The Heritage Edition’s bronze wheels are unbelievable.
Kyle Hyatt/Roadshow
Toyota’s Land Cruiser has remained principally unchanged within the US because the 200-series was launched again in 2007. That sort of longevity within the automotive trade is uncommon and for many autos, it might be a demise sentence. But for the Land Cruiser, that is simply how the house owners prefer it and the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition is perhaps the final word expression of that if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it loyalty.

LikeFeels prefer it’ll final foreverUndeniable off-road prowessSmooth on-road mannersHeritage Edition styling is epic

Don’t LikeHorrendous gas economyNo Apple CarPlay or Android Auto$90,000 price ticket

All of the Land Cruiser’s bones are previous, from its body-on-frame building to its massive, naturally aspirated V8. While Toyota’s 3UR-FB engine is not what anybody would name the image of effectivity, it is bought different qualities that make it the proper gasoline engine for the Land Cruiser. To begin, the 5.7-liter dual-overhead-cam V8 produces cheap quantities of energy and torque — 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet — so the Land Cruiser does not really feel gradual or ponderous on the highway. That in and of itself is an achievement when you think about the Cruiser’s roughly 6,000-pound curb weight. It’s additionally a really smooth-operating V8, which provides to the Land Cruiser’s overwhelming feeling of solidity.

2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition: Going out on a excessive journey word
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Unfortunately, the engine drinks gas like OPEC sponsors it, regardless of Toyota upgrading the transmission to an eight-speed unit in 2016. Don’t anticipate to do higher than 17 miles per gallon on the freeway and 13 mpg on the town, and even much less if you happen to retain the Heritage Edition’s roof rack.The Land Cruiser’s full-time four-wheel-drive system additionally eats into its gas financial system numbers, however once more, the tradeoff is price it. Not solely does the massive SUV really feel completely nice, that system additionally makes the Land Cruiser virtually godlike within the filth. This Toyota will get you surprisingly far into the wilderness earlier than you even want to contemplate participating low vary or turning on the differential lock. Part of that has to do with the Cruiser’s off-road geometry. It’s bought an strategy angle of 32 levels, which is 2 levels higher than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The departure angle is 24 levels (the Cruiser has an enormous butt) and the breakover angle is 21 levels. Not dangerous for a full-size SUV, proper?

It’s arduous to match the Land Cruiser’s off-road prowess.
Kyle Hyatt/Roadshow
The Land Cruiser’s suspension could be very smooth, which is not shocking contemplating the mannequin’s off-road mandate, but it surely’s additionally surprisingly good on-road. It has no drawback smoothing out even the worst of Los Angeles’ notoriously dangerous roads and it might probably accomplish that with out feeling wallowy or disconnected. It’s nonetheless a really tall and really heavy SUV, so it is not precisely what I’d name sporty, however even if you happen to by no means take it into the filth (which might be a criminal offense), you will not end up regretting your buy.

