Review: 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser
Note: We’ve been stockpiling reviews in anticipation of a new review tool we developed. It’s on hold while we scrounge up some cash, so we’re going to start posting these in the meantime.
Years ago, having never really thought about Land Cruisers all that much, I came across a social media post from restomod genius Jonathan Ward of Icon where he was inveighing against the state of the American market Land Cruiser, the 200. Too big, too heavy, too expensive, too luxurious. If Toyota wanted him to help them set things right, he’d be happy to, he said. He definitely said something like that. I just spent a almost a month with a 250-series and it feels like maybe someone at Toyota saw that post, too.
The new Land Cruiser is smaller, cheaper and less luxurious than the outgoing 200-series it replaced. The powertrain is a little gruff and uneven, agricultural compared to the old V8 in the last one, which was among the very best luxury off-roaders ever made. All of that makes the new one a better Land Cruiser, or at least one that fits more comfortably in the lineage of Land Cruisers. This looks and feels like an update to the beloved FJ60 more than an update to the 200-series. Especially in the American market, it makes more sense for the LC to be a little more rugged. The lux Land Cruiser can be the Lexus LX, especially if that makes room for a more accessible LC.
Now that we’ve dispensed with the semantics, I can tell you that I like this version of the Land Cruiser a lot. The styling is fun and distinctive and the interior is maybe the best executed Toyota cabin I’ve been in. It’s nice without feeling too swanky to actually use for adventure stuff. For a family of 4, it’s exactly the right size, plenty of room without feeling unwieldy or ponderous. I loved my Lexus GX 470 and never should have sold it to you, Zach. This is the first modern car I’ve driven that felt like it checked most of the same boxes.
The hybrid drivetrain can feel confused, like it’s not sure what kind of power delivery you’re after, but it’s forgivable here. Would I likely be happier with a more consistent and less powerful N/A 4-Cylinder? I probably would yeah, but I don’t think that’d be the case for other buyers. When it comes to off-roady things, I just want enough power to not feel helpless in freeway traffic and to propel me over obstacles. Smooth power delivery is on my list, but way, way down on that list. And, in this application, a little noisiness and lack of refinement goes in the plus column.
For all its ruggedness, it does get Toyota’s usual raft of safety tech systems. There’s a huge touch screen on the dash. The camera that watches your eyes can’t tell if you’re asleep or if you just have incredibly long, beautiful eyelashes for such a powerful a man. The annoying stuff is all easy enough to turn off, which is about all we can ask for.
The wheel/tire package on the one I tested is not going to get you through even moderately deep snow, as I found out getting the LC buried up to the frame so deep that standard center and rear lockers became a non-factor. It says a lot that the LC delivered enough character and satisfaction that I still want one, even if I’d immediately be on the hook for a set of snows and a set of KO3s, which I think would get be enough to get me just about anywhere I’d want to go.
I love a 200-series, and looking at classified listings for used ones priced right around MSRP, I know I’m not alone. This is not the Land Cruiser I was expecting and it’s not an upgraded version of that car. It’s a reset that gives you way more of what I care about from an off roader and leaves the extra stuff to other SUVs in the lineup. Toyota absolutely nailed the styling, attitude and feel. Even the optional accessory options are decent. It’s just a very well realized, coherent package. The one I drove had a lot of optional equipment, including the very good two-tone brown and silver paint. The monroney said it was over $72k, which is a lot. If I were in the market for a new car right now and I very much am not, I’d be shopping the base 1958 Edition Land Cruiser, which starts under $60k but also feeling the pull of a manual Wrangler or Bronco.
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