• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, January 16, 2025

Photo credit: Tanya Gazdik/MediaPost

I hadn’t been behind the wheel of the Toyota Land Cruiser in many years and was pleasantly surprised at what a stellar vehicle the latest edition is. 

There’s a reason the Land Cruiser was recently chosen as one of the category winners (4x4 and pick-up) for the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year — it checks many ‘Best Vehicle’ boxes. It won’t surprise me at all if it beats out the winners of the other categories to become top vehicle, it’s that good. 

The judges call it a “classically styled off-road vehicle, with a robust chassis made of longitudinal beams and cross-members. Toyota has increased the suspension travel and articulation and thus the vehicle's off-road efficiency. The introduction of electric steering assist has enabled the inclusion of safety systems such as lane keeping.”

Indeed, the safety systems were plentiful in the model I test drove. Unfortunately, they were part of the $4,600 premium package which added considerably to the vehicle’s $61,950 base price. Other options on the tested vehicle included 20-inch alloy wheels ($1,240), a two-tone roof ($350) and crossbars ($560). 

All in, the test vehicle retails for $70,589, which seems compatible with the level of technology and the high-end designer interior. 

It’s extremely off-road capable with features such as multi-terrain select and crawl control with downhill assist control. 

I didn’t get to experience those features this past week, but I did put it through the paces on snow-covered roads and frigid temperatures and it behaved like a champ. I felt very secure and comfortable in the refined cabin with heated seats, heated steering wheel and killer JBL premium audio system. 

Notably, the Land Cruiser still looks good dirty, as evidenced in the photo above.  It’s one thing for a vehicle to look sharp when it’s fresh out of a car wash, but if can still hold up after a week in dirty snow, that’s saying a lot. 

It might have something to do with the exterior color, which is “Smoky Blue,” which is not quite Honolulu Blue, which for a Detroit Lions fan would make it even better. 

Since Toyota is an NFL partner, it might be kind of cool if its designers offered a few NFL team-related colors, come to think of it. As it stands, Toyota has not bought a spot for the Big Game, but will have a part in the celebration with an activation at the Super Bowl Fan Fest and at the media center in New Orleans.

I loved the huge cargo area, but was not a fan of the rise in the far rear end — it would make loading large items more labor intensive.  There’s also an unhelpful 3-inch drop-off and gap between the second-row seats when folded flat and the rest of the rear cargo area.  

I suppose it’s something an owner would get used to, but as someone who hauls dog crates around as a volunteer rescue transport driver, it would be challenging to make it work.

I usually can get by with under a tank of gas each week, but I had to top off the Land Cruiser with a quick gas station trip. 

As a super-heavy, off-road capable vehicle, you would’t expect stunning gas mileage, but thanks to the 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder iForce Max hybrid powertrain, the 2024 model offers 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway for a respectable 23 mpg combined.  That’s a huge improvement over the 2021 model, which was the last generation and had an appalling 14 mpg combined (13 city/17 highway). 

Unfortunately the Land Cruiser takes premium gas, which is currently about $1.10 per gallon more expensive than regular in Detroit. But I’ve said it before: Consumers who are shopping for $70k+ vehicles probably aren’t too concerned about spending a little more for gas.