2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review // Idiot Proof
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging adventure, the Throttle House team embarks on a journey with the new Toyota Land Cruiser, exploring diverse terrains including highways, back roads, sand dunes, and camping spots. Starting from the shores of Coronado, they head east through San Diego's mountains to the AlgodĂłn Sand Dunes, a mysterious geographical feature. The Land Cruiser, with its 2.4L 4-cylinder hybrid engine, proves its reliability and comfort on the highway and its off-road capabilities, despite the challenging sand conditions. The team also experiences the joys and challenges of camping in the desert, with the Land Cruiser serving as a reliable base. Throughout their journey, they reflect on the Land Cruiser's place among Toyota's lineup, its styling, and its appeal, with James even purchasing an old Land Cruiser, highlighting the vehicle's enduring desirability.
Takeaways
- đ The new Toyota Land Cruiser is used for a mini adventure, showcasing its capabilities on highways, back roads, sand dunes, and camping.
- đïž The Land Cruiser's performance in the AlgodĂłn sand dunes is tested, revealing its prowess in off-road conditions despite challenging terrain.
- đš The I-Force Max engine, a 2.4L 4-cylinder hybrid, provides sufficient power but is not as thrilling as initially expected.
- đ„ The Land Cruiser's reliability and comfort on the highway are highlighted, with a ride quality comparable to the Lexus GX.
- đ€ Some confusion is expressed regarding the Land Cruiser's model series and its positioning relative to the Lexus LX and Toyota 4Runner.
- đ First impressions of the Land Cruiser are positive, with a focus on its potential for long-lasting reliability and good fuel efficiency.
- đïž The rooftop tent experience is less than ideal, with the crew facing a windy and sleepless night in a remote desert campsite.
- đ§ The Land Cruiser's off-road tires are not as aggressive as some other models, which impacts its performance in extreme dune conditions.
- đČ Despite its high price, the Land Cruiser is seen as a worthwhile investment due to Toyota's reputation for reliability and durability.
- đ€ The Land Cruiser's interior is comfortable but not as luxurious as the Lexus GX, reflecting a more utilitarian approach to the vehicle's design.
- đ§ The Land Cruiser's undercarriage takes a hit during a jump, resulting in damage to the radiator, which surprisingly does not affect the vehicle's performance.
Q & A
What is the main adventure described in the script?
-The main adventure described in the script is a trip taken by Thomas and James from Throttle House in a new Toyota Land Cruiser. They travel through highways, back roads, sand dunes, and do some camping, starting from Coronado shores and heading east out of San Diego to the Algodone sand dunes.
Why did Thomas become obsessed with Toyota Land Cruisers?
-Thomas became obsessed with Toyota Land Cruisers after spending time in Costa Rica where he saw an endless array of old and new Land Cruisers. Their prevalence and importance to the world made him consider buying an old one for himself.
What is special about the new Toyota Land Cruiser's engine?
-The new Toyota Land Cruiser features a 2.4 L 4-cylinder hybrid engine, which is the only engine option for this car. It is significant because it provides a good balance of power and fuel efficiency, although it's not as exciting or powerful as initially expected.
What was the destination of their mini adventure?
-The destination of their mini adventure was the Algodone sand dunes in the desert, which are described as looking like a piece of the Middle East dropped into California.
What was the unique geological formation they found on Google?
-The unique geological formation they found on Google was humorously referred to as a 'patch of dirt,' which was highly reviewed and had saved people from various fictional threats according to the reviews they read.
What challenges did they face during their desert adventure?
-They faced challenges such as unpredictable and random shapes of the sand dunes, difficulty in seeing what's coming next due to the Land Cruiser's forward-facing camera limitations, and the risk of rolling due to the softness of the sand and the Land Cruiser's high center of gravity with the added weight of a tent.
What was their experience with the Land Cruiser's off-road capabilities?
-The Land Cruiser performed well in the sand dunes, making the overlanding experience easy with its sophisticated traction control setting, ability to lock the rear differential, and disconnect the front sway bar when needed. However, they encountered a situation where the vehicle was damaged after a hard landing from a jump, which was attributed to driver error rather than a fault of the vehicle.
How did they find the Toyota Land Cruiser's styling?
-They found the Toyota Land Cruiser's styling to be fantastic, with a top trim, a first edition, and a 1958 Edition with circular lights. They appreciated the squared-off lights on the trim they had and the overall design, which they compared favorably to the FJ Cruiser.
What was their impression of the Land Cruiser's interior?
