Toyota LandCruiser 70 VDJ GXL Wagon (2007-2023)

2012 VDJ76 6yrs of ownership and still going strong – After 6yrs of ownership (purchased new) I decided it was time for an honest first hand review. If you are in the market for a comfortable 4x4 wagon look elsewhere, these are as basic as they come even in GXL spec as mine is. I will start with the negatives, - They are noisy on the hwy, (the gearbox is geared way to low) the handling and… Read more

brakes are average at best.

- 1 cup holder for the entire family

- Basic seats

- Leaf springs in the rear and the shorter wheelbase gives poor ride comfort.

- No auto option from factory (aftermarket conversions cost $20,000 - $26,500)

The positives

- With factory difflocks these are extremely capapble straight from the show room floor

- The absence of all the electronic sensors & gadgets that fill cars today is a huge plus, a lot less to go wrong when travelling remote places.

- Manual locking hubs ( less to go wrong again)

- No automatic climate control, still basic slide/cable controls (less to go wrong again)

- Solid chassis, solid front diff and leaf rear suspension, these can take a beating even when fully loaded without any issues

- Low down torque and the low gearing make towing or 4wding very easy.

- These hold their value, at time of writing still approx 6mth waiting list from Toyota (depending on colour)

My 76 has been fautless over the years clocking up 135,000klms. The fuel consumption avgs 12L/100klm around town or hwy driving and towing our 1.5t van consumption is approx 16L/100klm.

The major consideration is to the servicing, I service mine every 5000klms to keep the internals of this engine clean. The 1VD does not like dirty oil and can lead to expensive repair bills.

Due to the primitive qualities they are not a 4wd that suits a lot of people but 70 series owners are rewarded with the solid construction and reliability expected from these 4x4s.

Having driven a huge bunch of cars I've chosen the best one – I used to have only good cars in my disposal. It was Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. I cannot say that G class Mercedes-Benz worse than Toyota VDJ76, but.... when it comes to money , I wanna say: 'yes, Toyota is a winner'. Landcruiser VDJ 76 is the same reliable, well-done and awesome 4x4 car but in 3 times cheapper. Regarding other brands... I… Read more

prefer not to say, don't want to offend other car owners. I know that for someone LC is not not cheap as well, but when we talk about a good car we must be honest and clear.

76 Cruiser Not Perfect but OK – Our 2012 76 has done about 110,000km and has towed an off road van for about 25,000km. We have not had the clutch issues that others have reported despite the extensive towing kms despite a combined travel weight of about 5.7 tonne when all water tanks etc are full. The engine/exhaust are standard and we cope pretty well although we have to use… Read more

3rd for steeper hills. We're in no rush though. We use top gear when towing but only on the flat or gentle inclines. Toyota don't recommend towing on top gear as it is an overdrive. Fuel consumption driving around home is about 10.5-11 lit/100km with about 400kg of after market gear and about 60 kg of tools etc. Not a lot of CBD driving though. Towing at about 95-100 km/hr we average about 17 lit/100km.

We have not had any issue with excessive engine oil use reported by some others, although I do wonder if a contributing factor is how ell engines are run in.

We have a Lovell Spring GVM upgrade that is pretty hard, particularly initially when they provided the wrong shocks....and have still never owned up to that. Now have EFS shocks which have helped soften the ride.

Internal space doesn't offer a much leg room for the driver or rear passengers and, really, only one blinkin cup holder...get real.

The difference of 95mm in front to rear track is another frustration although as we have not done a lot of sand driving it has not been an issue. It has certainly been very stable when towing our van with an ATM of 2500kg.

Diff breathers are not much chop and should be replaced with ones that offer genuine filtration and are raised higher. Then snorkel is not really a snorkel and should only be regarded as an elevated air intake due to the lack of effective sealing at the joints.

Would like a bit more stone protection than that which comes standard so have added some in a couple of spots.

Have added a reversing camera recently and should have done so a lot earlier. Great for hitching up the van and also for safety when reversing in car parks etc particularly where children may be around.

In general, though, the 76 has performed well off road and as a stable tow vehicle and we are happy to not to have lots of bells and whistles that just become another thing to fail when off road.

