I recently bought the new Land Cruiser, and after owning four 4Runners (1997, 2001, 2007, and 2017), I can confidently say this is the SUV I always wanted the 5th gen to be. It’s rugged, capable, comfortable, and family-friendly, all without feeling like a “mom car.” But when I started reading forums and Reddit threads, I was surprised by how much hate there is toward it. Coming from the 4Runner side of the Toyota world, I thought I’d chime in with my perspective.
I learned to drive in a stick shift 3rd gen and took it everywhere - camping, ski trips, you name it. That truck had real character and just felt right. The 2007 was fine, but it felt softer and more like a family car. When I bought my 2017 Off Road Premium, I expected it to be the ultimate version of what I loved. It looked great and had all the right features, but the driving experience fell short. It felt underpowered, especially in the mountains, and it never stopped hunting for gears. I also lifted it and added E rated tires, which didn’t help the ride. For my growing family, it was just too rough.
The new Land Cruiser finally feels like the truck I was looking for. It's quick enough, rides way better, and still feels like a proper body on frame Toyota. The hybrid 4 cylinder has pulled stronger than I expected and is noticeably more efficient than the old 4Runner V6. The interior layout is refreshingly simple with physical buttons and dials instead of relying on a screen for everything. It’s functional, solid, and doesn’t feel cheap like some of the recent Toyota interiors have started to.
Off road capability seems more than up to the task for my needs. Rear locker, center diff lock, sway bar disconnect, and full time 4WD. I can’t complain. Would a front locker be nice? Sure. But I haven’t run into a situation where I’ve needed one yet, and I’m guessing aftermarket support will fill that gap soon.
There’s a lot of “it’s not a real Land Cruiser” talk floating around, and I get where it’s coming from. People love the 80s and 100s for good reason. They’re iconic and built like tanks. But the 200 also sold poorly here, despite being an absolute beast. Toyota needed to pivot, and I think they hit the right balance with the 250.
Some of the common criticisms feel off base to me:
Glad to be here and excited to learn from the community. I’m hoping to get the truck out on some light trails later this year and start putting it to real use.
I learned to drive in a stick shift 3rd gen and took it everywhere - camping, ski trips, you name it. That truck had real character and just felt right. The 2007 was fine, but it felt softer and more like a family car. When I bought my 2017 Off Road Premium, I expected it to be the ultimate version of what I loved. It looked great and had all the right features, but the driving experience fell short. It felt underpowered, especially in the mountains, and it never stopped hunting for gears. I also lifted it and added E rated tires, which didn’t help the ride. For my growing family, it was just too rough.
The new Land Cruiser finally feels like the truck I was looking for. It's quick enough, rides way better, and still feels like a proper body on frame Toyota. The hybrid 4 cylinder has pulled stronger than I expected and is noticeably more efficient than the old 4Runner V6. The interior layout is refreshingly simple with physical buttons and dials instead of relying on a screen for everything. It’s functional, solid, and doesn’t feel cheap like some of the recent Toyota interiors have started to.
Off road capability seems more than up to the task for my needs. Rear locker, center diff lock, sway bar disconnect, and full time 4WD. I can’t complain. Would a front locker be nice? Sure. But I haven’t run into a situation where I’ve needed one yet, and I’m guessing aftermarket support will fill that gap soon.
There’s a lot of “it’s not a real Land Cruiser” talk floating around, and I get where it’s coming from. People love the 80s and 100s for good reason. They’re iconic and built like tanks. But the 200 also sold poorly here, despite being an absolute beast. Toyota needed to pivot, and I think they hit the right balance with the 250.
Some of the common criticisms feel off base to me:
- The hybrid powertrain is way more usable than the old V6.
- I get the nostalgia for solid axles, but ride quality matters too. This thing still flexes well and drives much better.
- I was skeptical about the driver assistance stuff, but you can turn most of it off, and it hasn’t gotten in my way.
- Price wise, I think it’s fair for what you get, especially compared to what else is out there. I bought mine at MSRP and was able to negotiate a few extras.
Glad to be here and excited to learn from the community. I’m hoping to get the truck out on some light trails later this year and start putting it to real use.
