Land Cruiser 300 GR-S vs Land Cruiser 80 Series Comparison - Full Circle

What is a Land Cruiser, you ask? Simply put, it’s an automotive legend – arguably the greatest SUV ever made. Think of it as a cult classic that refuses to fade away. Coca-Cola, Ray-Ban Aviators, Levi’s jeans, McDonald’s Big Mac, Nike Air Jordans… you get the drift. These are timeless icons – always evolving without losing their essence. That’s precisely what the Land Cruiser is in the automotive world – as cool as cola, as dependable as denim, and as comfortable as your favourite pair of sneakers.

For over seven decades, the Land Cruiser has conquered every corner of the planet. And today, the latest LC300 stands as the ultimate do-it-all SUV – tough as nails and as luxurious as a five-star suite. What’s more, in the GR-S guise, it’s the most capable Land Cruiser ever. But here’s the million-dollar question – is the LC300 GR-S really the best Land Cruiser ever? To find out, we pitted it against a piece of history – an immaculate 80 Series from the 90s, widely regarded by purists as the GOAT.

Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S: The Ultimate SUV?

The LC300 not only proves that Land Cruisers are built to go where others dare not but also takes the game further with cutting-edge tech and serious muscle. Inside, you are greeted by a plush cabin – four-zone climate control, 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay / Android Auto, JBL audio system, and rear entertainment screens. The GR-S variant further spices things up with sporty black-and-red trim.

The LC300 GR-S’ overall appearance is… well, menacing. At nearly five metres long and two metres wide, it’s nothing short of a tank on wheels. The massive TOYOTA grille screams presence. Finished in either black or white (the only available colour options), it’s your local MLA’s wet dream. But don’t make the mistake of dismissing it as just a VIP shuttle – the GR-S has been engineered for serious off-road punishment.

With unpainted bumpers, chunky body cladding, and smaller 18-inch wheels (unlike the 20-inch wheels of the regular version), this SUV screams its intent. It packs every tool in the off-road handbook – centre, front, and rear diff locks, Multi-Terrain Select with modes for mud, sand, rock, and snow, and Crawl Control for tackling steep inclines. Its party trick, however, is the e-KDSS suspension, which can lock sway / anti-roll bars on the road for stability and disconnect them off-road for maximum articulation. Under the hood sits a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine, good for 304bhp and a colossal 700Nm, which sends power to all four wheels all the time through a 10-speed AT.

We tested the LC300 at Off-Road Adventure Zone (ORAZ), which has now become our go-to playground for all things off-roading. To put it simply, the LC300 was freaking unstoppable. A slushy incline? It glided up in 4WD High – no lockers needed. Cross-axle obstacle? With 4WD Low engaged, it walked out without breaking a sweat. Even in deep ruts, where its massive size made me nervous, it clawed through as if it were rolling on tarmac.

If anything, the LC300 almost makes off-roading feel too easy. The onboard cameras, advanced electronics, and that tidal wave of torque do so much of the heavy lifting that it’s like playing off-road in Easy Mode. Honestly, its ability to flatten any surface is simply otherworldly. With a combination of robust mechanical hardware and a raft of clever electronics, it feels virtually invincible.

Not to mention, the silky-smooth delivery of that 700Nm of torque from its diesel engine is incredible in all scenarios. Despite the fact that LC300 weighs almost as much as a small planet, it moves with surprising swiftness. What’s more, even its on-road performance is exemplary – strong acceleration, superb refinement, and impressive handling, especially for the kind of vehicle it is. And, oh, did I mention that everyone on the road moves out of your way because… well, who in their right mind would want to mess with a white Land Cruiser? In short, it is the quintessenial SUV. Big, bold, powerful, and hugely capable, no matter where you take it!

Toyota Land Cruiser 80 series: The GOAT:

You might expect that jumping into the 80 Series after the LC300 would feel like stepping back into the Stone Age, but that’s so not the case. Despite being 30 years old, the 80 Series actually feels half its age. And that’s hardly a surprise – after all, this was the Land Cruiser born in Toyota’s golden era of over-engineering.

Leather seats, a moonroof, cruise control, and power everything – it turned the Land Cruiser image from a utilitarian off-roader to a premium SUV back in the day. Interestingly, it has fewer buttons compared to the new LC300, and, of course, no touchscreens. Just a classic analogue setup with a tach and speedometer, with two big warning lights – turbo and timing belt – in the instrument cluster. Apparently, the latter was programmed to flash at 1,00,000km / 1,50,000km, indicating that it was time for a replacement.

