2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: Full Rating Results

• After a few years away, the Toyota Land Cruiser is back for 2024.
• It's smaller and more affordable than before, with plenty of off-road capability.
• Standard hybrid powertrain gives it a distinct advantage over rivals.

Performance: 7.5

Acceleration is lackluster, given the Land Cruiser's power. At our test track, the Land Cruiser accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds. That's about a second and a half slower than competitors like the Land Rover Defender 110. You'll probably wish there was a little more power for highway passing. But for more normal driving, the hybrid powertrain is pleasingly smooth and responsive.

The Land Cruiser's real problems come under braking, where there is too much nosedive and it doesn't track straight under panic stops. The steering is a bit heavy and doesn't provide much feel for the road. The Land Cruiser's handling around turns is not particularly nimble, though it's a clear step above the hardcore off-roaders like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler in refinement. Overall off-road capability is pretty good with the electronic terrain management systems in particular well dialed in, though more ground clearance and a more aggressive set of all-terrain tires would be nice additions for owners who actually plan on hitting up trails.

Acceleration: 7.5
It takes 8.2 seconds for the Land Cruiser to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. This is weirdly 1.6 seconds slower than the Lexus GX, even though they produce similar power and have a similar weight. It seems that the hybrid powertrain starts to run out of breath after that initial burst of power, but this doesn't really manifest on the street where the Land Cruiser feels responsive and not at all underpowered. There's a bit of a disconnect between the instrumented testing numbers and how I felt about it driving on the street.

Braking: 6.5
In a panic stop, the Land Cruiser took a long 133 feet to halt from 60 mph. Under hard braking, the Land Cruiser was all over the place; watching our test driver try to control the lateral movement of the rear under antilock braking was a hoot — for me. It's much less of one if you're driving.

Steering: 7
Don't expect much feedback through the steering wheel. This is, after all, a truck that's set up to deliver on dirt or rocks. That being said, the weighting feels a touch too heavy and it makes the Land Cruiser a bit hard to maneuver in tight spaces and parking lots.

Handling: 7
The softly sprung suspension provides off-road benefits, but there are no adaptive dampers to speak of. It remains soft at all times and that means there's a good amount of body roll whenever you turn into a corner. The outside front wheel is working overtime whenever the SUV is pushed on pavement, and the Land Cruiser feels decidedly less agile than its Lexus GX counterpart.

Drivability: 7.5
I know there's a lot of negative above, but for something on a truck-based platform I think the Land Cruiser has an extra layer of refinement versus the Bronco/Wrangler crowd. It is not flattered by the GX comparison, but it's still better than the Tacoma, which rides on the same platform. The transmission feels well sorted in everyday driving, and the little kick of electric power helps it feel more agile off the line than its acceleration time would suggest. It also doesn't do that Toyota hybrid thing where the engine kicks on at like 3,000 rpm and goes BBBBBZZZRRRRZZZRR the entire time.

Off-road: 8.5
All the off-road aids have taken a leap forward in this generation of Toyotas; crawl control, Downhill Assist Control, Multi-Terrain Select — all work great. And crawl control has somehow eliminated all of those disconcerting mechanical sounds. What's holding back the Land Cruiser a bit is a lack of overall clearance, but that's something that could be easily remedied if you wanted to build one of these up with aftermarket parts. It's ripe for modification, especially the lower trims at a more affordable price point. A more aggressive set of tires would do wonders. Where it loses some shine is high-speed off-roading; there's some throttle delay that manifests as turbo lag.

Comfort: 8

For an off-road-oriented SUV, the Land Cruiser offers a pretty comfortable experience. There's some truck-like elements to its ride, but for the most part it remains well composed on rough roads. The cabin is well insulated from wind and tire noise. The front and second-row seats are supportive, with the front seats offering a nice thigh extension and plenty of adjustment. But the back seat is situated a touch low to the cabin floor, so your knees may come up from the seat a little, and taller passengers will be wishing for a bit more legroom.

Seating comfort: 8.5
Front seat comfort and support are good, with plenty of cushioning and just enough bolster to keep you in place on the trail without being intrusive. The back seat, however, is less comfortable, with a flatter back and a floor that's a touch too high. Your knees lift up from the seat bottom and make it hard to get fully settled.

Ride comfort: 8
For an off-road rig on a truck platform with all-terrain tires, it rides pretty well! Potholes and road seams get gobbled up without drama, and while the suspension might be soft, it never veers into the territory of looseness that can make passengers ill.

