Toyota Land Cruiser vs Ford Transit

What's the difference?

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR Sport is a total knockout when it comes to its looks, comfort and practicality. It’s stupidly easy to drive and has a fuel efficiency that should make you swoon but the servicing is a bit annoying and it’s not the most affordable option on the market. However, even though it hasn't benefited from any updates this year, you don't feel like you're missing out on any luxuries.

My son adores it, wants it and will be very disappointed when we hand it back. Naturally, he gives it a 10/10.

The E-Transit is quiet, comfortable, rides well, can handle heavy payloads, has zero emissions and would be well-suited to urban daily commercial use for which it’s been designed for. However, $104K-plus would be out of reach for many private owners and small businesses. That’s why Ford is aiming it primarily at fleet buyers, who will quickly determine the commercial success or failure of the E-Transit in Australia. Watch this space.

Design is 100 per cent subjective. I love the look of the LC300 GR Sport because it features what I feel is a timeless, handsome shape.

For some, it may look too big and brutish, because you could throw a bunch of beefy words at it, and somehow, they’d all fit the roadside presence of this extra-large SUV.

What visually sets the GR Sport apart from its siblings are the multitude of black accents across the body from the rear badging, wheels and arches, door handles and roof racks. The grille is also distinctly different in its horizontal design with the Toyota badging capitalised in a bold white font for extra effect. 

Head inside and the cabin looks ruggedly capable with the dimensions of the centre console and dashboard complementing the external looks.

Technology looks upmarket, joinery is solidly put together and the leather upholstery adds to the plush comfort of the seats but there is a sense of capability in the physical buttons and dials still found on the dashboard.

Which is where I start to really like the LC300 GR Sport because everything is where you expect it to be - this is not a car you’ll get flustered in but nor does it have that generic Toyota look.

Apart from the distinctive blue grille bars and rear-door badge, you’d struggle to pick the E-Transit from the closely-related 350L. However, underneath its work-focused exterior there are considerable differences.

Although it shares the same MacPherson strut front suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, the E-Transit’s 14.3-metre turning circle is 1.0-metre larger than the 350L.

And its electric motor and single-speed transmission are mounted under the floor between the rear wheels, which required design of a unique coil-spring independent rear suspension.

The long, wide and slim lithium-ion battery is tucked up neatly beneath the load floor, to ensure that the cargo volume matches the 350L. This also ensures that many load-area conversions will carry over to the E-Transit with minimal modifications.

The big battery brings a considerable increase in kerb weight, given the E-Transit weighs 231kg more than its 350L equivalent. So, although the E-Transit is the most powerful of the Transit fleet, it’s also the heaviest.

However, in terms of power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios based on kerb weights, it compares favourably.

For example, the diesel 350L has 19.3kg/kW compared to the E-Transit’s superior 13.3kg/kW, while the 350L’s 6.1kg/Nm is lineball with the E-Transit’s 6.2 figure.

The driver’s instrument display shows when the battery is being topped-up by regenerative braking and how much engine power is being used, ranging from 0 to 100 per cent.

It also displays average energy consumption (kWh/100km), remaining battery charge, projected driving range and other BEV-specific functions.

The cabin offers ample headroom, but those seated in the centre must have their feet in a split-level position with their right foot on the (now defunct) transmission hump and their left foot on the floor.

The front row is roomy and even with a co-pilot, you feel like you have yards of space to settle into. The seats offer a wide seat and plush padding, as well as heat and ventilation functions which adds comfort for longer trips.

Individual storage is good with a large glove box, two cupholders, two drink bottle holders and a large middle console that also features a 'cool box' function for drinks or snacks.

The comfort of the front is replicated in the backseat, which deftly accepts the height of my 183cm father. The width of the seat can easily accommodate three adults in relative comfort or, if you have a few tots in tow, three child seats.

Amenities and storage in the back row are what you'd expect for a top model in this class. The rear outboard seats feature heat and ventilation functions and there is dual air-conditioning and climate control, as well as, four directional air vents.

The fold-down armrest features two cupholders while the doors hold a drink bottle each and a small storage bin. There are also two map pockets and you can access the middle console cool box with a rear-mounted button.

The GR Sport does remind you that it's a big car with its 235mm ground clearance and my seven-year-old son declared I needed to hold all of his stuff this week as getting in and out is a ‘two-handed- operation'. Like him, I too am grateful for the grab handles and side steps in this car.

The technology is well-rounded and simple to use. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and is responsive to touch. It has built-in satellite navigation and a Toyota Connected Services app with three years of complimentary updates. There is also wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM radio and DAB+ radio but there’s not much else to access in this system.

The mostly analogue instrument cluster features a 7.0-inch tech screen and this is where you can do a lot of your customisations with display and safety.

The charging options are solid up front with the choice of a USB-A and C port, 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad. The rear gets two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket as well.

