Toyota LandCruiser Sahara ZX 2022 Review

Jul 29, 2023

Toyota LandCruiser Sahara ZX 2022 Review

The new Toyota LandCruiser may be king off the road, but is the 300 range-topper Series king on the road? 👉 Full Review: https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial…

The new-generation 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has been a sell-out success since it arrived Down Under in late 2021, continuing all of the off-road and towing capabilities that have made it the full-size hard-core SUV to beat for many decades.

But the all-new LandCruiser range has diversified, bringing a sportier new GR Sport and more luxurious Sahara ZX variants at the top of the line-up, pushing prices close to $140,000 – before on-road costs.

At that price, the road-focussed 2022 LandCruiser Sahara ZX competes with a big range of large luxury SUVs, so how does it stack up for buyers more interested in cruising to an inner-city five-star restaurant than an outback campsite?

Fast Forward
00:00 Intro
00:26 Pricing and specs
01:44 Interior review
02:50 Infotainment \u0026 safety
03:48 Passenger space
04:19 Luggage space
04:50 On the road
07:19 Service and warranty
07:28 Verdict

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Content

0.139 -> - The Toyota Land Cruiser has always been an off-road warrior. But hey, most of us spend

7.12 -> most of our time on bitumen, something the blinged up new 300 series Toyota

13.12 -> Land Cruiser Sahara ZX recognizes, but is it an on-road warrior? Let's find out.

25.44 -> The Land Cruiser wagon is a legend in Australia and the new 300 series is literally

30.56 -> a sellout success. The Sahara ZX is a pricey new luxury model that has in-house rival Lexus,

37.52 -> and even Range Rovers, in its sights, rather than traditional rival the Nissan Patrol. This big

44.72 -> bluff overall shape is familiar but this Sahara ZX sacrifices approach angle with this big front

50.64 -> bumper, there are bulkier sidesteps and 20 inch alloy wheels with the lowest profile rubber fitted

57.36 -> to any Cruiser. One of the key features of the 300 series is this new 3.3 litter twin turbocharged

66.64 -> diesel V6 engine. It replaces the much loved V8 in the 200 series,

72.4 -> but power and torque are both up and claimed fuel consumption is down. This is a hot V design which

78.56 -> means the turbo sits between the cylinders with shorter plumbing to reduce turbo lag. The Sahara

85.2 -> ZX also joins the other 300s in having a 10 speed automatic transmission. Overkill? Maybe. But the

93.12 -> point is to keep the engine in the sweet spot at all times for response and economy. The auto works

98.64 -> with a permanent all-wheel drive system that includes low range for serious off-road work.

107.76 -> There's no doubt you're in a luxury vehicle when you step up and into the Sahara ZX.

113.12 -> Leather abounds. But there's also what Toyota calls carbon look trim that actually looks a lot

119.36 -> like wood grain. Getting comfortable behind the steering wheel of the Sahara ZX is no

124.64 -> challenge. As it's fully power adjustable. The seat is powered including lumbar. It's

130.56 -> also heated and ventilated and has three memory positions. There's so much space in the Sahara ZX

137.44 -> and so many places to put things. There's even a cool box between the front seats for your drinks,

143.44 -> but the door bins are narrow. We'd prefer them to be wider. The Sahara ZX gets a new 12.3 inch color

150.96 -> touch screen. It's a big improvement on what was there before. However, there is a lot of

155.6 -> functionality and information here, and it takes a while to figure out how to make it all operate.

161.04 -> Another part of the center stack redesign is moving the key driver controls closer at hand.

166.8 -> They're easier to reach. That's a big ergonomic improvement. Thankfully, both Apple CarPlay and

173.04 -> Android Auto are standard fit and those are gonna be the choices a lot of people plug into,

178.24 -> rather than try and master Toyota's phone and navigation system. The Sahara ZX sticks with

184.08 -> an analog cluster rather than going digital, which seems a bit 20th century at this money.

