In many ways, Toyota Land Cruiser is the definitive SUV. It is dependable and rugged, and depending on how it is spec’d, it can be very luxurious. The Land Cruiser took leave from the US market in 2021, but it’s coming back for the 2024 model year, as an all-new model. While the rest of the world got the J300-series Land Cruiser, it is the outgoing Land Cruiser 200 that represented Japanese all-terrain ruggedness from 2007 to 2021.
While the 200-series was offered in a variety of trims, it is the base one that is most faithful to the original formula. As newer generations become more complex and tech-heavy, the base-model Land Cruiser 200 represents an era of simplicity that we think, would turn into a modern-day 4x4 icon.
A Tried And Tested Powertrain
Toyota slowly phased out V-8 engines for the Land Cruiser, in favor of turbocharged and hybridized V-6 powertrains. Those were also featured on the Lexus LX J300, which is, technically, a Land Cruiser with a Lexus badge. Unfortunately, things are about to get even worse for the 2024 Land Cruiser, which would not be a revised 300 series, but an all-new model. It will be offered with a 2.4-liter, inline-four, Hybrid Max powertrain, which is already featured in the new Toyota Crown.
That’s where the J200 Toyota Land Cruiser kept things simple. While the model was available in 2007, it was the second facelift from 2015 that gave us a proper stripped version of the full-size SUV. It came with the tried-and-tested, 1GR-FE, 4.0-liter V-6 engine. In typical Toyota fashion, the naturally-aspirated unit was praised for its reliability. With 271 horsepower (199 kilowatts) at 5,200 RPM and 265 pound-feet (360 Nm) at 3,800 RPM, it wasn’t particularly quick, nor economical, but provided adequate motivation and was one of Toyota’s easier engines to work on.
The Last Land Cruiser With A Manual
The base version of the Land Cruiser 200 combines the 1GR-FE V-6 engine with a five-speed manual. You can, of course, opt for the five-speed automatic, which is what most buyers did, making the manual Land Cruiser 200 a very rare model. As expected, even the base model gets you differential locking as well as low gears for when you want to go way off the beaten path.
Simple Interior
Things like infotainment screens and wireless charging are now par for the course. Even in base trim, the Land Cruiser was never an affordable SUV, but the base version of the car always aimed to keep things simple without being too bare-bones. Even so, the full-size Japanese SUV can surprise you with just how utilitarian it can be. The seats are cloth instead of leather and there is much less chrome than on higher trims. Less bling doesn’t necessarily mean less options. Even the base Land Cruiser has a 9.0-inch touchscreen, combined with physical buttons for quick access.
In fact, the base 2022 model goes even further, giving you an old-school display, instead of a modern touchscreen, as Doug DeMuro showcased in his review. This will likely become a trend in modern vehicles as the idea is to have clear distinctions between the base models and their better-equipped counterparts. Aside from that, you still get the same versatile interior as the higher trims that have been built to last.
The Last Full-Size, Japanese SUV With A Body-On-Frame Chassis
Opting for the base version will not necessarily give you a better car, unless you are of a mind that less equipment means less stuff to break. Regardless, the base Land Cruiser 200 combines an analog drivetrain that consists of a proven, naturally-aspirated V-6, a six-speed manual, and a dependable 4X4 system, in a rugged package that also happens to be the last body-on-frame, full-size SUV to come out from Japan.
It is in fact, the same platform shared with the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, and of course the Lexus LX. In true tradition, those four models continue to share the same chassis, although now, it is a newer, TNGA-F platform. While largely extinct from the world of SUVs, the body-on-frame chassis has clear advantages when it comes to off-roading and hauling, further reinforcing the Land Cruiser's image of a rugged workhorse that can also double as a "get-anywhere", fortress on wheels.
The Next Big Thing?
Toyota Land Cruiser has always been a beacon of versatility and dependability. The brand’s proven reliability record, combined with the Land Cruiser’s all-terrain capabilities are the main reason why each generation commands a premium compared to other offerings in the segment. Auction sites like Cars and Bids show that even Land Cruisers from the 1990s currently go for over $20,000 while a Land Cruiser 200 can be as much as $60,000, even as a 10-year-old proposition.
To put things in perspective, a brand new, 2013 Land Cruiser 200 would have set you back $80,000, which adjusting for inflation, would set you back almost 103,000 in 2023 money. Prices for the Japanese, full-size USV remained nearly unchanged until 2021, and according to Cars US News, you could get one for $85,665. In a world of expensive, flashy, high-performance SUVs, the Land Cruiser still keeps to it traditional, making for a unique experience. What Toyota’s Land Cruiser lacks in performance, it more than makes up in heritage, build quality and dependability.