2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Review & Test Drive

Toyota is no stranger to creating vehicles that are versatile in being reliable road-going transportation and having the ability to go off-roading without compromise. The Land Cruiser, long known for being one of the great multipurpose SUVs that championed a dedicated following for decades, has returned in a different form that, even though it is smaller than before, still brings off-roading quality mixed with being a formidable SUV.

Performance and Driving Character

The heritage of Toyota is alive and well in the latest Land Cruiser, which was fully redesigned for the 2024 model year. In its smaller size, there’s still a lot to appreciate in what you expect in a Toyota, starting with the clever approach of utilizing a hybrid powertrain for the new Land Cruiser. Such a hybrid powertrain, something that Toyota has mastered for many decades, finds a home in the Land Cruiser as a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine assisted by two electric motors to produce together a total of 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That power is directed through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

All Land Cruisers get full-time all-wheel-drive, and for those looking to go off-road, there’s the benefit of having a center locking differential as well as a rear locking diff. In Toyota fashion, there are plenty of drive modes for off-roading adventures where you have a low-range gearing, crawl-control system, and hill-descent control. One of the limiting factors here is the tires, where Toyota doesn’t necessarily offer an off-roading trim nor off-roading tires to couple with the remarkable and capable drivetrain. I’d imagine there are plenty of aftermarket avenues to discover to outfit a new Land Cruiser with hardcore off-roading add-ons and tires, in addition to Toyota potentially offering such in future option packages. For now, there are just two trim levels, which are distinctive in their front-end design, with the base Land Cruiser 1958 trim having the two prominent circle LED headlights, while my up-leveled Land Cruiser test vehicle gets a rectangular setup and unique Rigid Industries color-selectable (white or yellow) LED fog lights.

On the road, the Land Cruiser feels just as it looks, with a respectable ride quality from fixed-rate dampers that’s hardly upset until you start to push it hard into turns, as you can only imagine. Here, doing such quickly gets you understeer, and the stability control steps in surprisingly softly to keep things from being abruptly unsettled. Fundamentally, the body roll can be concerning for some, as there’s plenty of it along with some questionable body dive upon heavy braking, which tends to extend the braking distance. However, the hybrid system, taking from the long lineage of hybrid know-how, proves to be mostly seamless in its operation and driving ability. There are no noticeable hiccups, but there are seldom delays in power added from the electric motors to the turbocharged gas engine firing up. Otherwise, it just works and works to the point of giving the Land Cruise ample torque and hardly ever wanting additional power. While the Land Cruiser borrows a similar drivetrain setup from the new Tacoma, there’s something special about how the Land Cruiser feels more substantial in its approach to performance from the powertrain. Zero to 60 mph takes place in about 7.7 seconds. If you’re comparing it at all to the twin-turbo V6-powered Lexus GX 550 chassis-mate of the Land Cruiser, there’s a lot more oomph to be found in the Lexus, but there’s still a decent get-up-and-go feeling to the Land Cruiser that doesn’t take away much for its off-roading capability. Towing is rated at 6,000 pounds.

Fuel Economy

Fuel economy can be extended slightly beyond the EPA estimates of 22 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. Use of the hybrid system to crawl around town can grant you better figures, but expect them to nearly match the consistent EPA figures in the real world without giving your driving style much thought. The smaller 17.9-gallon fuel tank full of required premium unleaded will give you a highway cruising range of about 447 miles.

Interior and Technology

Toyota has done well with its latest iteration of tech and infotainment equipment. With a solid footing in their newest system, the Land Cruiser uses a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, much larger than the 8-inch standard setup in the base Land Cruiser 1958 trim. While both setups utilize the same software integration, there’s a lot more to appreciate in the larger screen and in the many physical buttons and toggles for the three-zone automatic climate control. I also welcome the integration of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with having a wireless smartphone charging pad.

The interior of the new Land Cruiser, just like its new smaller size, plays down from the previous generation as a more basic space. That’s not to say the interior is overly cheap, it’s just not as plush as we found in the outgoing generations, where things were a lot closer to its Lexus counterpart. There are still several soft touch surfaces and just about contrast from the dashboard to the seats to add some visual appeal but nothing to the level of being luxurious.

The seating areas are comfy and ideal for such a type of vehicle. However, just like the new Lexus GX 550 I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, the front seating areas have a rather narrow tunnel for your legs, and those who may be as tall as I am at 6-feet or more may find their legs rubbing into the sides of the seating area. The rear seats provide a good amount of space and decent headroom, taking advantage of the tall stature of the Land Cruiser. The cargo space is good and on par with competitors, but you must contend with a floor rise over the hybrid battery that somewhat impedes the ability to lift cargo into the space. Moreover, folding the back seats does not provide a completely flat loading floor.

Safety

Toyota sticks with the expected tradition of equipping several active safety features as part of the latest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite, which bundles up lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitor, forward collision warning/emergency braking, front/rear cross-path detection/rear emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights. One feature I do enjoy often enough is Toyota’s 360-degree camera system that gives you a virtual look of what’s under the vehicle, which proves beneficial for slow off-roading adventures. Moreover, I welcome the digital rearview mirror, which displays a camera feed of the rear in place of the traditional view out back from  your rearview mirror – though, the image is mostly a direct representation of what you see out back window and may take time for some to get used to the depth perception of the mirror display.

Pricing

Toyota isn’t shy about proving its worth, and it shows in many of the pricing structures of late in remaining on par with competitors. The new Land Cruiser 1958 trim starts at $57,200 before any fees or options. Moving to the top Land Cruiser trim, the price starts at $63,275. Adding on optional 20-inch alloy wheels, a feature-packed Premium Package, a two-tone roof, a liftgate light, and a processing and handling fee of $1,450, the price of my test vehicle comes to $70,285.

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

Starting Price: $63,275 / as-tested $70,285
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon/SUV, Hybrid

Powertrain

Engine: Turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.4L inline-4 + permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor; 0.9-kWh air-cooled NiMH battery
Horsepower: 326 hp (combined)
Torque: 465 lb-ft (combined)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Fuel Economy & Range

EPA Fuel Economy: 23 mpg combined / 22 mpg city / 25 mpg highway
Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.9 gallons
Range (City/Highway): — / 447 miles
Fuel Type: Premium Unleaded

Brakes

Brake Type: 4-wheel vented disc
Front Brakes: 13.4 in vented discs
Rear Brakes: 12.3 in vented discs

Exterior Dimensions

Wheelbase: 112.2 in
Length: 196.5 in
Width: 78.0 in
Height: 76.2 in
Seating Capacity: 5 passengers

Cargo & Weight

Trunk Space: 38.0 cu ft behind second row (82.0 cu ft max)
Curb Weight: 5,639 lbs.

Read More