LC4 and LC5 autos dispense with the rear diff in favour of Toyota’s Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) which uses the ABS to control wheelspin when pulling away on slippery slopes.
Most have a locking rear diff to which the LC3 adds a centre diff. All have four-wheel drive and Downhill Assist Control (DAC). Trims range from short-lived LC2 to popular LC5. Suspension is independent at the front with a rigid rear axle. The J120 featured a tough ladder-frame chassis at a time when rivals were moving to monocoques. There’s also a 4.0 petrol V6 with 245bhp, but it was short-lived and does 20mpg next to the diesel’s 30mpg. The cheapest example we saw was a 2007/07 with 126,000 miles and partial service history for £6500. In 2006 the power of the D-4D was increased to 170bhp. Early examples fitted to the J120 dodged the copper injector seal problems that blighted later D-4Ds built between June 2004 and October 2007. The D-4D is the 3.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel with 161bhp. Our champ in this respect is a 2004 D-4D with 300,000 on the clock, asking price £3990.
Not so tough after all, then, except that you’ll encounter many Cruisers with well over 170,000 miles under their wheels.