Climate control: 8
Fans are plenty powerful and the system can regulate the cabin's temperature quickly. We also like the well-placed physical controls for the HVAC and the seat heating/ventilation, which are easy to reach for both front passengers.

Noise and vibration: 8
The Land Cruiser exhibits some wind noise off the mirrors, and the powertrain can sound coarse at times. But otherwise, the cabin is pretty tranquil. This is impressive given the SUV's boxy body and a roof rack up top that came standard on our test vehicle.

Interior: 8

The Land Cruiser's cabin might not be as plush as when it was a nearly six-figure luxo-barge, but it's still awfully nice for a Toyota. All of the controls, including climate controls, are placed in a logical fashion and easy to reach from the driver's seat. There is plenty of adjustment range for both the driver's seat and the steering wheel to find a good seating position.

For such a large vehicle, the amount of backseat room is disappointing. Taller passengers will like the expansive headroom, but legroom is lacking and the seat cushion is a few inches too close to the floor.

Ease of use: 8.5
The cabin sports physical climate controls, a well-placed screen, easy-to-reach off-road settings, and attractive infotainment graphics. It's all great but the instrument cluster is so weird to use and doesn't give you the right information unless you're off-roading. This score could be even higher if not for the frustrating instrument panel layout.

Getting in/out: 7.5
The Land Cruiser has a fairly high step-in height and its lower two trims do come with side steps to help you get in. But the First Edition we evaluated has rock rails instead that aren't nearly as helpful. At least the grab handles are well placed, so you can help yourself up.

Driving position: 8
There's plenty of adjustment range for both the driver's seat and the steering wheel, so it's pretty easy to find a comfortable driving position. And it was easy to place the steering wheel in a spot where you can still see the instrument cluster in its entirety.

Roominess: 7
The back seat is really cramped for something this large; there's something awkward about the packaging of all of these TNGA-F hybrids from the Sequoia down to the Tacoma. There's a lot less legroom than you'd expect, though headroom is good.

Visibility: 8.5
The Land Cruiser has big windows all around, and camera systems provide a clear picture all around. The tiny side mirrors are a lot less great. But at least a blind-spot warning system is standard.

Technology: 8

Toyota's latest infotainment system stands out for its ease of use and simplicity, with an improved native navigation experience, though one that still falls short of what you get when you connect your smartphone wirelessly via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. There are plenty of USB ports spread throughout the cabin and a household-style plug as well. The wireless charging pad strangely isn't standard, so if you do get the base model it'll be smart to carry a cord for charging.

Plenty of safety technology comes standard, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and Proactive Driving Assist, which reads the road ahead and slows the Land Cruiser down automatically for curves and traffic. This system can be overreactive and you may end up shutting it off. The same thing can be said of the driver attention monitor. Because of its location on the steering column, it gets covered and beeps at you incessantly when you drive with your hand on top of the wheel. Toyota's low-speed hands-free system is optional but only works up to 25 mph and then prompts you to put your hands back on the wheel. It's easier to just leave that off as well.

Audio and navigation: 8
The navigation system's map view is clear enough, but it doesn't look as spiffy as what you get from Google Maps these days (even though the native nav system integrates Google search results). The audio system was good, but with the vehicle's price tag of around $76,000, I expected a little more.

Device integration: 9
The Land Cruiser comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there are plenty of USB ports in both rows. The optional wireless charger is located below the center stack. It's well placed for easy access, but far enough out of the way that it doesn't clutter your immediate area.

Voice controls: 8
The system is good at deciphering speech and responds quickly, though it offers fewer features than you'll find from other automakers like BMW or Mercedes-Benz (or your smartphone, for that matter).

Driver aids: 7.5
The Proactive Driving Assist system (which is made up of several different features) is a "your results may vary" proposition. Some of our editors can't stand it, but I don't find it to be too obtrusive once you know what it's doing. What's less enjoyable is the hands-free function. It only works up to 25 mph so unless you're in the worst of the worst traffic, it's constantly beeping at you and dipping in and out of operation. Also, why do they put the driver attention monitor on top of the steering column? If you drive with a hand on top of the wheel, it yells at you all the time. You end up turning off safety aids in this vehicle. Adaptive cruise control works well enough, but lane centering was a bit bouncy. In terms of raw equipment, the Land Cruiser should get a higher score, but the irritating driver-aid logic forces a downgrade.

