Land Cruiser or Land Rover – that is the question
By: Cheréne Pienaar
When going through the gazillions of 4×4 forum strings dealing with this debate, I realised that the question of Land Cruiser vs Land Rover will not soon reach a solid conclusion. Watching the equally brilliant YouTube videos of what both vehicles are capable of, its no wonder you get Land-Rover-ravers, Land-Cruisers-by-heart and those that are still sitting on the fence between two kings of the off-road.
Land Cruiser & Land Rover: river crossing adventures
I wasn’t surprised to learn that, unlike regular vehicles, 4x4s and other off-road vehicles are designed so as to get across water obstacles. What threw me completely was that Land Cruisers and Land Rovers could cross such deep rivers, even if it meant floating around for a bit, as illustrated below.
Watch this short YouTube clip and see how one crazy Aussie drives a Toyota Land Cruiser right into a river! The SUV floats like a boat, but will it actually reach the bank?
Have a look at these 4×4 river crossing tips if you want to attempt this stunt on you next 4×4 trip (and feel free to ad some more below if you think they’ve missed any).
You got to love the Aussies… South Africans, however, don’t have to stand back when it comes to off-road craziness. Watch as South African off-roaders take on the deep water in the Berg River Resort in Paarl, South Africa in a Land Rover.
Below is a concise and fair video review that attempts to put the Land Cruiser / Land Rover war to rest. In this clip, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70SW and the Land Rover Defender 11SW are compared, taking a close look at how they stack up against each other.
Known for his no nonsense, say-it-like-it-is-manner, presenter Andrew St. Pierre White, gives a break down:
“These two vehicles are similar in so many ways and yet other ways so very different.They are both superbly suited to rugged overland travel. What makes these two vehicles special in terms of being such superb off-road expedition vehicles is this: a live axle! That solid axle being on front and back means these vehicles are particularly tough.”
For a comparitive review on the vehicles’ fuel economy, reliability reputation, resale value and other aspects, check out this great post on 4xforum.
Tell us which side of the fence you’re on and prove why yours is the best 4×4 there is!