How is it for long, fast road trips?

[sf jakey]

Hello there, first post but long time reader. I come from owning 3 gen 5 4 runners, 2 of which my daughters drive now still. I’ve struggled between the Land Cruiser and the gx550, as many have. I prefer the interior of the Land Cruiser, but prefer the drivetrain of the GX, also pretty common. I will use the vehicle as a daily around town driver, but I will really be purchasing it for road trips across Nevada and Idaho up to Montana, as well as trips up to Tahoe from the Bay Area, and lots of trips up highway 5 to my duck property during the season. All these drives require sustained driving at 80 mph or even more. Tahoe is also a pretty good climb as well. How does the drivetrain perform in these situations? Is it struggling to hold speed or does it run smooth? I know the fuel capacity issue, and it sucks, but realistically the greater capacity of the Gx is offset by the poorer fuel economy, so basically the range is the same. I don’t care about mpg but range is an issue. I have ruled out the new 4runner, just don’t like it. I have been put off by the hybrid in the LC, but am beginning to accept it as an option, and really like the inverter part of it.
I know lots of reviews and info here, and I’ve read as much as possible. Hoping to get some specific feedback about my use case. Thanks
The availability of a Land Cruiser vs the gx also pushes me in this direction. Come on Toyota, give us a V6 Land Cruiser!

 

[shwazz714]

the only things I really wish this car had from the gx is the engine and acoustic glass. Ekdss could be nice too but I’ve never had it so don’t know.

 

[TrailWhale]

I drive those interstates (Idaho/Utah/Nevada/Montana/Oregon) pretty often and it’s comfortable but pretty loud and you’ll be making a lot of gas stops. The cruiser has no problem with the sustained hilly 80+mph drive but it is hilariously inefficient. I did get a tailwind once coming back from Utah and that was really nice!

My cruiser is in the shop, so I took our RAV4 (hybrid) on a road trip to Colorado recently instead and it felt so strange going almost 500mi between fill ups instead of just over 200mi.

 

[NoMe cruiser]

Yeah these aren’t highway cruisers. A very non aerodynamic vehicle with a 4 cylinder engine is going to get low mpg @ 80 mph. I know you don’t care about mpg but it will directly affect your range. At those speeds the GX will probably be more efficient. It doesn’t sound like you need it for off road capability, perhaps a highlander would suit your needs better. My wife has one, wicked comfortable.

 

[EOD Guy]

Welcome to the Jungle!

Mine primarily is used for long highway trips, as others have mentioned, the range is my only complaint. I'm a 70-80 mph and average 19ish MPG

 

[Nor Cal Cruiser]

I’ve done Tahoe often and Boise twice from the Bay. The vehicle is an absolute pig above 80 mph, and through Nevada I average 90-95. But I think it’s quite comfortable to drive and great for such travels.

 

[Markarian421]

I drove from California to Kansas City and back over the holidays, over the Sierras and the Rockies. We loved it on the road trip. No problems in the mountains. Yeah our Volvo S60 T8 is a little more comfortable and has a lot more power, but the Land Cruiser is roomier. And there's no comparison to the FJ.

 

[sf jakey]

So I need the off road capability. I won’t use it a ton, but will certainly need it to get to some of my spots, so the capability is a big concern off road. I want a comfortable highway cruiser with off road ability, and it appears this and the gx are my options. Maybe Land Rover, but I don’t want reliability problems or expensive repairs.

 

[DoMoCruiser24]

I drive back and forth between Salt Lake, San Diego, and Las Vegas frequently for business and pleasure. I don’t haul cargo beyond a family of 4 and accompanying luggage. It’s a very comfortable drive. I have no problems overtaking big rigs from an 80 roll. However, I am an avid 75mph driver. My long distance drive strategy is from Costco to Costco.

Pictured is my average and last trip.

 

[Lounge Alot]

I test drove both extensively and picked the LC just based not wanting the GX active suspension or main console. Liking the LC so far but not a lot of driving at 80 yet. You may want to check out the Armada PRO4X - thought it was a better luxury 6V option versus the GX, e.g. seats and room and quietness are amazing and way more of a luxury, fast cruiser.

 

[SlickLC]

at sustained speeds of 80 or higher id go with the gx550. i had a gx460 prior to the lc and the gx just felt better at speeds above 80 and i would think the new gx550 is similar if not better.

 

[BoredomFestival]

Unless you are towing, you don't need the GX drivetrain, the LC hybrid is pretty great and responsive, even in mountainous areas.

If you drive at the speed limit you'll get pretty good mileage (I get about 25mpg on level freeway using cruise control), but mileage plummets from 75 to 80 or so, to 19 ish. (That said, it's still gonna be better than the GX.)

 

[ct1958]

I don't miss the V6. When I drive my son's 2021 Tacoma it is so slow, it feels like the e-brake is on.
I've been getting about 343 per tank driving 70 to 75 MPH

 

[PDPete]

I don't miss the V6. When I drive my son's 2021 Tacoma it is so slow, it feels like the e-brake is on.
I've been getting about 343 per tank driving 70 to 75 MPH

Yeah, until there's real world proof that powertrain in these new vehicles is significantly less reliable than the outgoing 4.0L V6 from the Tacoma and 4Runner, I'm just going to continue to ignore all of the critics who can't seem to get the past the idea of a "4 cylinder" engine being inferior despite having never driven it. I think there's just too many folks that stuck in the past and can't wrap their head around the fact that cylinder count and displacement isn't as indicative of performance as it once was.

And yeah, reliability is a valid concern...it is any time significant changes are made...but also one that's impossible to qualify or quantify at this time.

