2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Vs. Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender

[Dragoon]

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The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is here, debuting at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. The new LC, known internally as the 250-Series, borrows some of its hard bits from the Lexus GX and Toyota Tacoma, but with a starting price in the mid-$50,000 range, it’ll go toe to toe with the likes of the Land Rover Defender 110, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford Bronco. So how does it stack up against that excellent competitive set?

We’re pitting the 250-Series up against the base-model Land Rover Defender S 110, a nicely equipped Ford Bronco Badlands four-door, and a Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe four-door, all of which can be had for about the same price as the Land Cruiser’s estimated $55k base. As is usually the case, the Land Cruiser is better in some specifications and worse in others. And of course, we’ll have to wait and see how the 250-Series performs in the real world before we can truly name a winner in this newly revitalized off-road SUV segment. But one thing’s for sure, the Bronco, Wrangler, and Defender have some new competition.

Off-Road Geometry​

The Land Cruiser comes with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, with a 31-degree approach angle, 22-degree departure angle, and 25-degree breakover. It’s equipped with a conventional double-wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension with a fixed ride height. It’s 193.7 inches long and 84.2 inches wide, riding on a 112.2-inch wheelbase.

The Land Cruiser’s off-road measurements roughly stack up against its primary rivals, with notable exceptions like the Land Rover Defender’s impressive departure angle and the Jeep Wrangler’s excellent approach angle. Of note, the Defender is also offered with an air suspension that increases its numbers dramatically.

	Ground Clearance	Approach / Departure / Breakover	Length / Width / Wheelbase
Toyota Land Cruiser	8.7 Inches	31.0 / 22.0 / 25.0 Degrees	193.7 / 84.2 / 112.2 Inches
Ford Bronco Four-Door	8.3 Inches	35.5 / 29.7 / 20.0 Degrees	189.4 / 86.2 / 116.1 Inches
Jeep Wrangler 4-Door	9.7 Inches	41.4 / 36.1 / 20.3 Degrees	188.4 / N/A / 118.4 Inches
Land Rover Defender 110	8.9 Inches	31.5 / 37.5 / 22.2 Degrees	197.5 / 82.9 / 119.0 Inches

Powertrain​

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will offer one powertrain: a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four hybrid. It will make 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, routed to the ground through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Land Cruiser will be able to tow up to 6,000 pounds.

	Engine	Output	Towing Capacity
Toyota Land Cruiser	Turbocharged 2.4-Liter I4 Hybrid	326 HP / 465 LB-FT	6,000 Pounds
Ford Bronco Four-Door	Twin-Turbocharged 2.7-Liter V6	330 HP / 415 LB-FT	3,500 Pounds
Jeep Wrangler Four-Door	Turbocharged 2.0-Liter I4 PHEV	375 HP / 470 LB-FT	3,500 Pounds
Land Rover Defender 110	Turbocharged 2.0-Liter I4	296 HP / 295 LB-FT	7,716 Pounds

Off-Road Equipment​

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will come standard with hill descent control and low-speed crawl control. Opt for the mid-level model and you’ll also get Multi-Terrain Select and a disconnecting front sway bar for maximum articulation. Full-time four-wheel- drive with a selectable low range is standard, as is a locking rear differential and limited-slip center diff.

The $55,220 Ford Bronco Badlands 2.7L offers a disconnecting front sway barl, which can be had for about the same price as a base Land Cruiser. It also gets Trail Turn Assist, which brakes the inside rear wheel for maximum maneuverability. Locking front, center, and rear differentials are standard on the Bronco Badlands, among other trims, and all Broncos get Terrain Management as well.

The $56,530 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe comes with solid front and rear axles, center and rear differential locks, and impressive off-road ground clearance and angles. To get advanced features like the front sway bar disconnect and locking front axle, you’d have to upgrade to the $62,975 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe.

The $62,075 Land Rover Defender S 110 comes standard with a low-range transfer case with a locking center differential. Getting terrain management software requires spending an extra $2,350 on a package that also includes low-speed cruise control and air suspension. Meanwhile, an active rear differential is part of a $1,550 option pack that bundles a 120-volt socket in the cabin and all-terrain tires.

Bottom Line​

While the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser offers a decently impressive spec chart for its estimated mid-$50,000 starting price, it’s definitely not the only game in town. Folks looking to save some cash can get lesser Broncos with the Sasquatch package, which boasts much of the same off-road kit as the Badlands model. And the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can be had with a less powerful, non-hybrid engine, cutting some cash out of the equation at the expense of power and efficiency. Meanwhile, the pricey Land Rover Defender 110 nevertheless offers excellent performance on- and off-road, as well as some country-club cachet.

