Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon (100) - 4x4 Luxury!

Luxury abounds with the Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon (100 series). All the bells and whistles, a meaty six-cylinder turbo diesel engine and a super-smooth automatic transmission - but what is it like to drive? I attempt to find out in this Real Road Test.
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[@jameswallace7709]

‘Tesla’ screen aftermarket. I fitted that. Power button increases power map setting. 2nd for pulling away in 2nd. Cambelt done at 240k by me! Power heater is a viscous heater that heats the coolant up quicker. Suspension was 1000x better with the active height but it is to expensive to repair

[@christineayres7199]

Yeah must be as in the 90s i dont think that tech existed lol

[@jameswallace7709]

@@christineayres7199 no. When I bought it it had a useless touch screen satnav system

[@christineayres7199]

@@jameswallace7709 lol 😂 the old sat navs were terrible , I rem the car phones 📞 back in the 80s they never worked properly lol 😂 so can imagine how crap an early sat nag was

[@HubNut]

Thanks for the correction. I should add I came into these tests properly cold, having only organised them the night before (due to another shoot cancelling). Huge thanks to James for letting me drive his Toyotas, and setting up the Aixam.

[@jameswallace7709]

@@HubNut no worries. Not meant as a correction at all just a disclaimer! Id have given you a more comprehensive handover had I not been at work sorry!

[@davestraight8219]

'doesnt have the sense of drama of a range rover' no this means itll start every morning and not break

[@Jam3sA]

Never apologise for a 4x4 being dirty Ian, it gives people hope that these behemoths are used in their intended role. The most off-roading many see is a kerb.

[@coolkidasap3239]

2002 Toyota Landcruiser Amazon . Amazing.

[@michaelmansfield-corbett96]

We had the 4.7 V8 on LPG. It would manage 8 or 9mpg around town or about 20 on a run. The cheapness of LPG made the cost about the same as 30mpg roughly. We only sold it because of the galloping rust

[@roblaycock9540]

My absolute dream 4x4. Guy in the village I grew up in has run one since 1985 and currently has a 15 plate one, he does own one of the largest quarries in Derbyshire so he gets them off road!!

[@JohnRolyAU]

Anorak Time,.. Your Amazon was above our Sahara (Aust) and has a lot of Lexus LX470 features, ie rear diff lock , hideous wood, heated seats, memory seats etc. That big screen is after market, not factory. The 1HDTFTE is an amazing engine. I'm 13 years into my V8 4.5 Twin Turbo Diesel 200 Series Sahara. it's simply too good to replace with 180,000km in 13 years of Outback touring.

[@360nastybusiness]

One of The best 4x4 of all time.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

That giant touchscreen terrifies me. Imagine the damage you could do when diverting your eyes from the road in order to operate the radio or heater or whatever through the screen. The result I expect would be carnage. Nice vehicle though. I do love an old school Land Cruiser.

[@RobertSmith-jl4yw]

In case someone hasn't already commented, there was also, concurrent with the 100, a 105 series with the 100 body, but retaining the solid front axle of the 80-series - for those who still wanted the "real thing" Plenty of both types here in South Australia. I own a 1994 80-series "RV" 4.5 petrol, manual. Very nice vehicle.

[@plym1969]

I love Ian's car reviews. Great entertainment and information.

[@devilsadvocate1218]

Remember what was said. If you want to into the outback take a Land Rover, If you want to get back again, take a Landcruiser!

[@23chilled]

Up there with the best 4x4’s of all time. The 100 was well equipped. The 80 was still a formidable machine. Looking 20 years on I still see my dads old 80 series on the road after he sold it. Might be familiar sight to you ian as it’s still used for Rees Sound Carmarthen. My dad later had an earlier version of the model you tested here. Same colour blue on grey. Only did about 10k from new before it had to shifting on due to circumstances. Quite sure I spotted it the other day.

[@tony-yp6qk]

"If you want to go into the bush, take a Land Rover. If you want to get out of the bush, take a Land Cruiser." another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

[@CaptHollister]

No need to apologize about it being dirty, the dirt gives it more authenticity.

[@hectorshouse7348]

Perfect for the family, the Welsh lanes, and towing 👍

[@deborahrubenfeld7332]

I had a 1994 Landcruiser 80 series. I now have a 2010 Lexus badged 200 series. Awesome cars!

[@CarWash811]

That big diesel engine and automatic gearbox combination is stunning!

