2025 Land Cruiser 1958 5,000 Mile Review

Background: Back in December, my '23 SR V6 4x4 Tacoma got taken out by a deer. After struggling for 2 months to get it repaired properly by 3 shops, I sold it to the last place that was "waiting for parts." The truck was mostly paid off, and the shop paid me more for the wreck than Carvana was going to pay for the completed truck. That left me with a large down payment, or this vehicle would have been out of my price range.

Appearance: Mine is black. Appearance is subjective, but I love the way it looks. I'm resisting the urge to replace the Geolanders with something more aggressive looking. Other than that, it's fine the way it is. I like the round LED headlights. Actually, I think the Land Cruiser and new 4-Runner are two of the best looking SUVs out there. I was in the process of lining up a new 4-Runner when I abruptly changed my mind and bought the LC.

Interior/features: It's black on black with more black. The seats are a huge improvement over the Tacoma. Big, supportive and comfortable. Huge rear leg room. Tons of cargo space. Very quiet except for wind noise around the (huge) mirrors. Stereo has a rich quality sound at the volumes I tend to listen to. It sounds better than my wife's RAV JBL, but only at low volumes. When you turn it past what it likes, you will turn it back down again in a hurry. 5,000 miles in, I have decided to just keep the stock system in place. It seems like Toyota thought about the luxury features most people use, and left out the ones that aren't that useful. The power hatch on my wife's RAV is totally irritating. Power seats are OK I guess, but I haven't adjusted mine since I found the setting I like. It also discourages my wife from moving it all over the place when she uses it. I don't use a sunroof. I prefer cloth to leather.

Engine/Drivetrain: I know it's a hybrid-turbo-I4, but it moves the truck around like the V8 from my old 4-Runner. It's not screaming fast, but in Sport Mode it reminds me of an old American V8. It just pours on the torque. It averages 22 MPG according to the computer, but I just got back from a 95% highway trip that switches back and forth from 55-65, and I got 29 MPG. My Tacoma was averaging 17MPG (rolling on Duratracs) on the same route.

It has a weird combination of sounds that I have come to like. You can hear a faint whine from the motors and faint turbo noises too. The I4 has a mechanical feel to it that I like, but you could also make the argument that it's not all that refined. It's hard to compete with the 4.7 when it comes to smoothness, but it's better than the 3.5 V6. I also love the fact that it has full-time 4WD with the locker in the rear. Along with Crawl Control and DAC, it has more capability than I will likely ever need. The transmission is another huge improvement over the Tacoma. It just always seems to be in the right gear.

Value: I got roughly 10% off MSRP for my 1958. It's not a cheap vehicle, even in base trim. When you look at something like a Tahoe or F150, you start to realize that it's not a bad deal. It's a big, powerful SUV that I think looks more expensive than it is. It's quiet and comfortable for 5 full sized adults and a weekends worth of gear.

Verdict: The Land Cruiser is a big luxury station wagon that can go anywhere you would reasonably want to go in a vehicle like that. I love it. It's everything I expected it to be and more.

On the other hand, I have found myself trying to convince my wife that we should sell her RAV and pick up the low-mileage SR V6 4x4 that they had at our local Toyota Dealer. My Tacoma was harsh, loud and inefficient. From an objective standpoint, the Land Cruiser is a much better vehicle. The 3rd Gen Tacoma is the last of a breed. It was a perfect combination of flaws that blended into a vehicle that was nearly perfect, and it would make a perfect companion for a LC.

I know the LC has created a lot of online controversy, but in person it's hard to find any major flaws in the formula.

 

Thanks for sharing. I love the looks of these new Landcruisers, but I'm less convinced about the power train and the rear cargo space. I think you've addressed the power train, but how do you find the cargo area with the battery? Good enough for five adults and a weekend's worth of gear, but any issues or it's good otherwise?

 

Thanks for the honest review. The LC is on the wife's list for her next vehicle.

 

Thanks for sharing!!! I am actually debating about getting rid of my truck for one

 

The space is tall and rectangular. You can efficiently cram an impressive amount of gear into it. You can clearly see the space you lost to the battery though, and the load floor isn’t flat.

If you stuff a new 4Runner full to the ceiling, it holds more. (My sister has a ‘25. 4Rrunner I4T without hybrid.) If you routinely need 100% capacity, the 4Runner wins. If you’re mostly looking at 75%, it’s pretty much a non-issue. When the motors pour on the torque and you squeeze out 22mpg in mixed driving, it’s worth it.

I have to admit, I’m more than slightly worried about having a hybrid. It seems incredibly complicated. Then again, my Daughter’s ‘10 Prius worried me when I bought it for her used to bring to college. Brakes, tires and CV joints have been the only repairs it’s needed from Freshman to PhD, so apparently Toyota knows what they’re doing.