Toyota is quite effectively threading the needle with its latest Land Cruiser variant.
In the beginning—which is 1951, to be clear—there was just the Land Cruiser. Two decades or so in, a “light-duty” model appeared, which would eventually take on the name Land Cruiser Prado. Until now, this distinction has been recognized by only Land Cruiser nerds, as the Prado was never sold in America as a Toyota . Over the years, the Land Cruiser grew bigger—and here, more expensive—until Toyota decided not to bring the latest full-freight model to America in 2022.
Unsurprisingly, a tall, boxy SUV with all-terrain tires isn’t the quietest inside. There’s always a thrum from the rubber as you’re driving, and at freeway speeds it’s joined by wind noise from the blocky door mirrors and upright windshield. On a calm day, the interior noise is tolerable at 80 mph, but if there’s even a bit of wind, you’ll need to speak very loudly to be heard by the front-seat passenger.At least the cabin’s a nice place to be.
The 1958 pulls off the basic-as-charming trick well, though, hiding its modernity behind the budget-signaling cloth and that throwback grille and round headlights . It still comes with essentials like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, three-zone automatic climate control, a half-dozen USB-C ports, and a 2,400-watt AC inverter and three-prong outlet, so you’re not exactly roughing it.
We’re not too concerned about reliability, a Land Cruiser calling card. Toyota's been perfecting hybrids for decades and is the industry leader, and its four-cylinder engine and four-wheel-drive expertise goes back decades farther. Yes, the under-stressed I-6 and V-8 engines are simple and reliable, but this is the least sophisticated and least complicated way to hybridize a combustion powertrain, so we’re willing to give Toyota the benefit of the doubt., it ain’t cheap.
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