Toyota Land Cruiser 100 is considered one of the most successful representatives of its class. This modification has justified its name ‘land cruiser’ for many years.
Toyota gained lots of experience over many years of work in the automotive market, and this was embodied in the new Land Cruiser 100 series. This vehicle was first presented to the general public at the well-known show in Chicago in January 1998, and the car came to Europe to the exhibition in Geneva, also in 1998. So the first vehicles are over 20 years old now. In 2002, the Land Cruiser 100 underwent a restyling, and in 2005 there was another update. In 2007, Toyota stopped assembling Land Cruiser 100 and started a new generation — Toyota Land Cruiser 200.
Internal classification of Toyota concern states that the Land Cruiser 100 belongs to the class of Station Wagon. The vehicle is a full-size SUV with a frame body structure. Its length is 4890 mm, width — 1940 mm, height — 1880 mm. Depending on the modification, Toyota Land Cruiser 100 weighs from 2465 to 2620 kg, and its gross weight noticeably exceeds three tons. The vehicle has a spacious 830-liters baggage compartment, and if the rear seat is folded down it can contain up to 1370 liters.
Technical Characteristics
We should note that this SUV had a special utility version with the index «105» (in fact, this was Land Cruiser 80 covered with a body from the LC100), which was often used for special tasks. For example, such Cruisers were used by the army, police, UN, and in many other similar places. And in the secondary market, they were often bought as the basis for off-road tuning. Land Cruiser 105 has hinged rear doors, often unpainted black bumpers, simple trim levels, e. g. manual windows, a derated diesel engine, and a 4.5 petrol engine with manual transmissions.
When developing a new generation of Land Cruiser, Toyota specialists paid special attention to engines that had to combine power and reliability. The base engine for the Land Cruiser 100 was a 4.2-liter inline 6-cylinder diesel engine of the 1HD series. The motor had several modifications, the most common of which was the top version with 204 horsepower. The engine is critical to the cleanliness of the air and fuel filter, which might lead to the unstable operation of the unit. In addition, valves must be adjusted every 40-50 thousand km. If you ignore this procedure this will lead to the destruction of their drive system and unfortunate consequences for the motor.
The most common engine for the Land Cruiser 100 was a cast-iron petrol V8 4.7 series 2UZ with a capacity of 235 horsepower. The engine has impressive reliability and can serve over 500 000 km with proper care.
The manufacturers of Toyota Land Cruiser 100 equipped it with both automatic and manual transmissions. Until 2002, a 4-speed automatic transmission from the previous generation LC80 was installed on the SUV, and then it was replaced by a new five-band transmission. Manual transmission is almost ‘eternal’ and with regular preventive maintenance it can drive up to half a million kilometers. With the uniform operation, the clutch works up to 200 000 km.
The weak system of the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 is the brakes. Regular shots on a powerful but heavy SUV quickly overheat the mechanisms, which leads to the breakdown of system elements.
Appearance and Interior
The Land Cruiser 100 was bigger than the previous models — it is 9 centimeters longer, a little bit wider, and the track has increased. The salon was noticeably more comfortable and spacious. The increase in dimensions also required strengthening of the hull — in comparison with the Land Cruiser 80, it became about 50% stronger. The parts of the vehicle that are most at risk of corrosion were covered with pieces of a special non-rusting alloy.
The standard equipment of Toyota Land Cruiser 100: climate control, cruise control, central locking, power mirrors and windows, cup holders, two additional power outlets, and many compartments for storing different items, a car radio built into the center console, an immobilizer, tinted heat-absorbing glasses, steel rims. The number of seats can vary from five to nine. The vehicle has five doors.
Summing Up
On the one hand, due to the high quality of the interior and the level of comfort, the vehicle is considered very prestigious, and on the other hand, its high cross-country ability makes it an excellent option for off-roading.
The Land Cruiser 100 is a classic frame SUV with traditional aggregate placement. The vehicle has the perfect off-road ability, so it feels confident on almost any road surface, except for swampy areas due to its big weight.
The SUV is confident on the road and has decent dynamics. The main advantages of the Toyota Land Cruiser 100-series include a large and comfortable cabin, a big baggage compartment, excellent cross-country ability, good dynamics, powerful engines, reliable suspension, well-thought-out ergonomics, attractive appearance, as well as the prestige of the model. However, there are also has some drawbacks — the cost of maintenance is high, the vehicle consumes lots of fuel and it costs a lot even now despite the age of the model.