The Classic Off-Road SUV Comparison Test: Battle of the Jeep Alternatives
The Ford Bronco, Land Rover Series IIA, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, and International Harvester Scout duke it out off the beaten path.
Peel away the decades of evolution that have softened the modern SUV —independent suspension, leather-trimmed heated seats, rear-seat entertainment systems, power-adjustable pedals—and what do you have left? Heritage from the golden age of off-roading.
The term "sport utility vehicle" didn't exist back then. People were just realizing that vehicles designed for emergency crews and farmers also made for exciting off-road adventuring. The vehicles became so popular that sales increased by 700 percent between1961 and 1971, growing 31 percent every year in that period. SUVs soon replaced muscle cars as the hot niche.
These machines were simple and honest. Options were geared toward the working man: snowplows, winches, multiple body styles, a rear seat (if you wanted one). Solid-axle suspensions were the norm, and you could drive these things just about anywhere. Bodies were boxy because straight pieces of metal were easier and less expensive to produce, and you had to take a manual transmission. Interior amenities were nearly nonexistent. Roll-up windows, power steering, and armrests? Sorry, those were options.
In the 1960s and 1970s the Jeep CJ-5, the Toyota Land Cruiser (40 Series), the Land Rover Series II and IIA, the International Harvester Scout, and the Ford Bronco were the major players in the off-road universe. Time spent driving these old-world brutes, on- and off-road at the Land Rover Experience Driving School (just miles from the Pebble Beach Lodge on California's Monterey Peninsula), revealed the strategic differences in each company's build philosophies and how Toyota , Land Rover, International Harvester, and Ford planned to mow down Jeep, the original player in this field, and its military-born legend.
Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ40)
In the off-road community, no other Toyota is as popular as the 40 Series Land Cruiser—now a brand icon. The SUV is so beloved that production of the Brazilian model (called the Bandeirante) didn't end until 2001. The Land Cruiser was the core vehicle in Toyota's worldwide export strategy. Release the hardy workhorse overseas first to prove itself—then unleash the passenger cars. Toyota's dominance of today's automotive landscape proves this strategy worked.
It's a great-looking truck, too, with attractive flat surfaces and curved windows on the rear corners that offer a surprising amount of visibility. Toyota's excellent build quality is apparent, inside and out. The cabin is simple and makes you feel settled and ready to drive. The metal dash bears no contours—unless you count the rounded-trapezoid shape of the speedometer and gauge surround. Not sure about the shift pattern? Then glance at the glovebox, also trapezoidal, and a diagram is there to help you get it into low range. Knobs and gauges are labeled and self-explanatory, and everything is within reach. Bucket seats are at the front, and the back is set up with padded benches along the sides—you sit face to face in military-transport fashion.
The 40 launched with a 125-hp 3.9-liter inline-six, loosely patterned after General Motors' inline-six of the day. That was replaced by a 135-hp 4.2-liter six, which we sampled on this drive. Models initially came with a three-speed manual transmission, but four-speeds later replaced it. Our example, a near-stock 1983 model restored by Land Cruiser-specialist TLC (with mild suspension modifications, slightly oversize tires, and a transmission swap) is incredibly rare—it was the last year the model would exist in the United States. This is essentially the Land Cruiser that Toyota offered for a decade and a half, and its body style and interior amenities are near-identical to those of its 1970s kin. (The model cost $2,995 when it first went on sale in America. )
On paved surfaces, this Land Cruiser is a decent driver at low speed. There's enough power to keep it out of the way of traffic, and noise is tolerable, even at highway speed. Steering is numb and sloppy but acceptable, and the transmission shifts with ease. But even at 30 mph, the rear end shifts and shimmies, and the vehicle wanders. As power increases, so do the weaknesses. Steering becomes increasingly loose, with a narrow margin between under- and oversteer. It's like riding on a bar stool.
A stint off-road makes those faults inconsequential, however. Steering is spot on in the dirt and mud. The transmission is geared nicely for four-wheeling. The old Toyota's 4.84:1 first gear is just about all it takes to crawl over obstacles, especially when shifting into low range and locking the hubs. It's simple to maneuver the SUV's short wheelbase along narrow stretches as the trail cuts through dense forest, and the Land Cruiser traverses deep water and ruts with ease. Of the four models here, the Toy0ta is the most Jeep-like in form and in function.
Our Take
Then: "The Land Cruiser's name accurately states its design and purpose. After operating the Toyota, it's easy to conjure up an image of a cloud of dust several miles away in the arid Sahara desert, finally emerging as the Land Cruiser. "—David Carlton, MotorTrend , August 1975
Now: It's no surprise these 40 Series Land Cruisers are now so valuable. The model combines typical Toyota reliability, incredible off-road prowess, terrific looks, and easy modification. Too bad it's become almost too expensive to enjoy where it's most at home—off-road.
