That's the price of real go-anywhere ground clearance. Two enduring impressions emerged. First, this vehicle can keep going in territory that would probably stop its U.S. rivals cold. Although the independent front suspension led Toyota to drop the Cruiser's locking front differential, it clawed its way through deep sand and clambered over small boulders without hesitation. When something did scrape, I was confident that the vulnerable mechanical elements were well-protected.
Controls are easy to use.
Although Ford was first to introduce overhead cam technology to truck engines, the Land Cruiser has the first truck V8 to offer the efficiency of four valves per cylinder. As for how it handled on paved roads, there wasn't really a lot to choose between this Land Cruiser and its predecessor. I'd like a little more road feel in the steering, but basically what you get are the deliberate reactions that go with lots of mass and a high center of gravity. Though predictable, the Land Cruiser will never be a slalom champ, something that's also true of its rivals. Ride quality felt distinctly more supple than it was in the previous Cruiser, braking performance is excellent, and interior noise levels are lower.