Test-Driving The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958

The 2024 Land Cruiser 1958 aims and succeeds at puncturing the bloat and excess the badge had become known for in recent years. They now offer a toned-down, relatively affordable, strong machine worth your tire-kick.

Is it a woo-hoo party machine, ready to tackle the most challenging terrain? No. Lookswise, it's a much more svelte than its older brothers, with a narrow countenance combined with bulging fender flares giving it a (somewhat) tougher exterior. You roll on a version of Toyota's new global TNGA-F truck platform, the same one you find under their Tundras, Tacoma or Sequoias. The 1958's base price is $58,345, considerably less than the Land Rovers of recent years.

The interior, despite the cachet of the name, is ever-so-plastic here and there, the strong points being the comfort of the cloth seats. Those seats are adjustable and you've got a heated steering wheel and an 8-inch touchscreen on the 1958 trim, my tester. The liftgate is manual. Your cargo area is generous.

The 1958 trim arrives with an 8-inch touchscreen. A wireless smartphone integration is standard, as are multiple USB ports and Toyota's connected services.

Engine/Hybrid system

Every 2024 Land Cruiser is powered by the same 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid iForce Max powertrain and eight-speed transmission that the Tacoma TRD Pro has. A total of 326 combined horsepower combined with 465 pound-feet of torque is yours. Mileage is a decent-for-the-brand 23 MPG combined city/highway – a huge improvement over the abysmal mileage of the old Land Rovers.

The hybrid system's 1.87-kWh nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery is placed above the axle where a third row would normally appear.

The Drive

Upon the very first startup and pullaway, I found the 1958 smooth and quick and likeable and that is has an especially spirited get-up-and-go on short jaunts.

Over the week's test, during which I put about 400 miles on the vehicle, mostly highway, I found it capable, well-made and beyond that, mostly unremarkable. Steering on the road? AOK. Brakes? Check, work fine. Acceleration? Acceptable. Comfort? Sure.

Each Land Cruiser has full-time four-wheel drive with locking center and rear differentials. 33-inch tires and a disconnecting front anti-roll bar come with as well. An integrated tow hitch comes standard, but it's a smaller vehicle so we see the previous trim's 8,100 pounds of towing ability drop to 6,000, which is still quite muscular.

How does its 4WD work?

It's easy – you've got a two-speed transfer case with a Torsen center differential allowing consistent all-wheel drive movement on dry pavement. Your center differential automatically locks when your transfer case is shifted into low range, or you can do it yourself whenever you feel to.

Every Land Cruiser also gets push-button-lock rear differentials, a Crawl Control system and Downhill Assist Control, all of which provide the fun and adventure you look for in vehicles of this type and you don't have to have to be especially facile with buttons, knobs and instructions to make it all work efficiently and quickly.

You've got twin-tube dampers all around which smooth the ride whether on plain roads or rough terrain, something you can't say for every off-roader.

All the latest safety measures are in place, including but not limited to Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0. This standard system provides a suite of advanced safety features including pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking. Additional safety features include a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and trailer sway control.

Conclusion: The 1958 launches in an extremely competitive crowd of SUVs, but it's bound to be someone's favorite.