2017 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Altitude new car review

Off-road heavy hitter gets a limited edition offering.

Why we're driving it

Toyota is offering a special edition of the LandCruiser 200 Series off-roader carrying the Altitude badge. It's based on the GXL diesel model and adds more equipment for an extra $4630, which bumps the price up to $93,460 (plus on-road costs).

What we like

2017 Toyota LandCruiser Altitude special edition.

The extras include new LED fog lights, rain sensing wipers, a 4.2-inch information display on the dash, leather-accented upholstery, power adjustable front seats and a refrigerated cool box between the front seats.

The 200 Series is a serious an off-road vehicle, one that is incredibly capable, and its popularity makes it an ideal choice for a big outback adventure.

Despite its huge size, the 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel offers up more than enough performance to motivate it.

The cabin is spacious and has plenty of storage spaces.

What we dislike

It's questionable if the extra equipment really adds to the value equation of the GXL. The cool box is a handy addition and the leather trim adds something to the presentation, but the rest don't make a dramatic difference.

The extra pair of seats in the rear fold up to the side, rather than under the floor, so boot space is compromised.

The lack of height adjustment on the steering makes finding the ideal driving position impossible. Thanks to that, and the high-mounted seat, I had to drive with the wheel basically sitting in my lap.

While the LandCruiser is at home in the outback, driving it around the city and suburbs takes some getting used to. It is both extremely tall and wide so you need to take extra car in car parks and other tight spots. Being so large it lacks manoeuvreability in such situations.

Would I buy one

If I planned on spending more of my time out of the city then the LandCruiser 200 Series is well worth considering. Few four-wheel drives offer this much capability.

But if you're just looking for something to drive during the week and the occasional camping trip there are other, smaller more refined options to look at.

Ultimately the Altitude doesn't offer enough extras to make it a compelling case.