I recently had the pleasure to road trip out to Colorado and back from Tulsa, Oklahoma which involved driving my Land Cruiser some
The Cruiser
2024 Land Cruiser (not 1958, not FE) in Underground color. Stock 265/60R20 tires. Toyota engine and transmission skid plates installed, as well as an aftermarket tint on all glass (even the windshield). I changed the oil myself to get rid of "factory crud" at 1,100 miles using an OEM filter and 0W-20 full synthetic. I also installed a Fumoto valve at that time thanks to a recommendation from this site. The entire drive, I also had a 1Up equip-D installed (this thing is rock solid).
Driving: Highway
There is no getting around it, this thing has road noise. Much louder than my old (2015) F150. Most of it comes from the side mirrors. At cruising speed on I-70, it was very noticeable when the wind would shift, a sudden roar would come from the drivers side mirror. I noticed a few other drivers of various models drive with their side windows folded in. After laughing at the absurdity of someone caring enough to fold their mirrors in... I followed suite. It was odd not having the visibility, and I felt like an absolute dingus, like someone who tucked their shirt into their underwear. But it worked! I only did it for a few dozen (?) miles but it was a quiet few dozen miles for sure.
The speed on I-70 is 75-80 mph for significant stretches (as in hundreds of miles at a time). I tried to keep the cruise control within 5 mph of the speed limit at all times to avoid unnecessary fines, but also to mimic regular traffic and get an idea for fuel economy (see below). I have always been a big audio book fan, especially on road trips. To hear my book on tape I needed the volume to be around 43-45. Usually in town, it's closer to 30. Noise aside, the Cruiser seats are insanely comfortable. I didn't have so much as a tingle of numbness or pain even after driving 12 hours straight in a single day. You could argue the driving was broken up by the fuel stops - see below, again - but really I was quite impressed with the seats.
Driving: Off Road
As mentioned above, the vehicle currently rides on the stock 265/60R20 tires which was my biggest concern. However, the instant I hit gravel (dirt, really) that concern vanished as I was absorbed in letting the Cruiser climb. This thing reminds me of my Scott Spark mountain bike, it LOVES to climb, and I had a great time doing it. The trail starts out with a few miles of a rocky, dusty double track road wide enough for a single vehicle, surrounded by chaparral and sage brush. The Cruiser was very comfortable in 4 Hi for the majority of this drive and I really only kicked it into 4 Lo for fun and to get up one hill which may have exceeded the limits of the onboard off-roading dials - just a wee bit. That being said, I never once felt the tires skid or so much as struggle.
A few miles into the climb, we spotted a bald hill with 3 distinct trails carved into it from constant use. This hill was roughly 200 feet but at a significant incline.... Being the responsible owner I am of a new vehicle, I elected to immediately climb that bad boy with all of my passengers and cargo included. Post review of videos and pictures of the climb and ascent of this hill are not as exhilarating as the real deal, but a quick review of the video does show we exceeded the 30 degree mark on the build in gauges - yet the Cruiser showed no indication of slowing down. After making it back to the bottom of the bald hill and suppressing my giggles, we continued up the 4x4 trail, bounding over boulders, ruts, snow and mud.
About 30 minutes into the ascend I did become concerned with the transmission temperature after noticing the gauge was showing about 3/4 full. It seemed to ebb down a bit as I laid off pushing hard uphill but it stayed about the halfway mark for the duration of the climb. I never experienced any issues during this time, just noticed the high reading on the gauge.
One of my passengers is a daily Jeep Wrangler driver. His is pretty nice, good lift/ leveling kit and 35 inch tires. He was quick to notice how much nicer the Cruise was in every single aspect, especially ride quality. The drive into our cabin was over a good 5+ miles of gravel / dirt roads that shook his Jeep until he had to speed up to dangerous levels or slow down an annoying amount. The Land Cruiser, however, was able to avoid the jolts and maintain a sane and safe speed without issue.
Fuel Economy
Under 70 mph, pretty decent. In fact, leaving the rockies, I averaged 26 mpg over 100 miles of driving, yes gravity also helps. Unfortunately, almost all highways connecting my small corner of NE Oklahoma to any other place in the country involves speed limits of 75-80 mph. As much as I love the design of the 2024 Land Cruiser, it is more brick shaped than not, and you simply cannot overcome physics when pushing a brick this size at 80 mph. As soon as I got outside of Denver CO and faced a head wind on I-70 heading east, the fuel economy slowly, but steadily dropped from the previously mentioned 26 mpg, to a measly 18.7 mpg as indicated by the trip computer by the time I reached Tulsa.
I will do some math to get the hand calculated averages as I tracked each tank / mileage / gallons refilled. But, by far, fuel range is my biggest issue with this car. Coming from an F150 with 700 miles of highway range, I feel this area of the vehicle was overlooked for the US market. In fact, I have only had ONE tank get me over 300 miles in my short time of owning the vehicle.
