Off-roaders may recall when the Land Cruiser was Toyota’s big beast, boasting all the mud- and muck-slopping ability of a Jeep or Land Rover—but with greater dependability.
Then, in 2021, Toyota said goodbye to the Land Cruiser, making the Sequoia its go-to big-boy beast, though with a more refined interior and ride.
Ah, but the automotive gods in Japan were toying with Land Cruiser devotees. Back it came for the 2024 model year—redesigned, of course, with a smaller, more fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain, squarish retro looks, and slightly diminished dimensions.
Just an inch shorter than before, the Cruiser still rides on a 112.2-inch wheelbase and now weighs just over 5,000 pounds. But the big news—beyond its nifty two-tone paint job and styling—is the engine.
Get this: Gone is the mighty 5.7-liter V8, replaced by a hybrid version of Toyota’s 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four, known as the i-Force Max. And Max it is, because this little gem pounds out 326 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque. Consider those numbers for a second—300+ horsepower and 400+ pound-feet of torque from a tiny four-cylinder engine. Ain’t technology great?
And because its hybrid system uses two electric motors to provide power at low speeds—when gasoline engines are least efficient—its fuel ratings are impressive compared with the Jurassic-age V8.
The EPA rates it at 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The previous V8 was rated at just 13 mpg city and 17 highway. I got 13.3 mpg in the V8 Cruiser and 17 in this one. That was still disappointing considering the EPA ratings, but I was driving primarily around town and had it during a cold snap when 20 degrees felt like a warm day.
Still, a jump of 4 mpg is notable, and in warmer weather, one might expect to hit at least 20 mpg.
More to the point of functionality, the Land Cruiser is still a performer when trundling off-road. It retains all the same gear as before, including both high and low 4WD, along with five off-road settings—one specifically for snow, which, in a normal winter, would be helpful in Wisconsin and other northern climes.
That’s all handled via a dial on the console, while additional buttons allow the differential to be locked and the sway bars to be disconnected for rock crawling and other tough terrain. Easy peasy!
Three drive modes can also be selected: Eco, to save gas; Normal; and Sport, which firms up steering and aids low-end torque for faster acceleration. You’d think Sport mode would be used frequently for more oomph in a 5,000-pound vehicle, but this doesn’t feel underpowered. Nope—this turbo is smooth and gutsy, making acceleration surprisingly quick. Car & Driver says it goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.7 seconds. Again, you’re in a mid-size SUV, folks—so not bad at all.
Yet it’s the handling that impresses most on a daily basis. The Land Cruiser feels easy to maneuver in town and in parking lots, despite its 193.8-inch length. The turning radius is moderate for a big truck, making it relatively easy to slip into parking spaces and change lanes on the freeway. Even in heavy winds, the Cruiser remained extremely stable.
The ride is also well-controlled—no heavy thumps when traversing Milwaukee’s street moonscape, just minor jiggles.
The new Cruiser’s looks are retro-mod, with squared-off features at both the nose and tail. This tester also featured a classy Smoky Blue (blue-gray) body with a white roof, a mere $350 extra. Surprisingly, even to me, its looks garnered more positive comments than most of my test vehicles over the past year.
Inside, however, it felt more pedestrian—though still more modern than past models.
This one featured a chocolate brown leather interior with contrasting stitching, though a fair amount of hard plastic topped the dash and surrounded the driver’s instrument cluster. Plus, the sun visors were made of hard plastic, which felt out of place for a vehicle at this price point. More on that in a sec.
Seating was comfortable, but the Cruiser has just two rows—unlike its cousin, the Lexus GX 550, which has three rows and is four inches longer than the Toyota. A third row isn’t even an option here.
Naturally, the dash has been updated with a 12.3-inch touchscreen that’s easy to use. Toyota also includes buttons and toggles below the screen to adjust the heated and cooled front seats, the heated steering wheel, and all climate controls. The Lexus, on the other hand, insists on handling all that through its larger 14-inch screen. I prefer the buttons and toggles, and you will too—especially if you’re wearing gloves in winter!
