Robert Pepper’s 2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara review with pricing, specs, ride and handling, safety, verdict and score.
In a nutshell: The LC200 is the most capable large 4WD wagon on the market suitable for heavy-duty towing, offroad driving and long-range touring.
2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara
Price : from $118,500 (plus ORC); Warranty : three-year, 100,000 kilometres; Safety : five-star ANCAP (33.09 / 37) 2016 test; Engine : 4.5L V8 common-rail turbo/intercooled diesel, 200kW @ 3600rpm, 650Nm @ 1600rpm; Transmission : six-speed automatic, full-time 4WD, low range; Body : 4990mm (L); 1980mm (W); 1970mm (H); wheelbase 2850mm; Turning Circle : 11.8m; Ground Clearance : 225mm; Approach / Ramp / Departure Angles : 30.0 / 21.0 / 20.0; Wading Depth : 700mm; Seats : 7; Tare Weight : 2740kg; GVM : 3350kg; Towing : 3500kg braked / 750kg unbraked, GCM 6850kg; TBM 350kg; Fuel Tank : 93L main, 45L subtank – total 138L; Spare : full-size alloy underslung; Thirst : 9.5L/100km ADR81/02 combined cycle; Fuel : diesel
[review]
THE LANDCRUISER NAME is one of the most respected in 4WD circles, and what we have here is the latest in a long line of vehicles to wear the badge. It is the 2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series, or LC200 for short. The vehicle was launched back in 2007, and hasn’t markedly evolved since; still independent front suspension with a live rear axle, full-time 4WD with a Torsen centre differential, 5, 7 or 8 seater depending on configuration, and still the same choice of V8 engines, petrol or diesel, both with a six-speed automatic.
Yet, by the time we come to 2016 there have been improvements, not just a refreshed nose. The Crawl Control system has been revised and tuned, increasing from three to five speeds (more on that later). The engines use less fuel and are slightly more powerful; for the diesel 195kW to 200kW, ADR81/02 fuel consumption down to 9.5L/100km, or a reduction of 7.7%, for the petrol figures are unchanged at 227kW/439Nm, and fuel consumption is down to 13.4L/100km. All models benefit from a GVM increase of 50kg to 3350kg (as of 2012 models). And other electronics have been refined, plus there’s safety features creeping into the range particularly at the top end with the likes of blind spot warning.
There are four trim levels for LC200, and our tester is the top model, the Sahara with a diesel engine. We had the car for 10 days, and drove it in and around Melbourne’s CBD, on school runs, to the top of a mountain looking for snow, along some long roads better suited to sportscars, and into a state forest looking for hard 4WD tracks. And the week before the test I was towing a 3-tonne caravan with another LC200 so this report includes that experience too, so this test covers all the LC200’s considerable breadth of capability.
Room & Practicality
The LC200 is one of the largest 4WD wagons on the market at 4990mm long, about 200mm longer than the likes of MU-X, Fortuner and Prado but shorter than the Y62 Patrol at 5162mm. The V8 engine is relatively short, so there’s a fair bit of space to use, but Toyota hasn’t exactly eked the best out of the room available. The glovebox is not massive considering the size of the car, but it is usefully split-level. The centre console would be huge, but in the Sahara it’s a cooler which is a bit smaller than non-cooled versions. There aren’t really as many storage spaces as we found in the MU-X, but it’s more than workable enough in the front row.
The second row is spacious, a 40:60 split, and each part can be moved forwards or backwards. There is a bit of tilt adjustment in the seatbacks too. The seats aren’t particularly easy to operate, but friends managed it in the dark without too many swear words when I refused to assist on the basis it was part of the test. The second-row middle seatbelt is at least built into the seat, as opposed to hanging down from the roof. The width means that this is one of the more comfortable cars for three abreast in the back, and the centre table is usefully large, even including a storage compartment.
The boot is a practical horizontal split on all LC200s except for the GX which is vertically split, and the top part is power operated on the Sahara. Opinions vary as to which type of rear door is best, but the horizontal split means that you can open the top part of the door and not have the contents of the rear come sliding out, and you have a ready-made table. It does mean that when the tailgate is down you need to reach a bit further into the back. There are tie-down points available, the loadspace is flat and the largest on the market, thanks to the fairly square-sided body. That’s good, just what you want in a practical wagon.
The third row is a disappointment because the seats fold up to the side of the boot. Not only does that reduce cargo space, but it also reduces visibility. At least the seats can be easily removed, unlike the Fortuner, and they are easy to operate with one hand. Once sat in the seats there’s not really very much room for an adult or tall child – that’s par for the course with 4WDs, but it is less forgivable in the case of the LC200 because of its size and cost, and the fact that the likes of the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90 have done much better. However, the boot is so big that there’s even usable space behind the third row; our weekly shop fitted in quite nicely, which means there’s actually less space in a Suzuki Swift’s boot than behind the LC200’s third row!
A good feature is a 12v socket in the rear and a 220v electrical socket, saving the need for an inverter.
We used the LC200 to transport four adults and three teenagers to a restaurant about two hours drive away. The 200 barely noticed the weight, estimated at 500kg. The second row occupants were comfortable, but there were complaints from the third row. The 200 isn’t the ideal people mover, but it can certainly do the job. All occupants were (unfortunately) able to talk to each other, but we used the fade/balance to drown out the worst of the complaints from the third row.
In summary, the LC200 is a big, practical wagon that makes effective enough use of its space to be a very useful vehicle for all sorts of purposes from people carrying to offroad touring. 