[@adzy166]

That’s a really lovely motor. I keep looking at them as a long term stable mate for my Prado. Something timeless and classless about a 100

[@mcmcolm]

A very popular modification to brand new unregistered 100s in Ireland was to cut out the boot floor and lower the floor by about a foot by fitting a heavy steel box in its place. they had to reroute the exhaust around this box. By doing this, they increased the capacity of the load area, making it big enough to qualify as a crewcab van, this would save approx €30k in registration taxes and allow the buyer to claim approx €20k in VAT back as well. Annual tax was €333 instead of €1800 as well. All part of Irelands bizzare motoring taxes.

[@wungabunga]

Amazing!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Remember these back in the day, mega realible rugged and a 4x4 you could use unlike so some of the Modern Range Rovers or Land Rovers.

[@paulboon1100]

Hi, good to see one tested in the old country, I have one of the Lexus LX470, the petrol V8, you mentioned. The wood in that one is actually done by Yamaha, piano type stuff, not that I'm into wood much, could do without it, but, it's well done. The suspension is still standard with AHC and 3 different height settings and 4 damping settings as well, works well. Its got all the usual Lexus stuff of course. Setup for outback trips. Yes it's a heavy lump and one can feel it but once used to it it becomes second nature, they are not a zippy little thing! 2.5 ton empty is enough! Mine has done nearly 500k km's and feels like new. It's in Australia so rust is no problem. Fuel? Yes heavy, but it pays of in reliability. I also have 62 series, same fuel just as reliable if not better but nowhere near as comfy, it's a truck in the true sense of the word, it's taken me everywhere, it's like a trusty old dog, love it.

[@chrisdowns1987]

My inlaws had one of these in maroon with cream leather 😋 I remember the noise well. The self levelling suspension was a pain, It could usually be found squatting on one corner! They traded up to the new model with the v8 diesel, that thing moves like a hot hatch and sounds hilarious, the engineering going on to get it to behave as it does must be mind-blowing🤯

[@johnalees99]

Drove a few of the 100 series diesel Saharas when I worked for a Toyota dealer. If I had the money I would absolutely buy the nicest one I could and hold on to it. Lovely cars.

[@Mark1405Leeds]

Superb vehicle! Ultimate reliability! I like the 70's style ones! Later ones really over equipped Couldn't even afford to fill the tank now! There 's a reason these are used in the outback and not Land/Range Rovers!

[@brianlaunchbury4491]

Yes there is a reason, it's called economics! Having the pound set too high in relation to the yen means anyone exporting manufactured products from the UK has to cheap out on quality! The financial "crisis" of 2008 changed this balance for ever, now exporters can be competitive in overseas markets.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

An incredible machine and still commands strong money, definitely up there with the Range Rover classic.

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

Lovely vehicle, a very lucky owner. I love the sound 👍

[@AJT296]

I believe there is a phrase that says if you want to go in to the outback you take a Land Rover, but if you want to come back take a Landcruiser. Maybe not as luxurious and classy as a Land Rover but a much better reputation

[@bernddoerper5667]

Many weeks ago in my neighbourhood was parking the same car, but branded as a Lexus. It came from Ukraine and had a V8-petrol engine. Because I had parked my small transport trailer in my garage for two nights, I had to park my 2017 Kia Sorento outside on the road. Even the Sorento is definitely not a small car, it looked funny small when I parked it behind that Luxus. Very great cars those Landcruisers. I like them a lot. Very interesting road test like always from hubnut. Greetings from Germany.

[@MrMjdi]

Come to Ireland and you will see landcruisers literally everywhere. Absolutely love them. 13 years driving the 2006 one here and still not sick of it. Much prefer it to my 2019 Kuga 👍

[@danthechauffeur1323]

Brilliant review mate👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian ❤️ 👍 lovely reliability of toyota brilliant

[@user-rr7pj8sb4c]

That wood trim is so fake it’s cool 😂 and the overall combination of cream and grey interior takes me right back to my Dad’s 2006 Corolla. Lovely.

[@killahbunnie]

Brilliant vehicles, mine used to get called up upon to tow everything from caravans/burger vans/trailered cars to various events up and down the country, and done so effortlessly

[@sonofatwitch82]

i really like this car, impressed with the interior and i like the wood dash and that screen in the middle is really something i like the smooth gear change. All in all a nice car in my opnion.

[@HubNut]

Turns out the screen is aftermarket. My error.

[@ianparking]

I really enjoy your test drives Ian! But at the closing scene your woosh and the noise of the vehicle is much more preferable to that music

[@TheLuisg92]

Always liked LC, but perhaps the thing I like the most about them is the sound of the turbodiesel engines

[@-sargntclashroyaleandmore-491]

compared to the other Toyota you recently test driven, this is like a luxury jacked up variant!

