Retro Style Meets Modern Capability

People are funny. They often ignore what they believe will always be there, until someone tells them it’s about to go away. A longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area—but not born here—I know people who’ve lived in the Bay Area all of their lives and have yet to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Hard to believe, right? And yet, if people were told it would be closing for good this weekend, traffic would be backed up for miles in both directions.

Similarly, when Toyota announced the 2021 Land Cruiser would be the culmination of the model’s 63-year engagement here in the States, buyers lined up to get one. In fact, the Land Cruiser sold better in December ‘20 and January ’21 than it had in any of the previous 10 years. Fear of missing out is a compelling phenomenon.

Witnessing that response, one had to surmise the Land Cruiser would return eventually, and it did for the 2024 model year. However, it’s not the same Land Cruiser it was before. This new one is more elemental. Some might even say it’s gone downscale in terms of its appointments. However, the venerable Toyota SUV remains just as capable off-road as it has ever been. Oh, and at $57,200, the base price is WAY lower than the $87,030 starting price of the 2021 model.

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 First Impressions

Sharing its platform with the Lexus GX, this new Land Cruiser is also smaller than the model it replaced. The look is more purposeful, too, with squared-off styling cues harkening back to the strictly utilitarian Land Cruisers of yore. Toyota initially offered the model in the States in 1958. Thus, the base model I drove adopts that nomenclature for the 2025 model year. The Land Cruiser 1958 pays homage to that first Land Cruiser with a pair of round headlights and a “Toyota” heritage grille.

It should be noted that the Land Cruiser did a lot of growing up between 1958 and 2021. So much so, the 2021 version was almost as luxurious as a Lexus. While the luxury component is now reserved for the Lexus GX version, this new Land Cruiser is bristling with thoroughly modern infotainment features and driver’s aid tech.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

Another change is the discarding of the V-8 powerplant in favor of a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline four, which is supplemented by a 48-horsepower electric motor in the transmission housing, fed by a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack. An eight-speed automatic transmission conducts the mild hybrid powertrain’s output to all four wheels. As is to be expected, the drive system includes a locking center differential, low-range gearing, a crawl-control system, and hill-descent control. Total system output is 326 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and an impressive 465 pound-feet of torque at 1,700 rpm.

With so much torque on offer, that low in the rev range, the Land Cruiser pulls strongly in off-road situations. However, it doesn’t translate to a pavement-scorching zero to 60. In my scientifically unscientific runs, it took the Toyota just under eight seconds for the speedometer to register 60 miles per hour from a dead stop at full throttle.

Road manners, as perhaps is to be expected from an old-school body-on-frame configuration, aren’t exactly sharp. Still, the Land Cruiser is responsive and rides smoothly. Steering and braking responses are reassuring, and the overall vibe is relaxed. On dirt, the Land Cruiser truly comes into its own, both exuding and inspiring confidence in its ability to deal with whatever the trail might throw at it.

That deep well of torque also comes in handy when towing is required. According to Toyota’s representatives, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 is capable of dragging some 6,000 pounds in its wake when properly configured, eclipsing both the and the .

Performance Specifications

Toyota Land Cruiser Fuel Economy

Given the hybrid powertrain, you might expect the Land Cruiser to boast some rather stellar fuel economy numbers. However, this hybrid system is calibrated more toward performance than high fuel economy numbers. Plus, you have to take the Toyota’s 5,038 pounds of curb weight into consideration. Viewed in those contexts, the EPA estimate of 22 in the city, 25 on the highway, and 23 combined doesn’t seem so bad. And, in fact, the Toyota scores better than many of its competitors in this regard. That 23-mpg figure proved a bit optimistic, though. I averaged 19 mpg overall.

Interior Design And Comfort

Where the previous iteration of the Land Cruiser measured favorably against behemoths such as the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition, this new one is sized more like the Bronco and Passport. As a result, the new Land Cruiser is a strictly two-row proposition. Still, legroom, headroom, shoulder room, and hip room are more than adequate at the primary seating positions. One can also squeeze three people into the back seat if it comes down to it. However, that’s a situation best avoided whenever possible. Outward visibility is good all-around too, with minimal blind spots.

