The 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser would have to be the most anticipated new vehicle release in decades but is it a worthy replacement for the venerable 200 Series? Our resident not-so-grey nomad, Marty Ledwich, reckons it’s not for him just yet and here’s why.
Toyota’s all-new 300 Series LandCruiser has been with us for a little over 3 months and much has been written about it since it first hit the streets. As the owner of a 200 Series LandCruiser, I’ve been following the commentary with great interest, particularly the feedback from those who have made the transition and those who have decided not to. I have to say, opinions sway both ways. If you’re considering making the switch, the decision is going to be a difficult one, to say the least.
The arguments for upgrading to a 300 Series are quite compelling. The new Cruiser is a more modern vehicle sporting the latest technology. It is lighter, more powerful and supposedly more fuel-efficient. It arguably addresses many of the shortcomings of the vehicle it replaces which was looking pretty outdated five years ago. And while the prices for a new 300 Series are a little eye-watering (not to mention the wait times), the prices people are paying for second hand 200’s are positively atmospheric. You’re not likely to find a better time to make the trade, financially speaking.
On the other side of the coin, many owners are complaining about the new plastic bonnet that shakes alarmingly. The engine is considerably noisier than the old V8. The third-row seats are clumsy and make putting a set of drawers in the rear a bit of a nightmare. Apparently, it’s not all beer and skittles.
Personally, I haven’t had the opportunity to drive one of the new 300s. I have seen one and frankly, the looks are a bit of a mixed bag for me. It does look better in the flesh than it does in photos. But there are a few things that are immediately noticeable about the new 300 that really put me off it… for now.
THE ONE-PIECE TAILGATE
I think out of all the changes, the move from a two-piece tailgate to a one-piece is Toyota’s most annoying. We live full time on the road and the Cruiser is my garage and the lower tailgate door is my workbench. I use this nearly every day. Whether it be fixing things, setting up cameras and drones for photo opportunities or just a place to sit and have a beverage on a hot day’s drive, this is something I have come to get used to and I don’t believe I could live without it. Sorry Toyota, but you made a huge mistake with this one and I reckon you’ve lost a lot of sales on this alone.
THE STUPID WING MIRRORS
I didn’t notice this until it was pointed out to me that the wing mirrors on the new 300 Series are completely different to the previous model in that they do not attach to the front corner of the side windows. Instead, they are attached to the sheet metal of the doors. I read one comment on Facebook that said the ‘person who passed that design should be sacked’ and I tend to agree. They look awful. What’s worse is for anyone who tows a caravan, there is no way you can fit a set of permanent towing extension mirrors like Clearview mirrors. Certainly not at the moment and if a set were to become available, they would have to be a completely unique design making them very expensive. Yes, you could fit regular clip-on extension mirrors but I’ve gotten used to my Clearview’s and I have no desire to give them up.
REDUCED FUEL CAPACITY
Again, as someone who tows a caravan a lot, touring range out of a single tank is extremely important, especially when driving through remote Australia with its vast distances between fuel stops. Having that little bit of extra range out of the 138 litres in the 200 Series just gives us an extra margin for error. So you can imagine my surprise to hear the new 300 Series has 20% less fuel capacity than the 200 Series. 110 litres is still pretty good compared to many other towing vehicles on the market but when compared to the 200, this is a definite downgrade. Now you could argue the new Cruiser is a more fuel-efficient vehicle than the one it replaces, but I doubt it would be 20% better especially towing 3.5t. I get most owners will never see this as an issue but for me, this is just another problem to contend with.
IT IS TOO EXPENSIVE
Our current MY-13 2015 200 Series VX has been built up to be the perfect long-distance towing and touring 4WD. It has all the good gear we need. At a rough estimate, we’ve spent around $15,000 on accessories and modifications. If we were to sell it privately, we could get around $80,000 for it in the current market such is the demand for second-hand vehicles particularly LandCruisers. So, you might think it would be a good time to upgrade but, thanks to Toyota’s insane prices for the new vehicle, an equivalent 300 Series VX retails for $113,990 plus on roads. Then we would have to get it optioned up again bringing the overall price to around $130,000, or a $50,000 changeover and that’s not adjusting for the increased costs of the modifications over what we paid for them years ago. That’s a lot of money for what I consider is a vehicle that is not necessarily a huge improvement over the one we have and, in some ways, is actually a step backwards.
IT’S JUST NOT A V8
You can call me a dinosaur that’s clinging to the past but I am a firm believer in the old adage that there’s no replacement for displacement. On paper, the new 3.3-litre V6 has it all over the old mill but, in the real world with 3.5T of mobile apartment in tow, I would rather put my faith in the abilities of the proven 4.5-litre V8 engine. Remember what happened when Nissan replaced the 4.2-litre 6-cylinder turbodiesel with a 4-cylinder 3-litre engine? And look what they replaced that GU with when they went to the Y62. A 5.7-litre V8 petrol monster. At the end of the day, I love my V8. It gets the job done with ease and all to a fabulous soundtrack. I’m just not ready to give that up no matter how good the new engine may turn out to be.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS
I don’t want to sound like I’m bagging out the new LandCruiser. I think it’s a very nice vehicle but it’s just the little things that put me off it. Take the sun visors for example…The 200 has double visors that allow you to shade the sun from the side window and from the front windscreen at the same time. The 300 Series doesn’t have that anymore. It’s a minor thing but it is a feature I’ve gotten used to and it would annoy me to have to give it up.
