2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review - Should Jeep be Worried that the Land Cruiser is Back?

Hello friends and welcome to Truck King. Yes, it's official, the Land Cruiser is

back

in North America. Now it may not be recognizable as a Land Cruiser compared to the previous model because everything has changed, so in this video we will explore this whole aspect. All the features tell you how it drives and ultimately tell you if it really lives up to the Land Cruiser name. Let's get straight to it. Let's start by looking under the hood, so in North America there is only one engine available in the Land. Cruiser is a 2.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder with hybrid configuration, total system output of 326 horsepower, 465 PB-ft of torque sent through an 8-speed automatic transmission and yes, this is the same power plant as you'll find there in the Tacoma and the 4Runner again, the big difference is that the Land Cruiser is a hybrid.

So this Land Cruiser that we're looking at here is just the Land Cruiser trim, that's what they call it, and the big differentiator is the headlights and the grille, if you go. for the 1958 base model you get the traditional round headlights which I personally like a little more and then if you move up to the Land Cruiser you get these square headlights so yeah the look is quite different going from model to model and that's it. You know. what, let's take a break right now, please hit the comments and let me know which one do you prefer, round headlights or square headlights.

Land Cruiser. It's all about utility here, so Toyota tells us this thing can tow 6,000 lbs just like the new 4Runner and I'll just show you the hitch down here, it comes behind this big old plastic cover. It's certainly a fun looking hitch and one thing to note: they have this extra reinforcement here, well that means your real Kingpin uses it here to secure his hitch. it has to be longer than a standard pin which is the same for Tacoma, probably the same for 4Runner as well, so something to keep in mind if you're going to tow with one of these and then one thing that's not ideal here on this SUV They are the light connections. for towing they are very low under the bumper, yeah it's hard to get to them if you're stuck in the wet or mud or something, it's just not fun having to go that deep in there.

I'm surprised Toyota couldn't mount them here on the bumper or something, so yeah, let's also talk about the usefulness of the rear of this thing. Firstly, you get glass that opens individually from the hatch, we don't. I don't have the split tailgate design here that Land Cruisers were known for or even the side hinge design that many Land Cruisers had, this is much more standard than what we expect from SUVs today and now you get the power hatch when It's all about Storage

back

here and I

should

also point out that the Land Cruiser does not have a third row.

This is what each Land Cruiser would look like. You have plenty of room back here, even behind the second row, and then if you want, you can go around. that and that opens up even more space so I like how much cargo space there is here because again that's what this vehicle is about, it's about getting all your stuff out the door and in that sense also another great characteristic. There's an outlet down here with 2400 watts of power, so that's a real, legitimate amount of power for when you're out on the trail, off-road camping or hiking, y'all, now here we are in the Land Cruiser, so This is the 1958 Land Cruiser that we are in, which is the base model and we have also done this course on the improved version of the Land Cruiser, so now we have an idea.

The basics are the same permanent four-wheel drive, a locker in the rear. center differential that can be locked and we also get different driving modes here, plus inching control. The only thing we don't get is the multi-terrain selection which only comes on the top trim models, but other than that we pretty much have everything you need to go off-road, except the screens, we don't have the camera system, that's true, you're right about that too, the multi-terrain monitor, which automatically turns on in the other truck when you go down to four low levels, there's actually a lot of little things like DEC has satisfied this one here, um, so it's definitely a lot more simplistic , yes, yes, yes, more basic and that's what they're going for, offering the basic finish at a more affordable price, but still I won't call it affordable overall and we'll get to the price in a moment for now, tell me how you feel because we're going through these big offset ruts we're losing traction right here nice and it's your The locked center differential right now is locked so having the locked center differential is important so you get the 50/50 torque split and we could have locked the rear, but we didn't.

