Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara 2023 review (w/ off-road test): the best 300 Series model?

[@terrificspokesman7416]

The reason the servicing is at 6 months is to keep the vehicles reliable. Other companies put ridiculous service intervals which causes engine issues in the long run. I mean Toyota cars are reliable even if maintained poorly but it's better to service the car at Toyota intervals.

[@herizorakotomavo]

Just discovered your channel. Very good videos. I am about to buy my LC300 VX-R. Watching you from Madagascar 🇲🇬

[@chasingcars]

Welcome aboard!

[@sugarmokke8975]

I’m very glad that the land cruiser Sahara is very off-road capable, I’m going to buy a land cruiser 300 series zx in philippines

[@peterj5751]

The V8 is missed by many but the old 6 speed auto isn’t. The biggest loss for those of us who use these things for touring and camping is the loss of the split tailgate.

[@prosperpersonelle]

Plz make a comparison against the G wagon 63 .bronco raptor. And Rubicon 392.non bias

[@isy54]

You said you can only get beige interior on the Sahara and not the VX? The VX is available with beige interior.

[@jerryfrench2981]

I bought one today. If money was no option I would have gone for a Range Rover sport but I didn't have an extra 80K. I also looked at the defender but for a similar spec it was 180K.

[@rokana9641]

Great review as always

[@chasingcars]

Thank you

[@markward38]

I test drove one the other day it was great vehicle to drive. I have intentions of buying a VX to tow my caravan $125k , but was seriously disappointed with some of its lack of features that have become standard in other vehicles. No heated steering wheel, No auto rear door, no head up display My wife’s run a round Hyundai has that for half the price. 😮

[@markstemmett5296]

My GR has all those features

[@sebseb6400]

@@markstemmett5296my GR has got it too. I believe that Hyundai can have a troubles to tow a caravan on corrugation on the way to National Park in the middle to nowhere.

[@sandymacintyre8979]

Wow, no heated steering wheel! - dealbreaker.

[@archiekabooom2928]

Great review and thank you

[@archiekabooom2928]

Great review thank you

[@richieduck67]

A lot of people are putting aftermarket power tailgates on the VX

[@chasingcars]

Interesting

[@Rick-kj9dd]

Tom you came across a little cynical in this review but I don't blame you. $143,000 for the vehicle but as you said it has loose steering, average sound system, some safety aids don't work. You said when things don't work just turn them off. Big time delays with the electric seats. I know there are positives but a lot of negatives when you spending this amount of coin!!

[@chasingcars]

I just try to call it as I see it. Everything has positives and negatives, and yes at this kind of price we need to make sure to prove if there is value (or not).

[@sebseb6400]

Coins lost a lot o value in this days. Not much to choose. That specific car for specific use and audience I believe.

[@candlelarbra5212]

Banger vid, what happened to ponch?

[@chasingcars]

Ponch isn't with our full-time team any longer - Curt Dupriez took his place as deputy editor, and Tom Baker is still the editor

[@JustinLO-y7i]

After Market Split tail gate can be inserted. Its done in South Africa ❤

[@billybob1511]

Is it genuinely quiet at motorway speeds on coarse chip? One independent Aussie 4x4 youtuber says his biggest issue with his 300 Sahara ZX (on factory wheels and tyres) is the road noise. He says its got more road noise than his 200 series. I just sold a next Gen V6 Everest cause the road noise was terrible. All the reviewers says its a quiet car but I found the opposite. Tom, do you think the 300 series is a lot better than next Gen Everest for highway noise?

[@chasingcars]

I thought it was quiet enough on coarse chip, but given it is clearly a key factor in your purchase choice I strongly recommend finding one you can test drive on 18” wheels and trying it yourself.

[@ParachuteManiac]

Weird, mine a biturbo next gen everest has an excellent NVH, except if im cruising above 140kmh, the wind noise is obvious coming from the side mirror

[@mazdar100]

They’re supposed to make newer models better. They haven’t. Less space in the front row. Less in the middle. Suspension that absorbs big bumps but amplifies the tiny ones. I’m glad Toyota did what they did, because it rules them out completely and narrows the selection of my next purchase.

