Impressions after driving a LC in a Big City for 2 weeks ...

Gasherbrum

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Much of this forum is about the off-road capabilities of the Land Cruiser. I've had my 1958 for 2 weeks driving around the challenging streets of Washington DC and thought I'd share my initial impressions. I'll cut to the chase first ... this thing is surprisingly great in the City.

Excellent acceleration ... merging / changing lanes on the white-knuckle freeways around here is not a problem. The Toyota safety system really comes in very handy in tight quarters. The visibility out of the car is fabulous, better than any vehicle I've ever owned. It's very quick off the line ... scooting across intersections isn't a problem. It's big ... tougher for people to run into you. Despite its size, it's not overly long - it's actually 2" shorter in length than a Honda Accord ... but 18" higher. The squared off front end and front parking assist really helps to make parking in tight spaces much easier. The truck sits very high, easy to see oncoming traffic including bikes and e-scooters.

The height is the biggest surprise to me. I previously had a 2021 Bronco with the Sasquatch package (35" tires) and these 2 vehicles are very close in height. Consequently, the only downside I see right now is that the back storage area is quite elevated due to the height plus the hybrid battery, but I'll gladly take this as a cost of having the extra visibility and a hybrid engine.

The wildcard here is that Toyota absolutely nailed the looks on the Land Cruiser. We live near a very popular historic market on Capitol Hill and get a lot of foot traffic from locals and tourists on our block. I've never had a vehicle that so many people stop and look at including many taking pictures. If I'm out in my front yard I'll talk to them, and it seems what the catches the eye of most people is the classic lines of the 2024 LC. This vehicle sticks out because it simply doesn't look like anything else on the road, and unlike say a Tesla Cyber truck, most people love the way it looks.

So my two cents worth from 2 weeks of city driving ... I do hope to get it on the back roads sometime soon. This truck is exactly what I was looking for, and for those of you currently stuck in QC limbo I'm confident that you'll find that the wait was worth it in the end.
 
Much of this forum is about the off-road capabilities of the Land Cruiser. I've had my 1958 for 2 weeks driving around the challenging streets of Washington DC and thought I'd share my initial impressions. I'll cut to the chase first ... this thing is surprisingly great in the City.

Excellent acceleration ... merging / changing lanes on the white-knuckle freeways around here is not a problem. The Toyota safety system really comes in very handy in tight quarters. The visibility out of the car is fabulous, better than any vehicle I've ever owned. It's very quick off the line ... scooting across intersections isn't a problem. It's big ... tougher for people to run into you. Despite its size, it's not overly long - it's actually 2" shorter in length than a Honda Accord ... but 18" higher. The squared off front end and front parking assist really helps to make parking in tight spaces much easier. The truck sits very high, easy to see oncoming traffic including bikes and e-scooters.

The height is the biggest surprise to me. I previously had a 2021 Bronco with the Sasquatch package (35" tires) and these 2 vehicles are very close in height. Consequently, the only downside I see right now is that the back storage area is quite elevated due to the height plus the hybrid battery, but I'll gladly take this as a cost of having the extra visibility and a hybrid engine.

The wildcard here is that Toyota absolutely nailed the looks on the Land Cruiser. We live near a very popular historic market on Capitol Hill and get a lot of foot traffic from locals and tourists on our block. I've never had a vehicle that so many people stop and look at including many taking pictures. If I'm out in my front yard I'll talk to them, and it seems what the catches the eye of most people is the classic lines of the 2024 LC. This vehicle sticks out because it simply doesn't look like anything else on the road, and unlike say a Tesla Cyber truck, most people love the way it looks.

So my two cents worth from 2 weeks of city driving ... I do hope to get it on the back roads sometime soon. This truck is exactly what I was looking for, and for those of you currently stuck in QC limbo I'm confident that you'll find that the wait was worth it in the end.
Great write up. Thanks
 
Much of this forum is about the off-road capabilities of the Land Cruiser. I've had my 1958 for 2 weeks driving around the challenging streets of Washington DC and thought I'd share my initial impressions. I'll cut to the chase first ... this thing is surprisingly great in the City.

Excellent acceleration ... merging / changing lanes on the white-knuckle freeways around here is not a problem. The Toyota safety system really comes in very handy in tight quarters. The visibility out of the car is fabulous, better than any vehicle I've ever owned. It's very quick off the line ... scooting across intersections isn't a problem. It's big ... tougher for people to run into you. Despite its size, it's not overly long - it's actually 2" shorter in length than a Honda Accord ... but 18" higher. The squared off front end and front parking assist really helps to make parking in tight spaces much easier. The truck sits very high, easy to see oncoming traffic including bikes and e-scooters.