-The interior of the Land Cruiser was considered comfortable but less luxurious compared to the Lexus GX. It featured a JBL sound system, wireless charging, and a sunroof. However, the passenger could not see the gauge cluster, and there was limited knee room due to the narrowness of the vehicle.
How did the Toyota Land Cruiser perform in terms of reliability?
-The Toyota Land Cruiser demonstrated high reliability throughout the adventure. Despite a hard landing that damaged the underside and radiator, the vehicle's temperature gauge remained steady, and it managed to get the crew back to the parking lot without further issues.
What was the final verdict on the Toyota Land Cruiser's place in the market?
-Despite the presence of the Lexus GX and the 4Runner, the Toyota Land Cruiser was seen as having its own place in the market. It was viewed as a more classy and grownup 4Runner and a more honest Lexus GX, with better road manners than a Bronco or Wrangler, and a reputation for reliability that Land Rover cannot match.
Outlines
đ Introduction to the Throttle House Adventure
The script opens with an introduction to the Throttle House series, featuring Thomas and James embarking on a mini-adventure with the new Toyota Land Cruiser. They plan to explore highways, back roads, sand dunes, and camping. The setting begins at the shores of Coronado, with a journey eastward through San Diego, over mountains, and into the desert to the AlgodĂłn Sand Dunes. The hosts discuss the Land Cruiser's global significance and Thomas's personal interest in the vehicle, which has led him to consider purchasing an older model. They also touch on the confusion between different Land Cruiser models and trim levels.
đïž Exploring the Land Cruiser's Capabilities
The hosts evaluate the Land Cruiser's performance on various terrains, including sand dunes, and discuss its new I-force Max engine, a 2.4L 4-cylinder hybrid. They compare it to the Lexus GX and 4Runner, noting that it's comfortable for highway cruising but not particularly exciting. They also highlight the vehicle's fuel efficiency and reliability, which are important for their adventure. The script humorously describes a stop at a highly reviewed, yet unremarkable, geographical feature called 'a patch of dirt,' followed by a meal at a local Mexican restaurant. Preparing the Land Cruiser for desert driving includes lowering tire pressures, and the hosts express initial confidence in the vehicle's ability to handle the dunes despite the lack of aggressive off-road tires.
đš Overlanding Challenges and Camping
The adventure becomes more challenging as they encounter the difficulty of navigating the unpredictable sand dunes. The Land Cruiser's off-road capabilities are put to the test, and the hosts decide to take an alternate, safer route. After a long day, they attempt to set up camp, with James opting to sleep in the Land Cruiser instead of the rooftop tent due to comfort and space concerns. They face a windy night, which affects their sleep and leads to humorous banter about their camping experience.
đ Morning Reflections and Land Cruiser Aesthetics
The morning after a sleepless night, the hosts reflect on their experience and discuss the Land Cruiser's visual appeal and available trim options. They debate the merits of different color schemes and the vehicle's styling, comparing it to other models like the FJ Cruiser and the Lexus GX. They also discuss the Land Cruiser's interior, noting the comfortable seats and good visibility, despite some ergonomic quirks.
đ Land Cruiser's Interior and Functionality
The hosts delve into the Land Cruiser's interior features, discussing the infotainment system, the lack of visibility of the gauge cluster for the passenger, and the comfortable leather seats. They mention the limited knee room due to the vehicle's narrowness, which is a trade-off for better trail navigation. The script also covers the Land Cruiser's simple sunroof, JBL sound system, and wireless charging capabilities. They acknowledge the Land Cruiser's premium price but justify it with the vehicle's reliability and capability.
đïž Navigating the Dunes and the Land Cruiser's Reliability
The adventure continues with the hosts navigating through the sand dunes, appreciating the Land Cruiser's ability to handle the challenging terrain. They encounter a steep section that results in an unexpected airtime moment and subsequent damage to the vehicle's underside. Despite this, the Land Cruiser remains functional, and they manage to exit the dunes safely. The hosts reflect on the vehicle's resilience and the importance of not overestimating one's abilities when off-roading.
