Does The V8 Land Cruiser 79 Series Deserve Its Popularity? (Toyota 70 Series Ute 2023 Review)

The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series is now four decades old, harder to find new than a unicorn new, wants for crazy money second hand and the beloved V8 will soon be joined by a four-cylinder version. But is it really any good? And does it deserve the hero worship it enjoys in Australia?
This is our last review of the current series of 70 Series before the 2024 updates arrive.
The 79 Series single-cab chassis tested here is the real workhorse of the hard-working Land Cruiser range. The modern-classic formula of a 151kW and 430Nm 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 with five-speed manual will soon be joined by a four-cylinder, six-speed-automatic plying 150kW and 500Nm.
Is it worth joining the long queue - and the lottery - to hold out for the old V8 favourite? Or pay silly money for a used one? Or is it worth considering jumping the line for the new retro-infused four-pot version?
Time codes:
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Official pricing
0:34 - Aussies love Land Cruisers
0:49 - Skyrocketing demand
1:09 - Four-year wait times
1:20 - Ageing gracefully
1:40 - Engine changes
1:56 - Is the Land Cruiser any good?
2:08 - 79 Series single-cab chassis
2:26 - Variants
2:35 - Heavy-duty steel tray
2:44 - Signature door ‘clank’
3:01 - ’80s vibe interior
3:18 - Old-school media system
3:41 - Missing features
3:53 - It’s a big rig
3:59 - Visibility
4:06 - Comfort
4:20 - Hardy plastics
4:50 - Cabin practicality
4:55 - Updates
5:08 - Instrumentation
5:18 - Hitting the road
5:40 - 4.5L turbo-diesel V8
6:00 - Short gearing
6:19 - Treat it as a three-speed…
6:39 - Performance
7:00 - Can’t rush the gearbox
7:12 - Stopping power
7:25 - “Tyre-howling panic”
7:42 - Safety
7:54 - Steering
8:07 - Leisurely nature
8:15 - Ride quality
8:28 - Diesel consumption
8:50 - The business end
8:57 - Payload and towing capacities
9:07 - Dimensions and 4x4 underpinnings
9:25 - Proven all-terrain capability
9:42 - Zombie apocalypse
9:49 - Verdict
10:06 - Worth the money?
10:35 - The next 70 Series?
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[@philg2468]

I went "backwards" from a 200series to a 78series Troopy a few years back and its the best thing I ever did. The Troopy doesn't beep at you all the time, the manual gearbox means you are always in the best gear and when offroading it uses 20% less fuel than the 200series. And having a 5 seater with 1200kg payload is better than anything else on the market. It comes with factory diff locks. And having people of all ages ask about your Troopy is refreshing.

[@chasingcars]

Very happy you are enjoying it!

[@Joftaky]

That’s one step back, two steps forward 😅

[@shelbytops]

I think it a bit like a good woman Might not be the flashest but reliable/loyal till deth

[@jbflix3096]

We went from a Ram 1500 to a 79 series dual cab.. best thing we ever did. We love the 79

[@dilshankoenig8798]

I am absolutely in love with this off roader. Land Cruiser 70 series is one of the greatest creations in the world of vehicles. Reliability, durability, simplicity, easy to maintain and timeless design, which are not found in today's vehicles, are more important than electronic devices and features. Its V8 engine and manual gearbox make this vehicle even more lovable. It's a feeling that binds us to the vehicle. And the exhaust makes some of the best music I've ever heard. People who know the value of LC 70 series know that they can go anywhere without any problem.

[@richardwalsh5570]

Have to love normal heater controls

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

Yes, there is a reason why it is so popular, but it is also a shocking ripoff. So much of the cost of any new car is buried not in the production of the car, the raw materials and the labour, but instead in the development of a brand-new vehicle. Toyota has done so little for 40 years with this vehicle; no clean-sheet design, no massive updates, just tweaks to change it up whenever compliance looks like it might be an issue. As a result, you have a vehicle which has had to make itself heavier simply to fall outside of side impact protection design regulations. So, it sells like hotcakes, but honestly, 79 Series buyers deserve better. It is possible to engineer a modern 70-series type car; one with an engine that doesn't drink like a depressed Nanna, and a safety cell that is actually up to modern standards. Maybe even one that combines its off-road trickery with some form of NVH suppression and a six-speed gearbox, plus maybe even having the same wheel track between front and rear axles...

[@user-mb8gy4hw6t]

Beautiful 4wheel land cruiser,I love this kind

[@ronnie9103]

Go the 79 series 🤙🏾

[@richardrogers7339]

I have a 2003 79 series RV factory turbo and I ain’t selling, great motor and no tech .perfect for remote work.

