22
326
8 speed, Automatic w/OD
Intercooled Turbo Gas/Electric I-4
Four Wheel Drive
For more than 75 years, the Toyota Land Cruiser has been a fixture on American roads and backcountry trails and has sold almost continuously since 1958. During those decades, it grew from a basic open-air SUV similar to a Jeep CJ5 into a plush and pricey luxury model, and then Toyota paused Land Cruiser sales in 2022 and 2023 to push a reset button.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is the result. Smaller, simpler, and more affordable than before, the redesigned 2024 Land Cruiser is a midsize two-row SUV still capable of tackling treacherous terrain but with more refinement than a similarly sized Toyota 4Runner.
While the new Land Cruiser is more like a Toyota than it used to be, it still shares plenty with a Lexus model, in this case, the 2024 Lexus GX. A standard hybrid powertrain promises better fuel economy, and next-generation infotainment systems and safety features are on the menu.
Toyota offers its rugged new SUV in base 1958 Edition, mid-level Land Cruiser, and top-shelf First Edition trim levels. As I write this review, prices range from $57,400 to $76,400, including the destination charge.
For this review of the 2024 Land Cruiser, Toyota provided a test vehicle equipped with 1958 Edition trim and the following significant options:
The test vehicle's price was $60,953, including the $1,450 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Toyota factory in Tokyo, Japan, to your local dealership.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The Land Cruiser 1958 Edition comes in any color you want, as long as it's Black, white (Ice Cap), or grayish beige (Meteor Shower). My test model had Meteor Shower paint, and I highly recommend it because it hides dust and dirt remarkably well.
Open the driver's door, and the 1958 Edition's interior is a sea of black plastic. The only soft parts are the top of the dashboard, the center console armrest, and the fabric-wrapped seats. That black and light gray fabric looks good and feels durable, and the rest of the interior is easy to clean up, though mineral-based sunblock appears to leave stubborn smears and smudges. I like how basic the 1958 Edition is, but not at this price.
Predictably, climbing aboard is more challenging than with a typical crossover SUV. Both front seats feature manual six-way adjustment, but they're comfortable despite the lack of power adjustments. And since they have cloth instead of artificial or genuine leather, they won't sear your legs and back on hot days or freeze them on cold ones. The back seat isn't as roomy as expected, but the soft front seatbacks help taller adults to find comfort. My teenagers had no complaints.
The Land Cruiser 1958 Edition is ready for any kind of weather. It has a triple-zone automatic climate control system, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, and a wiper de-icing system. During summer testing in Southern California, the air conditioning worked well to combat 90-degree temperatures.
Overall, the interior storage is decent, and upper trim levels offer wireless smartphone charging and an optional center console cool box. However, Toyota missed an opportunity to carve out added storage on the door panels and dashboard. In addition, my family's quartet of 32-ounce Hydroflasks regularly clunked and thunked about the cabin because none of the available cup or bottle holders could accommodate them.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Toyota equips the 1958 Edition with a 7-inch digital instrumentation panel, and every version of the SUV features the automaker's latest Toyota Audio Multimedia technology.
In the 1958 Edition, it includes these features and trial subscription plans:
Upgrade to the mid-level Land Cruiser, and Toyota adds:
A 14-speaker JBL premium sound system is optional for the Land Cruiser and standard on the Land Cruiser First Edition.
My test vehicle had an active subscription to Drive Connect, which equips the SUV with a cloud-based navigation system, Google points-of-interest data, and a digital voice assistant. You can rouse the assistant by saying, "Hey, Toyota." From there, you can make requests using conversational language.
For example, when I needed to travel to a location in a different part of metropolitan Los Angeles, I simply asked for directions using the name of the business and the city, and the assistant quickly programmed accurate directions.
If you'd rather not pay for a Drive Connect subscription, you can use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for the same purpose. I had no trouble pairing my iPhone to the system, running CarPlay, or streaming music. The standard six-speaker audio system is merely adequate.
The infotainment system worked flawlessly during the week-long evaluation with a single exception. Momentarily, the main menu virtual buttons on the left side of the display quit working. However, after a minute or so, they resumed operation.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Hybrid power motivates the new Land Cruiser. A turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine pairs with an electric assist motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack to deliver 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission powers all four wheels through a full-time four-wheel-drive (4WD) system.
To ensure the new Land Cruiser provides the expected off-roading capability, locking center and rear differentials are standard, and only the 1958 Edition lacks a stabilizer bar disconnect system and off-road driving modes. However, it has hill descent control and Crawl Control, an off-road cruise control system.
Toyota says the Land Cruiser can tow up to 6,000 pounds. The 1958 Edition provides 8 inches of ground clearance, while the others offer 8.4 inches. Minimum approach, breakover, and departure angles measure 30, 25, and 22 degrees, respectively. If you get into trouble, the front and rear frame-mounted recovery hooks will prove helpful.
I've driven the Land Cruiser 1958 Edition in challenging off-road situations, and aside from its modest all-season tires, it impresses. Upgrade to a standard Land Cruiser or a First Edition, and it performs even better thanks to the improved wheel articulation, Multi-Terrain Select driving modes, and Multi-Terrain monitor cameras.
