Owner reviews about the advantages and disadvantages of the Land Cruiser 100

Owners' general impression of the Land Cruiser

According to user reviews, the TLC 100 is an ultra-reliable car with a strong frame, a powerful engine and a comfortable interior. The car handles confidently on the highway and when driving over rough terrain. A prestigious and versatile car for every day.

The advantages of this Toyota model appear as operating conditions worsen. You don’t feel any unevenness in the road surface – speed bumps, potholes, snow drifts and ice.

The car is perfect for the city and outings. Engine power and high driving performance do not affect safety. Fuel consumption does not exceed the usual limits for this class of car, below average.

Compared to previous models, innovations have appeared:

the size of the radiator grille has increased;
LED emitters began to be used on the rear turn signals, and since 2006 the design of the front optics has changed;
Media control options and overhead seat airflow have been added for the rear seats;
the gearbox has become five-speed, in manual and automatic versions;
variable steering ratio, which increases the sensitivity and stability of the steering wheel.

According to owners' reviews, the Land Cruiser 100 diesel, with proper care, is no less reliable than a gasoline engine.

Drivers who have used the car for ten years do not complain about reliability and reliability, as with other cars in the series. But there are car enthusiasts who complain about endless failures of components when the specified service life is exceeded.

Let us dwell in more detail on the pros and cons of the car, posted by drivers on the pages of thematic forums on the Internet.

All owner reviews about Toyota Land Cruiser 100

I decided to write a review about this car. The car is quite rare, and for those who are not familiar with off-road nuances, it is completely unclear how it differs from a regular cruiser. So, I had a Pajero Sport for a very short time, I wrote a review about it here. After it caught my ears (solely through my fault: I did not appreciate its driving characteristics, muddy tires on the rear wheel drive - the old Sport did not have RPV), I began to look for a replacement for the expedition vehicle. In principle, there were no other options at all. I wasn’t going to look at the L200, nor the Pajero4, and the Patrol (still old, not the blown one it is now) — I didn’t like the inside at all. Plus the usual desire of a Soviet person to take something “for centuries and pass it on to his grandchildren”... So I started looking for TLC 105.

I searched for a couple of months in St. Petersburg, nothing worthy was found (a prerequisite is the GX package, i.e. with all the locks) and the last one, 2005. As a result, friends found a car in Moscow, it was sold by a friend of friends. In general, I went to Moscow to pick up the car. This is my first (and hopefully only) car without CASCO. Because Insurers want more than 100 thousand rubles for CASCO for 150, and the car is basically undetectable... well, who’s going to count them? So, the car appeared... but then something a little unexpected happened. The fact is that little by little my life priorities changed. I realized that shit climbing itself doesn’t appeal to me at all. I'm interested in going far from people, to remote places. And just together with my wife, because... only on one machine. But driving into serious swamps with one car is stupid and dangerous... and most importantly - not interesting! And to any remote places where I wanted to go, the 105 drove everywhere :) That’s why I didn’t build a car! No winches like on the Pajero, no suspension, nothing :) Even the 2 kilowatt inverter was hanging unattached in the trunk.

Well, okay, the narrative part is of no interest to anyone, let’s get to the point. The 105 is a special car. There is virtually no electronics in it. All that is available from active safety equipment is ABS and one airbag. The 4.5 liter diesel engine is huge by modern standards - contrary to the expectations of those unfamiliar with the car, it heats up perfectly and quickly in severe frosts and is not at all gluttonous: no more than 11 liters for any driving style. Well, I’ll keep silent about the fact that the car starts in any frost, it’s obvious :) There are 2 types of 105s: European and for the UAE market, there is an air conditioner instead of a rear heater, plus there are some other points, I’m not sure I remember all the differences, unfortunately. It is clear that our dealer cars are European, but if you buy a fitted car, you need to keep this nuance in mind. Since there are no electronics in the car, there is simply nothing to break. Which is convenient :) The running life is huge even for extreme household (I'm not talking about professional racing, of course) use.

Amenities and disadvantages inside

Interior comfort, although inferior to products from famous German brands, remains at a decent level. Manufacturer's defects:

Inconvenient placement of buttons that control the headlight washers, heated seats and steering wheel. To enable one of these options, the driver is forced to distract himself from the controls, leaning towards the required button.
The “electric suction” is not visible, and there is no backup indicator.
The USB port blocks access to the cigarette lighter socket when the device is turned on. This drawback is especially relevant due to the large number of devices connected to the USB connector - radios, water heaters, mobile phone chargers, etc.

