Land Cruiser 200 Series GXL vs Nissan Patrol Ti-L: towing comparison review

The Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol have been long-time rivals in the war for Aussie hearts and cash – well, that was until a few years ago when the Patrol went petrol only and it has since lost a chunk of ground to the Cruiser, in terms of sales and off-road-touring credibility.

But, despite that, these are two legendary 4WD wagons with mighty reputations as off-road tourers and towing vehicles of note and they both have hefty price-tags to match.

In a modern market in which big load-lugging monsters such as the Ram 2500 threaten to reign supreme, are the 200 Series and Patrol still worth consideration as work and recreational towing machines? And which of the two is best for towing in terms of comfort, ride and handling and fuel use?

CarsGuide - Go beyond the test drive

#Toyotalandcruiser #nissanpatrol #landcruiservspatrol #carsguide #off-road #towing

[bradrein]

You reckon land cruiser wins? Hmm. Basic spec for the same price as top of the line patrol. You didn’t once mention value for money or correct your miss guidance about fuel consumption in the end when there was next to no difference at all. Review came across very biased to me to be honest.

[IBOO]

For starters the specs compared arent even equal, the GXL should be tested against a Ti which can be had for around 64k on road. Secondly basing a win on preconceived reliability advantages is odd given the well documented dusting issues with 200's and people having to drop in a set of 12k injectors to avoid grenading an engine which sets you back closer to 30k.
The economy was basically equal even though you rabbited on about how thirsty it will be before seeing the results. You can drive around 300k kilometers in a Ti before its starts to cost you the same amount as the GXL. Seems like you had already made your mind up before even turning a key. (Or pushing a start button)

[thebeerhunter]

The patrol uses a lot of fuel but uses the same amount as the other car 😂

[georgedaniels]

The land cruiser relies on its old reputation. Very little difference in fuel economy now. Patrol has better technology and much better specced as it compares to the Sahara.
You pick the winner on “reliability” based on 248 km runs, laden and unladen! What tests did you use to reach your reliability conclusion. Without any long term tests, let alone objective tests, your opinion on the winner, based on “reliability” shows your bias or ignorance in favour of the Toyota.

[aussiefabricator]

Haven't seen any v8 patrols with reliability issues. And far less likely to be stopped in its tracks by a bad batch of fuel..

[Cammo-vpgl]

I bought my GXL 200 series in 2010 and had to wait for it to come from Japan, I collected her with 4km on the odo. I have196K on the clock and it’s been serviced by Toyota by the book. I tow a Whittley SL26 which is about 3.2mtrs high, 24 feet long and frighteningly heavy when fully loaded. The Cruiser has never missed a beat and I’d say it’s resale value would be around $50k. I paid $82, 500 on the road. Yes it drinks when pulling up hills but she makes 650Nm and that’s what makes this such a good tow vehicle, it does everything easily, reducing driver fatigue. I might add if you can afford the $90k for the car and similar money, if not considerably more for the toy you are towing, then the fuel bill really is only a small consideration in the big scheme. I tow at 95kmh in 5th and that’s a happy medium, I can tow at 110 but what’s the hurry. Honestly, bitching over a few k/L here and there, get over it. I’d like to know how many keyboard warriors commenting on this subject actually own either of these cars and pull heavy loads regularly! In perspective, my boats returns 1.2 km per liter and that’s economical.

[bhyperp]

Reliability over refinement? What reliability issues came up in the test.

[pezzatrol]

So are you now going to take back all the comments re "visiting a lot more servo's, more aware of your fueling places, etc etc" that you were rabbiting on about while driving the Y62 ? barely any difference difference while towing, and the only reason you were getting 14.3/100 not towing was because you were obviously letting your "inner hoon" get the better of you, as you stated earlier. Most current Series 5 Y62 owners are reporting 10-11/100 hwy not towing. You mention the cloth seats and manual seat controls of the 200 but no mention of the leather seats and electric "memorizing" controls of the Y62, you state that in your view the 200 is still the "winner" due to "reliability" (I'm assuming that's all you had left to go with after the fuel figures didn't work for you), so you're saying the Y62 is unreliable ? If so. please inform us how ? So much for balanced, unbiased reviews from a motoring magazine, advertising $$ are still decision makers I see.

