Toyota Land Cruiser (2003 – 2009) Review
Toyota Land Cruiser (2003 – 2009) At A Glance
Big, roomy, tough and stacked full of kit. Very capable off-road and as a tow car. Seats up to eight people.
Feels very big, especially in urban environments. Lacks the refinement and road manners of a Discovery 3.
Reviews for Toyota Land Cruiser (2003 – 2009)'s top 3 rivals
.jpg?width=240&height=160&rmode=crop)
.jpg?width=240&height=160&rmode=crop)
.jpg?width=240&height=160&rmode=crop)
Toyota Land Cruiser (2003 – 2009) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4405–4850 mm |
| Width | 1875 mm |
| Height | 1895–1905 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2455–2790 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 2020–2180 kg |
| Boot Space | 403–620 L |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Servicing | 10000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £27,170–£39,495 |
| Insurance Groups | 28–30 |
| Road Tax Bands | L |
| Official MPG | 20.5–31.0 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
On sale until July 2009
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Invincible 3.0 D-4D 5dr | £37,180 | 30.7 mpg | 11.5 s |
| Invincible 3.0 D-4D 5dr Auto | £37,180 | - | - |
| LC4 3.0 D-4D 5dr | £32,385 | 30.7 mpg | 11.5 s |
| LC4 3.0 D-4D 5dr Auto | £32,385 | - | - |
On sale until May 2009
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| LC3 3.0 D-4D 5dr | £28,645 | 30.7 mpg | 11.5 s |
| LC3 3.0 D-4D 5dr Auto | £28,645 | - | - |
On sale until July 2008
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| LC3 3.0 D-4D 3dr | £27,170 | 31.0 mpg | 11.5 s |
On sale until December 2007
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Invincible 4.0 V6 5dr Auto | £39,495 | - | - |
On sale until May 2007
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| LC4 4.0 V6 5dr Auto | £34,595 | - | - |
| LC5 3.0 D-4D 5dr | £36,795 | 30.7 mpg | 11.5 s |
| LC5 3.0 D-4D 5dr Auto | £36,795 | - | - |
| LC5 4.0 V6 5dr Auto | £38,495 | - | - |
On sale until December 2006
| 4 X 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Invincible 3.0 D-4D 5dr Auto | £34,565 | - | - |
Model History
October 2003
Replacement for Colorado used name Land Cruiser. About the size Land Cruisers used to be and retains a separate X frame chassis. Comes in two lengths with 3 or 5 doors and two widths to accommodate fatter tyres.
Lengths are 4,400mm or 4,850mm, widths are 1,790mm or 1,875mm and heights are 1,835mm without roof rails or 1,890mm with them.
Original engines existing 163bhp 3.0 litre D-4D with 343Nm torque from 1,600 to 3,200rpm, and new 249bhp 4.0 litre V6 with 382Nm torque at 3,200rpm. Diesel gets to 60mph in 13 seconds, top speed 103mph and the petrol in 9.2 sconds, top speed 112mph.
Either manual or automatic transmissions. Powertrain includes permanent four-wheel drive with Torsen limited slip centre differential, electronic Hill Start Control and electronic Downhill Assist Control. Suspension is Toyota’s TEMS electrically modulated semi-active system with optional rear air suspension.
Front, side and curtain airbags. Luxury equipment includes optional satnav with traffic avoidance, standard dual zone climate control and cruise control. UK diesel from January 2003 and V6 petrol sales from March 2003.
5-door, 8-seat Land Cruiser Invincible from June 2006 has Toyota's 3.0-litre D-4D engine and five-speed automatic transmission with more power and torque. Output increased from 164 to 201bhp (166 to 204 DINhp) and torque from 410 to 470Nm, giving stronger load-pulling and off-road driving ability and more flexible and comfortable on-road performance. 0 to 62mph down from 11.2 to 10.8 seconds. Top speed, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions unchanged at 109mph, 31.4mpg (combined cycle) and 243g/km. Dark tinted rear privacy glass and dedicated 'Invincible' badging. Spare under the vehicle, instead of the tailgate. 500 are available, priced on-the-road at £34,565.
