By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 30, 2024) Having first launched back in 1951 as the Toyota Jeep BJ and by 1955 changing the name to "Land Cruiser" to avoid trademark legalities with the Willys' Jeep moniker and better compete with the British Land Rover, the moniker has motored on for more than 70 years. Over that time Toyota has sold more than 10 million Land Cruisers globally on its unstoppable off-road beastly reputation of legendary go anywhere e.g. (Sahara desert, Amazon jungle, Arctic tundra, war zones) toughness, capability and reliability.

Serving as Toyota's flagship brand in the United States for decades, mostly as a near $100,000 luxury country club mainstay, Land Cruiser was discontinued in 2021 only to return for 2024 completely changed. This "new" Land Cruiser is in fact the Land Cruiser Prado that has been sold in the rest of the world since its introduction dating back to 1990 with a platform from the smaller Toyota 4Runner.

Toyota has positioned the Land Cruiser to occupy the space between the slightly smaller 4Runner and larger Sequoia and no longer is considered the flagship brand. It's definitely targeted to compete with vehicles like the Ford Bronco, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Land Rover Defender.




Land Cruiser 1958 trim (top), and Land Cruiser trim (below)

The new Land Cruiser is notably smaller, less expensive with a definite retro-heritage styling that evokes hints from the 1950s including round headlights on the base trim, large block "Toyota" name on the grille all the now departed FJ Cruiser, and even base trim name, 1958 acknowledging the year Land Cruiser was launched for sale in the US.

The new Land Cruiser was launched this past spring with three trim levels, base 1958 ($55,950) , Land Cruiser ($61,950) and Land Cruiser First Edition ($74,950) limited to 5,000 units and all have been sold. Add $1,450 to those prices for shipping and handling charges.

Both Land Cruiser models are powered by a 326-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine with power to all full-time four-wheel drive wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Also standard is electronically controlled locking rear and center differentials which direct power directly to wheels that have grip rather than spinning an articulated wheel that is not longer in contact with the ground.

A word on fuel economy. Toyota wants you to fuel the Land Cruiser with premium which in our area is about sixty-five cents per gallon above regular unleaded. The EPA rates it at 22/25/23 mpg city/highway/combined yet even though its a "hybrid" we struggled to reach 20 mpg during our testing time. Just expect that satisfying the vehicle's insatiable thirst is gonna cost.

I previously tested and reviewed the new Land Cruiser 1958 edition, for this review I test-drove the Land Cruiser in Arizona. Our test Land Cruiser included extra cost optional equipment such as 20-inch alloy wheels, a large roof rack, premium Heritage blue exterior body color with a white roof. MSRP for this vehicle was $71,364.



Most notable is the Land Cruiser's eye-catching neo retro-styling that is nothing short of exceptional. During my weeklong testing, the vehicle turned heads everywhere and not shortage of "thumbs up" acknowledgements from other drivers and pedestrians.

Inside, the vehicle seats five passengers with two rows unlike its predecessor there is no option for a third row of seats or 6 to 8 passenger configuration. Unlike or previously tested base 1958 model with manually adjustable cloth seats, Toyota upholsters the Land Cruiser with SofTex artificial leather or as in our test vehicle real leather hides. It looked and felt wonderfully. While the driver's seat included a manually adjustable thigh bolstering feature the passengers side did not. There was ample leg, hip and headroom upfront and a decent amount in the rear.

There's soft touch material on the doors with matching tobacco brown color, and there was a refrigerated cooler box under the center console armrest roomy enough for a few cans of soda or water bottles. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is included along with SiriusXM satellite radio and an optional 14-speaker JBL audio setup that sounded fantastic. Toyota uses its own Audio Multimedia infotainment system with a 12.3-inch display screen.

But not all was delightful. The gauge cluster seemingly has a privacy filter that prevents passengers seeing it during the daytime. We found the operating controls and vehicle information on the screen overly cluttered with an excessive number of icons, menus that were non-intuitive and fussy to navigate.  Safety setting can only be adjusted through the instrument cluster and not on the main center display which was odd and inconvenient.

We were also frustrated with the day/night screen display that didn't change with the setting sun automatically. The night screen always came on with the brightest setting possible rather than automatically.

My final complaint was with the anemic HVAC especially the air conditioning that wasn't up to exterior temperature challenges in the Arizona summer. I had to permanently leave the setting at Max Air but still wished for a cooler cabin temp. Lastly, the doors opening and closing felt and sounded tinny and cheap. The outgoing Land Cruiser doors closed with a quality "thud" and substantial quality feel.

What we especially liked was the more than competent off-road capability whether flying through deep sand dry Arizona river beds, rock crawling steep hills and even white knuckled descents in Butcher Jones State Park thanks to its Downhill Assist and Crawl Control standard on both trims. These systems are silky smooth, and the acceleration input responded appropriately with the various drivers choice of fie speed settings.

It easily crawls and rolls through any trail condition in front of it. There's a button on the console which when engaged disconnects the front anti-roll bar for serious off-road conditions. I tried it but I was confident it wasn't necessary given the off-road challenges I incurred. Also know that the vehicles' tire options are highway-focused all-season variety, but if off-roading is your thing you'll be wise to equip it with a set of  bigger all-terrain tires.

On paved roads it's noticeably more truck like with the same ladder frame that underpins Toyota's full-size Tundra and Sequoia models. Still, handling was confident and predictable, brakes well matched, and ride quality not jiggly or annoying. Power from the four-cylinder was delivered smoothly and linear, a bit surprising given its stout 5,000 pound curb weight. Twisty canyon roads brought out the Tundra similarities with more than ample body lean on curves and noticeable nose-dives when braking. The cabin is generally quiet except at interstate speeds where wind noise drowns out all but the most vocal conversations. I'm guessing the roof rack bears much of the blame.

Overall, we enjoyed our time behind the wheel of the new Land Cruiser. It's a tough call to say I would choose it over the Bronco or Defender. The Grand Cherokee is certainly a more comfortable and luxurious choice and all competitors are certified as excellent off-road capabilities and a reputation for reliability and strong resale values.

If you really like the looks and what is offered with the Land Cruiser experience but cotton to a more luxurious interior without giving up the off-road chops we recommend you consider the Lexus GX instead. It shares the same looks as the Land Cruiser, built on there same platform and foregoes the four-cylinder for a twin-turbo V6 offered with and without hybrid assist and has available third-row seating if needed.

Vital stats

Base Price: $61,950
Price as Tested: $71,364
Engine/Transmission: 326-horsepower , 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 465 pound-feet of torque with full-time four-wheel drive delivered via an eight-speed automatic transmission
EPA Fuel Economy: 22/25/23 - mpg City/Highway/Combined
Seats: 5

Where Built: Tahara, Japan

Crash Test Safety Ratings: The 2024 Land Cruiser has not been crash tested by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as of this writing.

Competes With:
Ford Bronco
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Land Rover Defender
Lexus GX

Likes:
Eye-catching neo-retro styling
Exceptional all-terrain technology and capability
Reputation for reliability and superb resale value

Dislikes:
Spartan interior for a + $70,000 vehicle
Thirsty four-cylinder
Weak HVAC