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The Land Cruiser’s off-road talents are the reason it exists, but it’s not quite as adept as it was before—though its smaller stance gives it a distinct advantage over the leviathan it replaces. Its great off-roading comes with reasonable acceleration and fuel economy, which puts it at a 7 here.
All Land Cruisers now have full-time four-wheel drive, with center and rear locking differentials and a 2-speed electronically controlled transfer case. A front locking diff was deemed by engineers as pointless, though the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, and Benz G-Class have that feature.
Most Land Cruisers also have an electronic system to disconnect the anti-roll bars, which permits more wheel travel. Unavailable on the base 1958 trim, the system takes the place of the Land Cruiser’s former adjustable electro-hydraulically controlled system, which isn’t available at all—though it’s offered on the Lexus GX.
Toyota also fits the Land Cruiser with a terrain-based drive mode system that spins through programs such as Rock, Mud, Sand, and Auto, depending on whether 4Hi or 4Lo is engaged. A crawl-control system—slow-going off-road cruise control—has been vastly refined in this edition.
The hardware gives the Land Cruiser very good trail-riding ability, but it’s taken a step back this generation. It’s less able to pick around trails due to geometry, too. The former SUV had approach and departure angles of 32 and 24 degrees, a breakover angle of 21 degrees, and 8.9 inches of ground clearance. The new one? Those figures are 32, 22, 23, and 8.7, by the Toyota spec sheet. It also tows just 6,000 pounds, about 2,100 pounds less than the old Land Cruiser. It’s been demoted.
How fast is the Toyota Land Cruiser?
Toyota shrank its powertrain, too. The old 5.7-liter V-8 has been scrapped and the Land Cruiser now taps a hybrid 2.4-liter turbo-4, which stuffs a 48-hp electric motor into the 8-speed automatic transmission. With 5,037 pounds to carry and more torque than the V-8, acceleration hasn’t fallen behind or necessarily made any progress. Part of the reason? This Land Cruiser weighs some 776 pounds less than its elder.
In driving, the new SUV doesn’t feel so lightweight, but the composure it’s always had off pavement remains. Even with the rescaling of its ambition, the Land Cruiser can still slip through riverbeds, clamber over steep rocky runs, and trundle through muck while isolating its passengers. Its powertrain has the hybrid advantage of strong low-end torque, which works in concert with the locking differentials and slowed-down throttle in Rock mode to gingerly pick its way over the worst obstacles. Skid plates protect the powertrain and transfer case, to be sure; mud flaps on the top trim don’t seem to be more than noisemakers.
On winding highways, the quick-shifting transmission taps into the power as the turbo-4 clears its throat, but uphill climbs with a couple of passengers reveal the limits of the downsized powertrain. Its economy-car noises call out as it strains to maintain speed. The steering has the usual vague inch or two on center, but until we drive it more we’ll reserve judgment on that: Toyota had fitted our test vehicle with a wheel-and-tire package listed as Tacoma gear, not Land Cruiser. Likewise, the Land Cruiser’s mostly absorbent ride occasionally betrayed some stiff-kneed responses from its double-wishbone front and multi-link rear end. The street tires stocked on most models will likely be more poised. We’ll update this once we can spend more time with it.
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