The words “future” and “Land Cruiser” have not usually been found in close proximity to each other. The early 20-series and 40-series models from 1955 through 1967 were really just Toyota proving they could build a Jeep. And while what came later ended up getting cross-shopped against Grand Wagoneers and Suburbans, the Land Cruiser was never really cutting-edge.
That was excruciatingly obvious by the time Toyota announced it was ending the run of the Land Cruiser here in the U.S. with the Heritage Edition model – which was so long in the tooth that my review on my own site had the subhead “It’s 2022 and time for 2007 to end.”
Other countries had a smaller version called the Land Cruiser Prado – and now, we do too; we just don’t say “Prado.”
The move is a savvy one. The new-gen big Land Cruiser – a large, heavy, luxury SUV – is also on our shores. Lexus sells it for a larger profit margin as the LX 600 and has that action all to itself instead of competing with a nearly identical Land Cruiser.
Meantime, the new Land Cruiser is ready to compete in a segment of right-size off-road SUVs that also includes the Ford Bronco, the Land Rover Defender 110 (“On The Road,” January 2024), and the Jeep Wrangler, which is now in a fight for share of a market it essentially owned just three short years ago.
What gives the new Land Cruiser more of a claim to the future than the other three is that every one of its models is a hybrid (Wrangler offers a plug-in hybrid, the 4xe). In fact, Toyota says it is discussing going all-hybrid across its lineup.
In the new Land Cruiser’s case, it’s a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The engine’s output is 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The electric motor provides boost, though not continuously, to 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. There’s an eight-speed automatic transmission, full-time 4WD with electronically-controlled locking rear and center differential and an EPA fuel economy average of 23 mpg combined city/highway.
That’s a whopping 6 mpg better than the Bronco’s combined fuel economy estimate of 17. And, the Land Cruiser is a quieter, smoother ride than the Bronco’s by about the same margin over which the Bronco is better than the Wrangler.
Where the Land Cruiser suffers is ground clearance. The bare minimum for off-roadablity is 8 inches. Depending on model and tire size, the Land Cruiser’s ground clearance can be between 8 and 8.7 inches – about what you get from a Subaru Crosstrek. In fact, the Crosstrek Wilderness beats it with 9.3 inches.
So, the Land Cruiser is off-roadable – in the mildest of circumstances. If you’re looking for more capability, you’ll either have to look elsewhere or to the aftermarket. Even with the raised floor (to accommodate the hybrid battery), the Land Cruiser offers 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seats (there is no three-row seating option). That’s a couple more cubic feet than the Bronco, three more than the Defender, and six more than the Wrangler.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser comes in three trims: the base 1958 Edition, starting at $57,345 including destination; the mid-level Land Cruiser, starting at $63,345; and the First Edition, which begins at $76,345.
Ours was the Land Cruiser and standard at that price, in addition to what we’ve already talked about, is multi-terrain select, crawl control, downhill assist control, multi-terrain monitor, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, triple-beam LED headlights with Rigid Industries white/amber switchable LED fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, smart key system, a power liftgate, pop-up rear window, illuminated entry, running boards, a 2.4kw AC inverter, SofTex-trimmed seats (heated and ventilated in the front) a power driver’s seat, leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 10-speaker audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a three-month trial of SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Our vehicle did have some extra-cost options: The upgrade to 20-inch wheels was $1,240, the two-tone roof $350, the ball mount $80, the carpeted cargo mat $130, carpeted floormats $179 and wheel locks $105.
The big option was the Land Cruiser Premium Package. That’s a 14-speaker JBL premium audio system, illuminated entry, digital key capability, a power moonroof with sunshade, a center console cool box, digital rearview mirror, wireless charging, leather-trimmed seating, head-up display, lane change assist, front cross-traffic alert and traffic jam assist, for $4,600. The bottom line on the window sticker reads $70,029. In a vacuum, that sounds steep, but that as-tested price is $17,845 less than the starting price of the 2021 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition.
If you can live with the bare minimum ground clearance for light off-roading, the 2024 Land Cruiser checks virtually every other box for AWD family five-seaters. I won’t be surprised at all to see it take a chunk of that segment’s market share fairly quickly.