Storage: 7

The 37.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the back seat is roomy enough for daily errands and the like, but the Land Cruiser loses some points because of the high cargo floor. Open the tailgate and you'll have to raise items about 4 inches higher than rivals to actually to get it into the cargo area, which is elevated because of the placement of the hybrid powertrain's battery. And with the seats folded, you don't get a flat cargo area either.

Small-item storage isn't great. The door pockets are merely average in size, and if you opt for the cooled box, the little fridge makes the center console storage area very small. There's not really a convenient place to put anything larger than a phone.

The Land Cruiser can tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is about average for SUVs of this size. While the four-cylinder hybrid powertrain might start to feel strained towing up a grade at higher speeds, the Land Cruiser should be able to pull a light overlanding-style camper without issue.

Cargo space: 7
There's a good amount of cargo storage behind the second row (37.5 cubic feet) but with the placement of the battery, getting stuff into the back of the LC is a challenge. It's also unfortunate that when the second-row seats are folded, you don't get a flat load floor; if you want to sleep in the back of the LC, you'll need to find a solution for the hump.

Small item storage: 6.5
There aren't a ton of places to place your bits and bobs, and it's even worse with the cooler box installed. Yes, you get a mini fridge, but it's a small storage space. At least the wireless charging pad is in a good spot and there's a place to keep your phone, but there's nothing for a small bag.

Car seat accommodation: 7.5
Each rear seat has a LATCH tether located halfway up the seatback. The lower anchors are hidden beneath a flap that folds down for easy access. Fitting a car seat isn't bad, as there's lots of room vertically to get a seat in and move around it as needed. Given the lack of tandem room, placing a rear-facing child seat will likely require moving the front seat forward.

Towing: 7
The Land Cruiser can tow a maximum of 6,000 pounds — solid, but not class-leading. Given the engine's lack of highway oomph, heavy trailers might start to strain the experience. But a light overlanding setup shouldn't be an issue.

Value: 7.5

Even with the major price and size drop for this new generation of Land Cruiser, it's hard to say it offers great value. The starting price is still quite high, and there are vehicles that offer more capability than the Land Cruiser at a slightly lower price. But the Toyota does have a nicely appointed interior with great build quality, and the lower trim levels could be built up to be more capable without too much trouble.

Build quality: 8.5
This new SUV has great build quality, with no squeaks or rattles anywhere, and a nice selection of materials. It's not as cushy as the previous-generation Land Cruiser, but it's also smaller and cheaper. The fact that we were able to put it up against the mechanically related Lexus GX and it didn't feel out of place was a pleasant surprise.

Cost: 7.5
I'm a bit split here. The low end of the Land Cruiser lineup is aggressively priced, while the First Edition is nearly $20,000 more and isn't appreciably different from the midtier model with the optional Premium package.

Fuel economy: 7.5
The Land Cruiser's hybrid powertrain gives it better fuel economy than most of its off-road competition, with an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in combined driving. It does require premium fuel, however, which eats into the savings you'll get at the pump.

Warranty: 7
Toyota offers a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, which is standard for the segment.

Ownership: 7.5
Toyota provides two years of roadside assistance, and the first two scheduled services (to be completed in the first two years or 25,000 miles) are complimentary.

Wildcard: 9

Toyota nailed the styling on the Land Cruiser. It harkens back to the aesthetic that defined Cruisers of old while still bringing something new and fresh to the table. And the old-school Toyota logo with the round headlights is a fantastic touch. Driving it on road, the Land Cruiser can feel a bit tame but once it hits the dirt the whole package makes more sense.

Fun-to-drive: 7.5
The Land Cruiser isn't exactly fun to drive on the pavement. But off-road it definitely comes alive. Toyota's off-road/overlanding know-how is on full display here.

Personality: 9
I love the styling. I think it's exactly the right amount of retro while still having some modernization. It looks fantastic to me and I'm a sucker for the old-school Toyota logo.

Overall Rating: 7.9

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser's new form has not dented its appeal. Its standard full-time four-wheel drive and many standard off-road features make it ready to tackle an overlanding adventure right off the lot. Its hybrid powertrain returns good mpg too. Drawbacks include a lack of interior cargo and rear passenger space. But as a heritage-themed and generally cool SUV, the latest Land Cruiser fully delivers.

Edmunds says

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a more refined alternative to the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler, but this off-road SUV still has the hardware to take you far off the beaten path.