2018 Toyota Land Cruiser’s Legacy Design Still Gets the Job Done

The Toyota Land Cruiser has not received a significant design revision in years. But it continues to be an excellent vehicle. As a matter of fact,it makes the cut for top luxury large SUVs by most reviewers including ourselves. What’s more is that luxury does not come at the expense of solid off-roading performance. However, compared to previous years, the 2018 model has a little bit more to offer.

What’s new in 2018?

The current Land Cruiser design has been around since 2008. It received a comprehensive list of updates in 2018, but since then less has changed. In 2018 the Land Cruiser sports a new grille complete with LED running lights, a brand new eight-speed auto transmission, a center stack that uses the Entune multimedia interface specific to Toyota, a slightly updated dashboard and the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension also called KDSS.

The Best is Here to Stay

The single-engine, powertrain combo comes with the same 5.7-liter V8 delivering 381 horses with 401 pounds of torque along with an eight-speed transmission which is pretty much the same as the last two years. The 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser continues to deliver the ultimate off-road experience with a bevy of bells and whistles something which the vehicle has been synonymous with for decades. This time around the generous selection of luxury leather gives the interior a more premium feel.

Updated Safety Features

The Toyota Land Cruiser’s safety features include ten airbags, with mounted airbags on the second row in addition to roll sensing and knee airbags. However, there is no official safety score from the IIHS or the NHTSA.

The most significantsafety feature is the Star Safety System which includes a host of features all bundled into one package. The features include stability control, all-terrain anti-lockbrakes, active traction control, and Toyota’s Safety Connect. You also get emergency assistance, automatic collision notification, androadside assistance. All of these services come complimentary for the initial year.

Standard Features

The Toyota Land Cruiser comes with a selection of excellent standard features. To start with we are impressed with the fact that even the rear passenger seats get treated to their own DVD entertainment system. It is a feature that’s optional in most other SUVs but standard in the Land Cruiser. Then there are the dual 11.6-inch screens for both passenger seats.

We also enjoyed the fact that the 10-way power adjustable driver seat is easy to use. However, all passenger seats are eight ways adjustable. The driver’s side gets memory which means that not only the seat but the tilt/telescoping steering wheel and adaptive cruise control also remember your settings.

Final Verdict

The 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser is impossible not to compare with the Land Rover Range Rover owing to the pretty similar price tag. Though the appeal of the Land Cruiser has to be its often overlooked packaging and competence. It is quite, excellent off the road, has a generous amount of power and comes with standard equipment you can’t find anywhere else. Its nearest competitors are the Lexus LX 570, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and Mercedes Benz G550. Though in all departments the Land Cruiser stands tall as a well-rounded vehicle…it is prepared for Armageddon.