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2024 Toyota Land Cruiser | Manufacturer image

By Brian Normile

August 22, 2023

Toyota already had a selection of off-road vehicles in its lineup, but with the return of the Land Cruiser for the 2024 model year, the list has grown from a bevy to a glut. We thought we’d take a look at how the new Land Cruiser compares to those other Toyotas in some basic categories to help you get a better idea of which one might be right for you.

Related: 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Returns With Retro Styling, Lower Price Tag

It’s worth noting that you don’t go off-road on paper (or on a website, I guess; please don’t print this out to read it), and that these are comparisons of fully stock vehicles. If you throw enough money and modifications at a vehicle, pretty much anything can go off-road; far fewer vehicles are off-road-ready right off the lot the way these Toyotas are. For the purposes of this comparison, we’re going to look at the TRD Pro versions of the 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra — and, just for fun, the last Land Cruiser, too.

Powertrain

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser | Manufacturer image

The 2024 Land Cruiser sheds the previous generation’s stout V-8 for a modern hybrid powertrain that includes a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine; it’s the same setup found in the new Tacoma TRD Pro. The powertrain generates a total of 326 horsepower and 465 pounds-feet of torque — down from the old V-8’s 381 hp, but a nice bump over its 401 pounds-feet. The Tundra TRD Pro takes the crown here: Its i-Force Max hybrid powertrain churns out 437 hp and 583 pounds-feet. Bringing up the rear is the 4Runner TRD Pro, which has an aging 4.0-liter V-6 that produces 270 hp and 278 pounds-feet.

In terms of transmissions, the new Land Cruiser and Tacoma both employ eight-speed automatic transmissions, while the Tundra uses a 10-speed auto. The last Land Cruiser also had an eight-speed automatic, but not the same unit that’s in the new Land Cruiser, and the 4Runner is equipped with a five-speed auto. Non-TRD Pro Tacomas get the enthusiast nod, however, as some trim levels can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.

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Know Your Angles and Clearances

Approach, departure and breakover angles are useful for illustrating the severity of obstacles a vehicle can navigate — at least without the obstacle touching non-tire parts. Here are the listed factory angles, according to Toyota, for our sample vehicles:

2024 Land Cruiser

  • Approach: 31 degrees
  • Departure: 22 degrees
  • Breakover: 25 degrees
  • Ground clearance: 7 inches

2021 Land Cruiser

  • Approach: 32
  • Departure: 24
  • Breakover: 21
  • Ground clearance: 9

2024 Tacoma TRD Pro

  • Approach: 8
  • Departure: 7
  • Breakover: 5
  • Ground clearance: 11

2023 Tundra TRD Pro

  • Approach: 2
  • Departure: 2
  • Breakover: TBA
  • Ground clearance: 9

2023 4Runner TRD Pro

  • Approach: 33
  • Departure: 26
  • Breakover: TBA
  • Ground clearance: 6

Both the Tacoma and 4Runner are capable of approaching and descending more steeply angled obstacles. While the lack of breakover angle data for every vehicle makes things harder to compare, it’s worth noting that the new Land Cruiser is roughly similar in capabilities to the prior generation. The 2024 Land Cruiser also has the lowest factory ground clearance of this bunch; that may be among the first things owners look to modify.

Tech-Friendly

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser | Manufacturer image

Another piece of the off-road puzzle are the aids and assists that Toyota includes. Here, most models are nearly identical: all offer versions of the Multi-Terrain Select terrain-specific traction settings, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera system to better see upcoming obstacles, Toyota’s Crawl Control off-road cruise control and more. The Land Cruiser and Tacoma, the two newest vehicles in this group, have the latest versions of all of those features, though it’s likely that newer model years of the Tundra and 4Runner will receive similar updates. The 2021 Land Cruiser probably won’t be getting updated.

Price-Conscious

Pricing for the 2024 Land Cruiser hasn’t been announced yet, but Toyota says it will have a starting price around $55,000. That would put it in nearly direct competition with the 2023 4Runner TRD Pro’s $56,015 starting price (all prices include destination). Meanwhile, the 2023 Tundra TRD Pro crests $70,000 to start. The new Tacoma has no official pricing, but the previous-generation TRD Pro had a $52,235 starting price when equipped with an automatic transmission; expect that price to rise somewhat for the new version, which would also put it in direct competition with the base 2024 Land Cruiser.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens to prices of the last Land Cruiser when the new one goes on sale, but for now, prices appear to be significantly higher than $55,000.

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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013 and became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera, and to turn his 2021 Hyundai Veloster N into a tribute to the great Renault mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive hatchbacks. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could. Email Brian Normile

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