On the inside
The LC200 Sahara has a list price well into six figures but that’s not reflected in the interior. The switchgear placement is poor; the frequently-used camera view button and power rear door buttons are hard to see, and the only way to effectively control fan speed is by the touchscreen so you have a button press then taps on the screen to change it. Good luck doing that while on anything other than a smooth road. The error messages are a bit unhelpful, for example to engage Turn Assist you need Crawl Control on which requires low range and the centre diff unlocked, but the car doesn’t tell you that. On the steering wheel some white arrows are buttons, others are not.
That said, with familiarity comes competence and you do get used to the controls. But the ambience is not of a premium vehicle; the controls feel low rent, especially the cheap high-low range selector, there’s no real evidence of cohesive design and the vehicle feels like what it is; luxury features tacked on to a more humble base dating from a decade ago.
The inductive charging unit is useful, although it very slowly charged my Samsung S7 in its thin plastic case. The phone readily slides out when offroad or when accelerating hard onroad, so you need to close the bay’s door. But you can’t do that if you’re using the 12V socket. This sort of lack of attention to detail is typical of Toyota, and I never found anything in the interior to be impressed about.
The steering is electrically reach/tilt adjustable and moves up and out of the way when you switch the engine off. The LC200 was one of the first mass-market true keyless entry 4WDs and that works on all four doors. The electric windows are all one-touch.
Second row occupants will be happy with their cooling and heating in the Sahara, plus a 12v socket. There’s also two screens on the back of the first-row headrests, on which you can watch DVDs. So as I said for the MU-X, Pajero and Kluger – don’t bother. Today’s children have smart devices on which they stream YouTube, and discs are rapidly dying. At least Toyota have in this case used two screens which don’t interfere with the rear vision. Third-row occupants get four drinks holders, and small storage spaces. You don’t buy a Toyota for intelligent or beautiful interior design, and the LC200 is no exception to the rule. Does the job and that’s all.
Click any image below to start the gallery.
Performance, Ride and Handling
Around town:
The LC200 is a big, boofy car that doesn’t appear to be suited to the ‘burbs. But despite that, it works. You’re never short of power, and it’s pretty well instantly delivered – the diesel is good, and previous experience shows the petrol is even better. You need not worry about any ditches on driveways, or traction at any time, ever.
The Sahara’s surround camera system may not be high-def enough for offroad use, but it’s perfectly good for slotting into a carpark space, and the front/rear reversing sensors help too. The height and size of the car helps you find it in carparks, and the steering is easy enough to handle at low speeds. The car is long, but the split rear door makes for easy access to the back when parked close to a wall, easier even than many hatchbacks. In short, the LC200 isn’t really made for towns but it can deal with them easily enough, and I wouldn’t mind running one as a daily driver, as indeed many people do. Don’t be put off by the size.
On the open road: This is the LC200’s element, loping unfussedly from state to state. You’ve got that massive 139L diesel tank, and on freeway cruise you can expect a bit less than 10L/100km so range is well in excess of 1100km. I found the steering fairly direct, but there was a little more tendency to wander than I recalled from previous models.
There is more than sufficient power for any situation – overtakes are easy, long steep hills are no problem, and the muted V8 burble never gets old. The seats are comfortable and the driving position adjustable. The LED headlights are excellent on the Sahara, to the point where I wouldn’t rush to add driving lights unless you’re going offroad. The auto-high beam assist is like most of these things, not yet at the stage where it can be truly trusted. I did find the brake pedal feel to be a bit oddly inconsistent although effective, but got used to it over the ten-day test. The radar cruise control on the Sahara is also effective and nicely adjustable, although it doesn’t operate at low speeds. There’s plenty of adjustment to the climate controls once you’ve fiddled with the touchscreen.
Dirt roads:
It’s good. Very good. The LC200 has supple, long-travel suspension able to handle pretty much anything , including getting its considerable power to the ground. The steering wander noted on bitumen doesn’t apply on dirt, and there’s sufficient feedback to punt along quite nicely. Power can’t be faulted; if you want to make progress on dirt roads then you often need to slow down for problems and then speed up, something the LC200 does with smooth ease and barely a burble from its V8.
But power is nothing without control, and the LC200 has control; a 41:59 front:rear torque distribution with a Torsen centre differential and while the electronics are effective the mechanicals are such that their talents never need to be called upon, which is just the way things should be. You would need to drive at rally speeds to upset the LC200 to the point where the electronics kicked in. The LC200 has it all, and is a wonderful dirt-road cruiser.
More on dirt-road driving here.
Offroad:
Before we get into the detail, a recap on what the LC200 offers:
- Full time 4WD – 41/59 front/rear torque split via a Torsen centre diff, optionally lockable in high and low range.
- KDSS – Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. Has the effect of a swaybar (anti-rollbar) disconnect, but works entirely differently. Uses cross-linked hydraulics to resist body roll on road, and improve flex when offroad.
- MTS – Multi Terrain Select. Toyota’s adaptive terrain system that modifies throttle, stability control and traction control settings; the five modes are Rock, Rock and Dirt, Loose Rock, Mogul, Mud & Snow.
- MTM – Multi Terrain Monitor. Surround camera system.
- Crawl Control – Low range cruise control.
- Turn Assist – Brakes the inside rear wheel to tighten turning circle.
All the above are described in more detail below. We also need to go over the electronic systems; by default in high-range stability control (VSC in Toyota-speak) is enabled. Lock the centre diff and it is still on, but reduced sensitivity. Press the stability control button and you switch it off entirely, along with brake traction control and engine traction control (read this for the differences). In low-range engine traction control is off, brake traction is on by default. Long-press the button and you turn brake traction control off too, not that you’d want to, but you can. This is exactly how the other serious Toyota 4WDs work, for example Fortuner and FJ Cruiser.
Enough theory, now let’s talk offroad performance in reality.
