Toyota LandCruiser 78 Series

Okay, now that may be a slight exaggeration - slight, I said - but the Troop Carrier turbo-diesel we tested here is as rough and ready for action as any tow vehicle we've ever driven. For those who like to treat their cars rough, the 78 Series LandCruiser is built tough enough to withstand anything short of a nuclear attack.

We reckon it's got a better than even chance there, too...

Up front is a big bore, cast iron 4.2-litre, six-cylinder turbo-diesel. Towing performance is massive - 380Nm from 1600-2800rpm in any of five gears will straighten Pisa's leaning tower, and should have no trouble hauling a maximum 3500kg braked trailer.

The 'Cruiser is rear-wheel drive until you lock the hubs and throw the second gear lever into four-high for high range four-wheel-drive, or four-low for extremely slippery or heavy conditions. Knobbly 16in Dunlop Road Grippers are biased towards dirt and sand driving, but work equally well on bitumen.

No one's ever going to confuse the turbo diesel 78 with a sportscar. If the massive 2.1m tall body doesn't give it away, the tdi's blistering acceleration, best measured with an hourglass, probably will.

First gear really isn't needed in everyday driving, the diesel's mountainous torque allowing you to start off in second every time. In fact, so flexible is this powertrain you can happily skip third as well.

Toyota tells us the steering is power assisted, but guiding the 'Cruiser around town is still a pretty good bicep workout, especially parallel parking which can take four revolutions lock to lock.

The cavernous wagon area with hose-down vinyl interior will easily swallow a boatload of equipment, and unless you're stuffing a couple of tonnes of trash in the back, will have little effect on the engine's overall performance.

One area you'll love is the fuel consumption. We only managed to rack up 500km in our week with the LandCruiser, which sipped less than half a tank of diesel. We've heard reports of a 78 series almost managing a return Melbourne-Sydney trip without refilling its two 90lt tanks. That's better than 10lt/100km for a turbocharged vehicle weighing more than two tonnes.

Luxuries be damned, in a moment of weakness Toyota's techies allowed an am/fm stereo into the cabin, but after that she's barer than Mrs Hubbard's cupboard.

An adjustable driver's seat and steering wheel is pretty much it in a very spartan cabin. The windows are of the old wind-your-own variety, which makes life a bit easier than trying to adjust the external mirrors through the glass.

The basic model comes with seats for three across the bench, though you can get a second bench put in behind. Either that or two benches running down each side, making room for 11 - hence the name Troop Carrier.

Some may baulk at the price, looking forlornly into the cabin and trying hard to find $56,000 worth of equipment. Try looking at the 'Cruiser under the bonnet, at the suspension and the chassis and you'll find the value in a flash. Then hook it up to your big boat and you'll applaud the day you decided in favour of brute force and bulletproof towing ability, and against carpeted interiors and cruise control.