Item: Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

LEVC VN5

Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial 

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial is a no-frills kind of SUV and as a result, it comes with the bare minimum as standard. You get steel wheels, keyless entry and start, automatic headlights, heated and powered door mirrors, cruise control, manual air conditioning and that’s about it. The upside to this, however, is that it massively undercuts its closest competitor, the Land Rover Defender Hard Top.&nbsp;

Even in Active trim with goodies like dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, reversing camera and the touchscreen infotainment system that we mentioned earlier it is still significantly cheaper than the Defender. And better yet, the Toyota is predicted to hold onto more of its value over three years of ownership than the Land Rover.&nbsp;

It won’t be particularly cheap to run, however, with that big 2.8-litre diesel returning just over 30mpg on our mixed test route. That said, the same is true for the Defender Hard Top 110 (that barely cracked 28mpg on our test route). Thankfully, commercial vehicles have a fixed rate of VED, so the Commercial’s emissions don't affect this.&nbsp;

Also putting your mind at ease should be Toyota’s legendary reliability. The Japanese manufacturer finished an excellent joint fifth out of the 30 manufacturers rated in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">2021 What Car? Reliability Survey</a>.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel as you'll find in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/land-cruiser/4x4/review/n17251/on-the-road">Land Cruiser SUV</a>, but despite making a healthy 201bhp the Commercial isn’t exactly quick. If you go for the manual, 0-62mph takes 9.9sec, while the automatic takes 11.2sec.

However, because it has plenty of torque, once you’re up and rolling it never feels underpowered – even with a load in the rear you can simply leave it in a high gear and let the low down grunt shove you forward.&nbsp;

Speaking of gears, we’d opt for the manual gearbox. It has a long throw action but it’s precise and has an easy to modulate clutch. The Auto meanwhile delivers smooth enough shifts, but it can tend to hunt between gears when you ask for a bit more power.&nbsp;

In terms of handling, the slow-witted steering lacks feel, and there’s quite a lot of body lean, but the upside of the soft suspension is a surprisingly comfortable ride. It’s certainly more compliant than a Toyota Hilux or Ssangyong Musso and it’s surprisingly quiet at a cruise.&nbsp;

You still get full-time four-wheel drive, and low and high-range gear ratios on all versions, so it can get to places many SUVs can’t. It also has a towing capacity of 3000kg, which should be plenty for most, but it is worth noting that a Defender can lug around even more at 3500kg.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

The only engine on offer but you need the automatic for maximum performance potential. Refinement isn’t a patch on most large SUV rivals and fuel economy isn’t anything to write home about, but it is a gutsy engine if you’re prepared to put up with the noise.

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2.8 D-4D 204

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The Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial is the ‘van’ version of what many see as one of the toughest and most dependable SUVs in the world. If you’re lost in the Outback or half way up a glacier, it probably won’t be a Jeep coming to save you – it’ll be a Land Cruiser.

Like the regular Land Cruiser, the Commercial is available in short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) form. Both body styles do without rear seats to give you more cargo space, and have a reinforced bulkhead separating the driver and front-seat passenger from the storage area. You get multiple lashing points and heavy duty hose-down rubber mats.

From the outside, the Commercial looks a lot like the passenger model – the only real giveaway is that the rear-most side windows have been blacked out. In the rather utilitarian ‘Utility’ spec, it gets workmanlike steel wheels, a black grille and cloth seats.&nbsp;

Under the skin, the Commercial retains the regular Land Cruiser’s four-wheel-drive system, which makes it very capable off-road. It’s not available with air suspension, which is available as an option on the Land Rover Defender Hard Top 110.

The Land Cruiser Commercial’s closest rivals are the Defender Hard Top and off-road capable pick-ups such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>. Over the next few pages, this review will tell you how it stacks up against them, plus what it’s like on the road, how classy it is inside and whether it's costly to run.

If you do decide to buy a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/toyota">Toyota</a> – or any make or model of vehicle that suits your needs – remember that you could save thousands of pounds by checking out the best prices using the free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>.

When you sit in the Toyota Land Cruiser’s driving seat, the first thing you notice is the soft, squishy cushioning that’s rather like a favourite armchair. It’s not just immensely comfortable, thanks to standard-fit lumbar adjustment, but we also love the old school cloth it’s wrapped in. Compared to leather it feels warm in the winter and cool in the summer. A win-win.&nbsp;

The seat also perches you nice and high in the interior and there are tall side windows that help to give you decent visibility. However, if you’re a particularly nervous parker, we would recommend stepping up to Active grade as this brings a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.&nbsp;

The Land Cruiser’s dashboard is pretty old-school and dominated by physical switches. We actually like this set-up as the buttons are easy to poke and prop even when you’re wearing thick gloves. Less successful is the infotainment system. The 9.0 touchscreen (that comes as standard on Active grade cars) is placed high up, which is helpful, but the icons are small and the menus confusing. It does, however, feature <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto </a>smartphone connectivity, so you can bypass the Toyota system altogether.