Offroad driving
Toyota always make good, flexible suspension and the LC200 is no exception with a live rear axle and independent front. That suspension is both supple and long-travel (not the same thing), so the LC200’s wheels are almost always in contact with the ground and that means stability as well as traction. In fact, the LC200 can out-flex many live axled vehicles (cry into your beer) thanks to its inherent long travel but what also helps is KDSS.
Then we have the engine, which delivers smoothly usable torque at low revs, but is capable of quick power, and lots of it when the occasion demands. Toyota’s brake traction control is also absolutely first class and always has been on the LC200, which is perhaps why Toyota never offered a cross-axle differential lock.
The electronics are further improved by the Multi Terrain Select which tailors it a little here and there (see video below). In the centre of the vehicle is a Torsen differential which naturally allows a differential effect between front and rear axles but not so much the front axle can spin with the rear sitting there doing nothing. When that’s not enough Toyota has kept things simple and just gone for an old-fashioned centre diff lock, activated by a button. That’s handy, because in tight situations you can quickly unlock the centre diff so you can turn tightly, then re-lock it once the maneuvering has been done. Unlocking the centre diff is also a prerequisite for Turn Assist to work (see more in the video).
A feature unique to the Sahara is Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM), a surround-camera system that shows you the pitch and roll of the car, and yellow lines where the front wheels will go. It’s nearly useless because the cameras are low resolution, and of course prone to being blocked with mud. There was a nasty stump that we wanted to avoid, and I couldn’t make it out on the MTM even though I must have been looking directly at it. So, MTM goes into the gimmick basket until the cameras improve. They could ask Mercedes where they source theirs from. MTM might in fairness work better in high-contrast situations, but offroading tends to be dirt and dust, not brightly painted traffic lines.
The LC200 also has Crawl Control, Toyota’s slow-speed offroad cruise control. Select one of five speeds and the vehicle will drive itself, feet off pedals, up and down hill. Some say that’s a pointless feature, but they’re missing the point and haven’t truly understood how it works. Crawl Control is very effective when your accelerator foot would bounce around, say on rocks. It’s also good any time you need to make steady, unhurried and constant progress. And here’s the thing that’s missed – it doesn’t give up. If the car comes to a stop, the computers take stock of the situation and variously increase the traction control sensitivity, increase power or spin the wheels a bit quicker until progress is made again. You can feel the car thinking its way out of a problem, slowly but surely, eking out the grip. It is a very impressive system. The slowest speed still shakes the car to much, so I prefer using speeds 2 to 4.
That said, Crawl Control has limitations. Twice on test we came to a halt and Crawl Control couldn’t help (you can see that in the video below) – what did help was backing up 20 centimetres, and taking the most minor of runups to get a back wheel over a ledge. So Crawl Control isn’t a substitute for a skilled driver, but it can certainly help less skilled drivers, and even skilled ones might find it useful in tricky conditions – it is no gimmick. It is also the electronic hill descent control system and very effective; it can bring the LC200 down slippery and steep hills better than any human driver as it can individually brake each wheel. The crawl ratio is only 37.5:1, but it feels more effective, probably thanks to the huge compression of the 4.5L V8. And on the subject of low range, one annoyance is the whine from the transfer case. It’s always been irritatingly noisy even on the very first 200s, and the 2016 model is no exception.
Crawl Control is great, but sometimes you just need raw momentum and something that very much annoys me with modern cars is their tendency to not let you have full control of the horses when you need it. Case in point was on test; we were trying to cut across to Woods Point and the track involved a river crossing, as most of them do in that area.
Given the amount of rain the crossing was always going to be sketchy, and when we got to the bottom of a longish descent it did indeed turn out to be a no-go. That meant a climb back up the hill…which was damp clay, and we had the standard Grand Treks on. Naturally, we’d looked at the hill before descent and knew it would be driveable, but not easily so. I was banking on Toyota letting me control the car, which these days is not a given with modern vehicles.
Momentum was the only way the LC200 was going to get to the top, so into low range, selected 2nd gear start, 3rd gear on the transmission, Rocks on the Multi Terrain Select and off we go. I’m able to floor the throttle and the car’s electronic do not restrict the power, and up we go at full noise… but it’s not enough. Don’t you just hate it when you need to reverse all the way back down a muddy hill? I used Crawl Control in reverse to help, but something that really did save the day was the centre diff lock, which meant that it is impossible to lock the front wheels and have the rears still rotate. If you get into that situation you end up sideways or worse on a hill, and that’s a long afternoon of recovery. So many vehicles these days have ‘clever’ computer-controlled centre clutches which don’t lock up in reverse at slow speeds, leading to very dangerous hill descents. As I said before, Toyota have done it right with the centre diff lock. I’d really like to take these overly-clever engineers out on muddy tracks so they can see the problem.
Anyway, at the bottom again and it’s time for Plan B. Tyre pressures are at 25psi, so I drop them to 20. I also change modes to Loose Rock which is more suited to full-throttle climbs than Rock. And that works, up we go albeit with some effort from the electronics. The modified Patrol we’re with has decent offroad tyres and he sails up too. Here’s a summary for the offroad capability of the LC200 – I would not have driven down that track in just any 4WD, knowing I’d most likely have to drive back up. Toyota claim the 200 is King of the Offroad, and based on this and my other offroad tests over the last several years, I agree.
Towing:
Confused about towing terms? Learn everything you need to know about towing trailers.
Usually this section is a desktop analysis of towing capability because very often the claimed tow figures don’t stack up in reality. And I didn’t tow with the Sahara, but the previous week I did a tow test with a 2012 LC200 GXL which has much the same engine and transmission so the results are valid for the 2016 model.