For the avoidance of doubt; I always use premium fuel in my cruiser, and the roof rail cross bars are removed. ALSO why is this fuel tank not capless? The little plastic tether on the fuel cap is just short enough to not catch on the holder properly EVERY SINGLE TIME I fill up - which is a lot given the tank size....
Gadgets
Adaptive cruise control is nice, but I find it brakes a bit too early after encountering a new vehicle in its path. I want there to be a warning window to go around or pass within X time frame/feet BEFORE the cruise control starts to brake. This is common to all adaptive cruise control systems I have tried. Since the first day of owning the vehicle, I have disabled most of the automated safety systems. The constant barrage of undeserved beeps, judgemental dings, and random brake checks (literally) the car performs is overwhelming and unnecessary. Once you learn which systems to disable, its as easy as disabling them once and then hitting the back arrow on the reminder that pops up to tell you the systems are disabled every time you ever get in the car, from now until eternity. "Yes" my sweet Land Cruiser, I know the parking backup sensor is disabled, I have had the bike rack installed since the day I got you, get used to it".
Speaking of Bike racks, while not a gadget, shout out to the 1Up rack. So solid.
Car Play - the Apple flavor at least, is great. HOWEVER, why can I not get the maps from my Apple CarPlay to also show up in the instrument cluster when that is what I am using for navigation? I doubt anyone with a modern phone would use the built-in Toyota navigation - which is the only navigation option to show within the instrument cluster. This feels like a big miss, Toyota. Also, the audio system writ large feels like an afterthought.
There is no way to quickly go from Apple Car Play to radio, or visa versa. Its a pain, requiring me to hit multiple touch screen buttons to get to the radio. The mode button on the steering wheel will get there eventually (?) but the process is a huge pain in the rear (unlike the seats) no matter what.
Other Thoughts
The space in this thing is great. It's not as big as my old F150, but that's a good thing. I feel maneuverable in this thing on trails and also on the streets of my hometown that were paved 100+ years ago using much smaller cars as a litmus. Cargo was not a concern. Over my 12 days I went 1) fly fishing, 2) mountain biking, 3) camping and 4) on a work trip. That involved a lot of different, distinct gear. The car was about 60% packed with all of my gear, including my trusty cast iron skillet to cook on. For my next trip, I have plans to sleep in the car using a fold out mattress system thats not yet finalized.
It is very roomy, although I am not sure I will do long trips with my full family (myself, + wife, + 3 kids) like we used to in the F150. In the near future, I'll be planning additional solo trips to Arkansas and Southern Oklahoma with more off-roading and some car camping to report on. All in all, I am a very happy customer.
The Cruiser
2024 Land Cruiser (not 1958, not FE) in Underground color. Stock 265/60R20 tires. Toyota engine and transmission skid plates installed, as well as an aftermarket tint on all glass (even the windshield). I changed the oil myself to get rid of "factory crud" at 1,100 miles using an OEM filter and 0W-20 full synthetic. I also installed a Fumoto valve at that time thanks to a recommendation from this site. The entire drive, I also had a 1Up equip-D installed (this thing is rock solid).
Driving: Highway
There is no getting around it, this thing has road noise. Much louder than my old (2015) F150. Most of it comes from the side mirrors. At cruising speed on I-70, it was very noticeable when the wind would shift, a sudden roar would come from the drivers side mirror. I noticed a few other drivers of various models drive with their side windows folded in. After laughing at the absurdity of someone caring enough to fold their mirrors in... I followed suite. It was odd not having the visibility, and I felt like an absolute dingus, like someone who tucked their shirt into their underwear. But it worked! I only did it for a few dozen (?) miles but it was a quiet few dozen miles for sure.
The speed on I-70 is 75-80 mph for significant stretches (as in hundreds of miles at a time). I tried to keep the cruise control within 5 mph of the speed limit at all times to avoid unnecessary fines, but also to mimic regular traffic and get an idea for fuel economy (see below). I have always been a big audio book fan, especially on road trips. To hear my book on tape I needed the volume to be around 43-45. Usually in town, it's closer to 30. Noise aside, the Cruiser seats are insanely comfortable. I didn't have so much as a tingle of numbness or pain even after driving 12 hours straight in a single day. You could argue the driving was broken up by the fuel stops - see below, again - but really I was quite impressed with the seats.
Driving: Off Road
As mentioned above, the vehicle currently rides on the stock 265/60R20 tires which was my biggest concern. However, the instant I hit gravel (dirt, really) that concern vanished as I was absorbed in letting the Cruiser climb. This thing reminds me of my Scott Spark mountain bike, it LOVES to climb, and I had a great time doing it. The trail starts out with a few miles of a rocky, dusty double track road wide enough for a single vehicle, surrounded by chaparral and sage brush. The Cruiser was very comfortable in 4 Hi for the majority of this drive and I really only kicked it into 4 Lo for fun and to get up one hill which may have exceeded the limits of the onboard off-roading dials - just a wee bit. That being said, I never once felt the tires skid or so much as struggle.