[@davidanderson2256]

I have had a GXL for 12 months. It eats up country roads and is a step up from my 200. No dissappointed, except for the tail gate is manual.

[@sailassaun2371]

Toyota does not care about your selection. 😂💯

[@MataraMokaya]

What cars have you narrowed it down to?

[@TerrenceLP]

They have the best combo 😢 and f'd it up. That 5.7L V8 4x4 etc...

[@jamiele9638]

@@MataraMokaya Toyota Yaris and Kia Picanto 😂

[@lukemcfarland1341]

As a TD 200 Sarah owner. I can tell you this new 300 is built of the softer generation Quite frankly

[@croydonq135]

Wow really surprised by the top 3. Great comparison.

[@electrikoptik]

I find it interesting that the luxury top-spec 300-series in NZ (VX-limited which is the same as OZ's ZX) gets the same body style as the Sahara albeit with 20 inch wheels.

[@chasingcars]

Looks kind of good I reckon

[@electrikoptik]

@@chasingcars It does. It’s as if you put the 20 inch on this sahara. I don’t understand the ZX’s lower hanging front/rear bumper and the integrated sidestep.

[@lilei9121]

I think the nz vx limited similar as Oz version Sahara ZX but doesn’t have the front body kit , nz VX similar as Oz Sahara

[@aslnzzzrt]

Just love the view over the front hood.

[@chasingcars]

Same! Looks very cool

[@alvinburr7332]

Will you guys be reviewing the new Range Rover Sport? I'm trying to decide if stepping up to the RR is worth the extra money.

[@chasingcars]

Eventually, yes… they’ve been very hard to get a hold of

[@herizorakotomavo]

Buy the Range Rover Sport. But if you are doing many off-roading, choose the LC300 because the reliability and durability of Toyota is important.

[@gribberyt3923]

The range rover sport is like a hatchback and not an suv which makes it one of the best suvs to drive and do offroad in. The big range rover l460 is a full size suv. The range rover sport will beat the lc almost everything but there is a charm of driving a landcruiser 300

[@alvinburr7332]

​@@herizorakotomavo Thanks. I think i'm going to go for the RR sport as the variant i'm looking at is only $20/30k more. Yes it's a lot of money but for that you get much better quality materials, better tech, more performance and in my opinion a much better looking vehicle in and out. As i only go off roading a dozen times a year, all be it not very extreme off roading the added reliability and durability of the LC300 isn't much of an issue.

[@toejoe5076]

If you work out the GVM and GCM figures on this vehicle with 3500 kg caravan hooked up , it’s almost impossible to travel legally. Not worth the money for touring. If consumers started to work this out prices would drop because most vehicles are not fit for purpose.

[@snoopy13946]

How’s the body roll around corners ?

[@chasingcars]

You do need to be a bit patient if you’re coming from a car based SUV but for a frame vehicle it’s not too bad actually

[@HellofromAustralia-s8h-juan]

They do have more roll than I like.

[@lazbogi]

Fair Review.

[@chrisperera2818]

Hi Team Under the fuel type required you stated the fuel economy and not the fuel needed.

[@chasingcars]

Sorry, minor editing fail there

[@chasingcars]

It’s diesel

[@iandibley8032]

The only problem leaving your spare tyre changing tools in the factory location, cargo like a fridge etc must be unloaded , an inconvenience over sight in my opinion.

[@ayowaleojo8491]

Best LC300 review

[@georgetown8986]

We need this series in the U.S.

[@curlzbean]

Might be the first 300 sahara to actually go off road

[@bobperrett728]

Fix the OIL Consumption 😢

[@snoopy13946]

This or a Prado Kakadu ?

[@chasingcars]

Oh, this, for sure… but it's a lot more expensive!

[@EastWood2004]

Would you wait for 20 months?

[@electrikoptik]

@@EastWood2004 If you can afford it, its worth the wait. No other SUV is build to the standards of the 300-series.

