Since its North American debut in 1958, the Toyota Land Cruiser has set the global standard for off-road capability and adventure-ready 4×4 motoring. By 2021, however, the ultra-luxury version of the legendary machine sold here had become very expensive and was pulled from the market, leaving Land Cruiser fans to seek restoration- grade models for their outings. Toyota set to work on a more egalitarian replacement that would share platforms and tech with vehicles from the new Tacoma pickup to the upcoming 4Runner.
The debut of the all-new 2024 Land Cruiser, a cubist-inspired machine with brilliant capability but a more attractive $56,000 base price, has reignited interest in what might be the original SUV. The impressively chunky vehicle is the U.S. market’s five-seater rendition of the global Land Cruiser Prado, complete with sliding second-row seats and rear-cabin cupholders for the three-row model sold elsewhere. It’s otherwise identical, with a new, turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder I-Force Max hybrid setup found on high-grade Tacoma off-roaders, good for 326 overall horsepower.
The jury is still out on that powerplant, but you’ll probably find its extra, electrically boosted torque a welcome feature when scrambling up rocky trails or tackling snowy highway passes. Like its sister vehicle, the new Lexus GX 550, the Land Cruiser has a full-time, two-speed 4×4 system, plus electronic-locking center and rear differentials and easy access to hill descent, automatic crawl and terrain mode controls. The base-level 1958 edition is a little light on its stock tire tread and features a rustic cloth interior, but the upscale $75,000 First Edition adds standard leather, rock rails, and a low-profile roof rack, plus sturdier skid plates and all-terrain rubber.