This evaluation focused on living with the Land Cruiser day-to-day, and the SUV proved to be a mixed bag.
Fuel economy is unimpressive, and Toyota recommends more expensive premium gas for this SUV. The EPA says it should get 23 mpg in combined driving, but my test model came nowhere near that. On my evaluation loop, it averaged 18.3 mpg; the highest number I tallied on the highway was 21.9 mpg.
While fuel economy is the worst thing about driving the Land Cruiser, it also occasionally suffers delayed or uneven power delivery, touchy brakes in certain driving situations, and excessive lean and body motion due to its soft suspension tuning.
With that said, the hybrid drivetrain supplies plenty of power. Don't let the turbocharged four-cylinder engine or its electrified status dissuade you from choosing a Land Cruiser because it's got plenty of punch.
In addition, this spongy SUV laughs at speed bumps and speed humps and feels fluid and refined in most driving situations. The all-season tires offer a quiet and comfortable ride on the highway, and the steering is quicker and crisper than you might expect.
Parking a Land Cruiser is easy because you can see where each corner of the hood is, and the SUV comes with standard front and rear parking sensors. However, wider side mirrors would be nice to enhance the visibility of the Land Cruiser's blind spots.
Overall, the new Land Cruiser feels more agile than the old one that exited production after the 2021 model year. In addition, it is better to drive than the outgoing Toyota 4Runner and is more refined than a Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Every 2024 Land Cruiser has Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0). This collection of advanced driving assistance systems includes:
In addition, Toyota adds these standard safety features:
Proactive Driving Assist is also standard and is part of TSS 3.0. It is a subtle automatic braking system that works in certain driving situations, such as maintaining a safe following distance or reducing speed in certain curves. In some Toyotas, like the 2025 Camry, I find this technology muted enough to use all the time. In others, like the Land Cruiser, it proves irritating enough that I shut it off and drive without it.
The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance systems worked well on a winding coastal highway despite driving toward the late afternoon sun. Later, on rural two-lane farm roads, it proved equally impressive. You might find yourself trusting it enough that you get a visual or audible warning to put your hands back on the steering wheel, even though you never took them off. The rim isn't touch-sensing, so you need to input some steering from time to time manually.
Unfortunately, as I began to drive up the Conejo Grade on California's 101 freeway, the adaptive cruise control and its curve-speed limiter allowed the SUV's speed to drop by 10 mph. On this section of well-traveled freeway, that's a recipe for some road rage in your fellow motorists. And the curves on this part of the highway are gentle enough that speed reduction isn't necessary in the first place.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Toyota says the Land Cruiser offers 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat. The test vehicle's liftgate didn't have power operation, which is an unusual omission in an SUV with a price this high. Also, the liftover height is high due to the hybrid powertrain's battery pack underneath it.
Toyota doesn't provide a maximum volume measurement. If I had to guess, based on Lexus GX cargo volumes, I'd say it offers about 80 cu-ft behind the front seats. However, the resulting load floor isn't flat because the rear seats tumble forward.
If you get the optional roof rack, keep in mind the Land Cruiser's dynamic roof load rating is 165 pounds. It offers a 770-pound static rating, so a roof-mounted tent is doable.
No, the Land Cruiser does not get good gas mileage. The official EPA ratings are promising at 22/25/23 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. But in real-world driving, the hybrid powertrain falls short. It is particularly disappointing in light of the premium fuel requirement.
Based on my 18.3 mpg evaluation loop average and the Land Cruiser's 17.9-gallon fuel tank, you can expect 327.5 miles of range if you drain every drop of gas. You won't do that, so plan to stop before the SUV travels 300 miles to refill the tank.
Toyota equips the new Land Cruiser with plenty of safety features designed to prevent a collision from happening and protect occupants if a crash is unavoidable. Unfortunately, as of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has published crash-test ratings for the new Toyota Land Cruiser.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser prices range from $55,950 for the 1958 Edition to $74,950 for the First Edition. You'll need to add the $1,450 destination charge to those figures.
The new Land Cruiser isn't easy to classify. Still, given its size, price, and off-roading capability, its rivals include the Ford Bronco, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Armada, and Toyota 4Runner. In addition, the Lexus GX is the same SUV but with more luxury and refinement.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
With the 2024 Land Cruiser, Toyota makes its legendary SUV more accessible at a lower price. Off-road driving enthusiasts and suburbanites seeking something more rugged to drive than a typical crossover SUV should find the seventh-generation Land Cruiser appealing.
However, although it is more efficient to drive than the previous version, the new Land Cruiser remains thirsty, so fueling it will prove costly. Also, if you'd rather not drive a basic SUV, Land Cruiser prices climb fast when you add extras. Before you know it, you could be paying Lexus prices for a Toyota.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with 30 years of experience in the field and has held automotive editorial leadership positions at Edmunds, JD Power, and The New York Daily News. Today, Chris owns a content agency called Speedy Daddy Media, and in addition to JDPower.com, his work appears on Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, and Edmunds.