[@andrekracht6665]

Just ordered a 2024 V8 GXL Single cab. I hear some of you say he's got rocks in his head? I don't think so. I need to tow 4.5t. So after I do a 4.2t GVM Upgrade, I will have a GCM of 7400 kg. which still gives me 1000kg of a payload on the back of the ute to play with and a 4.5 tonne towing capacity, I will add a heavy duty Clutch, do a remap upgrade, add airbag seats and this truck will eat up the bitumen and the tracks no problem in complete comfort. Not only that but I wont have to worry about being overloaded when the Scaley's pull me over, not to mention having to fix or replace all the bullshit that seems to be a problem and rather expensive exercise for so many of the other new utes on the market these days. I get why Toyota hasn't changed very much on the 79 Series, like the saying goes if it ain't broke, don't fix it. They have kept it simple because it works. Is it expensive for what you get as far as comfort is concerned? Yes sure, but so are all the Yank tanks on the road. And one thing is for sure, yes maybe they have all the comforts and bells and whistles, but when it comes to reliability, the 79series V8 will still be on our roads, beaches and outback tracks long after the others have given up the ghost and then still sell for a pretty penny. There is no inbetween, you either love it & want one at any price or you hate it. Driving in one of these old looking classics for me is old school through and through and I can't wait till I have it delivered in 2025.

[@hscomet]

Brilliant Vehicle Period....

[@markdavison4454]

I love my 79 series Landcruser single cab not a farst truck but that’s ok I tow a 20foot caravan with it.. and every thing is so basic to work on if you are out in the Aussie out back our high country 😊

[@adamdennis7016]

Hahaha I’m still rocking the 2006 GU Patrol TD4.2 with nearly 300,000 on her bought it of an old dude and never has let me down. Doesn’t boil like they say they do I tow 3.5 tonne boat but I’ve had it tuned to suit.

[@contamedltda1502]

Esta máquina es extraordinaria tengo un VDJ 76 V8 4.5 cc Turbodiésel nuevo traído desde Dubái. Saludos desde Chile. El V6 automático nunca reemplazará a un V8

[@Joftaky]

Ah the 70 series, the BEST series to ever hit the automotive landscape!

[@markskeels1952]

You said it in three words..."Fit For Purpose"...as for the $ required what is the current new alternative and how many are ABN and tax write offs?

[@user-hg8by3mx5f]

Iove my 79 series, give it a new exhaust, cross over pipe, better snorkel, clutch then a good dyno tune and im getting 750 nm at the wheels.

[@AKA001]

Only to bought for nostalgia. Cool, noisy and rugged, but not much more than that.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

wish we could get them in the U.S. $81,000 auz with drive offs thats about $52,000 U.S , $ price of a toyota tacoma trd pro , tax lic and fees / drive offs not included , we are going a new tacoma and LC250 in the us we have very few diesels mostly 3/4 /1 tons

[@philipaldrick5363]

What you didn't address is how it handles the mud. I had one owner tell how he has to drive it continuously to keep it on track.

[@chasingcars]

No, but we did direct you to our off-roading LC70 reviews if you're after that environment.

[@richardwalsh5570]

Who needs a reverse camera wont hurt the tray when it touches 😅

[@markelliott6105]

It’s like an axe. Despite all the modern wood cutting tools, there’s still some jobs where an axe is just the tool. But even axes have improved over the years. If axes were like cars, all the other manufacturers have moved on to chainsaws and jigsaws etc. Toyota is the only one still selling an axe.. but still with a bronze head.

[@Anthony42ly]

How did they manage to squeeze that 4.6L V8 engine to produce a whooping 450NM of torque is beyond imagination.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

and 151kw of power! wowwwwww

[@electrikoptik]

It’s 4.5 liter and the word is ‘whopping’. The 1VD in the 70-series is detuned and single turbo on purpose to be as under-stressed as possible. This same engine makes 650nm in the 200-series.

[@Paradoxical124]

It’s meant to be like that since the engine has no strain and it’s supposedly doing to last longer

[@peterj5751]

If they really care about long life they should try fitting an air-cleaner that properly cleans air. Dusting is a problem on these just like the 200 series, Prado and Hilux.

[@dino8ielts]

This thing is basicly a tractor....

