Best of the best?

Is the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series the best overlanding and off-road touring vehicle? Mic van Zyl weighs in on the question.

-  Mic van Zyl

A reader recently asked me my thoughts on the Land Cruiser 79 double cab and specifically if I thought that it was the best overlanding vehicle compared to other similar vehicles. The answer to the question is, of course, not as simple as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Few could argue the ability of the 70 series Land Cruiser – or any Land Cruiser for that matter. An exceptionally tough vehicle with a tried and tested platform. It has evolved over the years to become the vehicle of choice for customers and fleets operating in the harshest of conditions on just about every continent. Applications include mining, military, aid, peacekeeping, farming, forestry – you name it, it can do it. This fact, in my opinion, is the reason that this vehicle hasn’t changed significantly for more than half a century.