In the standard Land Cruiser the materials don’t feel quite plush enough for a luxury SUV, but in the Commercial, they’re fit for purpose. Everything feels well screwed together and hard-wearing, which is important in a working vehicle.

Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.

That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.

However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.

TOYOTA

LAND CRUISER

The 'van' version of the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV is an impressive commercial vehicle and a good alternative to a traditional pick-up truck

This is where Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial excels. Up front there is plenty of space on offer, with good head and leg room in the front, while the wide interior provides plenty of shoulder room.

Storage options aren’t bad, either, with cupholders, a large glovebox and door bins, plus a deep cubby under the sliding centre armrest. There’s even the option of a refrigerated centre console, so you can keep your drinks chilled.

Behind the rear door (that opens sideways, like the Land Rover Defender Hard Top’s) there’s a van-like open cargo space. There are numerous lashing points, a heavy-duty hose-down rubber mat and a big cavernous space where the rear seats used to be. It’s also worth noting that the glass rear tailgate can be opened independently to the rear door to make room for appropriately secured longer loads.

In terms of measurements, the short-wheelbase (SWB) offers up 1574 litres of space which is roughly on par with a Defender 90 Hard Top and a Ford Transit Courier. Not bad for such an off-road capable vehicle.

However, we’d opt for the more capacious long-wheelbase model. It might have a narrower maximum load width than a Defender Hard Top 110 (1045mm vs 1423) but it has a longer load bay (1480mm vs 1472) and a taller roof (982mm vs 937). The result is that the Land Cruiser Commercial offers up 2216 litres of load space, which is slightly more than the 2059 litres offered by the Hard Top 110.&nbsp;

When it comes to carrying heavy payloads pick-ups have an in-built advantage as they have to be able to carry more than a tonne of payload to qualify as a commercial vehicle. However, the LWB commercial is still impressive for an SUV with a maximum payload capacity of 756kg.&nbsp;

It’s also impressive when it comes to towing, with all versions capable of pulling a 3000kg braked trailer.

OUR PICK

Active trim offers the best value for money, giving you 17in alloy wheels, climate control, power-folding door mirrors, a 9.0in touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and full smartphone capability, a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a rear-view camera.

Active

active

This trim gives you a memory driver’s seat, adaptive air suspension and extra off-road driving aids. Automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard too. If you have to have a fridge to cool your drinks on the trail, it's the one to go for, but we prefer the better value Active instead.

Invincible

invincible

If you work on a farm or in a remote hard to reach location, then the Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial makes for a fantastic alternative to a traditional pick-up. Not only is it comfier than a Toyota Hilux or Ssangyong Musso, but it also significantly undercuts its closest Commercial SUV rival, the Land Rover Defender Hard Top. Add into the mix fantastic reliability and rock-solid residuals and you have a truly convincing package. 


Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial  review

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The Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial  on the road review including ride and handling information. Pick the best engine and compare performance with similar cars.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel as you'll find in the Land Cruiser SUV, but despite making a healthy 201bhp the Commercial isn’t exactly quick. If you go for the manual, 0-62mph takes 9.9sec, while the automatic takes 11.2sec.,However, because it has plenty of torque, once you’re up and rolling it never feels underpowered – even with a load in the rear you can simply leave it in a high gear and let the low down grunt shove you forward. ,Speaking of gears, we’d opt for the manual gearbox. It has a long throw action but it’s precise and has an easy to modulate clutch. The Auto meanwhile delivers smooth enough shifts, but it can tend to hunt between gears when you ask for a bit more power. In terms of handling, the slow-witted steering lacks feel, and there’s quite a lot of body lean, but the upside of the soft suspension is a surprisingly comfortable ride. It’s certainly more compliant than a Toyota Hilux or Ssangyong Musso and it’s surprisingly quiet at a cruise. ,You still get full-time four-wheel drive, and low and high-range gear ratios on all versions, so it can get to places many SUVs can’t. It also has a towing capacity of 3000kg, which should be plenty for most, but it is worth noting that a Defender can lug around even more at 3500kg.,

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Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial review

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