[@Ghostrider-71]

Nice LC, the 100 series is definitely worthy. We didn’t get the diesel here in the USA which is strange/unfortunate but it think I will stick with my HDJ81 1-HDT equipped 80 series. Great video.

[@AlexSmith-jh1yc]

a great video! thank you very much!!

[@gearhead9828]

Congratulatios on 100k subs! 👍

[@martinneumann7783]

This beast must be the perfect towing vehicle. Thanks for the road test! 🇯🇵🤗🇯🇵

[@Blueblur444]

They're excellent - the 1HD-FTE is beloved in Aus as one of Toyota's best diesels. Modern enough & powerful enough while maintaining the simplicity and reliability that is lacking on more recent generation diesel 4x4s. As such, these can still fetch ridiculous money considering their age.

[@2008tourer]

Woah, that sounds lovely

[@carldavies4662]

I nearly had an identical Amazon to this one, but ended up with a late Colorado. Its superb. I dont get to use it much as its parked up at our Farm in France, where I havnt been much since Covid in 2020. Cant wait to pick it up in a few months and get a fresh MOT on it and bring it up here to the North East. 3.0 D4D auto is a peach and Iv had variations in our Hilux and Fortuner in Thailand and Hiace...easiest Cambelt and water pump job in the world

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Used to drive the 4.7 liter v8 version almost 20 years ago. It made some nice noises and shifted quiet well for a large vehicle. Bit too thirsty for the UK though.

[@dave11686]

Love these

[@Low760]

Twin doors on the back are the fleet models on the 80s, 100s and even on 200s! That screen is aftermarket. Interesting.

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

Those trucks are practically indestructible. They will provide years of trouble free driving.

[@chrisdawson9537]

If I wasn't a Land Rover person, I'd have a landcruiser

[@alansmith1770]

Lovely big motor sounded wonderful

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Another good video Ian 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@retromatt74]

This was my preference when looking for a tow car but they do hold their value well hence why I plumped for a Touareg V6 TDI - comparable year was 3k cheaper for the VW! Still have an itch for a late 80 series at some point... Great review, enjoyed that!

[@HubNut]

Mini HubNut drools over V10 Touaregs. He's disappointed every time he sees a V6! High standards.

[@UncalBertExcretes]

Proper build quality in these and the hilux surf

[@graham6771]

Nice thank you Ian.

[@Low760]

Also. There's only one Amazon, Volvo made them from 56-70! They definitely aren't the most refined vehicle, but in Australia they are loved by caravaners and retirees, the patrol seems to be preferred by the off roader types in general, probably because of the Toyota tax. We did the the 100 series Lexus lx470, and then 200 series lx570 and now the 300 series has a Diesel option and hybrid v8 with four seat interior for the lx600. They

[@69patrick_ds95]

great vid thanks

[@salmansaeed6930]

Amazing car had one for 13 years

[@BelfastMurf]

The power heater is the best gadget in it. The HiAce that I drove for over 10 years had one. It went from baltic to toasty in no time on a winters morning…!

[@hedydd2]

The viscous heater on these is not quite that efficient.

[@SAM-zt2uy]

Frickin love the look of the 80 series and the Nissan Patrol of that era.

[@christineayres7199]

Andrew St Pierre Whites fav car , love watching his overlanding adventures on KZbin , he actually had a chat with me over FB once , really nice man and has time for his fans same as you Ian , remember even if you one day become a wolrd famous motoring host dont end up like Clarkson lol his ego i cant stand.

[@tubaman66]

If it's only had the speedo unit replaced at this mileage that's a testament to Toyota quality. If it was a similar age Range Rover just about everything electronic would have broken long ago.

[@trevatkin4869]

Great video. What is that music at the end Ian, I've heard it on your videos before and really love it.

[@organiccold]

Missed the FJ/BJ40 models, apart from that great video as always

[@pizzalover3]

Absolutely bang on, 5/6/8/10 cylinder diesels sound the nuts...try adding a 5 pot Volvo TDI or D5 to your fleet Mr HubNut, they are superb cars.

[@volt8684]

Arent they vw 5 cylinders ( transporters)?

[@pizzalover3]

@@volt8684 the 850s were the VAG 5 pots branded TDI, changed to Volvo's own D5 from Ford ownership (99 onwards).

