Toyota Land Cruiser 300: Which is better, petrol or diesel?

You get an entry level GX-R spec Toyota Land Cruiser 300, but we recently had both the top-of-the-range petrol and diesel versions of the LC300, in ZX and GR-S guise, on test.

So we thought: “What the heck, why not take them both to Gerotek, strap our Racelogic VBOX test equipment in and see what happens in a numbers battle between the siblings?”

And what better place to start the battle than at the hearts of these two beasts. All-new engines do duty under their bonnets. One a 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel and the other a 3.5-litre V6 turbo petrol.

The Golf GTI-killing 300 3.5 twin-turbo petrol in road friendly ZX trim pumps out a full 305 kW of power at a leisurely 5200 rpm and 650 Nm of torque from 2000 to 3600 rpm.

ALSO READ: 2.6-ton Toyota Land Cruiser 300 petrol outsprints Golf 6 GTI!

Obviously the Land Cruiser 300 3.3 twinturbo diesel can’t match the power number, coming in at 225 kW at 4000 rpm, but it trumps the petrol guzzler with 700 Nm of torque from an even lower 1600 rpm to 2600 rpm.

Land Cruiser vs Land Cruiser

It’s a bit of a no brainer that the Land Cruiser 300 3.5 ZX is the faster, with an unbelievable 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of just 6.80 seconds. It punches through from 60 to 140 km/h in a mere 8.90 seconds.

The Land Cruiser 300 3.3 GR-S is no slouch and gets to 100 km/h in only 8.07 seconds, and the 60-140 km/h overtaking benchmark in 11.73 seconds.

Top speed for both models are electronically limited to at 210 km/h. And both offer the same smooth shifting 10-speed automatic transmission with low-range and diff-lock functionality.

I don’t think I have to tell you, but the Land Cruiser 300 3.3 GR-S fights back by being more planet friendly with a CO2 rating of 238 g/km and a tested fuel consumption of 11.5-litres per 100 km.

ALSO READ: How to get a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S stuck in the mud

The faster fuel-loving Toyota LC300 3.5 ZX comes in at 291 g/km of CO2 as its emission number and consumed a somewhat higher 16.2-litres per 100 km of fuel.

So, it will cost you around R2 000 to fill the 80 and 30-litre tanks of your Land Cruiser 300 3.5 ZX, and you will be lucky to do 700 km of mixed type driving at this price. And I know for some these particular numbers will bring tears to your eyes.

But hey, if you are paying an instalment of around R36 000 before insurance for the next 72 months to own a new Land Cruiser 300, the cost of petrol is really not going to bother you as much as it would us mere mortals.

The 3.5 ZX is a city slicker with rear seat infotainment for the kids, and 20-inch alloy wheels that won’t like getting too dirty. The 3.3 GR-S does without the entertainment but offers off-road friendly 18-inch wheels and a bespoke E-KDSS driven suspension to boldly go where it can reinforce its Master of Africa title.

As you will see from the results, the Land Cruiser 300 VX 3.5T just takes our numbers battle. But owning a car like this will always come down to personal preference and the thinking man would probably differ in their choice and go for the LC 300 GR-S 3.3D.

I too would differ and opt for the LC300 not tested here, and that is petrol version of the performance off-roader, the GR-S 3.5T.

Scorecard (3.5T ZX vs 3.3D GR-S)

Engine Capacity: 3.5-litre – 1; 3.3-litre – 0
Engine Power: 305 kW – 1; 225 kW – 0
Engine Torque: 650 Nm – 0; 700 Nm – 1
Transmission: 10-Speed AT – 1; 10-Speed AT – 1
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 6.80 seconds – 1; 8.07 seconds – 0
Acceleration 60-140 km/h: 8.90 seconds – 1; 11.73 seconds – 0
Top Speed: 210 km/h – 1; 210 km/h – 1
Fuel Tank Size: 110 litres – 1; 110 litres – 1
Fuel Consumption: 16.2 L/100 km – 0; 11.5 L/100 km – 1
Range: 679 km – 0; 957 km – 1
CO2: 291 g/km – 0; 238 g/km – 1
Weight: 2 595 kg – 1; 2 620 kg – 0
Suspension: Multilink – 0; E-KDSS – 1
Rear Entertainment: Standard – 1; Optional – 0
Rear Luggage Door: Handsfree – 1; Power Only – 0
Approach Angle: 24.0 degrees – 0; 32.0 degrees -1
Departure Angle: 25.0 degrees – 1; 25.0 degrees – 1
Front Overhang: 93.5 mm – 1; 93.5 mm – 1
Rear Overhang: 1190 mm – 0; 1210 mm – 1
Ground Clearance: 235 mm – 1; 235 mm – 1
Warranty: 3-Year/100 000 km – 1; 3-Year/100 000 km – 1
Service Plan: 9-Year / 90 000 km – 1; 9-Year / 90 000 km – 1
Price: R1 797 100 – 1; R1 811 900 – 0

Final score: 3.5T ZX 16, 3.3D GR-S 15

For more information on the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, click here.