Toyota Land Cruiser review
The first Toyota Land Cruiser made its debut 1954 in and now in 2011 more than fifty years later it is still available for purchase. There has to be a reason a car this old has continued to be a bestseller to this day. The reason is that it is imbued with the experience that comes with time, the modern advancements of today and an incomparable style.
With purchasing the Toyota Land Cruiser comes great style and great responsibility. The first ever SUV that Toyota manufactured the Land Cruiser has weathered the test of time to remain one of the brand’s most expensive and most sophisticated offerings costing $68,920.
Currently Toyota offers offers four different SUVs’ and the Land Cruiser is the most expensive. Why? That’s because the Land Cruiser 2011 is an effective combination of a car that drives equally well on off-roads and on urban roads. This is a quality difficult to combine in an all out sport utility vehicle.
Its engine is a 5.7 litre V8 with a horsepower of an astounding 381 and the ability to tow an incredible weight of 8500 pounds. When the world car manufacturers are trying to make even SUVs’ compact, lightweight and more sleek the Land Cruiser remains an all out tough, huge eight passenger-seating vehicle. In fact the 2011 offering is even wider and longer than its predecessor. The car is equipped with Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System making it effective for driving in the city as well as in off-road terrains.
It even comes equipped with the new crawl control system that makes driving it an even greater pleasure as instead of struggling and thumping through difficult terrain it becomes possible to meander through it smoothly. This system is put into place to automatically control the brakes and engines to travel at a low speed whilst travelling through areas that are filled with obstacles such as mountainous regions, mud and sand.
When it comes to trim levels the 2011 Land Cruiser has just one. It has a four wheel drive system that has active traction control, 18-inch alloy wheels, hill start assist control, front and rear mudguards in addition to the crawl control and Kinetic Dynamic Suspensions system.
Like all other Toyota vehicles the car is equipped with gadgets and gizmos to please all enthusiasts and its has 14 speakers with subwoofers, Ipod connectivity and Bluetooth technology in the car and of course a flawless voice-activated touch navigation system.
When it comes to safety the Land Cruiser comes fitted with Toyota’s safety connect telematics systems that tells the people who respond in emergencies if the airbags have been deployed or if a harsh accident has been detected. It even has airbags all throughout the car. It has front and second row, full-length side curtain airbags and front knee airbags.
The only cons that this car has is that it is too steeply priced and a very heavy car but those can be overlooked if you want a strong, safe car that delivers everything that it promises.
Cruise down the road with the Toyota FJ Cruiser
Looking at the Toyota FJ Cruiser takes you back to the good old days where you cruise down the weather beaten road with the wind in your hair and rock and roll blasting on your speakers. That’s the retro feel the FJ Cruiser is meant to give you.
Its traditional, boxed shape reeks of ruggedness and when you look at it you see not a sleek, slick vehicle but a rough and tough car. It went on sale in 2006 and the 2011 edition of the FJ Cruiser has a few changes to make it more comfortable than its predecessor.
It has a more developed audio system, wider access to the back seats and folding headrests for the rear seats but because it is only a few years old Toyota has more or less stuck to its introductory formula as far as its features are concerned.
Being a sport utility vehicle the Cruiser is designed to meet most off-road requirements and it does this job well. It rides easily along all kinds of terrain thanks to its rugged exterior and good safety measures. While it is essentially meant for off-road purposes it is a smooth drive even on levelled and concrete roads.
Its engine is powerful with a 4-litre V6 engine much like its sister car the 4Runner. The engine gives it a horsepower of 260 and when completely loaded and equipped the ability to tow 5000 pounds.
However it does have a few flaws. It design consisting of high hood and thick roof pillars make proper visibility difficult. Its boxed shape contributes to creating wind noise when going at high speeds causing interferences and distractions to the driver. Even though the access doors to the back have been increased in size the rear seats are still difficult to access and there are many cars in the market that give more comfortable access.
Only one trim is available of the FJ Cruiser but it is available as a rear wheel drive, a four-wheel drive and both manual and automatic transmission, with the starting price of $25,790 and going up to $27,380. The car is equipped with 17 inch black steel wheels, water resistant seats, a two-toned exterior colour, Bluetooth technology and advanced audio features.
Ruggedness, a good engine and a cool retro feel all contribute in making this car a great collectors item for an adventurous soul but its safety features make it a complete package. The FJ Cruiser 2011 is equipped with a driver and front passenger advanced airbag system, seatbelts with emergency and automatic retractors on all passenger belts and side impact door beams.
Making this cruise worthy car even more appealing is an exterior which is two toned with a body colour and a white roof. It is available in a range of colours that include; silver fresco metallic, black, brick, iceberg, army green, cavalry blue and quicksand. So if you want a wild ride, a good engine and a rainbow of colours to choose from this car is meant for you.