But some shortcomings do not spoil the impressions of the salon, thanks to:

A convenient graphical dashboard, a colorful multimedia screen, wide push-button functionality for controlling the microclimate in the cabin and external elements (rotating mirrors, etc.).
Standard car radio in CD format and acoustics with spacious, clear and powerful sound.
Reliable insulation from external noise.
Universal adjustment of the front seats, depending on the height of the driver and passenger. The possibility of precise adjustment is provided, taking into account the characteristics of a person’s build.
Comfortable and spacious interior - if you remove the rear row of seats, the remaining space allows you to place a full-fledged sleeping place. In addition to accommodating five adult passengers, there is room inside the car for additional luggage.
The presence of an automatically controlled top hatch.
Availability of personal lighting for passenger seats and driver's seat.

The interior design raises some complaints.

But, given the technical equipment of the car, the level of comfort is comparable to the prestige of the car.

“Problematic” and vulnerabilities

Well, based on the above, in principle, one might think that this car is perfection itself, but this “honey barrel” also has its own “fly in the ointment.” And some reviews of the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 are direct confirmation of this.

Among the shortcomings regarding the body part and internal arrangement of the car, it is worth noting:

The location of the instruments on the panel is a little low, which is why, in order to see the indicators of interest, you need to slightly crane your neck and sit up in the driver’s seat.
Lack of lateral support in the car seats (although the seats themselves are quite comfortable).
Not very good performance of the navigation system and parking sensors.
Problems with heating the interior and windshield. This is partly due to the inconvenient location of the controls for this function, which are small pins recessed into the surface of the front seats.
Insufficient sound insulation.
The presence of plastic in the interior trim is not of the best quality.

However, these small shortcomings cannot be called significant; it is quite possible and possible to live with them. However, the greatest interest when choosing, purchasing and discussing any car, including this one, is traditionally caused by the following points: the price of the Land Cruiser 100 and its technical characteristics. So, let’s try to figure out these pressing key points, based on the reviews and opinions of car enthusiasts who managed to get to know this representative of the Toyota clan better.

Pros and cons during operation

According to owner reviews, the Land Cruiser 100 has the following advantages:

powerful and reliable engine that provides quick acceleration;
stability when driving along the highway, leveling out the influence of minor irregularities;
large load capacity and interior capacity;
reasonable fuel consumption, taking into account the characteristics of the engine;
high cross-country ability;
reliability and trouble-free operation;
versatility - the machine is adapted for use in the city and beyond;
high maintainability;
easy to start at subzero temperatures, with a convenient autostart function - just press the button once, and the automatic system will start the engine;
high level of comfort and prestige;
favorable price compared to European and American analogues;
modern and stylish design;
the presence of a hydraulic booster that automatically regulates the level of ground clearance, depending on the load of the vehicle;
thoughtful and reliable frame design.

When starting from a standstill, the car accelerates to 100 km/h in a period of time from 11.7 to 13.6 seconds, depending on the power of the installed engine modification.

But this model of Toyota products is not without certain disadvantages:

clumsiness when driving in cramped conditions on city routes, problems with parking;
insufficient controllability and stability on an icy surface;
susceptibility to corrosion of the body trim and frame, especially during long-term operation in a humid environment;
high cost of maintenance, including a high level of transport tax;
problems with dismantling the rear spare wheel if the fastening has not been checked for a long time;
excess weight, which affects the wear of chassis components during intensive use.

The listed disadvantages are not critical compared to the advantages of the model over competitors from other manufacturers in reliability, unpretentiousness and versatility.

Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption on the Kruzak 100, according to owner reviews, is determined by:

operating conditions - in the city, with frequent stops at traffic lights or when driving over rough terrain, the volume of fuel burned increases;
ambient air temperature;
average speed;
modification and degree of wear of the installed engine.

There are two modifications of such motors:

six-cylinder, 4.5 l;
for 8 cylinders, volume – 4.7 liters.

Volume of combustion chambers of diesel engines of type 4.2. Three modifications were produced, two of which were supercharged.

