On test: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible (2007)

• Model: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible
• Bodystyle: five-door SUV
• Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel
• Transmission: 5-speed automatic

what is it?

It’s the real deal, the Toyota Land Cruiser line stretches back 50 years and has a reputation for off-road ability matched only by Land Rover and Jeep. Unlike those two marques however, the Land Cruiser has absolutely no questions hanging over the way in which it has been put together and how long it will last – in a word, forever. No wonder so many are seen painted white and being driven by chaps in blue helmets with UN stenciled on them.

Where does it fit?

In Ultimate spec as tested this Land Cruiser sits, as the name suggests, at the top of the range with lashings of equipment thrown at it and an uprated 3.0-litre turbodiesel under the bluff bonnet, offering 210bhp (up from 164bhp) and lashing and lashing of torque, 347lb/ft of it to be exact. Size wise this is undoubtedly a full-size 4x4, easily eclipsing an old-model BMW X5 and giving the Discovery a run for its money thanks to an extra row of seats that can be deployed in the boot to turn it into a eight seater. Other rivals include the aging Volvo XC90, Mitsubishi Outlander and perhaps the only SUV with a similarly tough reputation, the Nissan Patrol.

Is it for you?

If you simply need a seven-seater for the school run then no. In fact don’t bother with an SUV at all, you’ll pay the penalty in fuel bills and poorer on-road dynamics, buy a decent people carrier. If however you regularly tow horseboxes, caravans or boats or drive further off-road than the Church fete car park then the Land Cruiser is definitely worth considering. It is perhaps not the best looking of the full-sized SUV bunch, the large chrome grille in particular is a bit bling but it could certainly be thought of as rugged.

What does it do well?

This is a serious piece of kit, dispensing with such niceties as the electronic terrain selector knob as used in the Discovery. Instead the Land Cruiser has honest to goodness levers for sliding big bits of metal around to engage low-ratios and lock diffs. We didn’t have the opportunity to test it to the full but it coped with severely waterlogged and churned up fields with ease where two-wheel drive cars and even lesser 4x4s sat uselessly spinning their wheels until a local farmer turned up with a tractor, a tow-rope and a money-making gleam in his eyes. The ride, controlled by Toyota’s EDC adjustable dampers really does make speedbumps and urban potholes disappear, albeit at the expense of float and wallowing.

What doesn’t it do well?

Toyota has retained traditional body-on-frame construction, which is much better able to deal with the sort of twisting forces encountered in extreme off-road conditions but does mean the Land Cruiser will never be able to compete with the on-road dynamics of monocoque rivals such as the X5. The steering is slow and the car isn’t exactly eager to change direction with alacrity which is just as well since despite the uprated engine, performance is best described as relaxed thanks to an all up weight of 2,850kg. 0-62mph takes a sluggish 10.8 seconds and it’s all done by 109mph. The five-speed automatic gearbox is swift to respond however and cleverly has been programmed to hold ratios when descending hills to provide engine braking.

What’s it like to live with?

It initially feels vast but visibility is extremely good, it’s possible to see every single corner of the vehicle from the driver’s seat, an advantage both when crawling over boulders and threading one’s way through urban width restrictors. We subjected it to the toughest test we could, Glastonbury Festival and it swallowed four tents and large back packs with ease although a cream leather interior is perhaps not the option to choose for a hard-working off-roader. An excellent sat-nav with integrated traffic management got us round the jams and a decent stereo kept us entertained although the silver trim around the centre console not only looked cheap but reflected badly in the windscreen. The rearmost seats fold out of the sides of the boot and are passably acceptable but with a very upright seat back and nowhere to put one’s feet are only suitable for short journeys and short people.

How green is it?

For a full-sized SUV with what Toyota claims is the most powerful four-cylinder diesel engine, not too bad. Official fuel consumption is 31.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 243g/km. Around 400 miles should be possible between fill-ups.

Would we buy it?

If we were in the market for a genuine off-roader rather than an X5 or XC90 pretender then certainly. The only thing likely to best it across rough terrain is a Chieftain tank and the only thing to stop it a substantial concrete wall. It is well equipped and keenly priced so well worth a look.