Nissan Patrol Y63 vs. Toyota Land Cruiser 300: Which is the better luxury SUV?
The all-new Nissan Patrol has just been launched in the Philippines.
Unsurprisingly, people have begun comparing it to its arch-rival, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 which arrived in our market a few years ago. The two models have always gone head-to-head not only here, but also in the rest of the world where they are also available.
With that, we’ve compiled the different specifications of both SUVs for a little comparison to see which one would reign supreme, especially with these two models being the most popular in their segment.
Dimensions
Let’s start with their size. Both the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser 300 are full-size SUVs, and are both the largest on offer from either brand locally.
The Nissan Patrol has grown by a lot, exceeding the length of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 by 220mm. In fact, the former is longer than the latter’s larger sibling, the Toyota Sequoia, by 64mm. This will translate to more interior room, with the Nissan Patrol able to accommodate one additional occupant with a total capacity of eight people instead of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300’s seven.
| Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | |
| Wheelbase | 3,075mm | 2,850mm |
| Length | 5,350mm | 5,130mm |
| Width | 2,115mm | 1,980mm |
| Height | 1,945mm | 1,940mm |
| Ground Clearance | 244mm | 240mm |
| Seating Capacity (including driver) | 8 | 7 |
| Wheels | 20-inch two-tone alloy | 20-inch alloy |
| Tires | 275/60 R20 | 265/55 R20 |
Exterior and Interior
Both SUVs give off a strong presence on the road with their large and stately appearances.
Being all-new, the Nissan Patrol has been recently completely redesigned from the ground up. Meanwhile, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 still looks fresh even after two years on the market. That’s unsurprising as every generation of the iconic nameplate has aged very well.
Inside, both offer a premium cabin. The Nissan Patrol is visibly following industry trends with its large monolith display housing dual screens, while the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 stays true to its roots with separate screens, and a more traditional layout.
Standard exterior and interior stuff are as follows:
| EXTERIOR | Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 |
| Headlights | Automatic Full LED with Double-C Shaped DRL | Automatic Full LED with sequential turn signals |
| Taillights | Full LED with Light Bar | Split-Type Full LED with Sequential Turn Signals |
| Fog Lights | Front LED | Front LED and Rear Bulb-Type |
| Side Mirrors | Power-Adjust, Auto-Fold, Reverse-Linked with Memory Function | Power-Adjust, Auto-Fold, Reverse-Linked with Memory and Heating Function |
| Side Steps | With | With |
| Towing Hitch Receiver | With | With |
| Rear Spoiler | 20-inch two-tone alloy | 20-inch alloy |
| Sunroof | With (Panoramic) | With |
| Roof Rails | With | With |
| Roof | Optional Black Roof | Body-Colored |
| INTERIOR | Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 |
| Interior Color | Tan and Black, Black and Burgundy (by order), Black and Beige (by order) | Black, Black and Beige (optional) |
| Seat Material | Leather | Leather |
| Seat Adjustment | 10-way Power with Memory (Driver)10-way Power (Front Passenger) | 8-way Power with Memory (Driver)Six-way Power (Front Passenger) |
| Seat Heating and Ventilation | Driver and Front Passenger | Driver, Front Passenger, and 2nd Row Passengers |
| Steering Wheel | Power Tilt and Telescopic with Memory and Key Link | Power Tilt and Telescopic with Memory |
Tech and Convenience Features
Being flagship models, both the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser 300 are fully-equipped with the latest tech and convenience features.
Both get large screens, a premium audio system, multiple USB ports, among others. Spoiling its occupants with more entertainment is the Nissan Patrol thanks to the inclusion of dual rear screens, while the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 goes for a less distracting drive by equipping itself with a heads-up display.
