Toyota Land Cruiser fans are nothing if not loyal. Such an enthusiastic group is unsurprisingly extremely defensive of its beloved nameplate, and that leads to wide skepticism when a new model arrives. All-new for 2024, the newest Land Cruiser lives for the first time on the “light duty” Prado platform, a move that makes it one of the most divisive Cruisers ever. Yet the brand has bestowed its highest family honor and designation upon this 250 Series, so it must feel like a real Land Cruiser, right?
200 –> 250
Land Cruiser fanatics are quick to point out that the new 250 Series Land Cruiser isn’t a “heavy duty” model in line with its 200 Series predecessor, the model it effectively replaces in the USA. That’s despite the 200 being a “station wagon” product and not a real HD one, while the global Prado retains the “light duty” branding. So with the 250 sharing its platform with the Lexus GX550 and not the 300 Series Land Cruiser sold in other places around the globe, and despite these vehicles plus the Toyota pickups living on the TNGA-F (GA-F) platform, Land Cruiser fanatics are still being excruciatingly critical of Toyota’s decision.
That’s not the only controversy. In place of the 200’s 5.7-liter V8 is a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid setup for added power and efficiency. It makes 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft. of torque, down a not unnoticeable 55 horses from the eight cylinder powerplant but up 64 lb-ft. Power matters as much as weight, and the 2024 Land Cruiser is about 800 pounds lighter than the 200 was at its end. It’s noticeable in every bit of how the vehicle accelerates, brakes, corners, responds to inputs, and so on. Of course, the mark of a successful Land Cruiser is its longevity, so the jury is still out on whether this modern powertrain is up to long-term snuff.
Still looks like a Cruiser
Something that isn’t a controversy– or at least not as much so– is the 250’s styling. Everyone that happened upon it while it was in my care commented on how great it looks; people see FJ Cruiser in the roof and headlights, Defender in some of the three-quarter angles, and yet it resoundingly, unmistakably, is instantly recognizable as a Land Cruiser. The 200 Series came out of the gate bulbous and bland; the 250 is anything but.
Some things are worse though: The tailgate no longer is split, meaning it only opens upward. Even the pop-open glass doesn’t compensate for the lack of the drop-down portion. The cargo area is also compromised by the hybrid system’s battery pack that lives where a third-row seat would be.
Sme things are unquestionably better, like the fuel efficiency. The 200 would average around 13 MPG in normal everyday use; greater than 15 MPG was a masterclass in hypermiling. 20 MPG was effectively impossible. In my time with the 250, I saw a computer-indicated 18.4 MPG. That driving included a fair share of idling, a bunch of hard acceleration runs to test the new powerplant, and roughly a 50/50 split between city and highway. With little effort it would be possible to surpass 20 MPG average; on a road trip, I have no doubt it would exceed this.
Other fantastic pieces that are self-explanatory: The visibility is excellent, the seats are very comfortable, it cruises with ease, and despite its body-on-frame architecture it rides quite well over horrid city street surfaces. The Land Cruiser just makes going places more enjoyable, and though Land Cruisers have always been about the destination more than the journey, it does that old Land Cruiser thing in making the journey itself a total non-thought or issue.
Dollars and sense
And there’s the price: The top-rung First Edition seen here has a base price of $74,950 and a total MSRP of $76,825, twenty grand over the base 1958 model’s $55,950 starting price. “Land Cruiser” becomes the top trim for 2025, with a price of $62,450. The 2021 model started at $87,030; the send-off Heritage Edition ran that price to just shy of $90k. That’s unquestionably part of the reason Toyota was selling only 3,000 or so Land Cruisers each year during the 200’s run. The 250’s new pricing strategy alone will lure in buyers who otherwise would have found the Land Cruiser out of reach. Take that, inflation.
But this isn’t a comparison test between the 200 and 250, so let’s answer the question at hand: Does the 2024 Land Cruiser live up to its name at the moment? It deserves a “yes” in that regard. It feels robust, like it can get you through the apocalypse, and as if it were built to a higher standard than the traditional Toyota. But really, all of the complaints about hard plastic are unfounded; you rarely if ever touch these points in the vehicle, and as-is they’ll last a lot longer than soft-touch materials. Some will say I’m defending Toyota on what are likely cost-cutting choices, but looking beyond the factory warranty is always important for Land Cruiser buyers.
Speaking of, let’s circle back to that powertrain. Historically, Toyota has built extremely reliable engines and powertrains, hybrids and EVs included. Look at all of the 300,000-mile Prius examples out there running around as taxis or Ubers for proof. Toyota wouldn’t have put a hybrid powertrain in the Land Cruiser if it didn’t have faith in it. It’s a pretty seamless system in its electric-to-gas changeover, too. Is it aurally pleasing as a V8? No. Good, got that out of the way.