The 80 Series was the first Land Cruiser to offer a blend of exemplary comfort and serious capabilities. It retained the solid front and rear axles of its predecessors but swapped leaf springs for coils for the first time in Land Cruiser history, making it more comfortable and even more capable. What’s more, it was the last Land Cruiser to feature solid axles – every Land Cruiser since then (except the 105 in some markets), including the current LC300, has featured independent suspension. The 80 was also the first Land Cruiser to feature permanent 4WD and a centre differential lock, along with optional front and rear diff locks. It also gets manual hub locks in the front wheels, and there’s 4High and 4Low, which can be operated using a lever next to the gear-shifter. In the 80 Series, the central differential is locked automatically when you put the vehicle in 4L. As for the engine options, they ranged from the indestructible 4.2-litre diesel units (NA and turbo) to the velvety smooth 4.5-litre petrol motor.

Now, the Series 80 you see here is a prized possession of our editor and big boss, Dhruv, and he was kind (or mad) enough to hand us the keys for an off-road test. I assured him that we won’t do anything silly and will go easy on it. ‘No need. Do whatever you want to – this thing is virtually indestructible!’ – came the reply. So, with all the permissions in place, we went mud slinging with it!

The 80 Series you see on these pages is the JDM-spec 1995 HDJ81 (RHD), powered by a 4.2-litre turbo-diesel (164bhp and 361Nm), mated to a manual gearbox. In terms of off-road equipment, it only had a central diff lock, as this one was not equipped with the front and rear diff locks. No driving modes, no cameras, no terrain select, and no electronic trickery – just raw mechanical muscle. Also, it was slightly modified, with Bilstein shocks all around, an OME steering damper, and a Borla exhaust (end-can) for extra growl.

On my way to the off-road park, I was really surprised by its drive quality on tarmac. Sure, it wasn’t as refined, quick, or comfortable as the LC300, but it felt far more modern than its age suggests. The ride quality was acceptable, the gearshifts were buttery-smooth, and the overall refinement was impressive. In short, everything felt on point. The only possible complain one could have, by modern standards, was the lack of grunt below 2,000rpm, thanks to some serious turbo-lag. But once you cross that mark, it picks up pace quite briskly.

At ORAZ, I put the 80 through the same obstacles as the LC300 – steep inclines, see-saw, articulation test, and cross-axle course. Now, where the LC300 smothers obstacles, the 80 makes you work, and also rewards you for it. Clutch in, slot first, line it up, feed in torque, and it crawls over rocks and ruts like a serpent demon. There’s no 360-degree camera or crawl control, just your judgment, your right foot, and Toyota’s impeccable engineering.

The main difference between the two lies in the degree of human involvement each demands. You see, in the LC300, you don’t have to bother about anything – everything is served to you on a platter. But in the 80 Series, you have to put in some work. Be it the throttle modulation, clutch engagement, or steering inputs, you need to be extra precise. Also, the steering in the 80 Series, despite featuring a damper, was a little vague, which meant that a lot of guesswork was required to understand the position of the front wheels. Not to mention, the kickback from the steering was quite intense. This one demanded a lot more muscle and focus. But, then, that’s exactly what makes every challenge an adventure. The 80 doesn’t cocoon you in luxury like the 300, instead, it forces you to bring your A-game. Put simply, the LC300 is tender like your mom whereas the 80 Series, much like your dad, is all about tough love.

Toyota Land Cruiser LC300 GR-S vs Land Cruiser 80 series - Verdict

First, a disclaimer – there’s no winner here. Why? Because both of these SUVs are virtually unattainable. At an on-road price of nearly ₹3 crore, the LC300 GR-S is a distant dream for most, while the 80 Series Land Cruiser is now a collector’s item – one that few owners would be willing to let go of. So, getting either for your off-road adventures is going to be as unrealistic as it can get.

Now, back to the million-dollar question – is the GR-S the best Land Cruiser ever? Well, damn right it is! You see, it brings the best of everything that you could ask for in an SUV – impeccable off-road capability, luxury interior, bulletproof reliability, modern gadgets, an iconic nameplate, and aesthetics to kill for. It is, undoubtedly, the most complete Land Cruiser of all time and perhaps, dare I say, the most complete SUV on sale in the world today.

As for the 80 Series, well, it was and is an icon – one that can still dwarf modern-day SUVs with its indestructible mechanicals and off-road prowess. You can still take it to the Arctic or the Himalayas and come back without any trouble. Even after three decades, it’s a machine that can still take you on overlanding expeditions into the unknown.

So, long story short, while the latest-gen GR-S is the most capable and most complete Land Cruiser ever, it’s the 80 Series that continues to represent the peak moment of the Land Cruiser legacy. That’s how I would like to sum up this encounter between two legends.