Toyota Land Cruiser (03-09) - Review

The five-door is a genuinely roomy way to carry five adults and the rear seat-backs recline to improve passenger comfort. Those who sit in the third row of seats, won't have much leg room. There's some wind noise at speed, but refinement is generally of a high standard as the diesel engine has active engine mounts to reduce vibrations. The three-door is not very generous in terms of rear accommodation and access is quite restricted.

Second row seats split/fold on both three- and five-door models. As the five-door is much longer, it's a more practical proposition, and has an extra row of seats in the boot that can be folded flat, folded to the sides of the boot, or removed altogether (although that's quite a chore). The third row can seat three children if necessary, making the Land Cruiser an eight-seater. Without the third row seats, the five-door has 50 percent more boot space than the three-door, which is itself more accommodating than something like a Volkswagen Golf.

Inside it's far from utilitarian, offering a comfortable driving position and a high degree of adjustment for the driving position, which includes reach- and height-adjustable steering. Occupants have a very commanding view of the road, seeing over the tops of most normal cars. Top models have a touch sensitive colour screen, which replaces some button functions. It may seem hi-tech, but it's flawed in practice as it makes actions like changing radio station or fan speed more complicated and time consuming than it needs to be.