The boot is cavernous with its 1131L of luggage capacity and that’s with all seats in use. The squared shape of the boot and the 90-degree angle the boot lid opens to are quite practical, especially when fitting bulky items or loading things in the rain.

All GR Sports come with a powered boot lid and a domestic 220-volt socket for charging larger items while adventuring.

With its hefty 2639kg kerb weight and 4250kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1611kg payload rating compared to the 350L’s smaller 1142kg. However, the E-Transit is not rated for towing.

The cargo bay, which in Mid Roof form offers 11-cubic metres of load volume, has internal walls that are lined to roof height. It’s accessed from the kerbside through a sliding door with a generous 1300mm opening width.

Rear access is through a pair of barn-doors which open to 270 degrees to optimise forklift access. Large magnets protrude from each side of the body to firmly secure these doors when fully opened which is a welcome safety feature.

A button located inside the right-hand barn-door switches on a bright external LED overhead light to illuminate rear-loading in poor light conditions.

The load floor, which is protected by a composite liner, is 3533mm long and 1784mm wide with 1392mm between the wheel housings.

That means it can carry three 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or four 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by up to 10 load-anchorage points. The  1786mm internal height allows tall people to stand with minimal stooping.

There’s ample cabin storage including a large-bottle holder and bin in each door, plus angled large-bottle holders/bins on each side of the lower dash and small-bottle/cupholders on each side of the upper dash.

There are also three open bins across the top of the dash-pad, a slender vertical bin and pop-out cupholder in the lower centre dash, plus a full-width overhead shelf with numerous compartments.

Both base cushions on the passenger seat can be tipped forward to access a large hidden storage compartment below.

The centre passenger seat backrest also folds down to a horizontal position to reveal a handy work desk with pen holder, two-cupholders and an elastic strap for securing paperwork.

Our test vehicle is officially known as the 420L BEV Mid Roof, with 420 denoting its 4.2-tonne GVM (it’s actually 4.25-tonne), L denoting its long wheelbase and Mid Roof being one of two roof heights available, with the other being the optional High Roof variant.

Like its taller stablemate, our test vehicle comes with a 68kWh lithium-ion battery pack, electric motor and single-speed automatic transmission for a list price of $104,990 plus on-road costs.

For that money you could almost buy two diesel Transit 350L Auto equivalents. Even so, the E-Transit brings zero emissions, reduced noise and claimed lower operating and maintenance costs for business operators. With 198kW and 430Nm, it also has the most power and torque of any model in the Transit line-up.

It comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels and 235/65R16C tyres plus a full-size spare, along with dark grey bumpers and side-mouldings in areas where scrapes and dents usually occur in hard-working vans. Factory options include dual side-sliding doors and more.

A steel bulkhead/cargo barrier separates the cargo bay from the cabin, which comes standard with a single driver’s seat and twin-passenger bench seat that are all heated.

The 10-way adjustable driver’s seat includes a fold-down inboard armrest, adjustable lumbar support and base-cushion rake.

Plus there’s a two-way adjustable steering wheel, power-folding and heated door mirrors, daytime running lights, three 12-volt accessory outlets, two USB ports, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Its large 12-inch touchscreen is the gateway to numerous 'Sync 4'-connected services including the 'Ford Pass' app, which includes 'Power My Trip'.

By entering a destination, this app can consider the vehicle’s current state of charge in addition to real-time traffic conditions, to help identify charging stops when a customer will need them.

The LC300 models all share the same 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel engine that produces a hefty 227kW and 700Nm of torque. Making it powerful enough to easily handle its 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.

The GR Sport has a 10-speed auto transmission and has a full-time 4WD system with high and low range. It also has front, rear and centre diff locks, so adventuring pursuits should be a breeze but check out Crafty’s off-road review on this model for more 4WD insights.

Its rear-mounted electric motor produces an unmatched 198kW and 430Nm. The lithium-ion battery’s energy supply can be boosted by using the ‘Low’ setting on the rotary dial e-shifter to optimise regenerative braking.

There are three switchable drive modes including default 'Normal', energy-saving 'Eco' and 'Slippery' to improve traction in low-grip conditions.

The battery charge socket is located behind a spring-loaded flap in the grille and the E-Transit comes equipped with a Mode 3, 32-amp charge cable which is stored in the compartment under the passenger seats.

E-Transit can AC charge overnight, using a professionally-installed wall unit, in approximately eight hours at 11.3kW, or quick DC charge (15 to 80 per cent) at 115kW in approximately 34 minutes.

However, Ford does not supply a cable to allow overnight charging at home using a domestic wall socket. That’s because its targeting large fleet buyers, so the cable it supplies is only for ‘at depot’ charging or when using public-charging facilities.

It's big and has a lot of power, so it should be pretty thirsty ... right?

