Resurrected Land Cruiser returns as affordable, humble SUV

TOYOTA

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a humble and less expensive vehicle.

Toyota killed the Land Cruiser in 2021.

The slow-selling behemoth was priced well over $100,000 and the darling of the well-heeled. It was once one of the best things to use to bash through the outback.

The Land Cruiser’s death was short-lived, however. Toyota had always planned to bring the beast back to more humble roots. The bloated boulevard cruiser was stripped back to a more affordable and capable SUV.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is retro-styled. It’s smaller, based on the revamped Lexus GX platform.

The square, upright body is certainly striking. Those round headlights highlighted by the old Toyota typeface (on the limited First Edition model) really give this an ol’-school vibe.

This look continues with an interior that looks utilitarian and modern at the same time. The digital gauge cluster is hooded to keep out glare. A thick, multi-function steering wheel is attached to an adjustable column that made it easy to find a suitable position.

This version of the Land Cruiser’s interior was modern but not luxurious. The materials were high quality, but it felt like you can take it off road and not be so worried about ruining something. The controls are easy to reach and feel sturdy. I loved the front seats because they were comfortable and easy to adjust. The rear seat was Ok, but I don’t think I would spend a lot of time back there. It’s cramped for a large truck and the storage space behind isn’t a lot.

The old Land Cruiser had a snarling V8 that gave the vehicle some giddy up. The new engine is a hybrid turbo four-cylinder that makes 326 horsepower and 465 pounds-feet of torque. The eight-speed transmission sends power to all four wheels. The improved fuel economy is welcome, but I missed the grunt of the cold engine. There is enough power to pass but more would be good. The Land Cruiser can get to 60 miles per hour in about 8.2 seconds, not bad but, again, more power would be nice.

The Land Cruiser isn’t what you would call sporty. It handles a lot like a truck – body roll when you take a curve, bobbling around a bit – but its road manners are not bad. This is no Range Rover Sport, but it’s not garden variety, either.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ride quality. Yeah, it feels like a truck, but a more refined truck. The beefy suspension kept a lot of bad stuff out of the cabin. Really bad roads were a problem but nothing egregious.
The vehicle was also surprisingly quiet. The most wind noise came from a roof attachment for carrying extra stuff. I get the need for additional storage but stuff on the roof always caused unwanted wind noise.

If you want to go off-roading, that’s certainly not a problem. All-wheel-drive is standard and there are multiple modes to get you through any type of terrain. A bit more ground clearance would be nice, but this is a capable off-roader. 

The Land Cruiser comes with many of the modern driver aids available and some more advanced Toyota tech. There is Proactive Driving Assist, which examines road surfaces and will slow the vehicle down approaching a curve or traffic. Also, an optional low-speed hands-free driving system that works at speeds up to 25 miles per hour sounds nice, but I question hands-free driving programs in general.

Toyota has done a masterful job gleaning the bloat. It’s not exactly cheap, but it is more of a no-nonsense off-roader like Land Cruisers of yesteryear. My test vehicle was a 1958 version which is stripped down to the necessities. It’s protected with skid plates, yes, but also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three-zone climate control, eight-inch touch screen and heated front seats. The 1958 version starts at $56,700 before destination and options.

Pros:

• Ol’ school styling 

• Hybrid engine

• Good fuel economy 

• Very comfortable seats

• Smooth ride

• Very off-road capable 

• Toyota’s longevity 

• Excellent build quality

Cons:

• Needs more power

• Needs improved braking

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