Picking a winner based on specs alone is all but impossible, so we’ll just have to wait until the Land Cruiser hits the pavement so we can line it up against its rivals and choose our favorite. Till then, we’ll just be dreaming about dusty grins and mud puddles and rocks the size of small cars.

Source

 

[BILL]

View attachment 48
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The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is here, debuting at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. The new LC, known internally as the 250-Series, borrows some of its hard bits from the Lexus GX and Toyota Tacoma, but with a starting price in the mid-$50,000 range, it’ll go toe to toe with the likes of the Land Rover Defender 110, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford Bronco. So how does it stack up against that excellent competitive set?

We’re pitting the 250-Series up against the base-model Land Rover Defender S 110, a nicely equipped Ford Bronco Badlands four-door, and a Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe four-door, all of which can be had for about the same price as the Land Cruiser’s estimated $55k base. As is usually the case, the Land Cruiser is better in some specifications and worse in others. And of course, we’ll have to wait and see how the 250-Series performs in the real world before we can truly name a winner in this newly revitalized off-road SUV segment. But one thing’s for sure, the Bronco, Wrangler, and Defender have some new competition.

Off-Road Geometry​

The Land Cruiser comes with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, with a 31-degree approach angle, 22-degree departure angle, and 25-degree breakover. It’s equipped with a conventional double-wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension with a fixed ride height. It’s 193.7 inches long and 84.2 inches wide, riding on a 112.2-inch wheelbase.

The Land Cruiser’s off-road measurements roughly stack up against its primary rivals, with notable exceptions like the Land Rover Defender’s impressive departure angle and the Jeep Wrangler’s excellent approach angle. Of note, the Defender is also offered with an air suspension that increases its numbers dramatically.

	Ground Clearance	Approach / Departure / Breakover	Length / Width / Wheelbase
Toyota Land Cruiser	8.7 Inches	31.0 / 22.0 / 25.0 Degrees	193.7 / 84.2 / 112.2 Inches
Ford Bronco Four-Door	8.3 Inches	35.5 / 29.7 / 20.0 Degrees	189.4 / 86.2 / 116.1 Inches
Jeep Wrangler 4-Door	9.7 Inches	41.4 / 36.1 / 20.3 Degrees	188.4 / N/A / 118.4 Inches
Land Rover Defender 110	8.9 Inches	31.5 / 37.5 / 22.2 Degrees	197.5 / 82.9 / 119.0 Inches

Powertrain​

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will offer one powertrain: a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four hybrid. It will make 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, routed to the ground through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Land Cruiser will be able to tow up to 6,000 pounds.

	Engine	Output	Towing Capacity
Toyota Land Cruiser	Turbocharged 2.4-Liter I4 Hybrid	326 HP / 465 LB-FT	6,000 Pounds
Ford Bronco Four-Door	Twin-Turbocharged 2.7-Liter V6	330 HP / 415 LB-FT	3,500 Pounds
Jeep Wrangler Four-Door	Turbocharged 2.0-Liter I4 PHEV	375 HP / 470 LB-FT	3,500 Pounds
Land Rover Defender 110	Turbocharged 2.0-Liter I4	296 HP / 295 LB-FT	7,716 Pounds

Off-Road Equipment​

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will come standard with hill descent control and low-speed crawl control. Opt for the mid-level model and you’ll also get Multi-Terrain Select and a disconnecting front sway bar for maximum articulation. Full-time four-wheel- drive with a selectable low range is standard, as is a locking rear differential and limited-slip center diff.

The $55,220 Ford Bronco Badlands 2.7L offers a disconnecting front sway barl, which can be had for about the same price as a base Land Cruiser. It also gets Trail Turn Assist, which brakes the inside rear wheel for maximum maneuverability. Locking front, center, and rear differentials are standard on the Bronco Badlands, among other trims, and all Broncos get Terrain Management as well.

The $56,530 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe comes with solid front and rear axles, center and rear differential locks, and impressive off-road ground clearance and angles. To get advanced features like the front sway bar disconnect and locking front axle, you’d have to upgrade to the $62,975 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe.

The $62,075 Land Rover Defender S 110 comes standard with a low-range transfer case with a locking center differential. Getting terrain management software requires spending an extra $2,350 on a package that also includes low-speed cruise control and air suspension. Meanwhile, an active rear differential is part of a $1,550 option pack that bundles a 120-volt socket in the cabin and all-terrain tires.