Let’s do the maths first; 750kg unbraked, 3500kg braked which is as good as it gets for this class of vehicle. The GCM (combined total of trailer and vehicle) is 6850kg, which is the same as the sum of the GVM (max vehicle weight) and max braked tow. That’s good, because it means you can tow the maximum when the vehicle is loaded to the maximum. Payload is a bit low though at 645kg for the Sahara diesel, and as usual the lower-spec models are better, 715kg for the GX. The maximum TBM is 350kg, what you’d want for a 3500kg tow. Here’s the numbers, all in kilograms:
| Diesel | Petrol | ||||||
| GX | GXL | VX | Sahara | GXL | VX | Sahara | |
| Kerb | 2635 | 2630 | 2705 | 2705 | 2585 | 2640 | 2705 |
| GVM | 3350 | ||||||
| Payload | 715 | 720 | 645 | 645 | 765 | 710 | 645 |
| GCM | 6800 | ||||||
| Towing | 3500 | ||||||
| GCM | 6850 | ||||||
| Roof | 200 | ||||||
| Front axle load | 1630 | ||||||
| Rear axle load | 1950 | ||||||
| Combined axle load / GVM / difference | 3580 / 3350 / 230 | ||||||
| Maximum towball mass | 350 |
I made this table some years ago for an LC200 test and when I updated it I noted that the GVM has increased from 3300kg to 3350kg, but the vehicle weights remained around the same or even decreased. The LC200 has long been panned for its low payload, and it’s still not great even after the GVM improvement. Anyway, the basic numbers stack up as they tend to on Toyotas, unlike some others who are prone to tow-rating exaggeration.
The LC200 also has full-time 4WD with an effective front-rear torque split thanks to its centre Torsen differential so you never need worry about traction, ever, unlike part-time 4WD towcars. It’s also a heavy vehicle at around 2700kg unladen, it’s beautifully powerful thanks to a V8, and has a big fuel tank. Then there’s TSC, Trailer Stability Control, to help keep sway in check. You can even put the vehicle into low range and not lock the centre diff which is handy for low-speed manouvering.
If all this is sounding like pretty much the perfect towcar then you’d be right. Last week’s LC200 test bore that out; pulling a 3000kg twin-axle caravan wasn’t a problem for the LC200. You knew there was a trailer on the back but you could still move along, and the 200 controlled the weight reasonably well. Traction was never, ever in question. That particular test was a comparison with an F250 and it was fair to say the LC200 came off a distinct second best as it’s about 900kg lighter, much smaller and is well down on torque compared to the F-Truck. But if you want to pull a big trailer and can’t step up to a bigger vehicle then an LC200 is what you want to be looking at, particularly if you intend to travel long, remote journeys. As ever, I’d much prefer to pull a 3000kg trailer with an LC200 than one of the smaller vehicles which is rated to a maximum of 3000kg. You will too if you do a back-to-back test.
4WD touring: Every LC200 is ready to roll across Australia; it’s what they do. The spare is an underslung full-sized alloy, there’s a healthy 139L of fuel, the tyres and rims are sensible although I’d definitely suggest the 17″ rims over the 18s, it’s a first-class towcar and the money you pay goes into reliable, robust engineering that you can rely on wherever you are, not pretty cosmetic touches or gadgets. There are a vast array of aftermarket accessories to help kit the vehicle out for your adventures. The LC200 is a comfortable long-distance cruiser, and one of the most capable offroaders on the market. It should be on the shortlist for anyone considering Australia-wide adventures in a 4WD wagon.
Safety
The LC200 is 5-star rated as of 2016, so the basics are in place. However, given the price there’s not an abundance of safety features, and the few that are fitted aren’t always effective – typical of Toyota. Of the range, only the Sahara gets anything more than front and rear parkings sensors, so let’s run through what it offers.
The lane departure alert is prone to false warnings. The radar cruise is effective but stops working at 40km/h, whereas most go down to a stop and restart. The forward collision alert system just alerts and doesn’t apply the brakes, so it’s not a full autonomous emergency braking system. There is no lane keep assistance. The blind spot detection system is effective, but lacks an audio option. There is a surround camera system, but the resolution is poor. However, there are useful guidelines for the back of the car and the outside front wheel, and two modes of camera view. That’s very good, and something not often seen on other vehicles. The front and rear parking sensors are effective.
The second row has three child restraint points, but the centre one is set very low on the back of the seat base. There’s none in the third row. There are two ISOFIX restraint points on the outboard second row seats.
Pricing & Equipment
There’s two engines and four trim levels of LC200, making a total of seven options as there’s no petrol engine with the base trim. Here’s your options:
Trim Levels, Engines & Seats
- GX – diesel only – 5
- GXL – petrol – 8 / diesel – 8
- VX – petrol – 8 / diesel – 7
- Sahara – petrol – 8 / diesel – 7
Pricing and specs are below. Prices exclude on-road costs:
GX key features (petrol N/A, diesel $76,500)
- Snorkel
- 138L fuel (93 and 45)
- Crawl control, Turn Assist
- Bluetooth, cruise control
- Steel 17″ rims
- Barn door tailgate (see photo below)
GXL adds over GX ($82,000 / $87,000)
- No snorkel (available as an option)
- KDSS (std on petrol, option on turbo-diesel !!!)
