Land Cruiser has a ride problem

[EOD Guy]

It rides better than my 2020 Taco....... and it is on a truck frame.

 

[last_aero]

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

My Quick Take on a New Land Cruiser (and Ride comfort)

Just made the jump from a 2015 CR-V to a 2025 LC, and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Loving this thing.

Ride Quality?​

The LC could be better—but it’s smoother than the 4Runner I test-drove. Not a night-and-day difference, but noticeable. For reference, I’ve spent a lot of time with a 2020 Ridgeline, 2024 Tacoma, 2023 Santa Fe, 2015 CR-V, 2010 FJ Cruiser, 2009 Pilot, and 2005 Forester. We still own the Ridgeline, CR-V, and Forester.

How Does the LC Compare on Ride Comfort (Bumps)?​

• 2020 Ridgeline is the smoothest, followed by the CR-V, Santa Fe, and Pilot.
• The LC feels like a super-sized Forester—no joke. We still have a 2005 Forester, and the ride is eerily similar. (The big difference? Bulk and height.)
• Better than the Tacoma and FJ Cruiser in smoothness (no shock there).
• A colleague picked up the Lexus variant, and my gut says hers is a bit smoother—but probably not by much.
• Compared to my old CR-V? Let’s just say my wife’s Ridgeline rides smoother than the CR-V. My son prefers his Forester over tthe CR-V

Why the Land Cruiser?​

I think Honda’s best product might be the CR-V or a Passport in terms of reliability and quality (not a fan of the newer Pilots that look like minivans). But when it came to Toyota, I felt like their two best offerings right now are the Highlander and Land Cruiser. But I just like the look and feel of the LC over the Highlander

Absolutely loving the LC so far!

 

[dobermancruiser]

Looks like you've got at least 33's on there and a lift, so you've modified the stock vehicle and now don't like the ride? Am I missing something? I would expect 33's or 35's to have a rougher ride than the stock 265's. I came from a 5-series BMW with stock 20's and those stupid runflats and I find the LC to have a superior over all ride. I have to ease off a little on mountain roads because it's a little softer on the curves but that's to be expected from a vehicle that weighs 1500# more.

 

[boltnut]

I find this pretty funny because the whole reason I traded in my Gladiator for the LC was because of the ride quality. We have an adult son with Down Syndrome who would complain when we drove over bumps or on rough roads. He was just generally uncomfortable riding in the back seat of the Gladiator. So much so that my wife would let him sit in the passenger seat while she road in the back. When we test drove the LC I purposely sought out some speed bumps to see how it compared. It was a night a day difference and the LC is so much smoother over the rough stuff that I encounter on a daily basis. If I'm being selfish I would say I miss the Gladiator overall but my son no longer complains when we drive on rough roads and is obviously much more comfortable in the LC, whether in the front or back seat, so I'm happy.

 

[teghogh]

Looks like you've got at least 33's on there and a lift, so you've modified the stock vehicle and now don't like the ride? Am I missing something? I would expect 33's or 35's to have a rougher ride than the stock 265's. I came from a 5-series BMW with stock 20's and those stupid runflats and I find the LC to have a superior over all ride. I have to ease off a little on mountain roads because it's a little softer on the curves but that's to be expected from a vehicle that weighs 1500# more.

My initial complaint was on stock 18s . It drives much better on 33s and 17 inch wheels

 

[Spoiledone]

The problem with the LC ride is that it's awesome.

Coming from 4Rs and Tacoma's, there is nothing more to say.

Yup! Coming from a 2021 Tacoma it feels like a Cadillac

 

[EOD Guy]

My Quick Take on a New Land Cruiser (and Ride comfort)

Just made the jump from a 2015 CR-V to a 2025 LC, and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Loving this thing.

Ride Quality?​

The LC could be better—but it’s smoother than the 4Runner I test-drove. Not a night-and-day difference, but noticeable. For reference, I’ve spent a lot of time with a 2020 Ridgeline, 2024 Tacoma, 2023 Santa Fe, 2015 CR-V, 2010 FJ Cruiser, 2009 Pilot, and 2005 Forester. We still own the Ridgeline, CR-V, and Forester.

How Does the LC Compare on Ride Comfort (Bumps)?​

• 2020 Ridgeline is the smoothest, followed by the CR-V, Santa Fe, and Pilot.
• The LC feels like a super-sized Forester—no joke. We still have a 2005 Forester, and the ride is eerily similar. (The big difference? Bulk and height.)
• Better than the Tacoma and FJ Cruiser in smoothness (no shock there).
• A colleague picked up the Lexus variant, and my gut says hers is a bit smoother—but probably not by much.
• Compared to my old CR-V? Let’s just say my wife’s Ridgeline rides smoother than the CR-V. My son prefers his Forester over tthe CR-V

Why the Land Cruiser?​

I think Honda’s best product might be the CR-V or a Passport in terms of reliability and quality (not a fan of the newer Pilots that look like minivans). But when it came to Toyota, I felt like their two best offerings right now are the Highlander and Land Cruiser. But I just like the look and feel of the LC over the Highlander

Absolutely loving the LC so far!

Welcome to the Jungle!

 

[Roonie]

I love the ride. It is so much better then my full size truck I came from. Way better then my older landcruiser I still have. I am on E load tires 36 psi and it is perfect in my opinion other then the dip at braking but that is not enough to bother me.

 

[BlueCruiser]

I got the "mandatory" 20 inch OEM upgrade. They will probably wear out at about 35K miles and then get replaced with something better. In the meantime, rides great around town at 36 psi. No complaints.

 

[HammerTheWall]

Not seeing any ride problem with my LC FE...having Jeep Wranglers, Tundras, Ford pickups, 4Runners, etc. before. Compared to my Wrangler the LC rides like it's on clouds.

 

[alfiolevy]

My 1958 had a choppy ride until about 7500 miles. After that the ride quality greatly improved.

 

[teghogh]

My 1958 had a choppy ride until about 7500 miles. After that the ride quality greatly improved.

I’ve heard similar stories on mpg as well. So the conclusion is to drive the car for 10k miles before the ride and mpg are optimized.