I took Toyota's 2025 Land Cruiser out for a second look ― and loved it more

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Is it genuine love, or perhaps love at first glance? I’m recounting my encounters with fresh vehicles following a period of several days spent using them or reassessing them after waiting a few months.

Car of the week: The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicle The brand’s most senior truck designation. I covered this topic back in April.

What it is: The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser is a large four-door SUV designed for up to five passengers, equipped with a standard hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive. First introduced in 1958, this iconic vehicle received an update with a hybrid system when it was released as part of the 2024 lineup. This latest version shares fundamental architecture with the Tundra and Tacoma trucks along with the 4Runner SUV.

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What amount will you be paying for the Toyota Land Cruiser?

The starting price is $56,700. For the Land Cruiser FE model I evaluated, the sticker price was $75,430. These prices do not include a $1,395 destination fee.

How's it selling?

In 2024, Toyota sold 29,113 Land Cruiser vehicles.

The thing I enjoyed the most when I initially drove a Land Cruiser was its performance.

During a short off-road trial last year, the Land Cruiser's hybrid powertrain demonstrated impressive performance on rugged, untarred paths. It comes with several off-road enhancements such as locking rear and central differentials along with a disengaging front sway bar. Its compact dimensions render it more maneuverable on trails and simpler to park compared to bigger SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition.

Just in case you didn’t catch it: Toyota hints at introducing a more affordable compact electric SUV.

Land Cruiser competitors

  • Chevrolet Tahoe
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee
  • Ford Expedition
  • Nissan  Armada

What I adore about this Toyota at present

The Land Cruiser seems prepared for all sorts of adventures. Packed with sophisticated off-road capabilities, it also serves as a comfy everyday ride — handling bumpy roads effortlessly. Inside, the cabin offers ample space and high-quality finishes, featuring both traditional knobs and switches alongside a large 12.3-inch touchscreen interface and digital assistance. Additional perks like an optional JBL sound system make it even more appealing. This spacious SUV comes at a premium price tag which escalates quickly depending on added amenities.

What improvements could possibly be made to this Toyota SUV?

Even though the 2.5L turbocharged hybrid engine is fuel-efficient, it requires premium gas to reach its advertised performance and mileage. This makes operating costs higher compared to the V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which operates efficiently with regular fuel according to EPA estimates.

During my testing, Apple CarPlay occasionally failed to function properly, even though it had connected smoothly at first.

Things I'm uncertain about concerning the Land Cruiser

The dimensions and cost of the Land Cruiser come quite close to Toyota’s 4Runner SUV , introduced this year and somewhat larger than the Land Cruiser, Toyota’s top-tier SUV. Is it necessary for Toyota to have two SUVs that are so comparable?

Main characteristics of the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV

  • Seats five
  • Rear- or four-wheel drive
  • Standard hybrid power: 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque
  • 6,000 pounds towing
  • 2.4-liter turbocharged powerplant, Eight-speed automated gearbox
  • Predicted fuel efficiency: 22 mpg in-city/25 mpg on highways/23 mpg overall.

Reach out to Mark Phelan at 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com . Follow him on X @ mark_phelan . Read more on autos and register for our autos newsletter . Become a subscriber .

The article initially appeared in theDetroit Free Press. I gave Toyota's 2025 Land Cruiser another test drive and enjoyed it even more this time around.

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