[@bill13690]

In Australia we've also had Lexus platforms here too mate & I think in New Zealand aswell. 🇳🇿 enjoy your vehicle travelling. From William " Mount Gambier " South Australia 🇦🇺 😀 👍

[@sha22276]

I love this

[@TheReddkatt]

best car ever made

[@brianquinn8242]

Always felt these were designed for more demanding places than the UK. Here in the UK there're very few spots where the vehicle's attributes were tested or even needed compared to Africa, South America, Middle East, Asia, Australia etc. For example we never have to drive for long distances on unpaved roads or have to cope with real risks to life if the vehicle breaks down. Here you're never more than a few miles from a Gastropub or a McDs or other "civilisation". Hence I think the more style driven SUVs, ones with posher badges and those built and used as "high riding executive cars" tended to outsell the Land Cruiser here.

[@chevchelios8582]

What a beast! Built like tanks but can rot horrendously underneath so check thoroughly & treat with something if you buy one!

[@hedydd2]

Mine is like new underneath due to being cleaned and thoroughly Waxoyl’d several times in its life. Only the rear axle casing seems to have suffered with a coating of rust underneath the waxoyl despite my best effort. A friends three years newer [2002] Colorado had to have a replacement salvage rear axle about a decade ago due to being rusted beyond repair.

[@iainchapman]

Not sure if you had a sound recording issue or something but given the choice I much prefer silence/indicator tick to that Jean-Michel Jarre music for the ending bit

[@Japnut]

My dad has a couple of 80 series you would be welcome to try in Cumbria as well as a certain st205 Celica that featured on car throttle. They are manual 24v diesels too.

[@joespittle1]

These are beasts, Toyota build quality and reliability means if you take care of it it'll look showroom fresh with many hundreds of thousands of miles.

[@guineapigsheep]

I travelled in a very used example of a Lexus version on the Bolivian Salt Flats. Gold badges!

[@lewlewis6511]

I looked at some of these when replacing my Collie 95 series, but there are so many poorly described minters which prove as soon as you slide underneath to be munters. Luckily a well cared for rust free 120 came up one morning and i grabbed it before anyone else could, 7 years later it's never given me any trouble apart from the alternator died one day, £126 refurb and took me a couple of hours to fit. Its rust and neglect that kills Landcruisers of any model, keep them treated and serviced and they really will last your whole motoring life if you want.

[@bloodybrit]

Shame at the end. My Sequoia which I just sold had the rear air suspension. The common thoughts in the forums was to replace it with shocks due to the hassle. I replaced my air bags, just a few hours and the car was transformed. I drove it long distances and it was a superb mile muncher. 2 weeks later and I miss it...

[@user-hv7om4wc8k]

My lovely dad used to have an LC100 4.5 GX-R, its "cool box" has almost same effect like £1700 Miele. It can make Kinder choco as hard as baguette.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

Capri n Jag were recently on Twin Cam. 👍🏻

[@seanoliver4531]

That big screen is aftermarket although it does look standard and it fits very well 👌

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I got to drive one of those (Landcruiser VX) on a "drive it" day. I was mighty impressed. The best thing was the air ride. I find it most unfortunate that people often remove those systems. They are not complex and can often be rebuilt with second hand parts on the kitchen table if money is the issue.

[@thesaint8400]

Interesting. Is it possible (within a budget) to rebuild the system even with rusted pipes?

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

@@thesaint8400 I would think yes if you did the work yourself. But It could turn into a mini restoration . No if you have to get it done

[@lewlewis6511]

Its hydraulic all round on the 100 series, 120 and 150 series (Prado size) have rear air suspension. Pleiades in Sawtry is the place to go for the hydrualic suspension, they utilise slightly modified Citroen spheres if i recall correctly.

[@gg_vard]

Proper luxurious Land Cruiser, to the more utilitarian Prado series

[@jo05dk]

I agree.. Compared to a Range Rover this lacks the feeling of highend. ..but you can use it to ferry people who's Range Rover are at the shop because it's broken for the fifth time this year back and forth, which is a bonus. ..and: Compared to the Surf: The Surf annoyed me with far too many revs from a not great sounding engine. This hits the spot. A lovely mostly low reving 6 cylinder turbo diesel. Yes please :)

[@Lyingleyen]

....To be completely honest... I'm not sure I could get past the truly hideous plastic wood. You're a braver man than me HubNut!! 😂🤣

[@shayne109]

they hold strong money for a reason! those interior plastics are hideous to be sure but i bet they can cope better in tropical climates then the likes of a range rovers trim. i would love one but doubt i could afford to feed it with the mileage i do.