- Split tailgate
- Dual zone climate control
- Reversing camera
- 6.1″ touchscreen, satnav
- LED headlights
- 220v and 12v rear power
VX adds over GXL ($92,500 / $97,500)
- Rain sensing wipers
- 18″ wheels
- Four-zone climate control
- 9″ touchscreen
- Daytime running lamps
- Moon roof
- Leather accents, wood grain
- Multi-information display
- Power front and rear seats
- Front and rear parking sensors
Sahara adds over VX ($113,500 / $118,500)
- Automatic high beam
- Front and second row heated/cooled seats
- Driver’s seat memory
- Rear seat entertainment (2 x screens on back of front seats)
- Coolbox
- Power rear door
- Multi-terrain monitor
- Blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert
- Pre-collision safety system
- Radar cruise control
- Wireless phone charger
Options
- Premium paint $500 (which is most paint options)
- KDSS (GXL diesel) $3500
- Snorkel (GXL, VX, Sahara diesel) $500
Quite a lot to unpack here. First of all, let’s give Toyota a serve for the extra cost of the diesel. It’s not as bad as it was when the LC200 was first released when the difference was in excess of $10,000 but today $5k is still a lot extra, and owners should be aware that it’ll take a lot of driving – probably around 90,000km – to recover the additional outlay through reduced fuel consumption. Don’t default to a diesel unless you’re sure you’ll need the range, and believe me, the petrol is just as good offroad as the diesel. It’s also a handy tower, and very quick off the mark.
Then look at the KDSS option. Many offroaders are going to want KDSS, so what do we get? No KDSS on the offroad-friendly GX, so you’re not only forced into the GXL but on top of the GXL diesel price you have to shell out another $3500 to make the price a cool $14,000 more than the GX. The KDSS system is good and you’d want it, but even without it the LC200 is a very capable vehicle offroad, and quite liveable on-road. Many of the options you’d get on the GXL can be added aftermarket, for example a reversing camera (and Toyota’s isn’t all that good anyway).
If we look at the VX then we have another $10,000 ask on top of the GXL price which is already an expensive vehicle. For that you get a bit of bling, with the useful bits really being electric seats. Again, you can add parking sensors and a reversing camera yourself. The 9″ touchscreen is nothing special, and offroaders would not want 18″ rims although we understand that that’s the minimum size now on VX and Sahara.
Finally, the Sahara adds some genuinely useful safety gear such as radar cruise, pre-collision safety and blind-spot monitoring, even if the Toyota implementation isn’t the best. The rest is bling, although the heated seats are lovely! The Multi-Terrain Monitor is definitely not worth much, the power rear door is handy, and the wireless phone charger works but is much slower than a cable. The Sahara itself does not deliver a premium feel like you’d get from Audi, BMW or Land Rover at this price point, and it’s a breathtaking $42,000 more than the GX – in other words, the price of a very nice camper trailer, or a brand new but basic 4WD ute. Really hard to justify that sort of cash.
I think that for many buyers a GX makes sense. Not only is it significantly cheaper than the others but it’s the lightest at a ‘mere’ 2635kg, some 100kg lighter than the Sahara so with a GVM of 3350kg payloads are 714kg for the GX and only 610kg for the Sahara, not a lot for such a big vehicle. That’s one reason why the diesel VX and Sahara aren’t 8-seaters, because divide 610 by 8 and you average a human cargo weight of 76kg each, exclusive of whatever modifications have been made to the vehicle or bags the passengers may be carrying.
Let’s look at GX vs GXL diesel; the GXL has LED headlights, which are great but you could fit spotlights for less. There’s satnav, but I’d suggest a phone mount and your phone is better. The 220v socket in the rear is good, but that and 12vs are easily added aftermarket. What you really miss is the split tailgate, and the $3500 KDSS option. While KDSS and traction control are superb, I’d be thinking about a set of ARB cross-axle differential locks instead. Even without lockers a GX is still formidable offroad machine, well able to get you up and around 4WD tracks once it has decent tyres and a slight lift.
So the summary; if you don’t need long range then think about the petrol, for example if you’re just going to tow your boat down to the ramp every weekend and run a load of kids around other times. If you need longer range – let’s say long-distance offroad touring or long-distance heavy towing – then go the diesel, but seriously consider the GX and spending the saving on aftermarket gear.
Finally, a note on colours. There’s only four colours for the GX, white or greys. GXL and above get more.
What about a GVM upgrade?
Some of the aftermarket GVM upgrades available for the LC200 simply increase the GVM to the sum of the two axle loads, 1630kg front and 1950kg rear to total 3580kg, or another 230kg. That’s a very useful increase, but it does mean you lose the flexibility of loading up the front of the vehicle more than the rear; you need to maintain a perfect 46/54% front/rear split if you use all that extra 230kg. There are some upgrades that increase the total to 3800kg and re-rate the axles. Regardless, the usual caveats about overloading apply; modern vehicles are so powerful and capable they are easy to overload, so use that extra capacity with caution.
Further reading
- Which Toyota 4WD should I buy?
- 2016 Fortuner offroad test
- Fortuner technical 4WD analysis
- What makes a car good on dirt roads?
Robert, thanks for your review. I enjoy reading your reviews and agree with most of your comments however just to clarify a few points. The change from 3 speed to 5 speed crawl control and upgraded GVM from 3300kg to 3350kg occurred in the 2012 facelift. It is not a new feature in the 2016 model. Secondly you mention you would prefer 17″ wheels, however due to an increase in brake caliper size in the 2016 model, aftermarket 17″ wheels will not fit on the VX and Sahara. You also made reference to HID headlights on the vehicle. Whilst the older models did have HID my understanding is the 2016 models have LED low beam with auto level and clearance (GXL) and Bi-LED (high & low beam) with auto level, and LED DRLs (VX & Sahara). I disagree with you that the GX is the model to buy for most people. I would argue it is the GXL and sales support this. You would only consider the GX for 2 reasons, work (mining, farming etc) or if cost and your limited budget was the only determining factor. For $80K having a vinyl floor, no smart entry or start, limited colours, a fugly snorkel, no KDSS, no alloys, no reverse camera or sat nav, nor dual zone climate control is a joke. The GXL is not much better in terms of equipment levels for the price. It doesn’t even have a trip computer to determine fuel consumption. Most $15K entry level cars have these features. Back to my point, versus the GX the GXL has carpet floor covering (WOW what a luxury), a split tailgate, alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual zone climate, 8 Seats, reverse camera, 6.1″ screen, 6 speaker stereo instead of 4, wider colour choice and KDSS standard (Petrol) as an option (Diesel) (market gouging) and has more desirable resale as its more popular. Lastly you mention you would consider the petrol if you don’t need long touring range. I agree that is one consideration however you have failed to mention some other important considerations. The diesel is much better value for money in the long term unless you do limited kilometers and dont tow. Sales also support this with more than 90% of LC200 vehicle sales now diesel.The diesel is a much better proposition for towing given the higher torque and uses significantly less fuel in doing so than the petrol. The other key point that was overlooked, is resale and the fact the diesel will depreciate significantly less than the petrol. I know first hand, having owned a petrol LC. Great, reliable, smooth motor, but fuel consumption and resale will bite you.The extra $5K spent on the diesel will be more than recouped in resale let alone savings on fuel.