Wrong! The official combined fuel-cycle consumption figure is 8.9L/100km and my real world usage came out at 9.8L/100km after doing a mix of long open-road trips and some urban stuff.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and the two fuel tanks, which equal 110L, you’d be able to get a theoretical driving range of 1236km.

Ford claims an official WLTP driving range of 230-307km from a single charge. When we collected the E-Transit it was fully charged but the projected driving range displayed on the instrument panel was only 179km, so there are variables in these figures.

However, we did end up inadvertently testing the single-charge driving range because we could not charge the E-Transit. That was due to our local public-charging facilities being located inside multi-storey carparks which could not be accessed due to height restrictions.

So, during the week we drove a total of 190km, with about 19km of range remaining. Therefore, it is capable of at least 200km on a single charge but 300km seems optimistic, which is nothing new given the equally optimistic L/100km figures automakers claim for combustion-engine vehicles.

We used the Low drive mode most of the time to optimise battery top-ups through regenerative braking and our testing included a mix of city and suburban roads, both unladen and when hauling a big payload.

Average consumption was 28kWh/100km, so we would suggest a 'real world' driving range of around 200-230km from a single charge.

The GR Sport is a massive car but it doesn’t handle like one. That's not to say it handles like a small car but it doesn't feel like a truck to drive.

The power is effortlessly gutsy and there's no issue keeping your speed consistent on hills. The 10-speed auto transmission manages its gear changes and power hits smoothly. The rumble of the V6 engine is also quite therapeutic when it comes time to tackle an overflowing causeway or muddy road.

The GR Sport feels solidly grounded and even on winding roads, the roll in corners isn’t bad at all. Less so than a Prado, actually. 

The ride comfort is very good in the GR Sport grade as it has special adaptive suspension and that means that you really aren’t bothered by the road surface. Besides some whistling from the roof racks, there’s also little outside noise and it feels refined in the cabin because of it.

The wide windows and high seating position offers great visibility all around but I'm very aware of how large the car is as I can't see my son when he walks around it. The sensors alert you but make sure all kids are accounted for before you start moving.

Despite its size, the GR Sport is very nimble to manoeuvre with a small 11.8m turning circle and steering that is responsive.

Parking has been no issue for me this week and while the 360-degree view camera is a bit too fish-eye lense for me, its clear and you get used to it pretty quickly.

It offers a comfortable and commanding driving position, thanks to the multi-adjustable seat, two-way steering wheel adjustment and clear eye-lines to the big truck-style door mirrors with lower sections offering wide-angle views.

You don’t need to warm-up the engine to generate cabin heating - it’s instant. And when you get underway it feels more like you're riding in a tram than a van, with its muted electric hum the closest we’ve come to driving a silent commercial vehicle.

With the big battery under the floor it feels firmly planted on the road when unladen, with a low centre of gravity providing good stability when cornering.

The battery weight, combined with E-Transit’s unique four-coil suspension, iron out the bumps and provide a supple ride quality.

Acceleration from standing starts is brisk and smooth in Normal mode, even though you can sense its 2.6-tonne kerb weight's slight reluctance to get moving even with 430Nm of instant torque. At 100km/h, there’s only tyre noise and a little wind-buffeting around the door mirrors.

We drove the first 100km in Normal mode, during which average consumption was 27kWh/100km. We then switched to Eco mode, which resulted in a drop in performance without a corresponding decrease in consumption. Perhaps you need to drive it longer in Eco to harvest the benefits.

We then switched back to Normal mode for our GVM test. We forklifted 1300kg into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a total payload of 1400kg, which was still more than 200kg under its GVM limit. The rear suspension compressed 50mm with ample travel remaining, while the nose rose 35mm in response.

The compressed suspension felt firmer, as you’d expect, but the electric motor hardly noticed this load around town, with acceleration and general response remaining strong if slightly subdued. Energy consumption increased to 28kWh/100km during our load run.

In strictly city driving, which the E-Transit is aimed at, it proved to be a capable workhorse. It can do the job quite economically, too, given that during most of our testing in Normal mode it was operating in the 0-50 per cent ‘power usage’ zone which provides ample performance.

ANCAP is not applicable to heavy commercial vehicles but the E-Transit shares the same six airbags and active safety and driver assistance as other Transits.

Highlights include AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more.

The GR Sport comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and if you stick to your service schedule, you get an additional two years of engine coverage.

There is capped-priced servicing for up to five years or 100,000km, which entails a total of 10 services or two a year as servicing intervals are a pain at every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.

Services are $400 which equates to $800 per year, which is a bit expensive but not outrageous for the class.

The E-Transit is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty plus a separate warranty for the lithium-ion battery and high-voltage electrical components of eight years/160,000km, whichever occurs first.

Capped-price service intervals are 12 months/30,000km, with a total cost for the first five scheduled services of $925 or just $185 per service. Such low maintenance costs are in stark contrast to the purchase price!