2014 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser sees no changes after the 2013 update that tweaked the exterior and the interior. Talking of the rivalry, the Land Cruiser goes up against the Lexus LX 570, the Land Rover Range Rover, and the INFINITI QX80. All the SUVs are potent off-roaders and do have positive customer feedback, making this comparison a rather difficult one. 

The good ol’ 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser is available in just one base trim which is loaded to the brim with all the luxury and convenience features that the Japanese manufacturer had on offer. To begin with, the SUV comes equipped, as standard, with features like 18-inch wheels, automatic xenon headlamps with LED running lights, four-zone automatic climate control, heated 40/20/40-split second-row seats, and voice control. While there are a lot more features, a summary of the highlighting ones is given below.

Since the Toyota Land Cruiser is available as a single trim, there are no options or packages that Toyota offers in terms of the features to be added. That being said, the Land Cruiser does have all the posh amenities that one could expect from an SUV of this caliber. 

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The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser is a fully-loaded SUV and is available in only one trim - which is fully loaded and cannot be upgraded or customized further. 

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.7L V8 which is a very tried and tested mill that has been on the road, and takes people back home, and produces 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque which is channeled to all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. Adding to this, there are many off-road modes as well which aid the Land Cruiser in exploring the unexplored. The visibility is stupendous and the huge door mirrors also solve any visibility issues at the sides of the SUV. 

The seats are super comfortable and feel as if it was purpose-made for long-distance driving. Talking of the gearbox, it is a very smooth unit and seamlessly blends in the cogs for a smooth ride, and this is also complemented by the vibe-free engine and the soft suspension that does wonders in smoothening out any undulations. The body does shimmy a little bit over the rough patches but that’s how the ladder-frame chassis works. The only zonk in the beautiful driving experience is the heavy steering and the mushy brakes. They aren’t the worst, but the rivals do these parameters better. 

The Lexus LX570 is the platform-mate of the Land Cruiser and the only difference in both of them is that the latter can run on regular fuel whereas the former uses premium gas. That being said, the Lexus is rather slow when compared to the Toyota, whereas the Land Rover and INFINITI are quicker, with the former just edging ahead of the INFINITI. 

The 5.7L V8 under the hood isn’t the most effective when it comes to fuel economy and the EPA ratings are solid proof that the engine is getting a bit too old to tackle the mileage expectations. Having said that, the EPA ratings for the Land Cruiser stand at 13 MPG in the city and 18 MPG on the highway, for a combined total of 15 MPG from its massive 24.6-gallon fuel tank. 

While criticizing the Land Cruiser, we can’t ignore the fact that the LX is even more thirsty. Out of these SUVs, the Range Rover is the most fuel-efficient and also has the most range in between stops. The INFINITI isn’t the most fuel-efficient, but is the best one within the V8s and also benefits from a bigger fuel tank. 

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser’s cabin is a very roomy place to be in, no doubt about that. The front row is super comfortable and the big windshield lets in a lot of light to lighten up the dashboard. Talking of the materials inside, Toyota has ensured to put in the best and the softest materials to bathe the occupants in, which is clearly evident by the dashboard and the door panels. Everything one touches are covered in soft-touch material but amidst this comfort also lies the robust feeling of being in a Land Cruiser. 

No panel vibrates, nor do they rattle anytime during the drive which goes on to show the level of craftsmanship put into the cabin. The seats are super comfortable and are best suited for long drives. They do feel like couches, be it in any row. The first and second rows are super comfortable and are full of amenities like power adjustability, heating (both front and rear), and ventilation. The third row can be folded up to reveal cargo space which also increases practicality. 

Since the Land Cruiser and the Lexus are very similar and hence, the cabin inside is similar as well. The LR does headroom well but the shoulder room isn’t as impressive as the others. Having said that, the INFINITI takes the lead for the most spacious cabin, while also boasting of a lot of niceties inside. The Land Cruiser also has a lot of amenities inside and hence, some of the highlighting features inside are:

• Four-zone automatic climate control with separate second-row controls
• Power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with leather and wood trim
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Heated 40/20/40-split second-row seats
• 50/50-split third-row seats
• Center console cooler box

How intuitive is the infotainment unit in the 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser?

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser comes loaded with an 8-inch touchscreen system that runs Toyota’s Entune system which allows access to various web-enabled services via your smartphone. This system has a very simple layout and navigating through this system is a piece of cake. 

The transitions are smooth and fluid leaving no stutters anywhere. Talking of the tech on offer, it comes with Bluetooth as standard along with AM/FM/SiriusXM, HD radio, CD player, USB inputs, and iPod interface - all of which blast music through a 14-speaker JBL sound system. Some of the highlights of this system include:

• 8-inch touchscreen interface
• Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity
• Voice control
• Toyota Entune
• 14-speaker JBL sound system
• Satellite radio
• CD player
• iPod/USB audio interface
• HD radio

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser is a simple SUV and does not pretend to be anything other than what it actually is. The design is a typical body-on-frame design with the aerodynamics of a wall and tremendous room inside. To the rear, the Land Cruiser is as simple as it poses to be and has a big rear windshield, a chrome strip with the branding, big taillights, and a nicely hidden exhaust with no mumbo jumbo whatsoever. 

The side of the Land Cruiser is like that of a brick - tall, high roof, big windows, stepping boards, and big 18-inch wheels. That being said, the Land Cruiser has no lines and sharp edges to it but rather has a simple design on the doors along with one strip of chrome for “premiumness”. The front fascia was updated last year with a new grille which is now more prominent and suits the big SUV better. Apart from that, there are the big LED headlights and a muscular bonnet for extra off-road credit. 

The Land Rover is the lightest and has a longer wheelbase than the Land Cruiser. It is also longer and wider, which contributes a lot to the massive road presence it commands. The Land Cruiser is lighter, has a shorter length, and is taller than the Lexus but both have similar cabin space. But of all, the INFINITI is the mammoth with the highest proportions which is reflected inside the cabin. That being said, the Land Cruiser is a very recognizable SUV and some of the highlighting features are:

• 18-inch wheels 
• LED running lights
• Automatic xenon headlamps with
• Fog lights
• Automatic wipers 
• Auto-dimming and power-folding heated mirrors 
• Integrated turn signals
• Privacy glass
• Rear spoiler
• Roof rack
• Sunroof 
• Running boards

The 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser has a tried and tested chassis which is known to endure the worst of scenarios and still move ahead like a tank. Given the old school tech, it is based on, there isn't a lot of safety tech on offer per se apart from adaptive cruise control and rearview camera along with parking sensors. It does come with all the modern passive safety features on offer, along with active safety tech to make the drive safe. Some of the highlighting safety features on the Land Cruiser are:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Rearview camera
• Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System
• Five-speed crawl control
• Hill-start assist 
• Off-Road Turn Assist 

The Toyota Land Cruiser is an old SUV that is potent enough to be driven off-road without the worries of a modern SUV. There are no trims per se and the only model on offer has a gas-guzzling engine that can run 100s of 1000s of miles without breaking down. The interior is luxurious and comfortable, but still retains the rugged feel along with a roomy cabin that can easily fit in 8 people.