A few miles into the climb, we spotted a bald hill with 3 distinct trails carved into it from constant use. This hill was roughly 200 feet but at a significant incline.... Being the responsible owner I am of a new vehicle, I elected to immediately climb that bad boy with all of my passengers and cargo included. Post review of videos and pictures of the climb and ascent of this hill are not as exhilarating as the real deal, but a quick review of the video does show we exceeded the 30 degree mark on the build in gauges - yet the Cruiser showed no indication of slowing down. After making it back to the bottom of the bald hill and suppressing my giggles, we continued up the 4x4 trail, bounding over boulders, ruts, snow and mud.
About 30 minutes into the ascend I did become concerned with the transmission temperature after noticing the gauge was showing about 3/4 full. It seemed to ebb down a bit as I laid off pushing hard uphill but it stayed about the halfway mark for the duration of the climb. I never experienced any issues during this time, just noticed the high reading on the gauge.
One of my passengers is a daily Jeep Wrangler driver. His is pretty nice, good lift/ leveling kit and 35 inch tires. He was quick to notice how much nicer the Cruise was in every single aspect, especially ride quality. The drive into our cabin was over a good 5+ miles of gravel / dirt roads that shook his Jeep until he had to speed up to dangerous levels or slow down an annoying amount. The Land Cruiser, however, was able to avoid the jolts and maintain a sane and safe speed without issue.
Fuel Economy
Under 70 mph, pretty decent. In fact, leaving the rockies, I averaged 26 mpg over 100 miles of driving, yes gravity also helps. Unfortunately, almost all highways connecting my small corner of NE Oklahoma to any other place in the country involves speed limits of 75-80 mph. As much as I love the design of the 2024 Land Cruiser, it is more brick shaped than not, and you simply cannot overcome physics when pushing a brick this size at 80 mph. As soon as I got outside of Denver CO and faced a head wind on I-70 heading east, the fuel economy slowly, but steadily dropped from the previously mentioned 26 mpg, to a measly 18.7 mpg as indicated by the trip computer by the time I reached Tulsa.
I will do some math to get the hand calculated averages as I tracked each tank / mileage / gallons refilled. But, by far, fuel range is my biggest issue with this car. Coming from an F150 with 700 miles of highway range, I feel this area of the vehicle was overlooked for the US market. In fact, I have only had ONE tank get me over 300 miles in my short time of owning the vehicle.
For the avoidance of doubt; I always use premium fuel in my cruiser, and the roof rail cross bars are removed. ALSO why is this fuel tank not capless? The little plastic tether on the fuel cap is just short enough to not catch on the holder properly EVERY SINGLE TIME I fill up - which is a lot given the tank size....
Gadgets
Adaptive cruise control is nice, but I find it brakes a bit too early after encountering a new vehicle in its path. I want there to be a warning window to go around or pass within X time frame/feet BEFORE the cruise control starts to brake. This is common to all adaptive cruise control systems I have tried. Since the first day of owning the vehicle, I have disabled most of the automated safety systems. The constant barrage of undeserved beeps, judgemental dings, and random brake checks (literally) the car performs is overwhelming and unnecessary. Once you learn which systems to disable, its as easy as disabling them once and then hitting the back arrow on the reminder that pops up to tell you the systems are disabled every time you ever get in the car, from now until eternity. "Yes" my sweet Land Cruiser, I know the parking backup sensor is disabled, I have had the bike rack installed since the day I got you, get used to it".
Speaking of Bike racks, while not a gadget, shout out to the 1Up rack. So solid.
Car Play - the Apple flavor at least, is great. HOWEVER, why can I not get the maps from my Apple CarPlay to also show up in the instrument cluster when that is what I am using for navigation? I doubt anyone with a modern phone would use the built-in Toyota navigation - which is the only navigation option to show within the instrument cluster. This feels like a big miss, Toyota. Also, the audio system writ large feels like an afterthought.
There is no way to quickly go from Apple Car Play to radio, or visa versa. Its a pain, requiring me to hit multiple touch screen buttons to get to the radio. The mode button on the steering wheel will get there eventually (?) but the process is a huge pain in the rear (unlike the seats) no matter what.
Other Thoughts
The space in this thing is great. It's not as big as my old F150, but that's a good thing. I feel maneuverable in this thing on trails and also on the streets of my hometown that were paved 100+ years ago using much smaller cars as a litmus. Cargo was not a concern. Over my 12 days I went 1) fly fishing, 2) mountain biking, 3) camping and 4) on a work trip. That involved a lot of different, distinct gear. The car was about 60% packed with all of my gear, including my trusty cast iron skillet to cook on. For my next trip, I have plans to sleep in the car using a fold out mattress system thats not yet finalized.
It is very roomy, although I am not sure I will do long trips with my full family (myself, + wife, + 3 kids) like we used to in the F150. In the near future, I'll be planning additional solo trips to Arkansas and Southern Oklahoma with more off-roading and some car camping to report on. All in all, I am a very happy customer.
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