Gasoline units consume from 17 to 27 liters per 100 km with an average of 23 liters. Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series with a diesel engine consumes from 8 to 20 liters, depending on the model and operating conditions.

In addition to lower fuel consumption by a diesel engine, another advantage of such an engine is a slight increase in fuel consumption with increasing load (larger cargo weight, transporting a trailer).

The optimal fuel consumption of a car is observed when driving at a speed within 100 km/h.

Frequent breakdowns

The owners note that with gentle use and regular maintenance, the car is trouble-free until the mileage reaches 300 thousand km. If the car is subject to wear and tear, the indicated value is halved.

The car is sensitive to low-quality fuel. If the fuel system fails, repairs will have to be performed in a specialized service station.

When assessing the reliability of components, motorists complain about the following weaknesses:

problems with the lower suspension arm; when driving on bad roads, the part needs to be strengthened;
steering rack;
rapid wear of the timing belt synchronizing the crankshaft and camshaft;
poor anti-corrosion protection.

Considering the price category of the car, the cost of spare parts is reasonable. For a car produced in 2006, the average price of a wing is within 12,000 rubles, a bumper is up to 5,000 rubles.

Reviews of Land Cruiser

To conclude the review, here are a few reviews from Land Cruiser 100 owners:

Roman (Lvov, Ukraine): “A gorgeous car, one can only dream of such an SUV. I didn’t find any shortcomings.”
Sahib (Kamensk-Uralsky): “A reliable SUV with a frame body structure. The ideal car for real men."
Boris (Kaliningrad): “A solid car with a stylish interior. Respected on the roads. When changing lanes, they let you through without questions.”
Alexander (Ekaterinburg): “An excellent car, I didn’t regret buying a Kruzak with a four-speed gearbox. It was easy to adapt to the automatic transmission after the manual transmission. You don’t get tired at all while driving.”
Pavel (Vitebsk, Belarus): “An excellent car for all occasions.”

TLK 100 was discontinued after 2008, but is still in demand in the domestic automotive market. The quality and reliability of the car have become proverbial, having stood the test of time, the quality of Russian roads and the harsh climate.

Advantages and positive aspects of the model

The subject of discussion is most often models from famous manufacturers that enjoy the attention and love of car enthusiasts all over the world. These include the Land Cruiser 100, which is produced by. The car is a classic SUV equipped with an all-wheel drive system and two petrol and diesel engine options. Available in several versions, with a 5-speed manual transmission and an automatic transmission.

A distinctive feature of the “weaving” is the special structure of the fifth door of the car, which, unlike its “brother” in body, the version with the index 105, has two doors that are separated horizontally (in the 105 it consists of hinged halves). In addition, the Land Cruiser 100 has body-colored bumpers and a more rigid frame with energy-absorbing zones, as well as an independent double-wishbone torsion bar front suspension.

Although reviews of the Land Cruiser 100 are mostly positive, it also has some specific disadvantages, which we will discuss a little later. Let's start with the pleasant moments, that is, its undoubted advantages, noted by the car enthusiasts themselves. These include:

Respectable and solid appearance. The first thing that strikes you when you look at the car is its “muscular” shape and impressive dimensions, measuring 4890 x 1941 x 1890 mm, with a wheelbase length of 2850 mm and ground clearance of 218 mm. It is clear: it was created to “reign” on the road. The impression is further enhanced by the spectacular shape of the headlights with signature contours, canopies and somewhat aggressive, brutal body elements.
Excellent cross-country ability of the car, achieved through the use of an all-wheel drive system, a low range in the transmission, and the possibility of locking the center and cross-axle differentials.
Maneuverability and good movement. Being a car with very impressive dimensions, it commands respect and looks very catchy and noticeable on the road. At the same time, due to the balanced operation of a powerful engine, it is capable of performing any complex maneuvers with extreme precision and accuracy. The suspension setup is very smooth and soft, which creates a very pleasant feeling when driving the car.
Comfort and safety. Here it is worth mentioning a fairly spacious, comfortable interior with leather seats, characterized by good spaciousness, as well as an impressive size luggage compartment, where you can easily place a decent amount of useful cargo, including long ones.
Additional convenience is provided by a specially dimmable mirror with a compass, as well as rear-view mirrors, which can be used for better orientation both in traffic, at forest forks and on rough terrain.