I know it sounds like I’m harping on this, but I really want you to understand this new Land Cruiser isn’t the plush model it follows. This is particularly true in the case of the 1958 trim package with which the example I drove was fitted. Upholstered in a flannel-like fabric, the seats were comfortable, if not exactly impressive-looking.

Similarly, the architecture of the dash was more utilitarian than fancy, with no embellishments whatsoever. While the look is handsome, and the controls fall readily to hand, the interior treatment isn’t dressed to impress. That said, leather upholstery is available as an option. This, along with rendering certain details in a contrasting color, does spruce the cabin up a bit.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

The 1958 trim package offers an eight-inch touchscreen display to the right of the steering wheel. A separate monitor in a recessed binnacle offers instrumentation readouts. USB-C charging ports and wireless smartphone charging are provided as standard equipment. Options include onboard Wi-Fi and a 14-speaker JBL audio system.

Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver assistance features is offered as standard equipment. This includes lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam headlamps, and adaptive cruise control. Automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control with lane-centering are also standard equipment.

Cargo And Storage Space

Limiting passenger accommodations to two rows of seating left room for the 2025 Land Cruiser to provide a generous cargo hold. One group of testers convinced the Land Cruiser to accept 17 carry-on suitcases with the second row deployed. Folded away, they were able to up that number to a remarkable 31. In addition to folding flat, the second row can be tumbled forward to open up the cargo area even more.

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 vs. Its Competitors

The Land Cruiser’s two closest competitors are the Ford Bronco and the Honda Passport. Universally agreed upon to be one of the most capable SUVs currently on the market, the Bronco closely matches the Land Cruiser in both equipment and function. Meanwhile, the current iteration of Honda’s Passport has been repositioned to reflect a more rugged attitude and has been endowed with solid off-road capabilities to match. And yet, the Passport also retains the comfort for which it has long been appreciated.

How The Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 Compares To The Ford Bronco Heritage Edition

Matching the Land Cruiser most closely in terms of price and equipment is the 2025 Ford Bronco Heritage Edition. With a base price of $51,475, this version of the Bronco is equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission, fed by a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder as standard, producing 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed manual is also offered as an option with the four-cylinder.

The Bronco can also be had with a 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 and a ten-speed automatic for an additional $2,145. This configuration provides 330 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Either way, though, the Bronco’s torque figures are eclipsed by the Land Cruiser’s 465 pound-feet. Additionally, the Toyota is rated for better fuel economy than the Ford’s best of 20 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway.

The Land Cruiser is longer and wider than the Bronco, too, which enables it to offer more capacious passenger and cargo compartments. The Toyota is quieter as well. While both models can be said to have utilitarian interior treatments, the Bronco‘s exterior styling looks more aggressive, and it will go anywhere the Land Cruiser will go. The two are pretty evenly matched on the infotainment front, and in terms of driver assistance tech.

How The Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 Compares To The Honda Passport Trailsport Elite

Base model Land Cruiser money will get you into the top Passport model, which offers a more upscale interior treatment. The Passport runs a 285-horsepower DOHC V-6, which is good for 262 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission feeds all four wheels. Fuel economy is rated at 19 mpg in the city, 25 on the highway and 20 combined.

The Trailsport Elite version of the Passport, starting at $52,450, has perforated leather seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear climate controls, rear door shades, and expanded ambient lighting. Honda also fits the TrailSport Elite with a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system and a subwoofer. Quite capable in off-road situations, the Elite tackles any sort of terrain the average driver might encounter.

Our Recommendation For Which Model You Should Buy

As capable as the Bronco and Land Cruiser are, the value proposition of the Honda wins me over. After all, unless you’re someone who’s going to extract the maximum capability from the Land Cruiser or the Bronco, the Honda will easily match them. Plus, the Passport swaddles you in a better-equipped, more comfortable environment for about the same money. And, to my eye, it’s better looking too.