December 2006
Both 3.0-litre D-4D diesel and 4.0-litre VVT-i V6 petrol re-engineered to produce lower levels of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide emissions are also slightly reduced. The changes have resulted in only minor variations in performance: maximum output from the 3.0-litre D-4D rises by 7bhp to 171bhp (173 DIN hp).
Invincible top of the range 8-seater from May 2007 has Sequoia leather seats, full-map satnav, dual zone climate control, electric heated front seats, plus rear privacy glass and DVD player with two headrest mounted screens. £38,495 (£500 more than LC5).
October 2007
Invincible replaced LC5 as top of the range model. Standard specification includes Bluetooth, rear parking monitor, black wood trim inserts, a leather and wood multi-function steering wheel, privacy glass and dark-finish headlamps, grille and alloy wheels. Available with 3.0 D-4D diesel and 4.0 VVT-i petrol engines. Spec also includes 17-inch alloy wheels, full-map satellite navigation with Electronic Traffic Avoidance, Toyota Electronically Modulated Suspension (TEMS), nine-speaker sound system with six-disc CD changer and dual-zone climate control with independent front and rear controls.
The 3.0 D-4D was offered with a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission; the auto gearbox is standard on the V6.
- Land Cruiser Invincible 3.0 D-4D (6 M/T) £37,795
- Land Cruiser Invincible 3.0 D-4D (5 A/T) £38,995
- Land Cruiser Invincible 4.0 VVT-I V6 (5 A/T) £39,495
May 2009
Toyota achieved a significant reduction in exhaust emissions from its Land Cruiser, cutting its tax liability and strengthening its cost of ownership profile. Adopting a new low viscosity differential oil has helped bring down the CO2 figure for the 3.0-litre D-4D automatic from 238 to 224g/km, ratified by a re-test of the model by the Vehicle Certification Agency.
As a result Land Cruiser moved from Band L to Band K for Vehicle Excise Duty, almost halving the annual road tax cost (down from £405 to £215). This £190 reduction is reflected in a lower on-the-road price, effective from 1 May and detailed below.
Land Cruiser LC3 3.0 D-4D Auto £29,630
Land Cruiser LC4 3.0 D-4D Auto £33,350
Land Cruiser Invincible 3.0 D-4D Auto £38,145
On 3.0 D-4D the waterpump is driven by the alternator belt, not the timing belt, so no need to routinely replace the waterpump.
What to watch out for
Automatic transmission oil coolers are sited in the engine radiator and cracks can result in engine coolant entering the transmission via the oil cooler. Seems to be common in these vehicles at 7 years or more.
May 06 Landcruiser LC5 D-4D auto had all 4 injectors replaced in March 2008 to resolve a vibration / judder through the car when held stationary in drive in cold weather. This problem has re-occurred and Toyota are not sure what it is and want the care for several days to test.
May be connected, but also an issue of LC diesel engines seizing, possibly due to injector seals leaking fuel oil down the bores. May be due to lube oil starvation due to a blocked sump strainer. First bore to suffer oil starvation is usually No. 1. This problem affects the 1CD and 1KD engines and, although not made public, there is extended warranty on these engines according to Toyota GB when I called them, however only if the service has been kept up to date and the engine failed because of the above fault. The extended warranty stretches the warranty from 3years or 60K miles to 5 years or 100k miles...
December 08, both rear suspension struts (air suspension) of May 06 LC5 needed replacing as does the drivers seat where the side bolster has become lumpy and lost some of it's stuffing.
Rear suspension height sensors seem to regularly fail. Cost £538 to replace.
15-11-2011:There have been some engine failures caused by the oil sludging up. Toyota has been contributing to replacement engines, but is now replacing the copper injector seals with later aluminium ones via a 'customer campaign' Model Vin Range Manufacture dates
KDJ125 JTE AZ29J# 00019035-00050831 June,2004 Through October,2007
KDJ120 JTE BZ29J# 00049705-00160767 June,2004 Through October,2007
15-11-2011: A 'thump from behind' feeling when coming to a stop (or soon after) is most likely the prop shaft needing greasing.
Alloy air conditioning pipes that feed refrigerant to rear compartments are prone to corrosion and failure. In one case Toyota paid 80% parts and the dealer paid 80% labour leaving the owner with a reasonable bill of £340 + VAT.