Hi Jason – many thanks for the comment. I will clarify re the CC/GVM changes; the white 2013 GX model I tested and you see in the text had both, and I didn’t mean to imply it was 2016 onwards.
I would prefer 17s and that’s another reason to go for the GX/GXL. Wasn’t aware that 17s no longer fitted VX/Sahara. However, as time goes on offroad tyre technology improves so 18s are becoming less of an issue…still prefer 17s though. Edited the review.
Yes should be LEDs, not HIDs. Fixed. Even wrote LEDs elsewhere in the review!
Re GX/GXL; it’s very much a personal decision. I lay out some ideas, and try and challenge the status quo a bit. I have tested a GX and liked it…and spending the extra $ on aftermarket gear may be the way to go. Or maybe not. However, I drive cars that are top-end one week and super-basic the next…my view is that today’s base models have enough of the basics for many owners, so I tend to look at reasons to upgrade from the base model and value. In the case of the LC200 the luxury items are expensive and not great value.
The snorkel may be fugly, but if it saves an engine rebuild it’s beautiful.
Petrol/diesel; again, challenging existing thinking. Many buyers default to a diesel and that’s not necessarily the right choice. In the text I did mention range, which is kind of “limited kilometers”, but towing; many owners short-range tow, notably boat owners, and a petrol might be perfect for them. Again, it’s a personal decision; my job is to highlight options and most of the time that involves presenting arguments against the default buy which is a GXL diesel.
Very nice 4WD and as always a great review from you. Would like to own one but I will have to wait until 20 years of depreciation kicks in before I could afford to buy one. I would love to see the same format of video review for some comparo style reviews. A real test of various 4wd’s over the same real challenges to see if the huge cost difference between the same style of vehicle across various brands equals commensurable increases in capability, if any increase at all. That would be much better and silence the purely badge/brand focused subjective comparisons that some others reviewers reduce their test drives down to. Keep up the great work Robert.
Thanks. At some point we hope to do back-to-back video comparisons. The most expensive 4WDs are not necessarily the most capable, that I can tell you. The Jeep Wrangler is cheap, for example…
Mr.Pepper = ” 2 and from 🙂 ”
Great review, photos and video, as always, you are the “go to” team in testing, doing a better job then carsales and [joke] caradvice [sic]
How would you compare this to a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, they both seem to have equal off road performance?
Where you invited to the release of the best standard off road monster last week, the Iveco Daily 4×4, need P/M test of that please
Cheers
I have a 100 Series V8 ULP that runs on injected LPG
It smokes the rear tyres with ease, yet silky smooth, instant overtake power and performance that you can NEVER get from the cancer causing DIEsels
Lexus powered V8 L/C is the way to go
I wouldn’t say that, the best diesels do not hurt for grunt. I refer to you to the Audi SQ5 Plus which can out-sprint some Porsche 911s 0-100…
https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-reviews/quick-spin-2016-audi-sq5-plus-driving-the-fastest-accelerating-diesel-suv-in-australia/
Cancer causing diesels ? You’re off ya chops mate …… unleaded fuel is one of the highest most concentrated and used carcinogenics on the plant known to man !!!
Not too mention just how damn good diesels are for low down towing torque……petrol’s produce power, diesels produce torque. 650 Nm from 1,600 rpm – won’t see that with a petrol
Thank you. No we weren’t at the Daily launch. We do plan to test one though. Ironically, press launches are typically not a good time to evaluate a vehicle; the Werribee grounds barely tax a 2WD Vitara (see video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYSSoIVB8x0) let alone a Daily, so you’re not going to learn very much and the one or two decent tracks there are typically out of bounds on launches which are all tightly controlled with less time behind the wheel than you’d imagine. And all the trucks there were unloaded which is hardly realistic. So a proper evaluation will have to wait; I prefer to the get the vehicle out into the bush with my test crew where it can be run over properly difficult terrain at our leisure.
Pajero Sport; the LC200 is in some ways better due to its suspension and clearances. However, the Pajero Sport is lighter, smaller and has a rear locker which in some situations would be an advantage. So it depends on the situation, it’s not a clear-cut case of which is better overall. I would be happy with either offroad once a suspension lift and decent tyres are fitted.
Don’t get the “2 and from” bit?
Fantastic comprehensive review Robert. I’d also agree with the extra points raised by Jason. Just to also add that most offroaders remove the 3rd row seats and save 37kg. Removing the second row seats is an issue for the VX and sahara as they have the extra airbags. GX and GXL do not. Removing GXL second row seats saves another 75kgs. And 3800kg GVM upgrades are common now – I have no idea how they legally go above the combined axle loading.
Thanks Phil G, very helpful extra information there. Toyota don’t like me removing bits of their vehicles to weigh them! The axles are re-rated for 3800kg GVM changes. However, a lot of the time I’d argue if you want to run at that weight all the time then consider a different vehicle.