[bitzel]

This is the worst review I have ever watched

[aussieoffroadnut]

I owned a 200 Series from new for 4 years and have vowed never to buy another Toyota product again due to the never ending reliability issues. Its sad to see the constant biased reviews from people who have zero real world knowledge or experience.

[sydneyraj]

Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. As designs change, issues like dusting, injectors, dpf issues add on to Toyota diesel vehicles. Smart buyers can easily see through this.

[pablom]

Is there a valid reason why you didn't use the TI model in your comparison test, which is $20K cheaper? It would seem obvious the Toyota advertising $$$ swayed the results.

[maxieaton]

What a shocking review I’m a lc200 owner and I’m trading for a y62 simply because there a far better car. Cruisers are overrated I’ve had 3 never again though

[Kris-Lewis]

That review was sponsored by Toyota Australia.

[marcstrauch]

It always surprises me the comments that come from people who are already biased one way or the other. I am have 2017 VX LandCruiser. It is a great vehicle but I am aware of its short comings. My wife’s RAV4 has more modern technology but for me the land cruiser has so far been bullet proof.i look at it as a tractor which is great off road and for towing. Never had a problem. I k ow two people who bought the Patrols. They are cheaper and have much more modern technology but are two different vehicles. They have had no reliability issues but in real world driving when towing or in the sand use massive more fuel. Where I use 18 liters per 100 km they are closer to 30 lts per 100km. Also stability in towing is better for the land cruiser as the solid axle manages weight better but when not towing the Patrol seems to have a better ride. So different vehicles for different purposes. UN modified on an off-road track both perform very well. Land cruisers do have a a good record of still performing well after 500, 000 km’s when well serviced and many years of use but most people only keep a vehicle for 5 to 7 years. Buy what fits your purpose...they are different vehicles.

[grahambridge]

Mountain trail RV towed a 2 tonne caravan up and downhill over 100kms at same speed. Results patrol 22.59litres per 100 and LandCruiser 22.69 litres per 100.

[mrbundyk]

That would have to be one of the worst, most biased reviews I have ever seen CarsGuide. Full of preconceived opinions and very little facts to back them up. The Cruiser wins due to reliability? Seriously? Research shows that the 200 series isn't as reliable as people think it is. Toyota is living off a reputation that isn't fitting for the 200. The reviewer crapped on about how much fuel the Patrol would use towing, to the point of getting carried away about fuel stop planning. The figures then revealed that the effective range is basically the same. The Patrol used 0.2 l/100 more, but has a 2 litre bigger tank, so they would be near as makes no difference the same. As far as everything else goes, well thats how he sees it and thats fine. Might pay to get someone else to redo the review so you can get some credibility back though.

[andrewthomas]

Reliability wins? Did the Patrol break down during the test? Fuel use and towing ability seemed very similar and the Patrol was much better specced compared to that Toyota interior from the 90s. If youre going to use reliability as the winning reason, why bother driving them both? Perhaps long term ownership of both would be a better test of you want to look at reliability.

[hit]

"The big issue with the Patrol is fuel consumption" - except it isn't an issue when the Patrol only used 0.2L/100km more under tow.
Also @ 1:40 someone failed to stow the left rear stabiliser correctly.

[baronvonaux]

It’s always the same from CarsGuide, Toyota wins every comparison they make even irrational ones like this. If you compare like variants you find a huge price difference in favour of the Nissan and that buys a bloody lot of fuel. Giving the win on reliability based off what? Is there documented issues with y62 patrol reliability?