Land cruiser 76 series – Love this vehicle. Traded our much loved Prado (which had electrical issues and less than 50k traveled) my wife calls it the "tractor" most capable vehicle which is great for towing and 4wding is unstoppable. High praises. Upgraded version is better value than previous model that did not have the auto hubs and longer 2nd and 5th gear. Just love… Read more

it.

November 5th 2018 Update: 76 series Landcruiser with DPF

Well we have had our cruiser now from new for 2 years- the upgrades are- suspension--bp51 ome-- parabolic rear springs--front bar from uneek-- winch--3" exhaust with pedal torque and power module from torqit--and more..........I really love this vehicle named 'the beast'. With the upgraded suspension and chip its such a great truck to drive. We tow a van and are looking to make a Simson crossing July 2019, so I'll post another review then. 50,000k and still like new except for bush kisses!

76 track issues – Bought a new 2015 GXL wagon last year to replace my 2014 LS Challenger. Only reason I changed vehicles is I wanted bigger tow capacity and to put a tinny on the roof, everyone said by a cruiser. So I did big mistake in general it's ok but the track issues are concerning I have nearly lost my caravan using this vehicle where as the old challenger… Read more

no issues at all. Hence after this my wife swore she would never get in the car if we are towing the van. I have found out that these vehicles are notorious for this as there is about 100mm difference between front and rear track. I've had people tell me that when they are behind me it looks like I'm crabbing down the road, I just tell them that it's the "ooh what a feeling" build quality. I have tried to get Toyota to fix it but I've got a better chance of winning powerball. Would I recommend this vehicle to anyone no way it's first and only new Toyota I'll ever buy. To further add insult to injury the clutch in this model is really only meant for the previous 6 cylinder motor hence why they slip when towing. Toyota know it's an issue but won't do anything about it till it claps out.

Offroad beast – If you want comfort look elsewhere, this isn't a soccer mum 4x4. Very capable machine off road vehicle diff locks standard on gxl pretty much make it able to go anywhere straight off the showroom floor. The stock suspension is garbage, replacing it should done right away, expect a lack of flex with lots of wheels in the air regardless due to the… Read more

solid axle setup. Gearing can be improved with 33 inch tyres. 255/85/16 works the best for me. If buying new shop around, dealers are thieves, some $6,000 variance in pricing for the same product.

If you intend of using this for its intended purpose (four wheel drive) you will be rewarded by its simple nonsense design.

Positives:

- Excellent off road

- Plethora of modifications to suit the owner needs

- V8 power and low down torque

- Simple design spartan (Feel at home if you owned a circa 90's corolla)

Negatives:

- Manual gearbox is shortly geared (pretty much 1st is useless) (O/D unit fixes this)

- Noisy cab - particularly above 90 kph

- No sub fuel tank option for wagon (76)

- No cruise control

- A/C is option but pretty much everyone sold in stock has A/C installed

- Locking hubs

- Width difference from front and back

Dream machine – I own a my cruiser since 2009 Workmate GLX and drove from Charleville to Tassie and back without missing a beat Road handling was exceptional and fuel economy was fantastic. As far as oil consumption was concerned I use a synthetic I, as recommended for V8's and has kept it to a minimal use. We now live in FNQ Weipa and have just driven to Cairns… Read more

return and just had major 140klm service with a good report .would live to hear other opinions cheers

Class of its own – Not perfect but only tough no nonsense vehicle currently available. Capable, economical, reliable and fun to drive. Does most things very well, an auto option would be great. Average around 10 liters per 100 around town and 12 to 14 when its fully loaded and towing camper. Never let us down and i have total confidence in taking my family to any part of the country.  Show details

Too good to sell – A vehicle that I can drive to the office in Sydney every day, cruise on the tar or eventually rediscover outback dirt highways and tracks that I have covered most of Australia in a outback trek prepared 1970 HT Holden. They are built like a "luxury" tank and are bullet proof. Mine is a 2008 model with 115ks with no liklihood of being sold under… Read more

215ks. Only issue has been oil usage which has improved with age and limited warranty work from Toyota. My experience with that aspect is that Toyota does everything to deny its anything but normal for a diesel, even in the owners handbook. Give it 0 points of a 100 as a company with principles. Highway revs not an issue with larger rolling diameter tyres which puts speed spot on to GPS speed at 110kph. Can also be solved for a lot less than a splitter box by changing a cog in both diffs for around $2k Definitely king of the road in the bush.

