Just a background to give you guys some perspective on the expected ride quality, I’ve had just about any offroad suv/ truck from jeep jl/ jk/ gladiator/ Bronco badlands/ raptor / f150 raptor: ram trx, new Land Rover defender , f150 lightning and so on.
90 percent of the above are body on frame, some, and most share the same suspension set up as the land cruiser with solid axles in the back.
The first time I test drove the land cruiser I was genuinely surprised about the ride refinement and expected it to be heads and shoulders above the Bronco badlands and jl but I’d have to say Atleast on low speed upto 40mph I don’t feel a difference between those cars . Every little bump on the road is translated to your body. Freeway driving is generally great . No wandering like the jeep, much better steering, and less noise than both.
From the ride perspective I would put all the trucks mentioned above in the following order
Lightning- f150 raptor/ ram trx/ LR defender/ old gx / Bronco raptor / badlands -Land Cruiser/ gladiator - jl
I know the Lexus gx 550 over tail comes with kdss and magnetic shocks that would solve ride quality issues , but non are also available on base gx550, I wonder how similar that car drives compared to Land Cruiser and if the shocks/ spring set up is the same . I ended up purchasing a 1958 for 51k , in my opinion if you are spending above 60 on any Land Cruiser variant the Lexus is a wiser choice for the reasons mention above .
The other slightly annoying point is the hollow feeling of the doors when opening/ closing. They are the lightest doors I’ve ever handled and feel fragile. I’m not sure what is going on because this feeling is only unique to this car, my wife’s x3 even doesnt feel this way.
Ultimately in my opinion, the Land Cruiser is a direct competitor to Jeep / Bronco/ 4Runners and as long as you know that going in you will not be disappointed. I will 100% take it over those when crossed shopped at the same price without hesitation.
The 4 cyl hybrid , while unrefined, is practical, and cool, and feels like a diesel engine. It does what it is supposed to do- again at 50k price point -
if Toyota wanted it to feel premium they could have easily have the tundra set up that would justify the 60-70k price premium but as is, this truck is nothing more that a practical wrangler which I love- again at 50k price point
90 percent of the above are body on frame, some, and most share the same suspension set up as the land cruiser with solid axles in the back.
The first time I test drove the land cruiser I was genuinely surprised about the ride refinement and expected it to be heads and shoulders above the Bronco badlands and jl but I’d have to say Atleast on low speed upto 40mph I don’t feel a difference between those cars . Every little bump on the road is translated to your body. Freeway driving is generally great . No wandering like the jeep, much better steering, and less noise than both.
From the ride perspective I would put all the trucks mentioned above in the following order
Lightning- f150 raptor/ ram trx/ LR defender/ old gx / Bronco raptor / badlands -Land Cruiser/ gladiator - jl
I know the Lexus gx 550 over tail comes with kdss and magnetic shocks that would solve ride quality issues , but non are also available on base gx550, I wonder how similar that car drives compared to Land Cruiser and if the shocks/ spring set up is the same . I ended up purchasing a 1958 for 51k , in my opinion if you are spending above 60 on any Land Cruiser variant the Lexus is a wiser choice for the reasons mention above .
The other slightly annoying point is the hollow feeling of the doors when opening/ closing. They are the lightest doors I’ve ever handled and feel fragile. I’m not sure what is going on because this feeling is only unique to this car, my wife’s x3 even doesnt feel this way.
Ultimately in my opinion, the Land Cruiser is a direct competitor to Jeep / Bronco/ 4Runners and as long as you know that going in you will not be disappointed. I will 100% take it over those when crossed shopped at the same price without hesitation.
The 4 cyl hybrid , while unrefined, is practical, and cool, and feels like a diesel engine. It does what it is supposed to do- again at 50k price point -
if Toyota wanted it to feel premium they could have easily have the tundra set up that would justify the 60-70k price premium but as is, this truck is nothing more that a practical wrangler which I love- again at 50k price point
