1997 Toyota Landcruiser 80 Series VX Amazon Turbo Diesel - Review, Walkaround and Test Drive!

“In this episode of the Luxury Car Report the perfect mixture of luxury and utility. Enjoy the winter special of the '97 #Toyota #Land #Cruiser!" Our tester for this episode is a raw beast, equipped with 4.2 liter inline six turbo #diesel engine. While 170 hp and 280 lb ft of torque for pulling 5000 pounds of car doesn’t make it a spectacularly fast car, it is hard to beat its off-road performance. And additionally to its own weight, you can hook up a whopping 7.700 pound trailer to this thing! That’s another Land Cruiser and a half. The Land Cruiser is Toyota’s longest running series and it dates all the way back to 1941. This particular vehicle series, the Land Cruiser J80, was built from 1990 to 1998 and came initially in 2 trim levels: an entry level model and the loaded VX. We’re testing the VX Amazon! So what would best define the Land Cruiser? Is it an off-road utility vehicle, or a luxury car? It really is both, or maybe neither. It has most of the luxuries on board one could dream of in 1997, so it is far from pure utilitarian. At the same time, it isn’t really refined either and those luxuries aren’t in the way of its off-road performance. "So the way this thing drives is… well first of all, it’s a huge diesel, so it feels sort of like a van or, more like a bus actually. And the steering is quite vague. It’s very mushy. If I steer like this, nothing really happens." *And* the Toyota Land Cruiser is huuuge, which makes it hard to maneuver in tight spots. "And now I have to turn this beast around, which is quite a challenge on itself. You hear this alarm? This is really a bus!" On the other hand, with a tank like this Land Cruiser, you can also just opt to go straight ahead wherever you go. “So how is more than 4 liters of diesel? Well I wouldn’t say its fast, but it doesn’t lack any power either.” The 4.2 diesel pulls the Land Cruiser from 0 – 60 in 12.7 seconds which isn’t spectacular, but we’d say is adequate for this kind of car. "Actually, the diesel engine is more powerful than I thought, because I forgot to release the hand brake." Apart from posing a bit of a challenge at the mall parking lot, the big size of the Land Cruiser translates to lots of utility. You can use the enormous space to move almost anything! And not just cargo… "Our 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser is a five plus two seater, expandable with two removable seats… that lock into place in the trunk." With all seats moved out of the way, the Land Cruiser provides a massive 90.9 cubic feet of cargo space, equaling 2574 liters. And look at the fancy hooks they’ve created to secure all the folded seats! The passenger area is less spacious than you’d expect from such a large car. Actually, being 6 foot 8, it was even a bit cramped for me. We had no complaints about the plush leather seats however. These feel right in place with a luxury SUV! The driver’s seat is equipped with more luxury that you’d expect from a workhorse like this. It has adjustable seats including an adjustable lumbar support. The steering wheel is also adjustable to match each individual, small or tall. In the rear you don’t have to fight over the armrest anymore, because there are 2! We were also impressed by the accuracy of the faux wood; the different pattern around the ash tray made it look sophisticated. Until you open it, that is. "This car is really a man’s dream, because: so many buttons!" The dashboard of the 1997 Land Cruiser is full of fancy gadgets like a 14-button automatic climate control, auto antenna, radio with cassette and CD player, a digital clock, the button for the diff lock, and this one also has an aftermarket DB radio built in. And look at these fancy sliding windows in the back! Our Land Cruiser also features an automatic moonroof. The rear door can be opened in two sections, which makes it easy to load long, flat cargo, or to relax a little. Another thing that can be opened in two sections is the front arm rest. This provides a lot of storage while keeping your stuff easy to reach. So... What is our conclusion? If you want a compact and economical car to get some groceries... Wait. Why would you want that? This car is the real deal, you’re going to get groceries with this car if you're throwing a party, a big party. This car is meant to be rough, in a comfortable fashion. “I hope you got a good impression about the '97 Land Cruiser. Don't forget to subscribe and check us out on Facebook!”

Added 14 Jun 2026