Tested: 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser

From the March 1990 issue.

The Land Cruiser is Toyota’s longest-running act in the U.S. The company sold one—literally one unit—in 1958 and has continued to sell the heavyweight sport-utility vehicle ever since. The Cruiser is Toyota’s heaviest American-market machine, its most profligate in the consumption of natural resources, and, at about 6000 units a year, its slowest seller.

Visual History of the Toyota Land Cruiser

Vintage Land Cruiser Turns into a $200K Custom 4×4

$200K 1981 Toyota Land Cruiser Tested

To this point, the distinctions paint the picture of a giant, solid workhorse of a truck, plodding but dependable, with just enough supporters in customerland to keep the production line moving, if not exactly humming. And that’s just what the trusty old Land Crusher is. But note another, more recent fact: today, the median income of LC buyers is $90,000, far and away higher than that of any other Toyota vehicle’s constituency, with the single exception of the new Lexus LS400. And look at how the company talks about the thing: suddenly the press kit calls it an “upscale explorer,” chief engineer Masaomi Yoshii says it is “for those who want more than just luxury from their status symbols,” and the comparative data charts all have a column headed “Range Rover.” Something has happened here.

One thing that’s happened, of course, is that the horse-trailer and ski-cabin set has embraced both the image and the capability of big four­-wheel-drive wagons. And now, with the introduction of the new-for-1991 Land Cruiser, Toyota has embraced them back.

Carlike comfort and noise-vibration-harshness control are part of the package in this class, and this is where Toyota focused most of its efforts in developing the new vehicle. The tight, well-insulated body structure encloses a beautifully appointed cabin, with class-leading roominess and an instrument panel that looks lifted from a high-line Toyota sedan. The flexible seating features an optional third bench that splits in the middle and folds up against the side windows in the manner of the rear seat in Toyota’s astoundingly clever new Previa van.

This body flaunts its new curves—gracefully smoothed lines that give an almost (dare we say it?) aerodynamic look without sacrificing the necessary rugged stance. And it rides on a new, long-travel, all-coil suspension that takes a page out of the Range Rover book for control of live axles. In our brief on- and off-road jaunt, the ’91 Land Cruiser felt commendably close to the RR in all areas except perhaps ultimate smothering of little, rapid, ripply bumps. In many other ways, including driving position, cargo capacity, and its likely low-$20,000s price tag, the Crusher crushes the Brit.

We like the new, no-fuss, full-time four-wheel drive, with manual control of the interaxle differential lock. Which leaves only the engine-the one item Toyota engineers did, in fact, leave. They call the 155-hp, 4.0-liter straight six “tried and true.” We call it only barely up to the task of powering a 4600-pound beast. They say, yes, that’s next on the development agenda. We say good.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com