This high-mileage Toyota Land Cruiser made me fall in love with old cars

Back at the beginning of August, I lent my Volvo EX30 to Head of Editorial Iain Reid while he continued the search for his new car, so I sent Features Producer Nick a message to see if I could commandeer something from the Carwow fleet.

Sure, he said. How about our 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser? It’s a bit of a radical departure from my small electric SUV, but of course I said yes.

This big green machine, which has affectionately been named Big Brenda thanks to the number plate, has a 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine under the bonnet, and more than 280,000 miles on the odometer. Having been spoiled for the past few years with shiny new cars, I was really curious to find out what it’d be like to live with something this well-used.

And it certainly hasn’t led an easy life since it’s been in Carwow’s care. You might recognise this car from a few off-road challenges with Mat Watson, where it’s been ragged around in the rough stuff to within an inch of its life. By comparison, my plans to simply daily drive it on the roads of Hampshire should be a walk in the park.

The day I picked it up from the London Office, Nick talked me through the car’s foibles. “The oil pressure gauge doesn’t work, so no need to panic about that, and if the ticking from the engine gets too loud then there’s some oil in the boot. Oh, and don’t use the taped-up key in the ignition.”

Not quite the briefing I’m used to, but I was excited to get cracking. I climbed aboard in a tiny London car park and immediately started yelling at the very 2010’s spec Sony aftermarket stereo. Pairing my phone to it was a bit of a faff. At least I only had to do that once – it connects flawlessly every time I get in now.

Maneuvering the Land Cruiser out of said car park was a bit of a challenge as well, because it has the turning circle of a small building and requires what feels like 20 full rotations of the steering wheel to go from lock to lock.

Since bringing the car home, I’ve covered the best part of 800 miles in it, taking in everything from long motorway stints to short urban bursts. What did I learn? I bloody love this thing.

I’ve always been a fan of old cars, but something with this many miles and wearing this many battle scars just has so much character. The ripped steering wheel, worn seats and dinged panels all tell a story of this car’s past, but everything is still holding together really well considering the mileage.

I also can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed driving a car. The seats are wide and soft, it feels planted on the road and you don’t get any beeping or bonging as you drive along. I just set the cruise control, sit back and chill out on the journey home. It’s a very comfortable car, despite the orchestra of rattles and squeaks from the interior.

However, one of the reasons I’m so relaxed is that I know I’m not financially responsible for anything which goes wrong, and this car hasn’t been without its problems. Mat Watson actually took this car to the off-road specialists at Arctic Trucks, who had to carry out about £4,000 worth of work to bring the Land Cruiser up to scratch.

It needed a starter motor, a new radiator and water pump to cure an overheating problem, some suspension bits and a full service. It’s quite a lot to spend on a car which we only paid £5,000 for. It’s still not perfect either, with an engine tick that we can’t quite get to the bottom of.

There’s another cost I had to stomach during my time with the car, and it’s the only reason I wanted to give it back. That would be fuel. Considering how hilariously slow this car is, that 4.7-litre V8 is not a light drinker.

I did an experiment to see how high I could make the MPG figure go during a 110-mile journey. This took in motorways, country roads and urban driving in equal measure, and I can’t remember the last time I drove a car this carefully, with the cruise control set at 60mph on the motorway. The result? Just over 19mpg.

And that is an absolute best-case scenario. Drive this thing like a normal person would at the speed limit and you’ll be lucky to crack 15mpg. Just for laughs I also measured the economy around town, where it averaged just 9mpg. I became a regular at my local fuel station, but at least I’ve managed to build up my Nectar points.

I don’t really care about any of this though, because I properly fell in love with this old car during my time with it. It’s such a breath of fresh air to drive something which just has the bare essentials for me – a bluetooth stereo, heated seats and cruise control. No endless beeping, just V8 noise, squidgy seats and endless charm.

Maybe I’ll cross paths with this old Toyota again at some point before we finally come to sell it on – it’s close to being my favourite car I’ve driven this year.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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