Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2005 Land Rover LR3 VS 2005 Toyota Land Near Scottsdale, AZ

The LR3 has standard head airbag curtains which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and front passenger’s upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. Head airbags cost extra in the Land Cruiser.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the LR3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the LR3 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the LR3 and the Land Cruiser have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The LR3 comes with a full 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Land Cruiser’s 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty expires 1 year and 14,000 miles sooner.

The LR3 comes with free roadside assistance for 4 years 50,000 miles. Land Rover will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Toyota doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Land Cruiser.

The LR3’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Land Cruiser’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Land Rover pays for scheduled maintenance on the LR3 for 4 years and 50,000 miles. Land Rover will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Toyota doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Land Cruiser.

The camshafts in the LR3’s engine are driven by a hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs. The Land Cruiser’s camshafts are driven by a rubber belt which eventually needs to be replaced. If the Land Cruiser’s cam drive belt breaks the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The LR3’s 4.4 DOHC V8 produces 65 more horsepower (300 vs. 235) than the Land Cruiser’s 4.7 DOHC V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Land Rover LR3 is faster than the Toyota Land Cruiser:

The LR3 gets better fuel mileage than the Land Cruiser (14 city/18 hwy vs. 13 city/17 hwy).

For better stopping power the LR3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Land Cruiser:

The LR3 stops much shorter than the Land Cruiser:

The LR3 HSE’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) which provides a stiffer sidewall than the Land Cruiser’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the LR3 HSE has standard 19 inch wheels. The Land Cruiser’s largest wheels are only 18 inches.

The LR3 has a standard tire pressure monitoring system, which will alert the driver to a drop in tire pressure before damage to the tire or an accident might occur. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a low tire pressure warning system.

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover LR3 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota Land Cruiser has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The front and rear suspension of the LR3 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Land Cruiser, which uses torsion bars in front and coil springs in the rear. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The LR3 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The LR3’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability the LR3’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (37.6 vs. 39.7 feet).

Unibody construction makes the LR3’s chassis much stiffer, which contributes to better handling, and enables softer springs to be used for a better ride. Unibody construction’s stiffness also contributes to better durability and less body squeaks and rattles. The Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The LR3 has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 3.3 inches more rear headroom, 3.3 inches more rear legroom, 3.7 inches more third row headroom and 9 inches more third row legroom than the Land Cruiser.

The LR3’s cargo area provides more volume than the Land Cruiser.

The LR3 has standard second and third row seats which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly, without having to lift, carry or store heavy seats, like in the Land Cruiser.

When different drivers share the LR3, the optional memory seats make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the seat position. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer memory seats.

The LR3’s optional rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Land Cruiser’s intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The LR3 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the LR3 offers available cornering lights to illuminate around corners. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The LR3’s standard power mirror controls are mounted on the door for easy access. The Land Cruiser’s standard power mirror controls are on the dash, hidden behind the steering wheel, where they are awkward to manipulate.

The LR3’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

With optional voice command, the LR3 offers the driver hands free control of the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a voice control system.