 

[heygenius]

Hello there, first post but long time reader. I come from owning 3 gen 5 4 runners, 2 of which my daughters drive now still. I’ve struggled between the Land Cruiser and the gx550, as many have. I prefer the interior of the Land Cruiser, but prefer the drivetrain of the GX, also pretty common. I will use the vehicle as a daily around town driver, but I will really be purchasing it for road trips across Nevada and Idaho up to Montana, as well as trips up to Tahoe from the Bay Area, and lots of trips up highway 5 to my duck property during the season. All these drives require sustained driving at 80 mph or even more. Tahoe is also a pretty good climb as well. How does the drivetrain perform in these situations? Is it struggling to hold speed or does it run smooth? I know the fuel capacity issue, and it sucks, but realistically the greater capacity of the Gx is offset by the poorer fuel economy, so basically the range is the same. I don’t care about mpg but range is an issue. I have ruled out the new 4runner, just don’t like it. I have been put off by the hybrid in the LC, but am beginning to accept it as an option, and really like the inverter part of it.
I know lots of reviews and info here, and I’ve read as much as possible. Hoping to get some specific feedback about my use case. Thanks
The availability of a Land Cruiser vs the gx also pushes me in this direction. Come on Toyota, give us a V6 Land Cruiser!

I’ve had 3 4Runners over the years and a couple Taco’s, and I’ve been very pleased with the LC’s powertrain. While not the greatest sounding, for me it’s a great balance of mpg and power. I’ve taken it on several long distance trips, one from Texas to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan and a couple from Texas to Utah. Speeds ranging from 70-80 and I’m consistently getting between 23-25 mpg. Note that I’m a bit of a gentle driver so that may have something to do with it. The range pretty much sucks, but I’m old and need to stop for pee breaks anyway so that part doesn’t bother me. As for ride quality and noise I find it amazing, but my daily driver is Jeep Wrangler so basically a horse drawn wagon over cobblestone would feel nice….

 

[Impatient]

I’ve been out and back to big bend (8.5 hours) and to south Louisiana (9.5 hours) and it’s great on road trips. Your fuel efficiency drops a ton above 80 mph but there is plenty of power and the rpm’s stay low. The performance of the power train just isn’t an issue at all.

Might matter what you’re coming from, but I drove a v-8 Chevy Z71 for years prior and the LC has more available power for everything I do.

 

[brianz]

I do a lot of driving just above 80mph. Lots on hilly terrain - I think playing with sport mode vs. Eco only affects responsiveness to maintain speed set on cruise control.

I drive usually with a roof tent. I added oem wind deflectors to the windows - that added a lot of noise at higher speeds.

My previous 7 vehicles were also land cruisers, so I’m not good for comparison to new GX , but I’ve driven 80 and 100 series - the 2024 lc is superior over all of them on highway. The 80 series is like a gx470.

 

[shwazz714]

Have you considered an X5? It was one of my finalist (before the Lc I didn’t off-road, now have taken it up as a hobby - quite fun IMO!)… the x5 was amazing on road, has tons of power, the b58 engine is well regarded for reliability, and the interior is very luxurious. Depending on what features you want they can be somewhat close in price.

I went with the Land Cruiser (and am happy I did) for a few reasons- felt the Lc fit my lifestyle better (young family, dog, active outdoors) and I wanted to try out a body on frame car. I’d always wanted a truck… the f150 was my 3rd finalist. Felt the lc was perfect middle ground for me - truck based but drove well, utilitarian luxury, reliability of Toyota, and it looks damn cool too.

 

[Falconry]

99% of people who cry online about the Land Cruiser drive train have never driven one. It’s got power. If it didn’t, many of us wouldn’t be here. Toyota has made a very good (but not perfect) SUV, just as they have many times before. 90% of the social media attacks on the four cylinder turbo is rage bait engagement farming.

The 465 ft-lb of torque is great and you can tell it’s there when you drive it or wheel it.

 

[Nostr0m0]

Hello there, first post but long time reader. I come from owning 3 gen 5 4 runners, 2 of which my daughters drive now still. I’ve struggled between the Land Cruiser and the gx550, as many have. I prefer the interior of the Land Cruiser, but prefer the drivetrain of the GX, also pretty common. I will use the vehicle as a daily around town driver, but I will really be purchasing it for road trips across Nevada and Idaho up to Montana, as well as trips up to Tahoe from the Bay Area, and lots of trips up highway 5 to my duck property during the season. All these drives require sustained driving at 80 mph or even more. Tahoe is also a pretty good climb as well. How does the drivetrain perform in these situations? Is it struggling to hold speed or does it run smooth? I know the fuel capacity issue, and it sucks, but realistically the greater capacity of the Gx is offset by the poorer fuel economy, so basically the range is the same. I don’t care about mpg but range is an issue. I have ruled out the new 4runner, just don’t like it. I have been put off by the hybrid in the LC, but am beginning to accept it as an option, and really like the inverter part of it.
I know lots of reviews and info here, and I’ve read as much as possible. Hoping to get some specific feedback about my use case. Thanks
The availability of a Land Cruiser vs the gx also pushes me in this direction. Come on Toyota, give us a V6 Land Cruiser!

As far as interstate driving, I'm currently on a road trip with my 2 kids and my wife. I'm averaging 23mpg with mostly interstate cruising at 80mph. I've traveled 2,500 miles so far and it has been the best vehicle I've ever owned for trips like this. My previous family cars (dodge charger, fj cruiser, Highlander, and RAV4) all were painful for us aster the first 1,000 miles.