I'll say what I've been feeling dad because we I've done this many times Toyota is really good at brake based traction control one wheel starts spinning they will break it up they will send the power to where it needs to be and yes it reacts very quickly there, I wouldn't do it. you say exactly and you know what to remember here also if you're looking at the Land Cruiser and then the 58 um the undercarriage is basically the same mhm realistically if you're trying to decide which one to buy it's going to be Creature Comforts doesn't have the capacity, yes, that is absolutely correct and nice, even right there, there is a 30° lateral angle and I know this because of the inclinometer on the Land Cruiser on the other one, not this one, not this one, but yes on the Land version Cruiser. and uh, no problem, it certainly feels like a vehicle right out of the box designed for this environment, like a Wrangler like a Bronco, you get behind the wheel and you realize this is what they were designing for, you know , the best. mental, yes, exactly and honestly, I think that for the purist, for the person who is really more interested in off-roading, they are very likely to go in this direction because it is simple, direct, has everything you need and nothing that you need.

Not sure and then the old story that if you are a hardcore off roader you will probably modify it so the 58 is probably your choice, save the money on the actual vehicle from the dealer and then spend the money on the aftermarket. Yeah, well, also, Stephen, you know it's called 1958 because that was the first year the Land Cruiser was introduced to North America, which is also the year I was introduced to North America, so which is a 58 and I'm also a 58 uh yeah this would be my choice so now you're classic too straight. I'm a little worse for where, but I'm classic, so yes, there is no doubt that many Land Cruisers will come out.

Here and we do this, but we also recognize that many of them are going to live their lives on the road, so we move on to that now because I had the opportunity to drive it on the road on a short circuit and I can tell you what it is. Well folks, now we're on the road here in the Land Cruiser and I'm going to give it a punch and the power delivery feels great again. Thanks to that hybrid, low-rev torque is obtained from the battery and the turbo is given a chance. to accelerate and it absolutely works so yeah I don't think power is an issue especially considering all these things are hybrid now as far as driving dynamics go it has a little bit of body roll but nothing too atrocious.

Think about exactly how much you would expect from an SUV like this and the idea, of course, is that this is designed to work off-road, so the suspension can't be too stiff by the time you start hitting the bush, so it's That nice mix of kind of soft but not too soft so here we also have three driving modes we have the normal and eco sport mode so you can take advantage of those and I'll also remind you that Land Cruiser is full time. With four-wheel drive, you don't have the opportunity to put it on the rear wheel like you do with the other trucks in this line, but again I think the philosophy is just the confidence that when you go off the full-time system you never have to. worry about it if you're driving in sloppy weather conditions you know it's on you know it's ready to go you don't have to fiddle with anything at all so I think that's why that decision was made for Land Cruiser and I think Honestly , we can admit that this might not be the hardcore off-road customer, the kind of person who, again, doesn't want to have to turn a knob or fiddle with dials, so I think that's why Toyota went the full-time route.

Four wheel drive here so now we're back on the road and I mentioned it on the way the power felt really good but dad you're driving here and you know four lows just picking what do you think about the gear motor? It's quite responsive and the good thing is that it doesn't feel too choppy as soon as you get into it, which is a fault of vehicles, particularly in places where they're super aggressive and that's where you want to be. smooth when you're choosing, so not at all, I say yes, it's good, yes, I would agree with you, so now, why don't we look at the prices?

I'll rule out the US prices first and, yes, you're I'm going to notice a big difference between the US and Canada. In the United States the Land Cruiser starts at $55,900 which is for this 19 58 we're here in, go up to the Land Cruiser model you're talking about 61 950 and then the first edition and of course that thing is limited at only 5,000 units, and when they're done, they'll sell for $74,000 in the US, overall those prices feel right to both of us, I think they're right in the US. The prices feel like they're not They were a great value, but it doesn't feel overpriced, no, but then we get to the Canadian market, where the 1958 Land Cruiser starts at 69.90.

We can call it 70 thousand dollars in Canada. Go up to the Land. Cruiser version, you are talking about 77,604 290, finally the first edition and again in Canada we are getting a little over 200, so there really won't be much, but the first edition sells for $90,000 in Canada and now we can say It's obvious that Toyota Canada has been much more aggressive with its pricing strategy on Land Cruiser and Tacoma than Toyota USA and no, for all of you wondering that the prices are not just a conversion of prices from the states to any other country that is established in each country. individually and in this case, obviously, Canadians really believe that these things can make more money, so yes, that's the downside of the applications of this Land Cruiser absolutely in Canada, it's expensive, that's going to matter for the sales that are yet to be seen, so now.