190.64 -> However, there is a big digital display between the two dials, which includes a large

197.12 -> and clearly legible speedo. At more than five meters long and nearly two meters wide, the

202.96 -> Land Cruiser Sahara ZX is a big vehicle to wield in tight spaces, so the reversing and 360 degree

210.32 -> cameras with guidelines come in handy, as do front and rear parking sensors. The Sahara ZX comes with

217.12 -> the expected driver assist systems, including one of the most intrusive lane keep assist systems

222.96 -> I've ever encountered. Thankfully, it can be easily turned off. To be honest, considering

229.52 -> how big and long the Land Cruiser Sahara ZX is, I'm surprised the second row seating is not more

236 -> spacious. Hey, part of it is this video and its mount, which really get in your face, but there's

240.96 -> also the seat base. It doesn't slide, which means you just can't create more space for yourself.

246.96 -> Of course, the upside of those screens is they are part of a pretty comprehensive package of

251.28 -> features to look after rear seat passengers. Check out the aircon, the seat heating and ventilation

257.44 -> and the USB points. The boot is huge, but perhaps surprisingly, there's no third row

264 -> seating back here. If you want that, you're gonna have to opt for one of the cheaper

267.52 -> models in the Land Cruiser lineup. Naturally, the tailgate is powered, but once you open it

272.88 -> up there's not a lot of features or cleverness here, just acres and acres and acres of space.

279.6 -> So there's a lot to take in here. Now let's see how this sizeable package drives.

294.64 -> By the time you get the Sahara ZX out on the road, it's a $150,000 proposition.

303.68 -> So just as well, you feel like king of the road sitting all the way up here. Apart from a less

310.24 -> impressive note, the engine lacks nothing for the drop in cylinders and capacity. It's strong right

316.16 -> through the range and well matched with the almost entirely surreptitious 10 speed. It's in the ride

322.32 -> and handling where the Sahara ZX gets really interesting. Fitted with driver tunable adaptive

328.64 -> suspension, it displays multiple character traits. In comfort, it's blowsy, roly poly, and pretty

336.4 -> adjacent in its steering, sort of normal Cruiser then. But dial it up to normal or sports and the

342.16 -> Sahara ZX tightens up and starts paying attention in a way no Cruiser has before.

348.4 -> Hey, this is not a light, nimble sports car, it's a 2.6 ton high riding wagon,

356.08 -> but it is nicely dialed in for what it is on these winding bitumen roads.

364 -> It's more enjoyable to drive here than it is in congested built up city areas and especially car

371.36 -> parks. On gravel, it feels right at home as well. There's a solid certainty to the way it behaves.

379.12 -> No, we didn't seriously off-road the Sahara ZX. It's just not its primary role, nor did we tow.

386.32 -> So all that helped fuel economy, which across a couple of weeks of varied driving came out at

391.28 -> 10.4 liters per 100 kilometers on average. That's not bad really. If you wanna try some

398.08 -> of the wilder off-road stuff then the Land Cruiser Sahara ZX can have a crack. It comes with MTS or

405.2 -> Multi Terrain Select which allows the driver to choose from various different off-road modes,

411.12 -> including gravel and snow. And then there's towing capacity. The Cruiser's always been up there and

418.08 -> the 300 series is no different, claiming 3,500 kilograms of braked towing capacity.

427.36 -> All up the Land Cruiser Sahara ZX is a bit of a surprise to drive. It's better than you might

432.48 -> expect although it's still obviously big, heavy, and in need of plenty of real estate to maneuver

437.6 -> in. Toyota offers comprehensive backup for the 300 series Land Cruiser. The cap price service

443.28 -> plan is the most affordable thing about the whole package. Summing it up, there's no doubt the new

448.72 -> Sahara ZX takes the Land Cruiser to a more refined and luxurious place than it's ever been before.

455.44 -> That's come at the cost of some off-road ability but the compensation is a better on-road drive.

462 -> And on-road, be it bitumen or gravel, is where the Sahara ZX really does its best work.

469.36 -> It's just an ugly thought to take a $150,000 luxury vehicle like this bush bashing. Hey,

477.52 -> there are plenty of other Toyotas for that job and most of them are cheaper as well.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfyKyorSUM8