- Legendary off-roader
- Good power
- Comfortable inside
- Plush ride
DISLIKES
- Wildly overpriced
- Very thirsty
- Lousy third row
- Curiously short on luxury
BUYING TIP
- This year’s new Heritage Edition comes only as a five-seater, which may be fine for most buyers.
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is a bruiser with few luxuries for the money, but we love it anyway.
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 4x4’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.
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.
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.
Styling
With its retro bits in full force this year, the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser tries to channel its rugged past.
The big 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser takes up more space than just about anything in Toyota’s lineup short of its full-size pickups, and it has looks to match. It’s curvy and chromey, and not for everyone, but we can appreciate its high stance and short overhangs.
On our scale, the 2020 Land Cruiser lands at 5 out of 10.
The Land Cruiser was designed for serious four-wheeling, which helps explain its short bumpers and high ride height. The standard running boards make it easier to get into or out of, but pro tip: they look even better when they’ve been removed.
Inside, the dash is dominated by a 9.0-inch touchscreen with a reasonably bright display. The black leather pairs with a black headliner to make this big cabin feel small, so we’d pick the warmer brown hue.
This year’s new Heritage Edition adds bronze-finish forged wheels, deletes the running boards, tweaks some exterior finishes, and adds a roof basket that may require a ladder to access.
Performance
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is seriously capable, if cumbersome in town.
There’s nowhere the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser would rather be than out exploring, even if its next adventure is a paved parking lot.
We rate the Land Cruiser at 6 out of 10, with points above average awarded for its prodigious capability and plush ride, with a point dialed back for its big-truck handling.
The 5.7-liter V-8 is rated at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque and furnishes strong acceleration, easily overcoming the nearly 6,000-pound curb weight. The 8-speed automatic transmission behaves well in many situations but is programmed to shift up with a quickness to save fuel. We’d forgive that if it actually had an impact on reducing consumption. The Cruiser is exceptionally thirsty.
It’s away from the city where the Cruiser is at its best, either as an open-road guzzler or a four-wheeling champ. High-tech off-road traction control modes and a system that grabs the inside brake to reduce the turning radius at ultra-low speeds make it far more plucky than its hefty would otherwise suggest. The few who will go on dirt road adventures in their $87,000 SUVs are to be applauded.
Comfort & Quality
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is spacious and plush, but not exactly luxurious inside.
Front-seat and second-row occupants will find a lot to like in the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser, at least once they’ve climbed aboard.
We rate the latest Land Cruiser at 8 out of 10 for its comfort and utility.
Every Land Cruiser leaves the factory with soft leather upholstery covering the first and second rows of seats. Drivers and passengers have plenty of adjustment on their heated and cooled thrones that offer an expansive view out. The second row has great space for two or even three adults in most situations and is heated. A rear-seat entertainment system with individual screens is available.
Cargo space behind row three is a reasonable 16 cubic feet with the third row upright, 43 cubes with it stowed upright, and about 82 cubic feet with the second row folded forward. The Heritage Edition has about five cubic feet more space.
Soft leather aside, the Land Cruiser’s cabin doesn’t match its nearly $90,000 price tag. Materials are more along the lines of what we’d expect to see on a Camry that sells for one third what Toyota asks for the Cruiser.
Safety
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is equipped with a decent amount of collision-avoidance tech.
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser isn’t ready to drive itself, but it can avoid collisions and keep a set distance from other cars in traffic as it guzzles down regular unleaded. We can’t assign a score here since neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has pounded one into a wall yet.
Maybe they can’t find a wall strong enough to resist the roughly 5,800-pound behemoth.
Every 2020 Land Cruiser is equipped with forward-collision warnings, automatic emergency braking that can detect pedestrians, blind-spot monitors, lane-departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control.
Active lane control isn’t on the options list, unlike many competitors. Passive crash gear includes LED headlights, traction and stability control, and 10 airbags.
Features
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is costly, and it’s missing a few things that ought to be standard.
Now available in two configurations, the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser offers more choices for buyers than it has in years. Just don’t be prepared to sort through a list of options, though.
We rate the 2020 Land Cruiser at 6 out of 10. It has the basics, but nothing we wouldn’t expect for a vehicle this expensive.
Standard fare includes leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a power moonroof, a cooler in the center console, active safety tech, a 9.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment paired with Bluetooth, USB ports, navigation, JBL speakers, and a wireless charger. You won’t find Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility, which is a shame although Toyota’s basic infotainment software is reasonably intuitive. For $2,220, Toyota adds a rear-seat entertainment system, the Cruiser’s only option other than a few paint hues.
Our pick? If you’re spending this much, go for the Heritage Edition. It’s just a shame it’s not available with the Terra Cotta interior shade.
Fuel Economy
A hybrid powertrain would help the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser explore even more distant places.
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the thirstiest new vehicles available. It’s rated by the EPA at just 13 mpg city, 17 highway, 14 combined, which earns it just 2 out of 10 points on our scale.
Those highway and combined figures are actually a tick lower than last year’s Cruiser, though we’re not entirely sure why. Maybe the EPA dinged the Heritage Edition’s big roof rack.
The only bright spot here is that Toyota recommends less-costly regular fuel for the Land Cruiser compared to the premium unleaded suggested for most competitors. That doesn’t help the Cruiser be any greener, though it’ll keep some greenbacks in your pocket.
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