Other pluses include a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel and a moderately sized sunroof overhead. This one also had the optional wireless charger, plus a cool box in the console. Press a button, and the storage container between the front seats will chill a beverage or keep a snack cool on a long drive.
The driver’s seat powers back once the ignition is off, making it easier to extract oneself from behind the wheel. Running boards come standard, making climbing in and out simple—further aided by the generous grab handles at each door.
With no third row, the Cruiser provides a generous 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space under the power hatch, which is split. That means you can pop open the hatch’s window to load cargo or flip up the entire hatch. Fold the second row down, and there’s a massive 82 cubic feet of storage room.
Note that the cargo bed is slightly raised, but it still seems easy enough to load and unload under the hatch.
The Land Cruiser comes equipped with plenty of standard safety features, but an additional $4,600 premium option package adds even more. This package includes lane-change assist, front cross-traffic alert, and traffic jam assist. It also bundles in the cool box, wireless charger, and a 14-speaker JBL sound system. Additionally, the package includes a power moonroof, leather-trimmed seats, a head-up display (HUD), and a digital rearview mirror.
A roof rack enhances the Cruiser’s rugged look but tacks on another $1,440 to the price tag. The 20-inch alloy wheels? Another $1,240. Ouch. Other options were minor.
One misstep in an otherwise well-designed mid-size SUV is the overly complex driver instrument cluster. It looks fine, but adjusting it—just to get something as simple as the trip odometer to appear—feels like an exercise in futility. There are way too many choices. Be sure to make any adjustments before driving.
Which brings us to price—and a comparison with its cousin, the more luxurious three-row Lexus GX 550.
The Toyota starts at just $57,345 for the base 1958 edition, named for the year Toyota entered the U.S. market and sold its first Land Cruiser. That’s a significant drop from the $87,000 base price of the 2021 Land Cruiser, thanks to the loss of the V8 and the Lexus GX 550 taking over the top pricing tier.
This tested Land Cruiser had a base price of $63,345 but climbed to $71,469 with options—almost exactly the same as the Lexus GX 550 I tested last year. However, the Lexus packs a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 that delivers 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. It also boasts an 8,000-pound towing capacity compared to the Land Cruiser’s 6,000 pounds.
Both vehicles require premium fuel.
Essentially, the Toyota runs about $5,000 less than the Lexus while offering a more off-road-friendly design. The Lexus, on the other hand, features a more refined interior, a larger engine, and greater towing capacity. If your adventures lean toward off-roading, you might be better off with the Land Cruiser—or even the base 1958 model—and save the extra cash for fixing dents, dings, and scrapes.
FAST STATS: 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
Hits: Good smooth power, true off-road ability, nimble handling for big truck, AWD, well-cushioned ride, improved fuel economy. Big easy touchscreen, power tilt/telescope wheel, 3-level heated/cooled comfy front seats, heated wheel, sunroof, cool box, power hatch w/opening window, wireless charger, running boards, JBL audio, good safety equipment and towing features, 3 drive modes plus 5 off-road settings. Retro styling, multiple grab handles, and snazzy two-tone paint job.
Misses: Moderate size sunroof, no third row seat option, pedestrian interior styling, over-complex driver instrument cluster settings, hard-plastic sun visors.
Made in: Japan
Engine: 2.4-liter I-Force turbo I4, 326 hp/425 torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 5,037 lbs.
Wheelbase: 112.2 in.
Length: 193.8 in.
Cargo: 37.5/82 cu.ft.
MPG: 22/25
MPG: 17 (tested)
Base Price: $63,345 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $58,390
Major Options:
20-in. alloy wheels, $1,240
Premium pkg. (14-speaker JBL audio, illuminated entry, digital key capable, power moonroof/shade, console cool box, digital rearview mirror, Qi-compatible wireless charging, leather-trimmed memory power driver’s seat, HUD, lane change assist, front cross-traffic alert, traffic jam assist), $4,600
Two-tone roof, $350
Roof rack, $1,440
Carpet cargo mat, $130
Carpet floor mats, $179
Ball mount, $80
Wheel locks, $105
Test vehicle: $71,469
Sources: Toyota, www.kbb.com
