Used 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a legend among off-road SUVs. For over 60 years, this model has conquered the world’s harshest terrain without missing a beat. Models have grown in size over the years and have gained more creature comforts in the process.

The latest version of Toyota’s flagship SUV has room for either five or eight passengers and has a host of creature comforts, all while retaining serious off-road hardware and a big V8 engine. The Land Cruiser’s abilities don’t come cheap. At over $85,000, the Land Cruiser is Toyota’s most expensive model, and just a hair beneath its Lexus sibling, the LX 570.

In reality, unless you truly intend to use the Land Cruiser as a 4-wheel-drive adventure vehicle, you’re probably better off in a 3-row crossover such as the Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, and Hyundai Palisade. They cost less than half the price of a Land Cruiser, offer fresher technology such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and have more cargo room, far better fuel efficiency, and more refined road manners.

That said, if you’re a die-hard fan of the Land Cruiser and are itching for a new one, you might want to act sooner vs. later. Reports say this iconic Toyota SUV may be ending its run in the near future.

Climbing into the Land Cruiser is like a reunion with an old friend. There’s a lot that’s familiar about it because it hasn’t changed all that much. Styling is pleasant; it’s clearly still a Toyota Land Cruiser. This big, brawny Toyota has a commanding view of the road, and a vault-like feel that is hard to replicate in another vehicle. The seats are cushy and comfortable, and everything is within easy reach. Are there signs of age in the interior? Yes. The navigation-screen graphics look outdated on the 9-inch display, and there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto integration (but there is Apple Siri Eyes Free, Bluetooth, and USB port).

There is no doubt that this SUV is heavy, but the 381-horsepower V8 engine and the 8-speed automatic transmission do a great job of moving this truck-based SUV down the road. Its steering is slow, handling isn’t up to par with other full-size luxury and near-luxury SUVs on the market today, and the brakes are touchy, but time spent on the highway behind the wheel of this vehicle made us smile. That smile turned into a full-blown grin when we tested the Land Cruiser off-road, where its rigid, tough body-on-frame chassis and trail-proven traction systems showed that this near-luxury SUV is a formidable machine on the trail.

There are more efficient, better-handling options out there that offer more comfort and features on-road, so if the old-school charm of the Land Cruiser doesn’t grab you, there’s always the option of a Toyota Highlander or Kia Telluride.

With seats like overstuffed leather recliners and warm tones throughout the cabin, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser’s interior is comfortable and welcoming. The Land Cruiser boasts high-quality materials and switchgear, and this vehicle has a more upscale feel than Toyota’s similarly sized Sequoia SUV. The dashboard is dominated by a 9-inch touch screen; below that are the controls for the 4-zone climate-control system, as well as large, silver knobs for the audio system. Among the switchgear are the buttons and knobs for features that aid in off-road adventures.

Most Land Cruisers have a 3-row/8-passenger interior, with the exception of the 2-row/5-passenger Heritage Edition. For the seventh and eighth passenger in the standard Land Cruiser, space in these seats is tight. Unlike a traditional third row, these are similar to jump seats, which fold up against the sides of the vehicle when not in use. Unlike a traditional crossover where the seats fold forward, this setup robs space on the side walls, but it also creates a flat floor.

If you opt for the 2-row Heritage Edition, you get contrast bronze stitching on the seats and more cargo space, but you’ll lose the neat center-console cooler box that’ll keep your beverages cold.

The brawny Land Cruiser has some styling cues that tie it to past models, and its most recent update added an attractive grille and LED lighting to the vehicle’s somewhat simple and blocky design. An interesting feature of this full-size SUV is in back. Unlike most SUVs, which use a single liftgate, the Land Cruiser has a clamshell design where the top and bottom portions lift and fold.

The Heritage Edition comes with a special grille and vintage badges, plus black side mirrors with dark chrome accents. The running boards and chrome side-body accents have been removed, and there’s a Yakima Megawarrior roof rack up top. While the regular Land Cruiser rides on 18-inch split-spoke alloy wheels, the Heritage Edition uses bronze BBS forged-aluminum-alloy wheels.

Compared to its Lexus LX 570 sibling, the Toyota Land Cruiser has a more traditional design, with one of the biggest differences in the grille. Where Lexus has gone huge, the Toyota keeps it clean and simple.

HERITAGE EDITION
Celebrating 60 years of the Land Cruiser in America, this special edition was introduced last year as a 2-row/5-passenger model with bronze-colored 18-inch BBS wheels, black grille, and vintage-inspired badging. For 2021, the Heritage Edition can now be had with the usual three rows of seats.

ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
With the exception of choosing the Heritage Edition, every Land Cruiser comes standard with all the fixings: Toyota Safety Sense (forward-collision alert with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control), V8 power, 4-zone climate control, heated/vented leather seats, 14-speaker audio system, Crawl Control, and much more. The only extra cost would be the optional rear-seat entertainment system.

People shopping for a Land Cruiser will be pleased to discover that the high price of entry — over $85,000 — makes for an easy shopping experience. You have two choices: the Land Cruiser or the Heritage Edition. Either way, the features list is basically set. Both are extremely well equipped, with standard V8 power, a slate of excellent off-road equipment, and the Safety Sense suite, which comes with pre-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

On the luxury side of the equation, the Land Cruiser has a leather interior with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated power-adjustable steering wheel, 4-zone climate control, and a moonroof. Infotainment includes a 9-inch touch screen with navigation and 14-speaker JBL premium audio, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple’s Siri Eyes Free — but lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone integration.

Your choices really couldn’t be more simple when selecting a 2021 Land Cruiser. Either you get the standard model or the Heritage Edition. Opt for the Heritage Land Cruiser, and you’ll have the choice of it being in 2-row/5-passenger form or 3-row/8-passenger form like the regular model.

If you choose the standard Land Cruiser, your only option is a $2,220 rear-seat entertainment package with a DVD player, two 11.6-inch screens, wireless headphones, a remote, RCA jacks, and an HDMI input. Want any more goodies for your Land Cruiser? Just take a look through the long list of dealer-installed accessories.

Every 2021 Land Cruiser comes with the same engine and transmission: a 381-horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 that uses an 8-speed automatic transmission. According to Toyota, 90 percent of peak torque is available at a mere 2,200 rpm. This comes in handy when driving at low speed, exploring off-road, and towing — and the Land Cruiser can tow up to 8,100 pounds. If you need to tow more than that, consider the Ford Expedition, which can pull up to 9,300 pounds.

Yes, the Land Cruiser is one of the most off-road-capable vehicles out there, but not only will you have to pay a lot up front, but you’ll pay more at the pump. The Land Cruiser only nets fuel economy of 14 mpg combined and has a 24.6-gallon fuel tank.

5.7-liter V8
381 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
401 lb-ft of torque @ 3,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/17 mpg