Land Cruiser 250 in the real world
Ignoring the sometimes rough-sounding four-cylinder’s noise, the 2024 Land Cruiser is simply a pleasure to drive and spend time in. It’s easily manageable in tight city parking lots yet equally comfortable out on the open road, and the cabin is thought out and set up in a way that makes everything easy to use and interact with, even considering how much tech is on board. Ingress and egress are easy, hustling it through the corners is surprisingly drama-free, and though it’s not as well-behaved as the Land Rover Defender, the Land Cruiser feels refreshingly simple compared to the onslaught of tech happening in its British rival.
Things we’d like to see? Maybe a way to circumnavigate the loss of cargo space, and maybe the addition of a locking front differential. The base 1958 trim could use more color combinations, and it would be nice to not have to fill the tank with Premium fuel. Other than that, very few notes except that I’d love to off-road one the way it’s meant to be. This press vehicle had obviously had some miles of beating on under its belt; skid plate scratches, missing aero dam pieces, and scratches on the sides of the vehicle tell the story. We approve.
Before wrapping up this review, I want to be fully transparent: I’m a huge Toyota 4×4 fanatic. I bought my first Toyota 4×4, a 2005 4Runner, in 2017 and documented it here on Hooniverse. A 2018 4Runner followed, then there was another 2005 4Runner (this time with a V8), and now I own a 2018 Lexus GX460 which is a J150-Series Land Cruiser Prado underneath. My first 4Runner kicked off my love of Toyota 4x4s, but it was time spent with a 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown and all of my interactions with the Toyota 4×4/off-road enthusiast community that sealed the deal. Even my off-road podcast frequently covered Toyota 4x4s.
Is it a real Land Cruiser?
And so it’s only right that I’m not taking this new Land Cruiser’s importance lightly. In the eyes of the Toyota 4WD world, the Land Cruiser is the pinnacle of durability, longevity, and trouble-free years of motoring. With that, it’s too soon to call this 250 a success or not; we won’t know for years if it’s got the chops to make it worthy of its storied nameplate.
What I can say for certain is that the 2024 Land Cruiser First Edition is a hell of an SUV, and out of the gate it feels like a hell of a Land Cruiser. It’s a new iteration of such, and while it’s different from the Land Cruiser we’ve come to know over the last couple decades, its modern form makes for perhaps the best all-around Land Cruiser yet.
Yay
- Looks the part
- Feels and drives like it’ll survive along with the cockroaches
- Relatively, comparatively fuel efficient
- Great visibility, seats, and comfort
Nay
- Hybrid battery consumes cargo space
- Requires premium fuel
- Some inevitable overlap with the 6th gen 4Runner (not to mention GX550)
The takeaway
All-new for the first time since 2009, the 2024 Land Cruiser feels like a truly fresh take on the nameplate in both concept and execution. It’s a welcome change in most cases, and this feels like a right– if not controversial– step into the future (i.e., modern times) for the Land Cruiser nameplate.
Because the 2024 Land Cruiser marks a big departure from the model’s existence before, I asked some 4×4 communities if they had questions about the new 250. Below I’ll do my best to answer the few that came up.
- How noisy is the roof rack? The Lexus one on the GX has constant noise above 45mph. Thx
- The roof rack isn’t silent but it’s not loud by any means. I only heard it when above 70 MPH or when a cross-wind hit the vehicle hard.
- Is this one equipped with the new e-KDSS? I’m really curious how that compares to the version in our trucks. How’s it perform crossing speed bumps at an angle and other low-speed and off-camber bumps? I don’t mind getting tossed around in the trails, but that’s one place our rigs really remind me of their true nature when cruising around the city.
- The Land Cruiser doesn’t have KDSS– that’s exclusive to Lexus and the GX– but I’ll answer regardless. It still gives you that back-and-forth bumping that’s inescapable in body-on-frame vehicles. I didn’t have a 200 Series to compare it to, but it’s noticeably (and unsurprisingly) better in this regard than my modified GX460.
- Does the hybrid and turbo-4 combination feel strong enough to motivate a 2.5-ton SUV?
- Yes, it sure does. More than horsepower, torque is the name of the game here. The 2.4-hybrid setup is more responsive and better to interact with than the drivetrain in any other Land Cruiser I’ve driven.
- Does it feel more like a Prado (i.e., “light-duty” J150) or a 200?
- The 250 feels like where the two meet.