1997 Toyota Land Cruiser

Think of Toyota's full-size Land Cruiser sport/utility vehicle as a prize fighter in a tuxedo.

This rock-solid sport/ute easily can tackle some of the world's roughest terrain, but also can comfortably transport two formally dressed couples to the theater.

Toyota began selling the $41,188 Land Cruiser in the United States in 1957, which makes it the single longest-selling nameplate in the Toyota lineup here. In fact, the Land Cruiser I tested had the $5,549 40th anniversary option, which has items such as leather seats and anniversary badging.

The anniversary option also includes automatic climate control. That item only has been offered for the $48,700 Lexus LX 450, which is just a dressed-up Land Cruiser with things such as a different grille, softer suspension and more equipment.

The Land Cruiser is sold in more than 180 countries, but the U.S. market is its largest. About 12,000 Land Cruisers are sold here annually, with more than 210,000 bought in this country since its debut.

Toyota says few Land Cruisers are subjected to rigorous off-road driving, but that's the case with most sport/utes in this country. It's a different story overseas, where British expeditionary personnel have used Land Cruisers, instead of England's legendary Land Rover, in areas such as swamps and jungles.

Toyota said the Land Cruiser typically costs about $47,000 because buyers order options such as the $4,280 leather trim package and $1,185 sunroof. But Land Cruiser purchasers can afford the vehicle; their annual median income tops $150,000. They are relatively young, with an average age of 43.

Neither the LX 450 nor Land Cruiser has a luxury-car ride because the Land Cruiser has rigid front and rear axles for the best off-road performance. There isn't even a car-like independent front suspension.

Still, coil springs at each corner and front and rear anti-sway bars help provide surprisingly good ride and handling for such a big, tall vehicle.

The power steering is direct and precise. The Land Cruiser's massive anti-lock brakes stop it quickly, although the brake pedal feels mushy.

There's regular seating for five tall adults. A two-passenger third seat that lets the Land Cruiser seat seven is offered for $1,515. It awkwardly splits in two and folds up against the sides of the interior if you want it out of the way. And it is suited only for small adults or children. There's virtually no cargo room with it in place.

Above-average effort is needed to get in and out of the tall Land Cruiser's regular seats. Making matters worse are small rear door openings. The narrow running boards can get in the way when exiting.

Still, the quiet, reasonably plush interior has a nicely designed dashboard with soft-touch controls and enough head room to have accommodated Abraham Lincoln's tallest hat.

But the flip-down tailgate can make it difficult to reach items without crawling inside the cargo area, which is spacious without the third seat installed.

A permanently engaged four-wheel-drive system is standard and easily helps move the Land Cruiser along the worst roads. Optional are locking front, center and rear differentials, which make the vehicle virtually unstoppable in any terrain.

If you can live without the Lexus nameplate, the Land Cruiser is a better vehicle than the LX 450 because its stiffer suspension provides better handling--with little loss in ride comfort. It has a lot of standard equipment and is offered with a fair number of options.

Powering the Land Cruiser is a 4.5-liter, 212-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine, which feels larger than it is because of items such as dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.

Although suited for slogging through frame-deep mud, the six is remarkably smooth for regular driving and works with an efficient four-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is fairly lively until the Land Cruiser reaches highway speeds, where its boxy shape stifles performance because it must fight the wind too much.

The Land Cruiser weighs a hefty 4,834 pounds, so fuel economy is only an estimated 13 m.p.g. in the city and 15 on highways. Considering that economy, a larger fuel tank would be welcome to provide a longer cruising range. There are few jungles to tackle in the United States, but the Land Cruiser is fairly nimble in town and is a wonderful highway cruiser.