Removing seats – this is relevant:
https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-advice/reader-help-choosing-between-suzuki-grand-vitara-range-rover-evoque-land-rover-discovery-sport/
Nice write up on the toyo 200.
Covers what you need to know before deciding if a 200 should be on a buying list for target usage.
Turn Assist is a new take on the old manual fiddle brakes, nice touch.
Great review again Robert but I would like to mention a couple of things.
I own a 2013 200 series sahara and agree with a lot of the points you make. However, it seems odd to me to give the car a score of 70% when your own summary is that its up there as one of (if not the) the best off roaders in Australia and probably easily to best long range tourer and tow rig (excluding the yank tanks which are difficult to get and costly). As you mention (and I agree) for this sort of vehicle is is remarkably easily easy to live with in the suburbs (ours is mum’s taxi on weekdays). For a vehicle of this calibre that can be the best in its designed areas (i.e. offroad) and also have the breadth of uses including around town I think it deserves at least an 80-90%. Especially if we consider you gave the Mitsubishi Outlander a 95%.
Secondly I will move on to some beefs I have with motoring jouralists and their reviews of the 200 series. Now Robert this is not a criticism as you probably have mentioned this the least but I would like to put it out there.
Firstly the size. Almost everyone refers to what a huge rig it is. It is big, of course. Now please do me a favour – combine the dimensions of this is ANY 4 door ute, people mover, smaller 4wds (Prado, etc) And larger “SUVs”, e.g. CX-9, Pathfinder, Kluger, etc. Owning this thing never ceases to stun me how much space they fit in to the exterior dimensions. When comparing this to a Prado, yes the dimensions are slightly larger but in the 2nd row an anorexic 10 year old will barely fit in the middle seat where in the 200 3 100+ kg men will fit comfortably. Seriously, look up the figures and you will be amazed at what is bigger. I think its mostly the height that makes it seems so big.
Also the boot/third row. Do not get me started on this. I cross shopped with with a Disco and Patrol and I MUCH prefer the set up in the 200. Here is why. The disco’s 3rd row are awfully complicated to set up compared to the 200. In the 200 I can (and I have), held a baby and with 1 hand, flick, flick, flick – seat ready to go. There is NO way you could do that in a Disco. Also added to this as you mention, in a 200 you can easily remove the seats giving extra boot space it you want it, with these fold flats this is not an option. Also yes the 3rd row is smaller than say a disco but easily fits medium adults and smaller. Now given the 2nd row is MUCH bigger than a Disco AND can slide forward and back means that unless you are planning of having 7-8 LARGE adults there will be no issue and 5 large adults can easily fit in the first 2 rows. We have transported 2 medium adults for a 1 hour trip who said a 3rd in the 3rd row would be fine. AND the down side of being a bit more cramped for large adults in the 3rd row – a very large boot behind the 3rd row when up – in my opinion a much better set up that in the disco which all the motoring journos seem to rave endlessly about. It doesn’t look as pretty but for me and most people MUCH more functional.
Lastly is cost. Yes it costs a ****load. But a car does not cost you the purchase price, it is depreciation that costs you. These cars depreciate less than any I have even seen. I was happy with a 3-5 yo car when buying but given these were still > $80k on the second hand market I ended up buying brand new for about $100k. On this note I really agree with your take that more people should take notice of the GX and petrol models, however, as the other person mentioned at the end of the day the depreciation on the other diesel models is so much less (due to demand not superiority) that unfortunately its not really a good idea. And also on the cost of running, I cont to be stunned that we run at 12-14L/100km with lots of suburban running around for a 3 tonne car with this much pwer and useability. Its really only 10-20% more than the SUVs that are not nearly as useful for things like touring, offroad, etc.
I do agree that the interior esp infotainment is not at the top of the game. But in saying that, the interior is quite bullet proof ad a nice place to be. I assume its because 1) they don’t have to and/or 2) they have focussed more on the mechanical side of things. I suspect both. My other big beef if front parking sensors on the sides but not in front making bollards, logs, etc a bit of a risk. Although most probably have bullbars so not so much of an issue.
At the end of the day I honestly think this car has the broadest range of any I have ever seen (given that you cannot have everything and physics dictates that this can’t also be a sports car). Proper, serious offroad weapon and tourer, can act as a people mover (not quite as good as a dedicated one but pretty close), still perfectly useable around town and much more than the current flavour of dual cab utes with their massive length and terrible turning circles and awful ride (compared to wagons). Yes they do cost a lot but in some cases you get what you pay for and certainly when you look at depreciation and not just purchase price this car is simply brilliant car and in my opinion warranting much better than a 70% score.
Hello Danod
Many thanks for your note – like others, it really adds a great deal of value. In fact, there’s probably now as much information in the comments as the review, and different opinions are always welcome.
To respond to a few points:
Scoring – we changed the scoring system recently, and it now scores individual parts of the review so scores are not comparable across previous reviews. Personally, I’m not a fan of scores at all as it tends to confuse precision with accuracy, but scores are important for our SEO rating so they have to be done. You’ll note the 200 scored highly in areas such as offroad. The Outlander is a superb vehicle by the way.
Seats. I am familiar with the Discovery’s seats as I owned a D3 for 5 years, and the design hasn’t changed in the current model. They aren’t one-touch, but are easy to operate and very comfortable even for adults. There is also useful space behind the third row. The Discovery’s second row is a 40/20/40 split, and can be folded entirely flat. This allows for considerable load flexibility that a 40/60 split in the LC200 cannot match. To a great extent seat setup is personal, but overall I rate the Discovery ahead of the LC200 as does everyone I’ve tested with, and a while back I did a mass 7-seater comparison which is still largely valid today. It is very good that you have given a second opinion as there will be others who think the same way. The biggest plus of the LC200’s seats is the space behind the third row which was noted in the test.
