2021 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara Review
Price & Specs7
Interior & Practicality8.5
Performance & Economy8
Ride & Handling8.5
Running Costs & Warranty8
What we like:
  • Interior quality is still good after all this time
  • Torquey V8 engine
  • Go anywhere ability
What we didn't like:
  • Short service intervals that add cost
  • No Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Very expensive to buy
8DiscoverAuto Rating

The 200 Series Toyota LandCruiser has been in production since 2007 with a production run of more than 13 years. In the car industry, that means it is eligible for retirement and that is exactly what is happening as Toyota will be releasing the 300 Series before the end of this year. Sales of the 200 Series have actually increased despite a new model getting revealed, so even though it’s in its final year of production, is it worth scooping one up while you still can? We tested the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara to find out.

The Toyota LandCruiser has always been an Australian favourite thanks to its rugged dependability and strong off-road ability. Serving even various police forces around the country, the 200 Series LandCruiser has proven itself to Australia many times over, so the 300 Series has big shoes to fill.

Price & Equipment: 7/10

The 2021 Toyota LandCruiser range kicks off with the $80,873 plus on-road costs GX model, which is a bare bones model aimed at mines. There are other models in the range too such as the GXL ($92,573), VX ($103,273) and the model we tested here: the range-topping $124,273 Sahara. Due to lack of stock, there are currently examples of used LandCruiser Saharas online going for upwards of $150,000, which is ludicrous.

The LandCruiser Sahara comes with leather upholstery, a 9.0-inch colour touchscreen with satellite navigation, digital radio and Bluetooth, a nine-speaker audio system, a DVD player for the second row passengers, quad-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a power adjustable steering column, heated and cooled electric front seats with driver’s memory, auto LED headlights and rain-sensing wipers, wireless smartphone charging, a fridge in the centre console, woodgrain inserts, a power tail gate, heated and auto-folding folding mirrors, an electric sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels with a full sized spare wheel as standard. This is quite an extensive list although it crucially misses out on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara also comes equipped with a host of standard safety features such as auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, front and rear parking sensors with a 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, auto high beam, 10 airbags, trailer sway control, adaptive cruise control, hill holder, forward collision alert and an alarm. The LandCruiser 200 Series also comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2013.

There is two no cost colours available with the LandCruiser, these are ‘Glacier White’ and ‘Ebony (Black)’. All other colours come at an extra cost of $675 and include ‘Eclipse Black’, ‘Onyx Blue’, ‘Vintage Gold’, ‘Graphite’, ‘Merlot Red’, ‘Crystal Pearl’ and our test cars ‘Silver Pearl’.

The main rival to the Toyota LandCruiser Sahara is the Nissan Patrol Ti-L, which is priced at $94,115: a whopping $30,158 cheaper than the LandCruiser. It even includes some extra features over the LC200, including a 13-speaker sound system – though, like the LandCruiser, it’s not the last word in modernity.

Performance & Economy: 8/10

The sole engine in the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser range is a 4.5-litre turbocharged V8 diesel engine that has been used since the 200 Series was released – and the traditional LandCruiser folk wouldn’t have it any other way. The outputs of the LandCruiser’s diesel V8 are 200kW of power and 650Nm of torque, which are healthy outputs for a diesel engine powering a heavy vehicle – though Volkswagen managed to extract a 110kW and 250Nm more from their V8 diesel. Power is sent through a six-speed torque converter automatic to a dual-range 4×4 system.

2021 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara

The Nissan Patrol is only available with a 5.6-litre petrol V8, which produces 298kW of power and 560Nm of torque. Yes the outright performance on paper looks a little better in the Patrol but its fuel consumption will never get below 15L/100km.

The 4.5-litre turbocharged V8 diesel engine in the LandCruiser is a smooth and relaxed engine that likes to dawdle up to speed at its own pace, but it can hustle along as a reasonable speed when your foot is down. Peak torque is available from 1,600-2,600RPM, which is more than ample for highway cruising. When accelerating, the engine can get a little vocal but once at speed it backs off and becomes sedate.

There is a terrain response control system in the LandCruiser to make off-roading just that much easier. Just engage the multi terrain response system and select which terrain you are on and it will adjust different parameters to suit to the environment. There is also a full time 4×4 system with dual range gearing and a limited slip differential to help when venturing off the beaten track.

The claimed braked towing capacity of the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara is 3,500kg and un-braked is 750kg. This is the same as most dual-cab utes, though not as good as the American utes such as the Chevrolet Silverado and RAM 1500 which both have a braked towing capacity of 4,500kg. It is also worth noting that the Nissan Patrol can also tow 3,500kg.

The claimed average fuel consumption for the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara is 9.5L/100km – for a 4×4 with a kerb weight of 2,740kg, this is actually quite impressive. In comparison the Nissan Patrol Ti-L has an average fuel consumption figure of 14.4L/100km – though you’ll never get anywhere near that. The LandCruiser also has dual fuel tanks with a combined 138-litre capacity, meaning you can travel around 1,300km between fuel stops. Our week with the LandCruiser saw an average fuel consumption figure with mostly urban driving of 12L/100km.