We spit out those prices. I think the conversation we need to have is exactly what will differentiate the Land Cruiser, especially from the Forerunner on paper. Land Cruiser and 4Runner are almost exactly the same length, they are the same width, they are the same wheelbase. same suspension same drivetrain same frame same frame so many things are the frame here or the same here um so yeah I think that question is going to come up a lot why

should

you go for one over the other? And I'll tell you. My first initial opinion is that we don't have 4Runner pricing yet, but I think 4Runner pricing is going to be similar to Land Cruiser.

I expect it to be more affordable on the basic end but much more expensive on the higher end. I really think that because the 4Runner has nine versions in the states and seven versions in Canada, the Land Cruiser once the first edition went away has two versions, so they didn't really let people build this the way they wanted, which they configured. The way Toyota wants, while the 4Runner has a lot more combinations, you know, so I think that's one of the main reasons why Forerunner you might be attracted to that low price, but if the prices were the same, why would you choose one over the other over and over again?

For me, the way I feel about this, I think the 4Runner is going to be the toughest off-roader, I think with the Pro and the Trail Hunter, of course that's obvious, but you know the fact that the ground clearance is a little better, the angles are a little better in 4Runner. I see it as yes, more for the enthusiast, where I see the Land Criser more of a weekend warrior, if you want to call it that, someone who will primarily spend their time in the city and then occasionally. He could go on an adventure or maybe he just wants to embrace the adventurous spirit and own a Land Cruiser.

I don't want to call it a phone imposter because it's actually legitimately good here, but I feel like that's the division the 4Runner is. Yes, it's more for that hardcore car enthusiast and the Land Cruiser is more for someone who maybe just wants to get into this sound, maybe you're right, to an extent, however I'll explore the other side of this, which is there. They are people who identify with what they own and a 4Runner type is not going to be a Land Cruiser type and a Land Cruiser type is not a 4Runner type simply because what that vehicle says about you, that is their first and foremost concern, so yeah .They may be off-roaders, they may be looking at the equipment and everything else, but at the end of the day in their hearts they say, well, I want a Land Cruiser because I'm a Land Cruiser guy, and this truck says something. about me, the history, the nostalgia, the global appeal, okay, while Forerunner is very much an American phenomenon, okay and innate, you know, many people's hearts are the ones that can do anything and go anywhere, yes they can do that, but there are still guys. running around in precursors that aren't going anywhere, sure, but they're still a 4Runner guy, so let's never discount the fact that people know they care about image, this is all about image and that's part of our car business. that sometimes we don't talk a lot because we are so obsessed with the technical details, yeah, yeah, you know, anyway, I think that will also play a role, that's fair and I'll say in terms of style from the beginning.

The exterior and interior are completely different, they do not look the same. The 4Runner seems a lot angrier to me than the Land Cruiser and then the interior design is completely different, so yeah, it's not like you're buying something and then saying "oh, this really is it." they're the same inside, they're quite different physically, but I understand what you're saying and I think Toyota is really banking on them realizing that this SUV segment is big enough that we can have two vehicles essentially the same size and not make them cannibalize each other now of course this all remains to be seen all we can do is sit back and watch how they sell but yeah I think you're right that Toyota looked at the market and said they are two different ones. customers and we want to make sure we serve them both well, friends, we've reached the end of this.

This is just our first test of this new Land Cruiser, but you know as soon as we can get one home, we'll be taking it. and off-road on our trails for now, I think my overall conclusion, aside from the fact that I like the Land Cruiser, is that it's legitimately different from a 4Runner than it is in Tacoma. I thought they were really cramming the segment, but actually after being in it. Yes, I think this is a totally different customer than the 4Runner will attract and for Toyota that's a good thing, but now of course I need to hear from you, so hit the comments below and tell me what you think of the new Land Cruiser . you're down there, don't forget to hit like, hit subscribe, hit the join button to become a member of our channel and then come back here to Truck King to see what we're testing next.

See you.