đ Land Cruiser's Market Position and Personal Attachment
The script concludes with the hosts driving back to San Diego, reflecting on the Land Cruiser's market position compared to the Lexus GX and 4Runner. They discuss the Land Cruiser's desirability and how it stands out as a unique vehicle. The host's personal attachment to the Land Cruiser is evident as he shares his recent purchase of an older model. The episode ends with a nod to the Land Cruiser's reputation for reliability and the hosts' overall positive experience with the vehicle.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄToyota Land Cruiser
đĄHybrid Engine
đĄOff-Roading
đĄCamping
đĄDesert
đĄAdventure
đĄReliability
đĄSuspension
đĄTowing Capacity
đĄFuel Efficiency
đĄRooftop Tent
Highlights
The hosts, Thomas and James, embark on a mini Throttle House adventure with the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser, showcasing its capabilities in various terrains.
The journey begins on the shores of Coronado, with a plan to traverse mountains, desert, and sand dunes.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is compared to its Lexus LX counterpart and the new 4Runner in terms of price and positioning.
Thomas shares his personal fondness for Land Cruisers, influenced by their prevalence and importance during his time in Costa Rica.
The hosts discuss the Land Cruiser's lineage, including the 250 series and the 300 series, and their global availability.
The new I-force Max engine, a 2.4 L 4-cylinder hybrid, is introduced as the only engine option for the Land Cruiser.
James and Thomas critique the Land Cruiser's comfort on the highway and its droney four-cylinder noise.
The Land Cruiser's fuel efficiency is questioned, with the hosts noting it doesn't meet their expectations.
A humorous stop at a highly reviewed yet seemingly ordinary 'patch of dirt' becomes a memorable part of the adventure.
The Land Cruiser's off-road performance is tested in the Algodone sand dunes, with the hosts adjusting tire pressure for better sand performance.
The vehicle's overlanding capabilities are praised, with the Land Cruiser handling the sand dune challenges with ease.
The hosts encounter difficulties with the sand dunes' unpredictability and the Land Cruiser's high center of gravity.
A strategic retreat from the double black diamond classified dunes leads to an alternate route.
The Land Cruiser's desert performance is discussed, with the hosts acknowledging the need for more aggressive tires for such terrain.
Camping in the desert with the Land Cruiser involves a rooftop tent and facing challenges such as strong winds and the possibility of scorpion encounters.
The hosts reflect on their experience, with Thomas revealing his purchase of an old Land Cruiser, highlighting the vehicle's desirability and impact.
The Land Cruiser's reliability is underscored as it withstands a rough landing after a jump in the dunes, with no significant damage.
The vehicle'sć é„° (interior) is reviewed, with comments on the visibility, comfort, and quality of the Land Cruiser's cabin.
The Land Cruiser's positioning in the market is debated, with comparisons to the Lexus GX and 4Runner, and its unique appeal is acknowledged.
Transcripts
[Music]
yep that's me you're probably wondering
how I got us in this
situation well why don't we rewind a bit
and I'll tell you the
[Music]
story you're watching throttle house I'm
Thomas I'm James and today we're going
on a mini throttle House adventure with
the allnew Toyota Land Cruiser we're
going to do highways we're going to do
back roads we're going to do sand dunes
and we're going to do a little bit of
camping hey
Camp I don't know why I let him talk me
into these things anyway we're starting
here by the sun-kissed gentle waved
shores of Coronado and then our plan is
to Head East out of San Diego through
the mountains and deep into the desert
to the algodon sand dunes which look
straight up like someone grabbed a piece
of the Middle East and dropped it into
California not even scientists really
know for certain how the dunes got there
so consider us investigators with the
new Toyota Land Cruiser as our vessel I
was more excited for this trip than any
other in recent memory because for some
reason lately I've become totally
obsessed with Toyota Land Cruisers I
spent some time in Costa Rica and on top
of touring around in a last generation
Land Cruiser Proto I fell in love with
the endless array of old and new Land
Cruisers they were everywhere it has
become apparent to me just how prolific
longlasting and important the Land
Cruiser is to the world so much so that
I'm actually thinking about buying an
old one for myself this does mean
however that my expectations for this
new Land Cruiser are very very high and
considering it's close to the same price
as its six-cylinder Lexus counterpart
and is supposed to be a price point
above the new 4Runner let's see if it
has its
place all right I want to talk about
this first because some people might say
that this isn't a real Land Cruiser oh
what is that because this is technically
a 250 series Land Cruiser prao and the
prao is kind of like the rest in the
rest of the world it's like a light duty
Land Cruiser is you can still get the
300 series Land Cruiser in different
markets you can actually still get it
