy figure of 11.5L/100km which, incidentally I measured the old-fashioned way as the GXL doesn’t rate a trip computer.

How well does it tow?
We attached our 19-foot dual-axle pop-top caravan, which weighs in at just below 2000kg loaded, to the back of the LandCruiser and filled up the back with all the usual stuff for a week or so away and headed north.

The LandCruiser loved it. At first I ran it in economy mode and the Toyota didn’t disappoint with effortless performance keeping up with the 100-110km/h freeway traffic, and easily passing trucks and other caravans up hills. Then I hit the Power button.

Usually, I find there’s not much difference between Power and Economy modes, with a bit of change in the shift patterns giving some more revs in power mode and fewer in economy. But with the LandCruiser the difference was chalk and cheese. The Power mode really does make a huge difference, especially when towing.

In Economy, the automatic transmission shifts much lower in the rev range, and as the maximum power of 200kW isn’t reached until 3600rpm, and the maximum torque runs from 1600-2600rpm, the higher shifts in power mode can really be felt.

On the run up from Melbourne to Echuca, we ran in a combination of Power and Economy modes and returned a fuel figure of 16.1L/100km (which would give a theoretical range from the 138-litre tanks of 856km). However, on the return trip, I tried to run a little more frugally. I wasn’t trying to win any economy awards but I stayed in Economy mode for virtually the whole trip, and returned 14.7L/100km – that’s a range of 939km. Not bad for a big wagon towing a reasonable-size trailer.

The verdict
Overall, I really enjoyed the trip in the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series GXL. It offered smooth, unfussed touring, even though we probably had a combined vehicle weight of around five tonnes.

The LandCruiser performed beautifully, and for what we were trying to move, it was pretty economical.

There’s no doubt that this vehicle still has a place in the Aussie towing market, and it’s no wonder that last year Toyota sold 12,814 of them – which was 1000 more than for 2016. If it wasn’t for the prohibitive price, I might have even added to that total.

2018 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series GXL pricing and specifications:
Price: $88,541 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.5-litre eight-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel
Output: 200kW/650Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.5L/100km (ADR combined) / 14.7L/100km (as tested, see text)
CO2: 250g/km (Estimated)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
Tow Rating: 3500kg (braked)