The height is the biggest surprise to me. I previously had a 2021 Bronco with the Sasquatch package (35" tires) and these 2 vehicles are very close in height. Consequently, the only downside I see right now is that the back storage area is quite elevated due to the height plus the hybrid battery, but I'll gladly take this as a cost of having the extra visibility and a hybrid engine.

The wildcard here is that Toyota absolutely nailed the looks on the Land Cruiser. We live near a very popular historic market on Capitol Hill and get a lot of foot traffic from locals and tourists on our block. I've never had a vehicle that so many people stop and look at including many taking pictures. If I'm out in my front yard I'll talk to them, and it seems what the catches the eye of most people is the classic lines of the 2024 LC. This vehicle sticks out because it simply doesn't look like anything else on the road, and unlike say a Tesla Cyber truck, most people love the way it looks.

So my two cents worth from 2 weeks of city driving ... I do hope to get it on the back roads sometime soon. This truck is exactly what I was looking for, and for those of you currently stuck in QC limbo I'm confident that you'll find that the wait was worth it in the end.
enjoyed reading this. Thank you. I can’t believe how much attention it gets either. I really hope more people get theirs soon. Took it to the mountains today. It was effortless!
 
Thanks for a great write up! That’s probably my main concern in researching my next vehicle. Balancing a good city car that can do alright in the tight spaces with something large enough to enjoy a road trip in.
 
Great write up. Out of curiosity, how has your mpg been so far? Asking as another city dweller that has primarily driven his 2024 LC on city streets since purchase.
 
Just under 18 mpg mostly city driving. I’m expecting/ hoping that goes up some, it’s about 20% less than the EPA estimate.
 
Just under 18 mpg mostly city driving. I’m expecting/ hoping that goes up some, it’s about 20% less than the EPA estimate.
It depends how city your city driving is. If a lot of traffic, idling, and short trips, it will underperform the city number... especially with hybrids. Just the fact of getting 0mpg for big chunks of driving. The city EPA cycle is probably optimistic for true city driving.

Did your previous vehicle meet or exceed the city number?
 
Just under 18 mpg mostly city driving. I’m expecting/ hoping that goes up some, it’s about 20% less than the EPA estimate.
It does get better when the engine breaks in. I commute about 7 miles of stop and go every day, get close to 25 on the freeway, more like 19-20 on surface streets.
 
It depends how city your city driving is. If a lot of traffic, idling, and short trips, it will underperform the city number... especially with hybrids. Just the fact of getting 0mpg for big chunks of driving. The city EPA cycle is probably optimistic for true city driving.

Did your previous vehicle meet or exceed the city number?
Makes sense. We also have a 2022 Crosstrek and the MPG is spot on with the EPA estimates, but much less when my pedal heavy kids drive it when they’re home from college 🫤

The EPA site states that they do tests on vehicles with 5,000 miles on them since fuel efficiency improves during the break-in period typically up to 3,000 miles. I have less than 1,000 miles so I think the mpg will improve over the next few months. Even if it doesn’t improve much it’s still a keeper for me …. I love the truck!
 
Just under 18 mpg mostly city driving. I’m expecting/ hoping that goes up some, it’s about 20% less than the EPA estimate.
Premium or regular? I ran premium the first two tanks, miles 2-605ish, got 21.8-22.3. Regular gas for miles 600-1100 (current) with 21.2 on stock tires, (miles ~900-cur.) 19.8 on K02’s. All within Anchorage’s stop&go fun.
 
The roads in and around Denver can be in terrible condition from all the freeze-thaw cycles during the winters. They’re actually in better shape on average in locations where it gets cold and stays cold.

Certainly nobody needs differential lockers to drive on potholes. But I actually find it to be more peaceful driving a vehicle that expects road irregularities and shrugs them off, versus some kind of sport SUV with 22” wheels and 30 profile tires that self destruct when I hit a parking space bar. Or when I’m driving through a parking garage going through the tight traffic guide setups that destroy wheels. Or when I go to an event, there’s lots of cars and they’re improvising parking where I have to drive up over a curb. Little things that make many crossovers impractical, vehicles like the LC just make me feel more prepared.

I had an X5 long ago (an E53) and I did like it. In those days the wheels on the sport package were 19” and the tires might have been 55 profile. Not awful. Later I had an M-Sport F10 5 series with rubber bands for tires around huge wheels. That damn car was beautiful but it could not stay out of its own way.

Anyway, I ramble. Glad you’re enjoying your LC in DC and I completely understand the city appeal.
 
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