here it's called the Lexus LX right yeah
cuz in my head LX was to Land Cruiser as
GX was to 4Runner right and now that we
know that the new 4Runner is kind of
like the same platform as the GX and the
Land Cruiser it's all very confusing
those are triplets basically those are
triplets essentially right so comes trim
levels we'll talk about that later but
the thing that I believe I don't I don't
think it matters this is still a Land
Cruiser Land Cruisers are Land Cruisers
they could be called many different
things and if you really want to get
pedantic the 70 series Land Cruiser
still exists we don't get that that's a
crazy off-road body on framed solid
axled Leaf springed it's been the same
since the 70s essentially you can still
buy that that's called a Land Cruiser so
this is a Land Cruiser that's a Land
Cruiser everything's a Land Cruiser so
let me get this straight the Toyota
lineup is everything's a crown yeah or
everything's a Land Cruiser yeah and
except Land Cruiser actually means
Crown now that we know what this is y
First Impressions we've done a few miles
well you just uh put your foot down and
fired us forward with the new I force
Max engine so this is our first attempt
with this engine this a 2.4 L 4 cylinder
hybrid hybrid that's the important bit
Yeah and this is what the this is the
only Eng option for this car and in the
4Runner there's going to be a non-hybrid
and then this engine and the same as the
Tacoma there's the normal four-cylinder
and then there's a Max see I was kind of
sold on this I force Max engine being
like this like powerful exciting Baja
style thing that's kind of cuz the
numbers are almost the same as the V6
and the GX yes but it's not really that
no it just moves you forward with a bit
of like droney four-cylinder noise yeah
there's nothing it's it's not a monster
I don't need my Land Cruiser to be
exciting and cool sounding I just need
it to get me to a place and back
reliably and with good fuel efficiency
forever yeah which we're not getting no
we're not getting it's not very you have
a very large object stuck to the hood so
that we can go camping yes it's a good
word that b is ruining everyone's day
it's like a it's like a good punch word
there's value to it right away though
this is a very comfortable car to cruise
down the highway yeah I'm not going to
let you ruin my mood cuz the car's the
car's doing fine it is you know you
think the GX in this more refined
beautiful silent one and I remember you
doing an impression of the Bronco in the
GX oh you you want to hear my impression
of a Bronco on the highway
ready that's a Bronco at all time this
is not like that no this is very similar
to the GX very ni in fact I would say
even ride a bit better I think it might
actually it still has some body on frame
motions but it's a bit lighter so
significantly lighter yeah okay let's
let's go onward to the best tourist
attraction in all all the land I'm very
excited it was a long drive towards the
dunes and none of the towns along the
way had a ton to offer but James did
manage to find on Google a highly
reviewed unique geological formation
called
mysteriously patch of
dirt honestly don't know what I expected
yeah I what did the review say he said
it was highly reviewed it was there was
nothing for hundreds of miles apart from
this I thought there'd be like a
historic marker
or okay this person says amazing
artistic and beautiful I met my husband
here okay um this patch of dirt saved me
from 420 zombies alone with nothing but
rocks wow this patch of dirt gave me
CPR that makes sense this patch of dirt
saved me from being attacked by a shark
I mean well that's true if you're
there's no sharks there he's you're safe
from sharks for sure good options to
exercise
Sprint back and forth or something
anyway um you want to get some lunch
yeah yeah leave a review right yeah yeah
we're going to leave a review what do
you think five stars five stars five
star 100%
yeah before we left we opted to use
patch of dirt's expansive exercise area
to build up an appetite which was easily
satiated by a rather quirky and
authentic local Mexican restaurant whose
decorations were as endearing as the
food was good even the bathrooms had
charm but before long we were back on
the road and quickly watched the last
bit of civilization disappear soon
enough the dunes appeared on the horizon
spanning as far as the eye could see in
every direction there must have been
thousands of grains of sand in there but
before we actually set off into the
desert we pulled over to prep the Land
Cruiser okay desert
time is is that a lady's bathing suit
yeah you said save money I didn't know
you were going to steal someone's
curtains this was $7 this was
eight I'll win
okay all right so unfortunately the Land
Cruiser right now doesn't come with the
most aggressive off-road tires so we're
going to hope for the best but we are
lowering the pressures going to try
about 25 psi and see how that goes I'm
going to lower the pressures in all the
crew cars as well but I will say that
the the sand noons look a little bit
more intimidating than I thought they
were going to and so far the only
Vehicles we've seen driving on them are
very specialty built off-road things
that people are trailering in here so
yeah our plan is to cross the entirety
of the Imperial sand dunes down to the
