IT is probably as old as the vehicles themselves, but there is a saying that if you want to go where no vehicle has gone before you use a Land Rover, but if you want to get back you use a Land Cruiser.

The two models share a similar 60 years history and reputation for ruggedness but their respective owners or drivers are divided over which is better.

Over the years the Land Rover has gone up market and evolved into the Range Rover while the Land Cruiser has stayed closer to its roots.

That is not to say the newest Land Cruiser is basic or lacking in any way. It is just that it does things differently to the Range Rover.

Today's Land Cruiser is available in three or five door, five and seven seat versions, from £31,230 to £60,600, so it's a simpler line up than its rival.

The imposing size of the Land Cruiser has been softened in the studio but it remains a big and very roomy vehicle with three or five door styles and five or seven seats and 260 to 1,300 litres of space.

Access is very good for passengers or when you have to load luggage, the doors and tailgate open wide, the apertures are huge and once inside the big seats are very supporting and comfortable, particularly when off-road.

Adjustment room is particularly generous and the high riding position means there is good visibility all round except when you are really close to something and the high tail and bonnet hide the last few feet from eyes.

Then you need the sensors but despite its size it can be very accurately placed in a parking spot or between field posts and trees.

Lights are bright, wipers very big and do a good job at clearing the front and rear windows and the climate control is very powerful with its own rear system.

The long wheelbase gives the Land Cruiser a smooth character over bumps which the long travel suspension soaks up without making the vehicle roll around on tighter turns. It stays planted on the road with encouraging responses but it's not as agile as a smaller vehicle such as its stablemate RAV4.

It has a multitude of secondary controls to master, particularly to maximise traction, but you gradually appreciate their uses and come to realise they really do a very good job of keeping the Land Cruiser going in some very tough off-road situations such as grassy slopes or muddy patches up to the sills. It also has a good wading depth.

The powertrain is bomb-proof. The big engine will take a lot of abuse and even at modest revolutions it pushes out a hefty punch, ideal for those challenging off-road conditions in which the Land Cruiser seems to excel.

Gearchanges are easy and quick, the ratios seem endless but there is something for anything you encounter, the throttle is responsive and the brakes are powerful, while the steering is well geared if a little vague at times.

The Land Cruiser's performance adds to the sense of journey rather than arrival, with fairly good acceleration where and when you need it which has to be carefully judged when overtaking. It will cruise all day, night and the following day at the motorway limit whether you are pulling a horse-box or a boat.

It is probably true that buyers of the Land Cruiser are particularly demanding, have a specific idea of what a serious off-roader should do, and expect it to do that job every day without fail.