[@oriondoublecrossed]

​@@electrikoptikOnly the lexus lx500d can.

[@jugnubukhari5233]

Great review . . Love from Pakistan

[@chasingcars]

Thanks!

[@randomuser1967]

Legend

[@smovol1847]

Tom, LC 300 is pretty reasonable car to buy. However may be Nissan Patrol Y62 is even better 4x4? Its more powerful, more prestige and just more interesting as a car. Unfortunately in Australia and New Zealand RHD Patrol still have dated dashboard and infotainment system, but does it really matter? Gorgeous V8, excellent reliability and stunning look are more essential points. Toyota's LC 300 V6 engines can not any longer provide such confidence as older LC 200 V8 did.

[@chasingcars]

Yep, Nissan basically acknowledges that problem but sees that they are selling every Patrol they bring in, especially because of the Land Cruiser shortage - so why would they pay to update the interior?

[@smovol1847]

@@chasingcars because it is their reputation:) As far as I know, Nissan is currently testing the Y63 Patrol, which basically is heavily modernised Y62. And fabulous V8 motor will gone: there will be only V6 too (3.0 Turbo or 3.0 na + hybrid power train). So that is why I personally recommend buy Y62 Patrol as far as it will be selling.

[@GR8Tmate]

Nissan better ? 🤮 ya gotta be kidding 😂

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

Not that it's everything, but the Y62 is now 13 years old. Don't fall into the trap of judging the engine by its cylinder count and capacity - engine technology has moved on significantly and there's good reasons why smaller capacity turbos now rule the roost.

[@oriondoublecrossed]

​@@smovol1847 middle east nissan patrol is faar better than lc. But its only for middle east and not rhd markets. Nissan has even softer suspension

[@petergazarek9466]

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER ❤️👍🏻

[@australianmade2659]

$140k and no locking rear diff? I think that’s a mistake

[@chasingcars]

Only a locking centre diff on all 300 Series except GR Sport

[@Timmokenn]

And yet a 55k Fortuner does .. go figure

[@electrikoptik]

The 200-series skipped locking diffs for a whole generation. It did fine without it. Of course me personally I would prefer having both electronics like CRAWL and actual diff-locks so I can choose.

[@v8motorhead]

Could not agree more. The interior also does not look 143k. That's a lot of money. And what's with the 6 month service intervals? It's a farce when people harp on about "Toyota Reliability" when it needs a service every 6 months. Even Chinese manufacturers have better service intervals than that!

[@lestatar1669]

@v8motorhead if you don’t understand why 6 month service intervals are better for a vehicle than longer ones especially diesel cars you simply don’t understand the internal combustion engine……

[@glennhenson4434]

what a shame that Toyota invested in a new model but did such a mediocre job on delivering better towing . The payload of only 650 kg is too small for serious towing of heavy vans.

[@BowlaramaTV]

Same price as the LX why buy this uncomfortable car. Same as my 200 stock suspension rides like a corolla

[@محمدمحمد-د5ك3ص]

gxr 3 احسن شي مواصفات سعودية بازرعه

[@hzj7920]

My 60 series 2H runs reliably on used motor oil. Don’t over complicate your lives with electronic junk.

[@Sic955]

Lol I have a Y62 Patrol 2022 S5 with mods approaching that price point, can tell you would shtt all over this in looks and offroad comparison.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

The major takeaway I have from this is: if you buy one and don’t go hardcore off-roading on a regular basis, you really are going to look a bit of a tool.

[@chasingcars]

Based on the amount of Land Cruisers you see toiling away in country Australia, I think that might be putting it a bit strongly! Perhaps not the best urban crawler though.

[@motorsportfreak1]

Is it ok to be a soccer mum with a 300?