end let's see how it goes
we were quickly going to find out just
how overly ambitious that plan was
because the further you go into the
dunes the more intense they get like AR
racus but without the Colossal sandworms
or the actor that looks like this shoe
for some
[Music]
reason okay here we go we've aired down
pressures a little bit sand mode we're
in sand mode okay and the goal here is
not Baja no this is get there get there
get there don't get stuck don't debe a
tire please and get back please don't
roll us shiny side up those are the
rules for the day sand mode which can
now be used in four high is basically a
sophisticated traction control setting
allowing slip and diverting power where
needed so that coupled with locking the
rear diff or disconnecting the front
sway bar when it was required meant that
the new Land Cruiser was making this
business of
overlanding easy oh it's smooth so we've
we've barard before in in the Bronco
Raptor but this is overlanding because
there's a tent on the roof see I I'm
glad that you understand the distinction
and you and you choose somewhere and you
just go you choose somewhere and you go
over par the land parkour it's parkour
parkour for cars for cars exactly call
yeah fastest point from A to B it's
exactly what it
is more more speed
do it yeah there it is out of boy okay
we'll slow down cuz there might be a
cliff that is the phrase of the day to
slow down cuz there might be a
[Music]
cliff as we delve deeper we started to
feel that wildness that isolation that
only a desert can give you and out here
considering its ability to crush a
3-hour highway commute the Land Cruiser
made light work of the sand it was at
home and the
dunes its playground of Wonders
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
however the easiness ended quickly
driving on Sand Dunes is a very
challenging discipline not only are the
dunes completely unpredictable and
random in their shape it's also very
hard to see what's coming next
especially since the land Cruiser's
forward-facing camera annoyingly
disappears once you exceed parking lot
speeds add to that the softness of the
sand and the possibility of rolling is
very very real a low center of gravity
is key which is why dune buggies are a
thing and yeah for all its wonderful
Headroom the Land Cruiser doesn't have
that especially since we've added to its
height with a heavy tent all right more
power more power more
power up and over up and over yes
boys no no watch The Edge okay just get
up here and stop for a second get here
and stop okay
we needed a bit of a rethink these Dunes
are classified as double black diamond
and there just wasn't a way through in
the Land Cruiser safely all right so
about 5 minutes in yeah you're going to
admit that we've bitten off more than we
can shoot no we're going to take an
alternate route this is a Land Cruiser
notom Magic Carpet it might it might
look like a laddin okay hard left hand
down you're going to give it some gas
and we're going to go that way having
lost sight of our crew we did some route
finding to get out of this giant bowl of
sand and then we pulled over for a quick
breather see what R house has done has
made it an error because we're a bit
Cowboy we don't go on the traditional
launches we carve our own path and that
is not great right now yeah see the path
involves Cliffs of sand that you can't
see until you're right there but it's a
good moment to talk about the fact that
right now this is the most aggressive
Tire you can buy on Toyota Land Cruiser
and it's not that aggressive when you
compare it to things like the 35 in
tires on a
the 37 in tires on a Bronco those are
like off-road at allterrain things these
are okay they're doing all right anyway
we're going to skirt the craziness of
the Dune there and we're going to cross
the desert that way you see where
there's some shrubs yeah the shrubs are
happier place for this thing right now
okay we don't quite have the
uh why didn't you give it okay all right
good let's do
it we started off on a slightly
different route skirting near the edge
of of the biggest Dunes keep your
enemies close and all that and as much
as Thomas would credit what I can only
assume is a Spirit Halloween Indiana
Jones costume the Land Cruiser was being
an absolute Workhorse and we started to
cover some serious
distance we're going
[Music]
down that was great
honestly it's it's doing an extremely
good job this even with these tires like
we haven't felt close to stuck once no
and you end up you end up feeding like
pride in the car yeah yeah exactly
overlanding we're
overlanders the day surged on and even
though we'd been driving for hours and
the sun was starting to set we hadn't
even broken the back of the Imperial
sand dunes they were vast not a chance
we could make it the rest of the way in
one day
so defeated we found Camp which meant
locating some element of shelter from
the Relentless winds which we noticed
were getting stronger as the day went
[Music]
on all right this is as not windy As It
Gets By the way that is not a very like
I was just I was just about to say
that's not a very confident door slam
sound doesn't sound too great it's just
a bit that's okay I mean whatever a bit
of Solace from the wind yeah it's not
that much Solace but it'll do right all