Bottom Line​

While the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser offers a decently impressive spec chart for its estimated mid-$50,000 starting price, it’s definitely not the only game in town. Folks looking to save some cash can get lesser Broncos with the Sasquatch package, which boasts much of the same off-road kit as the Badlands model. And the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can be had with a less powerful, non-hybrid engine, cutting some cash out of the equation at the expense of power and efficiency. Meanwhile, the pricey Land Rover Defender 110 nevertheless offers excellent performance on- and off-road, as well as some country-club cachet.

Picking a winner based on specs alone is all but impossible, so we’ll just have to wait until the Land Cruiser hits the pavement so we can line it up against its rivals and choose our favorite. Till then, we’ll just be dreaming about dusty grins and mud puddles and rocks the size of small cars.

Source

Yes it is the only game in town. The QUALITY build on the Ford and Jeeps is awful. Just ask the Uber drivers in any big city. The Land Rover Ranger is a town car, not an off road thing. The drivers are mostly women in the suburbs. Our Land Cruisers are made for off road regardless how you use them. Mine in on a ranch so see dirt roads and bush as part of their everyday life. I have a 1999 Jeep Wrangler which is always in the shop. I have 100000 miles on my 2005 FJ and at 60000 and 90000 I took it to the dealer to go over it and tighten everything, change fluids, check bearings, breaks. Pretend they were prepping a used car fo the owners son. That was my remit and they gave me a whole new FJ after they did that.

 

[Nuke]

Yes it is the only game in town. The QUALITY build on the Ford and Jeeps is awful. Just ask the Uber drivers in any big city. The Land Rover Ranger is a town car, not an off road thing. The drivers are mostly women in the suburbs. Our Land Cruisers are made for off road regardless how you use them. Mine in on a ranch so see dirt roads and bush as part of their everyday life. I have a 1999 Jeep Wrangler which is always in the shop. I have 100000 miles on my 2005 FJ and at 60000 and 90000 I took it to the dealer to go over it and tighten everything, change fluids, check bearings, breaks. Pretend they were prepping a used car fo the owners son. That was my remit and they gave me a whole new FJ after they did that.

Sadly, yes, the only game in town for a single-vehicle purchaser who wishes to use it for the road and trail, and have reliability. However, I am SO frustrated with Toyota's arrogant marketing practice, i.e. what-you-see-is-what-you-get, no special ordering, but am going to stay the course for a LC/PP in an acceptable color, eventually, hopefully.

 

[BILL]

Sadly, yes, the only game in town for a single-vehicle purchaser who wishes to use it for the road and trail, and have reliability. However, I am SO frustrated with Toyota's arrogant marketing practice, i.e. what-you-see-is-what-you-get, no special ordering, but am going to stay the course for a LC/PP in an acceptable color, eventually, hopefully.

Wait for it. They are tough and they last forever. The FJ55 in Kenya has a new body for Tourist Game Viewing. All we did to the engine is a carbuerator overhaul kit. It has a straight six like the Buick 6's of the old days. 4 on the floor and a transfer case. It's all anyone ever needs. The new ones come with knobs and terrain and all sorts of nonsense that no one needs.

 

[Nuke]

Wait for it. They are tough and they last forever. The FJ55 in Kenya has a new body for Tourist Game Viewing. All we did to the engine is a carbuerator overhaul kit. It has a straight six like the Buick 6's of the old days. 4 on the floor and a transfer case. It's all anyone ever needs. The new ones come with knobs and terrain and all sorts of nonsense that no one needs.

Yes, the classic straight-six was essentially a copy of the Chevy 235 of yester year. Timing gears, no chain, a BIG plus in my opinion. Toyota added fuel injection and electronic ignition to eliminate those problematic areas. The only thing I disliked was the FOUR belts, all manually tensioned as I recall.

 

[TakaraLC]

Yes it is the only game in town. The QUALITY build on the Ford and Jeeps is awful. Just ask the Uber drivers in any big city. The Land Rover Ranger is a town car, not an off road thing. The drivers are mostly women in the suburbs. Our Land Cruisers are made for off road regardless how you use them. Mine in on a ranch so see dirt roads and bush as part of their everyday life. I have a 1999 Jeep Wrangler which is always in the shop. I have 100000 miles on my 2005 FJ and at 60000 and 90000 I took it to the dealer to go over it and tighten everything, change fluids, check bearings, breaks. Pretend they were prepping a used car fo the owners son. That was my remit and they gave me a whole new FJ after they did that.

Land Rover Defender is definitely not a town car. It is a very capable off-roader, its higher trims are arguably more heavy duty off-roaders than the LC, although also coming at a much higher price point. It's main competitor is Mercedes G-wagon, that is also more capable than the LC.

The main issue with both of these vehicles is that they are too precious, and not many people who drop $140-160k on such a vehicle would use them for heavy duty off-roading.