We’re coming at you hard with new Land Cruiser content. In July, Jeff posted a video of his first encounter with a Land Cruiser, and Ross followed it up with a comprehensive review. Those were top-spec First Editions, and Toyota just sent us the base trim 1958. You can expect a companion video review of the 1958 from my companion Kamil coming soon. For now, strap in to see how I got along with the base Cruiser during a week of daily driving and one Pittsburgh hockey tournament.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Overview

Ross and Jeff already ran you through the wickets on what each series of Land Cruiser means. The biggest deal was that this LC is based on the 250 series. That means it is more similar to the Lexus GX than the larger 300 Series Land Cruiser sold overseas. Yadda, yadda, yadda, some fans are complaining. Personally, I don’t care. The last Land Cruiser was sold in the U.S. in 2001 and was big, heavy, and expensive. So when Toyota announced the rebooted Land Cruiser would be a bit smaller and cheaper, my interest was piqued.

This is where I usually show the Toyota site to illustrate the differences in trim. I will also do that here, but Toyota already switched to the 2025 site, so the First Edition is no longer with us. It was pricey, starting at around $75,000, but came pretty loaded. There’s likely a joke in there about being pricey and loaded, but I’ll let it go.

The differences between 2024 and 2025 are negligible. The 2024 1958 trim came pretty well-equipped with interior features like:

• Cloth upholstery with manually adjustable front seats
• Heated front seats and wheel
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Eight-inch infotainment screen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Household power outlet

It is built to leave the pavement as well, with standard stuff like:

• Underbody protective skid plates
• Underbody-mounted full-size spare tire
• Locking rear differential
• Crawl control

Our Cruiser tester came with more than just the standard equipment. Toyota added some kit to make it a little beefier, including additional skid plates and a cool roof rack.

All of those extras add $2,634 to the bottom line. You’re looking at just under $60,000 out the door sans dealer markups. Let’s find out if the 2024 Land Cruiser 1958 felt like a sixty-grand experience.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 Inside & Out

First, let’s start with the looks. The front end is the most significant difference between the 1958 and the higher “Land Cruiser” trim. Toyota couldn’t quite decide which part of the Land Cruiser’s heritage to honor. Should it get a round or rectangular headlight design? Not to worry, they went with both. You can check out the side-by-side above. I happened upon a Land Cruiser at a Toyota dealer and parked up beside it. I am by no means a Land Cruiser purist or aficionado, though my parents did bring me home from the hospital after I was born in one—or so they say; I don’t remember. I find the 1958 considerably better looking than the non-1958, but your results may vary.

The overall design is beefy but clean, without all the extra lines and fussy details on most new cars. The side features large wheel arches that should accommodate impressive tire and wheel combos for off-roaders. One main character line flows down the beltline, and everything else looks purposeful and robust. It’s a great design.

The interior is solid, with a few chunky buttons added to a typical Toyota SUV interior. The seats make a great first impression; they look great and come with just enough bolstering to keep you situated during off-road outings. Overall, ergonomics are typical Toyota, unlike recent test vehicles.

The criticisms were minor. When you are in lower-light situations, but your lights aren’t on yet, you can’t see what each HVAC button does that well. Also, I’m surprised it doesn’t have wireless charging based on the price. I think it’s just a feature that I’ve grown to expect on most press cars, but I guess you’re getting a lot of other capabilities instead.

The smaller Prado size does affect the rear seat room, which is just 26.7 inches. It’s okay, but families must ensure it’s enough. Cargo space is generous, with 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row. You’ll have to hike your pumpkins up a few more inches due to the elevated floor, which houses the hybrid batteries.

Let’s get this thing out on the open road and see how it fared.

(6 am tunnels are the best tunnels; just make sure no one is behind you)

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 On The Road

All trim levels of the new Land Cruiser get a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a hybrid system. Combined, they produce 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Four-wheel drive and an eight-speed transmission are standard on all three trims. It’s not all that quick. The 1958 weighs in at 5,038 pounds, a lot to haul around. Most mags have the 0-60 at over eight seconds, but it was perfectly fine for daily driving and highway merging.

The Land Cruiser is a treat during daily school runs and errands. It’s large but pretty easy to park. It made a complete U-turn where I parked in front of the house without turning it into a three-point turn. I could have just attacked the curb with the 245/70R18 tires, but I don’t want my neighbors to hate me.

I packed up the Cruiser and headed to Pittsburgh from D.C. for a hockey tournament. On the highway, the windshield or the roof rack produced some wind noise. It wasn’t any worse than any of the Jeep Wranglers I’ve owned, but it was noticeable. Otherwise, it was pretty comfortable. I loved how my hand was able to rest on the shifter; it is a perfect height ahead of the center console. I don’t like that my hand can’t fit into the bottom of the steering wheel. There is a big chunk of black plastic covering it for some reason. Minor gripes, the 1958 rode well, and the four-hour drive flew by.

It only looks like I went off-roading. This was just a scenic spot in Pennsylvania that I happened across on the way up to Pittsburgh.

During my week with the Cruiser, hearing how other people reacted to it was interesting. I overheard someone at Cars and Coffee talking about how good-looking it was. I also got a great compliment from the UPS driver, who asked me what it was noted how much he liked the styling. I parked it next to a few other vehicles for size comparison, including a 4Runner, a Wrangler, and my Stelvio.

Summary

What’s interesting is how the new Land Cruiser compares to the old one in terms of size. It looks significantly smaller, yet the 2021 model was only an inch longer. The two are about the same width and the new LC is actually just over two inches taller than the old one. All that, and the 2024 weighs 777 pounds less than the 2021.

Whether it lands well with Land Cruiser purists is to be determined. The two I know were both super excited to see it for the first time. I even got a picture texted from a friend in Portland of his Cruiser parked next to a new one.

Bigger questions will remain about the long-term success of the Land Cruiser. How will it compete with the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler? It has a higher starting price, so perhaps it’s more in line with the Land Rover Defender? I predict success. It’s a fantastic package, a great size, and it seems very capable.