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Toyota Land Cruiser wagon rebuilt as bullet-proof off-roader
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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BORREGO SPRINGS, Calif. -- Twisted canyons of sand, defining a path barely wider than Toyota's new full-size sport-utility, lead around one blind corner after the next as the wagon applies traction to all wheels and winds up what becomes dunes as big as multi-story mansions.
These so-called Mud Hills, a unique sandpile in the Borrego Sink of California's low Anza-Borrego Desert, present the maximum challenge for off-road motorists in a state park devoted to 4-wheeling trail blazers.
Yet all of this slippery stuff does not impede the steady forward progress of Toyota's mighty Land Cruiser.
Drawing from a full-time 4-wheel traction system and applying up to 230 hp from a new V8 engine, Toyota's big wagon bumps, buckles and claws its way to the top of the dunes, often revealing dramatic vertical articulation of each front wheel in an unusual independent suspension system which enables it to climb over rugged uneven terrain where most wagons dare not venture.
Experience in the Mud Hills and subsequent off-road tests traveling across this raw desert sinkhole easily demonstrate the improved agility and strength of Toyota's largest wagon, which in previous issues was already recognized around the world as one of the toughest and most capable of all 4-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicles.
With its high stance, torque-heavy engine and a 4x4 traction system capable of crossing the sands of a Kalahari Desert or mud mires of an outback Borneo swamp, Land Cruiser has always been able to carry you there and get you back.
Now, though, a new fifth generational design emerges with more power, more cabin space and more sophisticated components aboard, and a day's trip to Borrego's desert with pre-production prototypes confirms that this newest Land Cruiser rendition amounts to everything its revered predecessors have been -- and a whole lot more.
It's king of the hill, or, in this test, the Mud Hills.
But Land Cruiser in new format quickly proves on pavement it can also be a king of the road, bringing sure-stance street traction and a vast passenger compartment which accommodates seven riders on three tiers of seats.
Recent road and desert tests of the new Land Cruiser were conducted with the vehicle's chief engineer, Takeo Kondo, encouraging me to drive the wagon up the roughest rock piles imaginable.
And Kondo minced few words when describing program goals to build a better Land Cruiser.
"Our design concept was simple," he confided as we bumped across the desert. "We would develop the world's best sport-utility vehicle -- it would be the largest, heaviest, best-equipped, most technically advanced and most luxurious Land Cruiser ever, but also deliver the highest level of off-road performance in the industry."
The result becomes, in a word, awesome.
Its classy external design enables Land Cruiser to stand out in a crowd of cars, not just from the tall stance but a visual character which looks strong and muscular. With slick lines and softly rolled edges, the overall shape seems vaguely akin to the former, although specific changes streamline and modernize it.
A horizontal front grille outlined in chrome combines with corner headlamp clusters above a bold bumper with foglamps to establish Land Cruiser's face. The sloped and stepped hood rises to a flush-mount windshield raked more sharply now to control wind noise. On each side, door opening stretch wider for easier entry as bulging fenders accent wheels and a low ring of protective molding anchors the overall form to the earth.
Behind this facade, Land Cruiser contains many enhanced mechanical systems.
Organization begins on the previous steel boxed-section ladder frame, but the new version has three more cross members -- nine in all -- to reinforce it for flex rigidity.
In an unusual move for a sport-ute, Toyota adds a new independent front suspension system which uses upper and lower control arms and a big torsion bar spring. The torsion bar links to frame cross member via a floating arm designed to maintain fore and aft stability for the vehicle as it pares harshness and vibrations transferring from tires to lower arm to torsion bar to frame.
At the rear, a rigid axle suspension with rear control arm and shock absorber bushings was redesigned to improve overall ride comfort.
Steering upgrades to a more precise rack and pinion system with power assistance, and for brakes a big disc appears at each wheel in concert with new computerized anti-lock controls which work even in low range of 4-wheel-drive with center differential locked.
The ABS through wheel sensors can determine road conditions according to variations in acceleration and harshness of road surface. As roughness increases, the anti-lock application decreases. As the slope increases, ABS also decreases to avoid typical early activation.
All chassis, suspension and steering elements were built to be bullet-proof, according to Kondo, with components designed to absorb extended off-road abuse.
For power, Toyota turned to its elite Lexus line and borrowed the new V8 engine which appears in the Lexus flagship LS 400 sedan. Modifications increase displacement to 4.7 liters, with output of 230 hp.
For such a massive (4,834 lbs.) vehicle, you need a lot of muscle and torque to propel it without feeling sluggish, and this new plant does an excellent job. Land Cruiser leaps forward when commanded and at highway speed can still accelerate quickly for passing.
A 4-speed electronic automatic transmission controls Land Cruiser's power, with all torque channeled through the full-time 2-speed 4-wheel-drive system, which adds an optional locking differential. In lock mode, the system splits torque evenly front to rear, with rear wheels turning in unison and front wheels biasing torque to wheel traction.
The redesigned cabin measures wider and longer, permitting front bucket seat tracks to slide back and forth for two more inches and increasing rear legroom by almost three inches. It feels plush and luxurious, and multiple means to control noise and vibration result in a far more quiet and isolated compartment that's rare for a sport-ute.
Standard features include power adjustable front seats, power windows and door locks, heated exterior mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, and a 3-in-1 stereo with AM-FM/cassette/CD. Options are limited to a power moonroof, the locking differential, leather seating and a roof rack.
1998 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER WAGON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size sport-utility wagon |
| Model Options: |
Full-size sport-utility wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
112.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
192.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.7-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Full-time 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
14/16 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 45,950 |
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