Size. In the review I specifically called out that it’s not much of a problem as I also see people complaining about its size. I also made the same point for the Y62 Patrol. The least manouverable vehicles are dualcab utes which are both longer and have larger turning circles. Often people will be biased against the size of a car, but mere size isn’t the whole answer; it’s how easy the car is manouvere. I have heard people say a Ford Ranger is easier to park than a Toyota 86, for example. However, compared to a Discovery the 200 is more cumbersome. I’d still daily it though, as I said in the review.
GX/GXL/petrol. The default choice is GXL diesel, and for many that will be correct. However, it is good to challenge the default choice and make people think of alternatives. Resale is always a consideration as you rightly point out. However, the petrol may make sense for some buyers and if depreciation is poor then that might well make secondhand examples all the more attractive.
Thanks for the reply Robert. I do see your point. Please don’t take my comment as any sort of criticism of you review. I feel it is easily the best (and most accurate) review I have seen on the LC200 by a long shot. The videos are great too. My main question to you was that to my mind the “score” didn’t quite fit with what you wrote but as you explained when you fit it in to a breakdown you get the number pop out which is not necessarily reflective for a given person. I, for example, care least about things like infotainment because they are probably the simplest and cheapest things to upgrade aftermarket so personally wouldn’t not buy a car based on this criteria if everything else was good. I find hardware and software that cannot be changed more important. But I do understand that for some people this is critical and hence why that needs to be factored in.
The main point I wanted to raise was more just with LC200 reviews in general (NOT yours) where everyone lumps the 200 in as “huge”, “powerful” and “expensive”. And my take from an owners perspective (and I think the actual explanation in you review supports) that this is actually not accurate.
Interesting with your take on the rear seats etc. Probably a good example of how the LC200 has a better set up for me and my family. For us currently a big factor is our large dog and 3 small kids in car seats and the LC200 has a better set up where the dog can go on the floor of the 2nd row, stroller and bags behind the 3rd and overall better design for our family and situation versus the Disco, although others will have different takes depending on their needs. Again though I just wanted to highlight that most reviews seem focus on just certain assumptions, such as “better” seating and ride in the Disco for example, but in our back to back drives my wife and I much preferred the 200 in both these departments. Although we may be in the minority there. Also, also personally prefer having to understand how my car works rather than the more point and shoot and let the computers figure it our method a Disco. Although I do appreciate that again others will disagree (BTW I’m not Disco bashing, I really like Discos and would happily own one its just the best contrasting example). However, maybe we were just seduced by a beautiful lazy twin turbo V8 burbling effortlessly along the highway….. Either way we are very happy with our 200 and look forward to many more years of enjoyable travels in it!
Thanks Danod. The LC200 is one of those vehicles where you pay for the engineering not the features. Some people such as yourself appreciate that. Others cannot get past the interior, or do not need/appreciate the vehicle’s capability and therefore write it off. As a reviewer I need to understand both perspectives. Seating is very personal and I like your views as they are properly justified.
Many owners have evaulated 200 vs Discovery and prefer Discovery but buy 200 for the reasons you suggest; relative simplicity. It is also an extremely reliable vehicle, very much designed for rough stuff. That’s a quality I always appreciate.
Thanks to everyone that has commented. Your views will be of great help to potential buyers. We really appreciate the time everyone has taken to write such well-informed posts.
Nice article. Just place a deposit on a LC200 GXL diesel. The only other cars I cross shopped with was a Y62 patrol and the Prado, all great cars for touring, but the LC200 was worth the extra $, even though it comes with less creature comforts, as you pay for the reliability, engineering beneath, and that diesel V8. Thought long and hard about the KDSS option, but in the end I left out, as for the money saved I will be doing a GVM upgrade with aftermarket lift and suspension upgrade. KDSS also adds complexity to after market mods, as I have read from some users, a lift may result in a slight lean to one side. Some may achieve a level lift, but takes some considerable tinkering with.
Well the 200 series Cruiser …. what more needs to be said. These cars are remarkably capable off the showroom floor even with standard road tyres as fitted in this test.
However, then again for $120,000+ it would want to be too. That’s a lot of hard earned money being spent so it would want to be right.
Compared to an equally as expensive top end Range Rover, the Cruiser would be the winner off road ( sadly Range Rover have missed the mark a little like Nokia did when it comes to the smartphone race. ) so the asking price does not make the machine what it is, the engineering does. If they did a GX model, say $15,000 cheaper but with a few of the more needed ( not pointless gimmicks ) features off the higher spec’d models, you would have the ultimate combination of off road animal and touring vehicle. Delete a few items off the list like the pointless, useless and clearly unreliable issue prone DPF and for God sake Toyota – put an oil catch on these as standard !!! $120,000 + to have injector issues and a clogged up inlet manifold which is $8,000 + to rectify, no thanks Toyota !!! Been there – done that.
I would happily buy a 200 tomorrow, if funds and practicality allowed, but I would still have to do a few mods to make it 100% right as off the showroom floor, they’re only around 90% I believe. Something for starters would be a little more ground clearance under the ( horrendously inadequate ) IFS front end and the provision for a 2nd battery under bonnet like the previous models, that way you can run a fridge or all the camp lights in the world without the worry of a flat ( single ) starter battery ……
As far as you mentioned too about 17 inch verse 18 inch wheels, I would go the 17’s, or even 16’s if possible, that way you can keep your overall factory wheel / tyre height ( for legal / speedo purposes ) but have a much bigger tread foot print when airing down off road.
Great review champ, go the mighty 200 !
One thing – the most important thing to know is – where was that track you guys did in this review, looks like an absolute bloody rippa !!!!!! Would love to go try it myself.