Sunday, March 31, 2024

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser First Drive Review: Brief taste shows promise, but 1958 questionable

toyota cruise

Headroom is more abundant than the 4Runner’s, while the seatback reclines generously. Cargo space suffers due to the hybrid system’s battery pack that raises the floor by roughly a hand-width, leaving a small, full-width bin at the cargo area’s trailing edge. Toyota didn’t provide cargo capacity, but considering that the Lexus GX’s third-row seat raises its cargo floor by a similar amount, I would suspect the Land Cruiser to have roughly the same 40 cubic feet. That’s huge, and the boxy shape should make cargo loading a breeze. As mentioned above, interior quality differs wildly between the 1958 and upper “Land Cruiser” trim (the First Edition is the same as the latter).

Vehicle Type

Road holding seemed to be commendable given the body-on-frame structure, off-road-oriented suspension and high-profile all-season tires. Body roll isn’t excessive, steering is precise with appropriate weighting (if there’s some added in Sport mode, I didn’t really notice), and the well-sorted damping didn’t have the body bounding about in mid-corner bumps during our drive. That said, there’s no escaping the fact it’s a body-on-frame truck. There are the telltale wiggles and jiggles over bumps, and much like the mechanically related Sequoia, I would suspect that the available 20-inch wheels may amplify that sensation. The Land Cruiser is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four and a 48-horsepower electric motor integrated with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Total system output is a respectable 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system.

Safety, Comfort & Convenience

The only wheel choice is 18 in (460 mm) allowing a lot of sidewall so the vehicle can be driven off-road without modification though a more aggressive tread pattern is advised for deep mud. Specifically, it’s a Toyota built on the increasingly ubiquitous truck platform that also underpins the Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, new 4Runner, Lexus GX and, yes, the "real" Land Cruiser sold overseas that we sort of get as the Lexus LX. The new Land Cruiser is most similar to the GX, though, which you can tell just by looking at them. The Land Cruiser obviously isn’t as lux inside, has five seats only and is exclusively offered with a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that gets laughably better fuel economy than the old Land Cruiser as well as the GX. It also doesn't offer the GX Overtrail's trick KDSS automatically disconnecting stabilizer bars, but counters with a manually disconnecting bar that contributes to the Land Cruiser living up to its off-roading heritage. The new Land Cruiser rides on a double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension equipped with twin-tube shocks and rear coil springs.

Land Cruiser

Land Cruiser’s available Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) helps you navigate varying landscapes with improved traction at different speeds. Crawl Control (CRAWL) helps take on difficult terrain by automatically modulating the throttle and brakes, so you can focus on steering. Engage Land Cruiser’s electronically locking differentials with the press of a button to distribute engine power for better traction while maneuvering through challenging terrain.

toyota cruise

The change to IFS was a first for a Land Cruiser, and was made (in combination with rack-and-pinion steering) to improve on-road handling. However, it also limited the vehicle's off-road capability and durability; hence, the decision to offer the solid-axle 105 models alongside the IFS 100 models in some markets was made. The table below identifies the range of 100 and 105 models and their worldwide availability. The 105 carried over the majority of its chassis and powertrain from the 80-series with coil suspended solid axles front and rear, and straight-6 petrol and diesel engines.

Excellent basic performance as an off-roader through adoption of the GA-F platform

However, I did not need the Off-Road Turn Assist feature, which helps the SUV to crawl around tight kinks in a trail while reducing the vehicle's turning radius to just 20 feet. Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial. R means Right-hand drive version, excluding Japanese domestic market.

Interior & Technology      Passenger & Cargo Space      Performance & Fuel Economy

The "250" series inherits the mission of supporting the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere while pursuing the reliability, durability, and off-road performance that is the DNA of the Land Cruiser. It comes with two types of powertrains to achieve powerful driving and environmental performance worthy of a Land Cruiser. The one-year-only First Edition (pictured below in beige) combines the round headlights with the rest of the upgrade Land Cruiser fascia.

Land Cruiser "250" Series

toyota cruise

That's particularly true of the excellent digital voice assistant in the Drive Connect package. In addition to its off-roading prowess, the new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser shines as a midsize SUV, offering plenty of room for five people and lots of gear in the cargo hold. Drivers can choose from five Crawl Control speed settings, and it helps by allowing you to focus on safely and successfully steering the Land Cruiser around and over obstacles without worrying about pedal modulation.

The special edition ZX "First Edition" and VX "First Edition," which were designed with the spirit of returning to the origin of the Land Cruiser, are being sold to commemorate the launch of the "250" series. The all-new "250" series was created with the role and mission of supporting people's lives by offering ease of handling based on strong off-road performance. Toyota City, Japan, April 18, 2024―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced the addition of the "250" series to the Land Cruiser lineup in Japan.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review: Cool, capable, family friendly, perhaps too pricey - Autoblog

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review: Cool, capable, family friendly, perhaps too pricey.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:15:00 GMT [source]

That is helpful in cases where a driver suffers a medical emergency or falls asleep. Proactive Driving Assist can automatically add subtle braking or steering to help you keep a safe distance from other vehicles. You might like it as long as you know what this technology is and what it does. You can turn the extra assistance on or off within the settings menu. Though my test vehicle did not have the Multi-Terrain Monitor upgrade with the off-roading cameras, outward visibility is good. You can position the driver's seat high for an excellent view forward over the low and flat hood, and it's easy to tell where the Cruiser's front corners are.

The 1958 Edition has a manual driver's seat height adjuster, but other models feature power adjustments. That trim level meant my Land Cruiser 1958 Edition lacked Toyota's Multi-Terrain Select driving modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor cameras, and a stabilizer bar disconnect system. But it had enough off-roading hardware to confirm it is capable right off the assembly line and likely serves as an excellent foundation for building an overlanding rig of your own. My test vehicle had 1958 Edition trim, commemorating the first Land Cruiser in the U.S. with retro front styling, fabric-wrapped seats, basic in-cabin technology, and a short list of standard amenities. It had no options and wore a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $57,345, including the $1,395 destination charge.

The 100 series formed the basis for the Lexus LX 470, which was also sold in Japan as the Toyota Cygnus. Part of unstoppable adventures is experiencing them to the fullest. Equipped with versatile features, Land Cruiser makes sure you can always be on the move. From capable roots rises the next generation of off-road excellence. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or aspiring explorer, Land Cruiser invites you to join the journey.

That puts the new model at a 55-horsepower deficit to the previous one, but thanks to the power of turbocharging and electric motors, the new Land Cruiser is up 64 pound-feet of torque. Towing maxes out at 6,000 pounds, a number that will come as a disappointment for many, since the previous Land Cruiser was rated for 8,100 pounds. Production of the first generation of the Land Cruiser began in 1951.[3][4][5] The Land Cruiser has been produced in convertible, hardtop, station wagon and cab chassis body styles. While the design is common, the 1958 and “Land Cruiser” trim level differ greatly in terms of interior materials, features and technology.

You might also consider the less refined Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. Every 2024 Land Cruiser gets Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard equipment. It includes the safety features you expect in a modern midsize SUV, but there is some unusual technology. I was not able to test the Toyota Audio Multimedia system extensively. However, it provides impressive performance in the company's other models as long as the connected service plan subscriptions are active.

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