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

@@motorsportfreak1 don’t know why you wouldn’t get a Kia Carnival, have a car better suited to the urban environment and pocket 70 grand

[@BomberFletch31]

@@jeremybean-hodges6397 I agree completely. It's also a better people mover. There's way more space for 7 people in the Carnival than in the LandCruiser. I don't understand why people buy 4WDs and SUVs if they need to seat 7, and ignore people movers like the Carnival.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

@@chasingcars perhaps! But it's a huge price penalty to pay *if* you're not going to take advantage of the significant off-road capabilities. I'd suggest that for a lot of LandCruiser buyers, a RAV4 sized vehicle with AWD would do them just fine - but a Landy is a decision that's made with the heart as much as the head. There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying something because you want it, but there are significant compromises in buying a LandCruiser (weight, price, on-road handling) in order to accommodate its excellent off-road capabilities.

[@oriondoublecrossed]

This car is more expensive than the defender. One thing defender has in sleeves is build quality. Its like a tank.

[@defjam2026]

… a tank that will likely breakdown and fail

[@oriondoublecrossed]

@@defjam2026 nah

[@wallacelux]

Tank ? No way , looks so delicate, tech everywhere

[@peterj5751]

The Defender will break regularly. The Toyota won’t. Mind you, if the Toyota does break you can be assured that Toyota will find a reason not to honour the warranty.

[@paulmcintosh5589]

Anyone that suggests this is a great improvement is blind and has no vehicle sense what so ever. Light torsion bars the vehicle sits bum high front low if you think this is good handling dynamics again you have no vehicle sense, park the latest RAV beside it not a lot of difference ugly square guards not much bigger for a premium high end vehicle.

[@chasingcars]

Driven a lot of 200 series, and a lot of 300 series. I can tell you that the latter rides marginally better and handles significantly better, and still retains good off-road capability, some of which is demonstrated here

[@paulmcintosh5589]

@@chasingcars Driven both and they are both terrible for a premium priced vehicle as for off road the 200 is terrible 300 is better thanks to the competition making the 200 look as capable as an XD falcon off road. Biased much fan boys.

[@tersy9862]

Way too expensive for that it is

[@rationalthinker9181]

Hot V6 eating oil everyone that I know with one is using liters of oil between services. Seems Toyota is getting away from its core less and less about reliability.

[@jockmiller3056]

Typical Toyota charge to much & give u as little as possible to many faults for a vehicle this expensive 😎

[@11111111111111191795]

This guy just never knows his details - the GR Sport and Sahara ZX have the same rear diff and neither have the third row…

[@electrikoptik]

Yeah and other markets GR do have 7 seats configuration although only the petrol version.

[@chasingcars]

Gee, it’d be awkward if you were both weirdly impolite and completely wrong. Like confusing the GR Sport’s mechanical rear locker with the Sahara ZX’s electronic torque-sending limited slip rear differential (very much not the same thing, you’ll find) - and I said at 11:01 that the ZX is not a three-row vehicle.

[@11111111111111191795]

Fair point, I think it was referenced a little more ambiguously. Given the GR and ZX have two unique rears - that would be an interesting video. Particularly given the praise for the Sahara’s road handling - isn’t the ZX meant to be better again? I wonder how it compares to the GR too..?

[@chasingcars]

GR Sport review based on 4000km coming soon. Might have lobbed back a little sharp there, reason being I am a guy that prides himself on being very much in the detail.

[@11111111111111191795]

@@chasingcars fair enough, start wearing your Omega again - great watch. Even if it’s a quartz movement…

[@ulfw]

143,000AUD? HAHAHAHAHAHA 😂😂😂 Why not sell it for a cool million? Or billion?

[@electrikoptik]

It’s expensive but it’s the best built SUV on the planet and therefor worth every penny mate. Enough people are buying them that the demand is sky high.

[@chasingcars]

Lot of money but as has been pointed out, the haven’t struggled to build a long wait list at this level

[@aanttila867]

LC150 top spec is about 220000aud in Finland where I live. We dont even get 300 but would be 300000aud. I have 150 mid level about 180aud

[@azzaloard]

the 300 is a pile of crap

[@MarksElectricLife]

Oh, what a disappointment!

[@chasingcars]

Not that bad is it?

[@marinusf1]

Clueless review. How did this guy get hold of vehicles?

[@chasingcars]

Clueless! Absolutely clueless!

[@rCory1945]