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The Toyota LandCruiser is one of the best-known and most popular large 4WDs, thanks to a reputation for reliability and off-road ability.
Launched locally in 1960, the LandCruiser first appeared as a fairly spartan, off-road tool. The LandCruiser was split into two distinct lines in 1967, with one remaining a no-nonsense and utilitarian, and the other pursuing a more luxurious, passenger-oriented design. These days, they’re known as the 70 Series and 300 Series respectively, with both still dedicated to the same principles as half a century ago. The 70 Series is available as a single cab and dual-cab chassis, as well as a wagon and the larger Troop Carrier wagon. The 300 Series is a large wagon-style SUV, but goes from a fairly basic off-roader to a luxurious Range Rover alternative.
Current prices range from $96,991 for the Landcruiser LC300 GX (4X4) to $145,791 for the Landcruiser LC300 Sahara ZX (4X4).
This vehicle is also known as The Toyota Land Cruiser is also known as Toyota Land Cruiser in markets outside Australia..
There are ten colours available for the LC300 overall, like Glacier White, Crystal Pearl, Arctic White, Silver Pearl, Graphite, Ebony, Merlot Red, Saturn Blue, Dusty Bronze and Eclipse Black.
Standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, LED DRLs, dusk-sensing auto headlights, reversing camera, trailer sway control, trailer wiring harness connection, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, 220-volt socket, Bluetooth, Toyota Connected Services with three years complimentary access.
The LandCruiser 300 Series is available in two configurations.
The GX, Sahara ZX and GR Sport have five seats in a 2/3 configuration. The GXL, VX and Sahara have seven seats in a 2/3/2 configuration.
On the GX and GXL variants, front seats are manually adjustable and have cloth upholstery. The second row features a 60/40 split.
Higher grades feature eight-way powered front seats and leather-accented upholstery. The second row in these grades features a 40/20/40 split and the third row in the Sahara variant is powered.
From the Sahara grade up, front seats and the second row outboard seats feature heat and ventilation functions.
This type of thing is certainly not an uncommon fault, but whether it’s more common in Toyotas is another question altogether. Certainly, Toyota has not recalled the vehicle to fix this problem, nor am I aware of a service bulletin (much more likely than a safety recall for a dud head unit).
But the good news is that there are specialist companies out there that fix problems like this one. You remove your head unit, send it away and it returns fully functioning and tested, ready to reinstall. Flickering and dropping out are both common faults in modern head units, but both can be fixed by the right specialist.
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If the engine power has returned since this episode, I’d be willing to suggest that what happened is that the vehicle had gone into limp-home mode. This happens when something like the transmission or engine becomes hot enough that to continue at normal pace might cause damage to the vehicle. It’s the car’s way of saving its own life, if you like. When it does, you can expect a warning light and a reduction in power, just as you experienced.
Towing a caravan up hills is a great way to get a transmission really hot, or even a turbocharged engine such as the one in your LandCruiser. If the vehicle returned to normal once it had cooled down, then you shouldn’t have any ongoing problems, but another oil change and perhaps transmission service might be a good idea as these fluids can lose their mojo once they’ve been really hot even once.
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The Toyota LandCruiser is one of those vehicles that defies conventional wisdom by being super long-lived. It kind of depends on which model LandCruiser you’re talking about, but if it’s a diesel-engined version, there’s every chance that it still has lots of life left in it at 320,000km.
That presumes, of course, that it has been serviced correctly and has not been used to drag an excavator on a trailer at 110km/h every day of its life. Any vehicle with this many kilometres needs a very careful pre-purchase inspection but, being a LandCruiser, the cost of this inspection is warranted where it may not be on many other makes and models.
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All LC300 models share the same 3.3L 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.
With its 10-speed auto transmission, full-time dual-range 4WD system (with high and low range) - weekend pursuits are all but guaranteed.
The interior is pleasant, no matter what grade you're in. The dimensions and durability of the dashboard and centre console match the ruggedness of the LC300s external looks.
On the GX and GXL grades, the dashboard is headlined by a 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia screen and a partial analogue cluster with a 4.2-inch tech screen.
On every other grade, the dashboard is headlined by a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen and a partial analogue cluster with a 7.0-inch tech screen.
A seven-seater LC300 has 1004L of space available in five-seat mode, while a five-seater LC300 has 1131L of space on offer with all seats in use.
The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is capable of doing the 0-100km/h sprint in about 8.0 seconds. Expect a top speed of around 210km/h.
The official combined fuel-cycle consumption figure is 8.9L/100km and based on the two fuel tanks, which equal 110L, you’d be able to get a theoretical driving range of 1236km.