Toyota LC200 test drive

Matt Donnelly already met with the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in early 2015. Almost a year and a half later, they saw each other again - during this time, the "two hundred" managed to survive a facelift

Externally, the Land Cruiser 200, which I tested in Moscow, is simply incredibly similar to the one that my friends from RBC gave me in 2015. But if you look closely, it turns out that Toyota has done a very cool facelift. Not at all like these aging ladies who suddenly began to worry about gravity, as they crossed the threshold of the third decade, and began to panic invest their fortunes in serious changes in appearance: turned out lips, noses like Michael Jackson, spineless foreheads, incredible hair, and inflatable chest.

The Land Cruiser is over 60 years old and, unlike the women, it looks like all the new parts fit perfectly with the rest of the body. Toyota achieved what every plastic surgeon promises to its conceited patient: after the operation, the LC200 began to look younger than before. There is no doubt that this is a Land Cruiser, just a little more athletic, intelligent, with less wide eyes and two very impressive bumps on the hood.

The last thing I drove that matched the LC200 in size was the UAZ Patriot. They are similar in size, both seat the driver and passengers above the rest of the traffic, have an engine in the front and wheels at each corner. Well, yes, from all other points of view, they are completely different.

The most obvious difference between the two is the build quality. I think even the most patriotic UAZ drivers admit that the Land Cruiser has gone years ahead by this indicator. I am ready to bet that even the world's biggest sumo wrestler cannot take away from this Toyota what should not be removed according to the original project.

The rest of the differences are not so obvious. The UAZ is not the most comfortable car to drive on asphalt, but it is just incredibly fun to drive off-road. It is a complex interactive vehicle that requires great concentration and courage from its driver. It seems that this car only dreams of being in the mud and conquering uncharted lands.

In terms of driving performance, the LC200 hasn't changed much since the update - it's still pretty emotionless. On the road, the SUV feels like a midsize sedan. It is worth driving for a couple of minutes - and you can forget about its size and power. Even off-road, emotions wake up only at the moment when he storms absolutely incredible corners.

The Land Cruiser is simply a phenomenal SUV, able to go wherever its driver wants, who is in his right mind and decides to check what he paid money for. In addition, the LC200 will go exactly where you direct it, without any grudges and very rarely come close to working to the brink of its capabilities. And it's a little boring.

But not too monotonous: after all, the SUV we drove is a premium car. It has a lot of creamy leather and the carpets are better than I could afford for my house. The seats are so comfortable here, and the isolation from the outside world is so strong that the image of a huge, heavy brick, designed to pretend to be a small sedan, is completely formed. And it's very dangerous. I am sure that somewhere deep in the software code of this car there is some kind of secret cipher that can make the car, along with drivers and passengers, get stuck in the narrow streets of the city. The LC200 is filled with all sorts of gadgets and cunning systems that interfere with the operation of the gas pedal, gear selection and squeeze this leviathan through spaces without the slightest opportunity to turn around or dodge the car that might be moving towards it.

The level of acceleration and the Land Cruiser's ability to drive very smoothly at high speeds is practically a sensation. Other road users see the 200 and think that due to its size and lack of aerodynamics, it must go slowly. This, for example, explains the horror-filled eyes of other drivers when you appear out of nowhere in the LCXNUMX and rush past.

I have said before that this car can easily and pleasantly take a reasonable owner wherever he or she wants. After thinking, I came to the conclusion: I'm not sure that "reasonable people" are the target audience of these Toyotas in Moscow. In general, the key markets for Land Cruiser are those countries where there is a war, a natural disaster has passed, markets where you need big cars for big security guards. For example, Australia. That is, a place where parking is not a problem, and you need to travel at a decent speed for long distances on roads that are far from perfect. Call me cynical, but the lack of caring about parking and long driving at high speed does not sound like our national capital, although the characteristics of the roads are quite the same.

For Moscow, with its new regime of narrow roads and limited parking spaces, it is simply impossible to understand how a rational person could decide to buy an LC200. Favorite City Hall drivers - those who have achieved the opportunity to hang a sticker "disabled" on the car, will experience serious difficulties with the Land Cruiser. It is too tall and clearly not made for those with climbing problems. Well, for those of us who do not have the legal right to a few free seats, the car is too big. Even though he has a huge set of great cameras showing the whole world around him. All this is displayed with slightly distorted, but quite understandable graphics on the central screen.

Previous generations of Land Cruisers were well known for their poor brakes. Proper deceleration planning was one of the most entertaining aspects of driving this car. The sensation of a three-ton SUV stopping in close proximity to pedestrians, obstacles and cars provided an unrealistic adrenaline rush. Toyota has obviously heard the groans of its delighted and loyal customers: the new version is incredibly responsive to the brake pedal. It seems that the slightest hint that the driver's foot moves towards this pedal makes the colossus suddenly and abruptly stop.

I mentioned that Australia remains an important market for this model and the brakes may have been tweaked for two reasons: to make the Land Cruiser less dangerous and to remind Australians of their national animal. My only advice to a potential LC200 buyer is not to take coffee or cynical wives and kids on your first trips with this car. At least until you learn how to smoothly handle the brakes. Otherwise, it will be difficult to drive up steeply, especially if you have not injected yourself with Botox and have never ridden a kangaroo.

In case I haven't made myself clear by now, the Land Cruiser 200 is huge. Our model did not have a third row of seats. Too bad, because it was supposed to be the best third row in the world. But our SUV had such a trunk volume that operations could be carried out in it. The audio system was terrible mainly due to the fact that the huge amount of soft fabric was incapable of absorbing bass and high frequencies, and the distance between the speakers was huge. Also, the LC200 didn't have the cool new eight-speed automatic transmission. In fairness, and the six-speed was very good. As for the terrible audio, this can be explained by the bias towards Australia. I love Australians, but mostly those who can sing live in London.

This Land Cruiser had a delightful refrigerated box and excellent climate control - obvious advantages of a car that was created for countries with deserts. It also had an entertainment system with the largest touchscreen display I've ever seen. Alas, the control system was not friendly enough, and the car's audio performance greatly reduced its suitability as a movie theater.

So, it's big, safe, incredibly comfortable and fast, and it's also beautiful - a great mix of aggression and family forms. It's pretty boring to drive (mostly due to its incredible self-driving ability and sheer power reserve). The interior decoration is thoughtful, but boring. I'm sure people who already own a Land Cruiser and a parking space, or those in need of serious protection, will want to buy this car, but I don't see customers who already own a leaner European SUV interested in it. Obviously, if you live in Siberia and own an oil well - this is a great choice, for Moscow - a great car, but not the right city.

We express our gratitude to the family sports and educational cluster "Olympic Village Novogorsk" for help in filming.