[@davidhayes4814]

The Amazon was a similar price to Mid Range Rovers and nothing like so tasteful. When it was over 5 years old it all still worked, as it did when it was 10 years old and more…

[@davepickering997]

Been driving LC100 and LC200 Armoured versions for years. Early 200 plagued with electrical problems.... Bad connectors I found mostly. Still it's a great beast but better comfort than the stalwart LC70 series when clattering around in some countries.

[@DavidBrown-lv6ox]

A South African friend drove my 87 Land Rover County with 3.5 V8 petrol engine. When he gave it back he apologetically told me that back home his Land Cruiser had a bumper sticker reading "Land Rover Support Vehicle".

[@ginggur17]

I’ve always loved these, real beauties. 👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@awelonstudio]

Toyota Amazon available now with next day delivery in a box twice the size of it.

[@neilwalsh4058]

In comparison to a Range Rover, I suppose it depends why you're buying it for. If you want a capable, reliable vehicle that will tow comfortably, get across most terrain and get you home you buy the Land Cruiser. If you want an unreliable showpiece with nicer leather and wood that will look better parked outside a gin bar then buy the RR. You'd probably be able to have a drink too as it's highly likely you'd be getting a taxi home anyway when the RR doesn't start. Has anyone stopped to think why a similar age/mileage Land Cruiser is 3 to 4 times more expensive to buy that a Range Rover?

[@joelcarterramadge183]

I wish the 200 series had those three rear cup holders in the centre, personal frustration of mine in the newer models

[@chriswalford9228]

Thanks!

[@HubNut]

Gosh, thank you!

[@chriswalford9228]

@@HubNut You are welcome Ian, best wishes to both of you.

[@grayfool]

As the saying goes "if you want to go into the wild, get a Range Rover. If you want to get back again too, get a Land Cruiser".

[@Jw20000]

I love these land cruisers. I wish I could afford to buy one! There's a few rotten ones for sale in my budget 😂

[@comcarclub]

I think you skipped mentioning the BJ40 Land Cruisers. They're still very popular with the hipster-y off-road crowd in my corner of the world. Even a rusty wreck can fetch a pretty sum

[@HubNut]

Yeah, didn't want to complicate matters by delving into the separate more-truckish Land Cruisers.

[@cliveprocter3698]

A neighbour had an Amazon from nearly new, a nearly new Range Rover being the wrong image for him. Very impressive vehicle and he ran for many years until about 4 years ago when he got sick of spending £1000 every 6 months fixing the air suspension. Now has a Series 3 or 4 Disco.

[@lordrupertknob1882]

Nice try.

[@cliveprocter3698]

Whilst posting sarcastic comments did you notice the one reviewed has had it's toyota-world-superpower-in-reliability-charts suspension replaced with steel springs...?

[@hedydd2]

The Amazon 100 series does not have air suspension. It has hydraulically assisted tortion bar independent front with coils at the back on a live axle. This system uses nitrogen accumulators as shock absorbers and an electrically driven oil pump in the engine bay. Like all N accumulators they have a finite life and are probably mega-bucks to replace, which is why it is cheaper to convert the vehicle to the standard poverty-pack spec using standard coil springs and shock absorbers.

[@thesaint8400]

​@@hedydd2You're completely right. Hydropneumatic system. You can actually get hold of really good accumulators fairly cheap. A few shops in the UK can make them at a fraction Toyota charges. Usually Citroen suspension experts do them. The main issues in the UK are 1. Rusted lines 2. Lack of maintainence. The fluid needs flushed every once in a while and the torsion bar needs cranked a bit.

[@hedydd2]

@@thesaint8400 No pneumatic involved. It is hydro-mechanical with no air system. Accumulators are available from Kramp, Sparex and possibly Vapormatic, all of which have a variety of new accumulators with different capacities and pressures. I’ve not tried these as my LC has a failed electronic brake servo and master cylinders, needs new accumulators, rams at each corner, batteries, brake calipers and discs, all of which add up to nearly £10,000. Not viable on a 25 year old 200,000 mile vehicle however good the body, chassis, engine and gearboxes are. It has turned into a bottomless money pit.

[@lucindafergusonart]

Thats lovely that love the seats and the equipment everything about it yeah maybe the wood isn't very woody but would be great for running the kids to school ( except mine are grown up)yeah I had 2.5 Range rover Diesel it was slow, the RR appears more sophisticated but the Toyota more reliable and modern Range Rovers run a mile from them they are only a place for warning lights to happen.

[@rcaive0875]

Station wagon...I thought over in the UK you called them estates. (?)

[@shauntvr4312]

My dad had one a great 4x4

[@frothe42]

Only a V8 for both Toyota and Lexus versions in the US. The Land Cruiser went upmarket to compete with Land Rover/Range Rover.