2020 Toyota Land Cruiser

Price as tested: $84,000

Engine: 5.7 Liter V8 // 381 Horsepower and 401 Torque

MPG as observed: 13

Text: Yousef Alvi // Photography: Alexander Grant

It’s been a year since I drove the LX570 and I came away from that truck feeling disappointed. The LX series is a bit of a misnomer to me because it’s trying to be something that fundamentally it isn’t. The LX isn’t a Range Rover no matter how hard it tries. The Rover has always had better on road dynamics with excellent off-road capabilities. The LX, on the other hand, still has all the off-road tech but it’s on road dynamics is lackluster.

This Land Cruiser is different. Yes I know the LX and the Land Cruiser are pretty much the same vehicle but the Land Cruiser feels different. It feels better. It feels pure. Because it isn’t trying to be something else. It’s just being a Land Cruiser.

The beloved Land Cruiser is in a category in and of itself. Oh sure you can lump it in with a Yukon or Expedition but those two vehicles feel, drive and operate differently. They are made to haul people and things first and foremost. The Land Cruiser is designed to be with your until the end of time. It is engineered to get you into and out of any place safely and securely. It is meant to be your guard dog in a uncertain world.

Stepping inside a Land Cruiser is akin to stepping inside a bulletproof vest. You feel isolated, you feel secure, you feel impenetrable. That’s makes the Land Cruiser so special. It’s a sense that you can (if you need) tackle anything the road throws at you.

On the road the Land Cruiser just feels special. You have a sense of invincibility behind the wheel that is missing from all other vehicles on the road. Are there boulders in your way? Just go down the embankment and go around the other-side. Are there fallen branches in your way? Just go through them. Is there a blizzard? Psh, climb in, put the seat heaters on and get that gallon of milk for your kids. Zombie apocalypse? Perfect vehicle. Just mow them down. Nothing will get in your way. Nothing will stop you from getting where you need to get in a Toyota Land Cruiser. That is what makes it so damn special.

The drivetrain of this 2020 Land Cruiser reads like a throwback of yesteryear. Powered by a 5.7 Liter V8, bolted to a 8 speed auto and a Full Time 4WD system. The Land Cruiser is every bit of old school cool you can muster. Are there better modern day drivetrains? Oh sure they are. The EcoBoost’ed Expeditions delivers gobs of low down torque, infinitely better gas mileage and better horsepower as well. But it also sounds like a misfiring weed whacker. Where this has a glorious V8 burble and sound along with the old school V8 gas mileage as well. We were lucky to get anything over 15 mpg in our time but it’s forgivable considering that Land Cruiser was never meant to be eco-efficient.

The cabin is also a flashback in time but in a good way. Instead of fake floating LCD screens everywhere…you have buttons and knobs, physical real controls! Why does that make me so happy? Because it means you learn the instrument panel instinctively. You develop muscle memory reaching for your HVAC controls instead of glancing over every time. It’s not only safer (your eyes don’t leave the road) but it helps build an emotional and tactile bond to the vehicle.

Moving on from the controls, the cabin is adorned with soft leather and squishy panels all over. It feels like it is meant to stand up to the ravages of time. The second row is decently roomy, unfortunately the seats do not slide fore or aft to increase room. The third row is there…but not really useful to be honest. But overall, the interior reminds me of an old Victorian mansion. It works then, it works now and just makes you feel better about yourself.

So on to the bad. The standard Toyota issues of low resolution infotainment screen and laughably bad cameras are still ever present. You have the aforementioned horrendous gas mileage and that’s about it.

So what do I think of the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser? It’s a humble beast of burden that will forever have your back no matter what life throws at you. That’s the Land Cruiser. That’s what makes it so damn special.