Ride & Handling: 8/10

You may imagine that the LandCruiser 200 Series would be quite wallowy and be a little unstable to drive due to the impression that most hard core off-road machines often are but, you’d be pleasantly surprised at how well mannered the LC200 is on road. Of course, it’s not car-like at all, but it is noticeably nicer to drive than the Nissan Patrol and its lifeless steering.

Due to the coil-spring suspension the LandCruiser actually has quite a nice comfortable ride that isn’t prone to the wallowing as seen in other 4×4’s. The suspension flattens out speed humps and pot holes nicely, making driving through suburbia or even on a dirt track a pleasant experience. It sits nicely on the road and isn’t upset by sudden jarring undulations thanks to the independent front suspension and Toyota’s KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) that is standard on VX and Sahara variants. The system improves handling and offsets body roll on the road but when on loose surfaces it does all it can to maintain stability by acting like a disconnecting sway bar.

The KDSS suspension system also acts to help keep the LandCruiser from rolling over around corners meaning that the handling ability of this nearly three-tonne SUV is actually not bad. You can take corners at normal speeds and not be afraid of the body roll or that the car is going to topple over. Of course, nobody is going to buy a LandCruiser for its handling ability but prospective buyers will be pleasantly surprised when they drive one and notice that the body roll is minimal.

The active safety systems on the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser do a good job of working behind the scenes to help keep you on the road. The lane departure warning works well at high speeds like on a motorway but around town it can get a little sensitive, as can the forward collision alert which seems to pick up parked cars easily.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

With plush leather, wood and aluminium covering nearly every surface in the LandCruiser’s cabin it would be safe to say that the materials used on the interior are good, especially when compared to its agricultural Prado smaller brother. There is minimal use of hard plastics used in the cabin and the quality of the leather used on the seats is pretty good as well.

The dash layout of the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara hasn’t changed much since its release in 2007 – the touchscreen got bigger and it gained a colour drivers display but that’s about it. The dashboard layout is intuitive and everything is within arm’s reach of the driver. We even like how conveniently located the inbuilt fridge is, though this does mean that the centre console can’t be used for storage. Aside from the fridge, there are large door bins, cupholders in front of the centre console, a tray in the dash to keep your phone and a large glovebox.

The 9.0-inch touchscreen uses the same last-generation as many Toyota products before – while there are handy shortcut buttons underneath the screen and the menus are easy to navigate, it’s a slow and dated system. We can’t wait for the newer Toyota system in the new LandCruiser 300 series. The navigation system is also easy to set and understand although it would be easier if it had it to connect Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and set your own navigation. The resolution of the screen could also use improvement as sometimes it is a little hard to see especially when looking at the reversing camera.

The second row seating in the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara offers great leg room as well as a good amount of shoulder and head room. There is also a decent amount of amenities such as a rear mounted DVD player with headphones and dual screens, rear climate control with rear air vents, heated rear outboard seats, a 12-volt socket and inputs for earphones with independent volume controls. The third row of seating isn’t as roomy as the second row, but it’s still comfortable with just enough legroom for medium sized human beings.

Open the split fold tailgate and just 104-litres of space is available in the LandCruiser 200 Series with the third row of seating erected. Fold the third row and you have access to 1,276-litres of cargo space, which isn’t as big as the 1,413-litres on offer with the Patrol but still pretty large. The Patrol’s boot is more practical as well because the third row of seats fold into the floor, whereas the LandCruiser’s fold up against the wall. Toyota doesn’t publish a figure with the middle row folded but we’d guesstimate it to be over 2,000L.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

The 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara comes with the brand’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, which also has an extra two years warranty on the engine. There is unfortunately no form of roadside assistance offered with any Toyota. The Nissan Patrol also comes with the same five-year unlimited kilometre warranty but unlike the Toyota, comes with five-years of roadside assist. Servicing the LandCruiser comes around every six months or 10,000km, which is the same as the Nissan Patrol – but both fall behind the industry average of 12 months or 15,000km intervals.

The cost of servicing the Toyota LandCruiser over the span of three-years or 60,000km is $1,800. In comparison the Nissan patrol costs $2,661 over first five services.

2021 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.0/10

While it is about to be replaced by an all-new model, the 200 Series LandCruiser is still an appealing package if you can get your hands on one. It is practical, capable and dependable. This combination of qualities are hard to find in other vehicles and it’s why the LandCruiser still manages to be one of Australia’s favourite 4x4s. There is still a decent amount of tech and safety features, while the cabin is very comfortable as well.

The Nissan Patrol may have more features and come at a more affordable cost, but it misses out on the fantastic V8 diesel engine that powers the LandCruiser. It offers smooth, effortless power and torque that can propel it up a sand dune or down a motorway. It can go straight from an off road trail to then drive down suburban streets with no fuss at all and with no change from the driver. Would we wait for the new 300 Series or bite the bullet and grab a 200 Series while you still can? Well the 300 Series is going to lack the V8 diesel in place of a more powerful six-cylinder unit – for some this is a problem, and if so, we would try and find a 200 Series while they’re still out there. But the new model seems to be a big step forward.

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