Other features are on par with each other as you can see below:
| Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | |
| Instrument Cluster | 14.3-inch fully-digital | 12.3-inch fully-digital |
| Heads-Up Display (HUD) | – | With |
| Infotainment | 14.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto | 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto |
| Audio System | 12-speaker Klipsch premium sound system | 14-speaker JBL premium sound system |
| Rear Entertainment System | Dual 12.3-inch Screens with Miracast, HDMI, and USB connectivity | – |
| USB Ports | Type-C (6) | Type-A (1), Type-C (5) |
| Climate Control | Tri-Zone Automatic with Biometric Cooling and Ionizer | Quad-Zone Automatic with nanoe Air Purification |
| Inside Rear-View Mirror | Intelligent Rear-View Mirror with Auto-Dimming | Auto-Dimming |
| Wireless Phone Charger | With | With |
| Tailgate | Power Tailgate with Hands-Free Function | Power Tailgate with Hands-Free Function |
Powertrain
Unlike their predecessors, both the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser 300 no longer offer mighty V8 engines. Instead, both have gone with the smaller displacement twin-turbo V6 route for better efficiency.
As before, the Patrol gets a larger gasoline engine while the Land Cruiser 300 gets a slightly smaller turbodiesel engine. In terms of output, both offer similar numbers with the Nissan having more power, while both are at a tie in terms of torque.
Do note however that the Nissan Patrol’s engine will require fuel rated at 98 octane or higher which is not available in all fuel stations in the country.
| Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | |
| Engine | 3.5-liter VR35DDTT Twin Turbo V6 | 3.3-liter F33A-FTV Twin Turbo V6 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Diesel |
| Fuel Rating | 98RON | – |
| Power | 431 horsepower | 306 horsepower |
| Torque | 700 Nm | 700 Nm |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | 4×4 | 4×4 |
Safety
Regardless of which of these two you get, safety is uncompromised as both get a full suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), as well as several passive safety systems. The Nissan Patrol does however get the bonus of a semi-autonomous driving technology with ProPILOT Assist.
| Nissan Patrol (Y63) | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | |
| Semi-Autonomous Driving | Nissan ProPILOT Assist | – |
| Advanced Driver-Assist Systems (ADAS) | Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Assist, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Automatic High Beam, Driver Attention Alert | Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Automatic High Beam |
| Camera | 360-degree Camera with 3D, Invisible Hood, and Ultra Wide View | 360-degree Camera with Terrain-View |
| Parking Sensors | Front and Rear | Front and Rear |
| Airbags | 6 | 7 (Including Driver’s Knee Airbag) |
| Anti-Lock Braking System | With | With |
| Electronic Brakeforce Distribution | With | With |
| Stability Control | With | With |
| Traction Control | With | With |
| Hill Descent Control | With | With |
| Hill Start Assist | With | With |
| Emergency Stop Signal | With | With |
| ISOFIX | With (2nd and 3rd Row) | With (2nd Row) |
| Anti-Theft | Immobilizer and Alarm | Immobilizer and Alarm |
Pricing
The all-new Nissan Patrol’s prices start at Php 5,385,000 for those who will purchase it with a Granite Black exterior. Getting it in Everest White+Black Roof will command an additional Php 50,000, while getting it in Everest White or Gun Metallic+Black Roof will add an additional Php 20,000.
Meanwhile, for the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, prices start at Php 5,758,000 with an additional Php 15,000 for a Precious White Pearl exterior paint job.
This means that the base price of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 is Php 373,000 more than that of the Nissan Patrol. It may sound big but this is probably spare change for this segment’s market so it will all depend on preferences in the end.
Nissan Patrol Y63 or Toyota Land Cruiser 300?
Seeing all the specifications and features of these two behemoths and then choosing between them seems to be difficult. Both offer boatloads of stuff with each having their own unique features and some missing as well, balancing them out. At the end, it’s all a matter of preference.
Some buyers will prefer the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 as a status symbol, and for its turbodiesel powertrain and familiarity. Others will prefer the Nissan Patrol as it is newer, larger, and more affordable.
How about you, which do you think is the better option?
Photos by Sam Surla
