So we wanted a car that could handle 3 kids, a dog and my wife and I. The car had to have a 3rd back seat so we could carpool kids and their friends to school and activities. The landcruiser fits the bill.

Wonderfully elegant interior, great handling, room for 7 people and can deal with any weather you throw at it (and I mean any weather). We live in the new england area and get upwards of 3-4 feet of snow at a time and this car handles amazingly well in snow/ice - better than my audi - for that matter.

On the topic of interior finish, this car, while an suv, has an interior on a par with most luxury sedans. The leather seats are really stunning and the controls and dashboard are very nicely appointed.

as for reliability - we have had this car for 6 years now and have had very few problems. The air conditioner needed to be fixed this spring but other than that we've had no problems at all. I've read that these cars really do last for upwards of 125k miles.

While built as an suv and certainly not small, the Landcruiser handles like a much smaller 4 door luxury sedan. The ride is very smooth. The steering quite responsive and the pick-up is impressive. Overall it is a very enjoyable car to drive especially on long trips.

As for cons - the price tag is certainly steep. I think you can pick up a used 2000 landcruiser for say $20k and at that price I think you will be happy with the purchase. The other downside is the gas mileage - avg. 15 mpg.

overall, our family loves this car and we look forward to many more years of reliable usage.