RV FEATURE
The way that the Land Cruiser is able to get up to speed on the highway , and overtake if necessary , is impressive . It just belts out a large slab of torque from the engine room and the net result is a surge of acceleration some cars would struggle to do unladen , never mind with a 2800kg van behind .
Sitting on 100km / h in eighth gear , with the tacho showing 1800rpm , appeared to be the sweet spot for the Cruiser on this test . It would shift up to ninth or tenth gear when cruising downhill , but seemed happiest on level ground in eighth gear .
Hill climbs presented no issue for the Land Cruiser , simply belting up the incline at the posted speed , even if a kickdown to third of fourth was required to maintain speed on steeper inclines .
The new 300 Series might be a little lighter than its predecessor , but it feels just as solid on the road .
The Land Cruiser also provided decent engine braking on descents , with only a dab on the brakes here and there to hold speed back . As with most modern autos , the 10-speed transmission will drop down a gear or two when it senses you are trying to hold speed on a descent . However , when towing , manual gear selection ( of a lower gear than the transmission will automatically select ) is still needed . Nothing unusual there .
Ride quality is very similar to the outgoing 200 Series : a little too firm on sharp bumps or ripples at low speeds , and a bit soft at the front on the highway , but generally it ’ s contained and comfortable .
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