The Land Cruiser’s brakes are pretty critical items of equipment, which is nice as a result of they work arduous for a dwelling; stopping one thing as heavy because the Land Cruiser is not simple. They additionally play an element in two essential items of off-road tech: Crawl Control and Hill-Descent Control. These each principally act as a sort of off-road cruise management, permitting the car to handle itself on steep declines by pulsing the brakes in addition to sustaining pace on degree floor and on hill ascents. The noise the system makes whereas going downhill is horrific, however the general impact is epic and takes an enormous chew out of the off-roading studying curve.The Land Cruiser is snug, too. There is nothing even remotely approaching the time period “latest and greatest” contained in the Land Cruiser, but all the things feels proper at house. The seats and steering wheel are wrapped in surprisingly supple leather-based and all the different finishes that you simply contact really feel nice. The gauge cluster is old-school too, however I by no means discovered myself wanting a digital sprint, it might simply really feel bizarre in an SUV like this.The inside is not precisely trendy, however nonetheless rattling snug.
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The seating place is superb and supplies a commanding view down the Land Cruiser’s large hood, although at round 6-feet, 4-inches tall and with loads of that peak in my torso, I might find it irresistible if the motive force’s seat dropped one other inch or two. This is not only a Land Cruiser situation both; I discover that is the case in most Toyotas. My Heritage Edition tester lacks working boards, so shorter drivers may want to purchase some or get a working begin to hop inside this factor.The rear seats are additionally completely good. There is loads of room, even for full-size adults. Sitting behind the motive force’s seat is completely wonderful, even with it set to my regular seating place. The rear seats within the Land Cruiser are additionally comparatively simple to fold up, including to the already sizable cargo house within the again. That cargo space is a plus when it comes time to haul issues, however I’d like to see extra customary cargo nets or grocery bag hooks to maintain issues from rolling round.One of the highlights of the Land Cruiser is its cut up tailgate. Much just like the Land Rover Range Rover, the Cruiser offers you the choice to open solely the highest half of the rear (which is powered, a semi-recent growth) or fold down the sturdy little tailgate. It’s an important place to take a seat and hang around and I want extra SUVs had this. The Heritage Edition is just accessible with two rows of seating, however the usual Land Cruiser may be had with a pair of side-folding, third-row seats. The cargo dimensions are 82.8 cubic-feet behind the primary row no matter mannequin. If you go for the Heritage Edition, there’s 53.5 cubic-feet of house behind the second row, shrinking to 41.4 in the usual mannequin with the folding chairs and simply 16.1 cubic-feet behind stated third row.The throwback badge is price some bonus type factors.
Kyle Hyatt/Roadshow
When it involves infotainment, it is arduous to name Toyota a pacesetter the least bit. The firm’s techniques usually really feel outdated even in vehicles with a lot newer structure than the Land Cruiser. So, aside from display screen dimension — which is common at 9 inches — and that undeniable fact that it is a touchscreen, issues are fairly dismal. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto? Nope. But hey, it does have a decent-sounding JBL stereo system and gives Qi wi-fi charging, however these do not precisely bridge the hole with different premium SUVs.Safety tech can also be not exactly bleeding-edge, however there’s loads of it and all of it works properly. Toyota’s Safety Sense driver help suite is customary and consists of lane-departure warning, pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, automated excessive beams and adaptive cruise management. In reality, all the things on the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition is customary. There are not any choices, which is useful given the hefty price ticket.Speaking of which, the 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition — which incorporates bronze wheels, a Yakima roof rack that would not slot in my parking construction and distinctive badging — retails for $89,070 together with $1,325 for vacation spot and that is earlier than you add equipment like rubber flooring mats ($215) and the like. If you go for the marginally less-expensive customary Land Cruiser ($86,740), you get the choice of including a rear-seat leisure system for a further $2,220. You additionally get different shade choices past the Heritage Edition’s black or white.We’ll miss the Land Cruiser when it is gone.
Kyle Hyatt/Roadshow
I perceive that spending $90,000 for an SUV that does not even have CarPlay is sort of so much to ask, particularly when you think about the luxurious and comfort options you can get on the off-road-capable Range Rover, which begins slightly below $91,000. But here is the factor: For most consumers, the Land Cruiser is a long-term buy and with the mannequin’s historical past of confirmed reliability, you realize you are not prone to must pour some huge cash into it (properly, apart from gas) all through its life. That does not even start to get into the topic of used automobile values, which skew closely in favor of the Land Cruiser.Plus, what else on the market really competes with the Land Cruiser? The Mercedes-Benz G550 is no less than as succesful off-road, but it surely has a beginning value $40,000 greater than the Cruiser and that is earlier than including choices. The Nissan Armada can also be massive, previous and makes use of body-on-frame structure, but it surely lacks the Land Cruiser’s off-road chops. There’s even competitors from throughout the Toyota household within the type of the Lexus LX 570, which prices roughly the identical and appears twice as ugly. The LX’s customary adaptive air suspension is a pleasant characteristic and cannot be had on the Cruiser, however the off-road geometry is not pretty much as good, so it is a wash.The Land Cruiser is not for everybody and gross sales actually mirror that, which is finally the explanation why Toyota is discontinuing the SUV quickly. But within the meantime, there’s nothing else fairly prefer it and for that purpose alone, if you happen to’re contemplating choosing one up, I am unable to think about you will remorse that alternative.