[@word1901]

is it a shitbox yes i used to work on a farm there were 2 2017 LC79s 2 trition 2.4L petrols 2012/17 and 3 2016+ 2.4L diesel tritons and the LC79s would sit in the shed the most they were only really used when something over 2.5T needed towed there is an intersection at the end of the farm road on the low side of a hill on a busy main road and you would have to dart out quickly before a car came over the hill at 70kmh and the landcruisers with 1.2T in the tray were useless start in first and get no where doing 14kmh at 3500rpm or start in 2nd and risk stalling in the road before the turbo comes on boost it was dam right dangerous in that situation after doing it twice in the LC79 and a few times in the diesel trition with its turbo lagg and dumb shit auto i only used the petrol trition after that had a short first gear as well but would rev out to 6250RPM at 40kmh so you could clear the intersection quickly in fact i liked the trition so much i brought a 2.4 petrol new in 2020 for $19500 drive away i wouldn't even pay that for an overrated underpowered LC79 only bogans and toyota cultists buy them because its got a v8 fuckk yeahh get the dewalt reciprocating saw out and hack out the DPF so we can hear it black smoke+noise=cool landcruisers are the new white trash chariot step aside holden commodore and ford ranger

[@NickHey]

Onest! These are selling for $30k lhd form

[@lewisjohnson7260]

Always thought Toyota should of copied Mercedes, and done a performance model of the 70 series, their version of the G Wagen

[@richardwalsh5570]

Spend some coin, mild tune, slot an auto in, tyres wheels and suspension and you have a weapon that will go for ever.

[@peterwest5661]

81k drive away. Tune, auto trans, tyres, wheels and suspension. What's that another 40 to 60k? Wow what a weapon. Does it have anything electric other than the fan for the aircon? Can I have a cassette player with that?

[@zaamuro8408]

Four cylinder will be standard auto so another option there.

[@markscott2215]

The key take away is - This is absolutely a simple bullet proof vehicle. But simple and old fashioned should equate to inexpensive. Instead, Toyota are blatantly price gouging on it's reputation. And it's reputation does not cost Toyota one cent to manufacture. So in terms of nuts and bolts, you are definitely not getting what you paid for. Shame on you Toyota. You paid of your initial investment in developing this ute years ago and yet you continue to profiteer.

[@gregj7916]

So 100 big ones to go slow…..

[@carsonhovercar7685]

yeah... I don't get it

[@pgilb70]

What a rip off. All the hype has outpaced the realities.

[@onedayatatime4232]

Over priced underpowered outdated cobb and co coach. Yes its fuction over form but the rear axle is still narrower than the front. There is far better cost-effective 4wds out there with better torque and power. And to top it off, you have to spend a small nations GDP to fit it out to get something halfway liveable. You're paying for a name not a quality modern 4wd. This belongs in the 80s not the 2000s.

[@willoughby40]

You say all this and yet Toyota stills sell them by the thousands or hundreds of thousands even. You obviously miss the whole point of this 4wd and who buys them and what they are used for.

[@lionel9588]

No

[@ianweal3081]

Truly, why didnt you venture off road in it. If you had you would have exposed the true hype of this totally useless 4wd farm truck. One other reviewer just did try this and was absolutely bewildered it wouldn't do what the most basic of 4x4 suv's will do. He discovered as I did, it goes nowhere without diff locks engaged, due to zero axle flex. I purchased one, found it absolutely useless off road, wandered terribly on road and tow anything made the handling aspect lethal, even a box trailer was very evident behind, let alone our caravan. Once heard the handling aspect described very well by a 78 troopie driver to an awe struck enthusiast, "What's it like to drive" Reply "Its like driving an old boat up the river, you're constantly correcting it". Couldnt have put it better, perfectly descibed, now image 3.5 tonne behind that, so lethal. Now on the otherhand I came upon a cockie in Mitchell Qld driving an immaculate red Mahindra, towing a boggie trailer. The trailer and tray were loaded. He's refueling it. Took 54 lts, just travelled 610 klms from Longreach. He's sprooking how good it is, fuel efficient, comfy, responsive, then his wife chimes in, its so much more comfy than the cruisers. Cockie then discloses he's got 4 V8 79s back at the station and thats where they stay now for farm hands to use, he'll only ever drive the Mahindra from now on. Oh, it was 8 months old, already had over 100K on it, he just loves it and obviously utilises it. He mentioned he could also purchase 4 Mahindra's to 1 toyota, won't be purchasing any more Toyota's, guessing his farm hands will be getting Mahindra's in the near future. It was very evident he liked this ute, it had a beautifully polished alloy bullbar, massive driving lights, brush bars, and rims/tyres. The paintwork shone brilliantly, yes he loved his Mahindra standing out and very willing to talk it up over the cruisers back at the station. The 70 series is so overrated, over priced and only owners praise them, as they wouldn't say, its so disappointing, im such a dunce for buying it Well, i owned one and gladly said it was crap and opted out.

[@Bigsoot7393]

Most over rated, underpowered, incapable, uncomfortable, overpriced car on the market who ever buys them has rocks in their heads.

[@Rickybobby1340]

Primitive, manual only, different track from front diff to rear, fuel guzzler, slow, overpriced. Toyota are taking the piss

[@Renegade040]

They are about the worst vehicle on the market for that money, just crazy people would buy them.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

Meet... the bogan.