It's a perfect tourer – Epic car is very capable off-road and not a pig onroad. Very thirsty 20lt/100 especially when heavy right footing but torque to tow anything legally allowed with ease12lt/100 when driving nicely. Comfirtable inside with basic rustic dash :) have not broken it yet and it's been getting hell! An I don't know if I got lucky but mine uses no oil between 5000km services  Show details

Toughest True Off-Road Vehicle For Australian Conditions – Just clocked up 5000k on my 2015 VDJ76 and couldn't be happier! Too start I just want to highlight a few things for anybody reading these reviews who's looking at a new or fairly new 70 series as some reviews are dated. Front ends coil sprung now, improves on road handling a fair bit. They now have an up to date dash with driver and passenger… Read more

airbags,not old (but cool) steel job.

They have ABS

At least the wagon has adjusted seating position and improved seat padding over earlier models.

The v8 no longer has oil usage problems, this has been case since around 09, they did a recall to fix some oil scavenging issue and I personally believe people don't bed them in properly causing excessive blow by and oil usage.Mines not used a drop(mates have Utes with 150,000+ No cost apart from servicing and tires!) and oil is clean as a whistle.

Injector problems also seem to have been rectified.

V8 has 10,000k service intervals and never needs valve clearance or timing belt (has a chain) changes.

Not sure of all exact years of above changes,so research exact year you looking at to be sure.

Now for my review! I love my 76, the wagon is the shortest and actually a mid wheelbase coming some 30cm under the ute(duel cab same as ute) and troopy (shorter than hilux as well)and actually out turns my older Hilux it replaced and is very close to all modern ifs Utes,so I find it fine parking and driving tight tracks.on road it does what can be expected for what is a small truck, soon as it gets offroad it excels! Drive a rough corregated dirt road at 120kmh in a cruiser and its comftorable and planted, same in a modern ifs ute is scary! On the proper rough stuff the only thing that stops these things is when they get hung up, as long as you have lockers (now factory on GXL's which is cheaper to go GXL than get low grade and retrofit ) and understand airing down! Ride on rough stuff I find fine and I suspect people claiming otherwise are commenting on either a older leaf sprung front end model, coil front with stuffed shocks and springs or really have no idea! It's fun watching a ifs ute bouncing all over the place trying to keep up and cruiser just floats over se terrain.Fuel economy is not the best,who buys an 8 for economy anyway? Yes it could use a 6th but it's hardly a deal breaker and can be solved with aftermarket options if no moneys no option!

They are expensive but you get what you pay for, in this case you pay for tough not frills.

No frills do it all tough 4wd – Bought a 76 series GXL new over a year ago. I have owned 5 Patrols in the past and I couldn't be happier with the switch to Toyota. Would have bought another Patrol but the 3.0 diesel is gutless and the vehicle too heavy. It has been faultless, have done almost 20k kms without an issue. Some very hard 4wding has been done and with the factory… Read more

lockers, not much stops it unless you get hung up on the diffs. It is set up as a tourer as we have two young kids.

The kids LOVE it! I think mainly because of the large windows. I have to battle the wife for the keys because she also loves it.

If you want a 4wd that will truly go just about anywhere in this country in standard condition this is the car. It has none of the fancy stuff you don't need, which saves weight and keeps it simple (read, less things to go wrong). I was a one eyed Patrol fan boy for a long time and this car has me more than impressed. Engine, reliable, simple, very capable 4wd, vision, seating position. Cost, if I have to be picky... my knee hits on the power window switches, no cruise control.

Excellent – Best 4WD ever owned. If you want something that is flashy with bling then this is not the vehicle for you. If you want something that has great towing capacity, treats hills with contempt & gives you the confidence that you can go anywhere than you can't go past the TD V8. If you resist the urge to feel the power on acceleration the fuel… Read more

consumption isn't an issue. Over 100,000km and hasn't missed a beat. Reliability, resale value, simplicity Turning circle