The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is an immense SUV with serious four-wheel-drive capability, with an off-road heritage unmatched by most rivals. It’s not exceptionally well-suited to urban or even suburban life, but that’s part of this big 4×4’s charm.
We rate it 5.4 out of 10, a score earned by a combination of its spacious interior, off-roady bits, and dismal fuel economy. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
This year, the Land Cruiser comes in two trims—base and a new Heritage Edition that drops the third row and running boards and swaps in special 18-inch wheels and a roof basket. Nab a Heritage Edition fast as Toyota plans to build a limited number.
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Underhood, all Land Cruisers use a thirsty but strong 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 that teams with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The Cruiser’s arsenal of four-wheeling bits include a multi-mode traction control system, crawl control that allows the truck to lope along at a walking pace, and a trick system that reduces the turning radius in tight spots.
None of that does the 2020 Land Cruiser any favors around town, where it’s a lumbering, but quick and soft-riding beast. Its passengers will find themselves in a spacious, airy cabin not as decadent as the nearly $ 90,000 price tag suggests, as long as they’re not in the available third row. The cargo hold is accessed through a split tailgate that powers a section upward at the tap of a button and folds the bottom into what’s either a convenient bench for tailgating or a hefty reachover, depending on your perspective.
Every Land Cruiser comes reasonably well outfitted with active safety gear, a 9.0-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, heated and cooled front seats, and a moonroof, but don’t look for Apple or Android compatibility, a honkin’ sound system, or swanky open-pore wood trim.
The 2020 Land Cruiser is hard to recommend for most shoppers who would be better suited in a Mercedes-Benz GLS or even a Range Rover, but that’s part of the non-conformist appeal that’s made the Cruiser a legend in its own time.