right this is Rooftop tent time rooftop
tent time rooftop tent time I have
absolutely no idea how this tent sents
up I've never done it before I'm kind of
grateful it's on the roof right now cuz
there's lots of holes holes that look
like scorpion sized holes yeah very much
a scorpan area this snake yeah or desert
bear is that a
thing would you
help no I was going to just stand there
looking at me scorpions I was going to
see how you did that corner I was going
to handle the other three corners I
can't even get the one piece of velcro
off it's completely
pointless I think I think Thomas the
only move is uh I think the only move is
hotel is it is it leaving and going to a
hotel is that what you're going to say
vro is going to give you trouble right
of
course all right I'm going to do a jump
ready
yeah
nice despite James's allergy to camping
he did actually manage to almost be
helpful setting up that tent but I think
the novelty of a bed on a roof of a Land
Cruiser was about to wear off quickly as
he started to realize that that little
bit of nylon was the extent of
it that's pretty cool that is such a
small space to spend with you listen I
didn't design it we'll we'll sleep we'll
do we'll we'll do this way it's my fault
cuz I suggested Mexican for lunch we'll
go this way totally my yeah I told you
that was about bad idea there's no food
that goes in your stomach that doesn't
cause issues in the
evening either way as the sun was
setting on our very remote campsite
Spirits were high and our team got to
work setting up the rest of camp and
thanks to Iron Man 4x4 America who
reached out before this trip to suppli
us with a ton of overlanding gear we had
everything we needed for them to sleep
comfortably and to cook a bit of dinner
bellies full we headed to our respective
quarters to attempt sleep
okay so James has decided that he
doesn't want to sleep in this tent for
two reasons one well I'm a pretty smelly
guy
two making a lot of noise and flapping
in the wind so he's decided to sleep in
the Land
Cruiser right beneath me but it doesn't
go totally flat in the back the seats
don't fold all the way flat and we don't
have an extra sleeping pad because this
is the pad it's built into the Overland
tent
so he's just going to suffer I'll give
him an hour before he gives up and comes
and and Cuddles up here with me
yeah you're already diagonal eh well I'm
not I wasn't I'm going to stay diagonal
this looks so cozy exactly that's what
I've been trying to say it's cozy with
you like
just just give it a go when I got
married I thought that meant I only had
to sleep with one annoying person fair
enough yeah fair enough just give it a
go pretty Sandy no no no no it's not
about you just like there's this nice
little trough here and there's actually
access to the outside I don't think this
is any better what are you talking about
this is this is a bed it's like a
bed it's official here he is I am Harry
putter that's the official thing it was
it was less than an hour I was
wrong yeah you never have seen Thomas so
upset that he didn't have a bed
fellow I just knew that he was going to
realize his mistake and then wake me up
so I'm glad that he did it now before I
finally fell
asleep as we were trying to fall asleep
we noticed that the wind started to get
worse this was probably going to be a
rough night but we did manage to try and
set up some campsite security for our
team
te are we worried about scorpions what
no we like 8 ft off the ground what
about the crew oh they're fine I took
care of
it it's 3:00 a.m. and uh there's severe
wind warnings the whole car and the tent
are shaking
so we can't
sleep I'm Thomas I love camping we
should go
camping feels like we're in a baggage
car behind a jet
engine freaking
ridiculous yeah I do I do like camping
though I actually do I promise
the next morning we all woke up
Windswept and sleep deprived but at the
very least the scorpion sign seemed to
have worked oh and the desert was
absolutely stunning so now that we'd
slept on it a bit we had a quick chat
about our thoughts on the land Cruiser's
desert Chic demeanor and the other
flavors you can have your Land Cruiser
in I've seen enough musicals to know
that I'm supposed to break into song
now so how so what what do you think I
think you are both 8 years old and 80
years old what do you mean well you like
camping and trucks yes and you pee 10
times in a night I may have overhydrated
a little bit I I was like so worried
about being dehydrated today I drank
like you could my voice is even horse
right now but like I drank like five
bottles of poweray and then I I peed
four times last night and they weren't
like more than four times yeah but they
were like they were broken up every time
it was every time it was James you awake
yeah go cuz I got to pee he was always
awake did you how many how much did you
sleep at all I have no idea how much I
said it wasn't good it wasn't good we
just going to power on it was just
making so much noise I don't think I can
go back from a rooftop tent though
having seen scorpions yeah well I'm I'm
glad that you got to that point because
before you were like thank you for
removing all the cool accessories from
the land Cruis I wanted to create the
the auto show set piece that this is
this is all stuff you can get from the
dealer by the way it's pretty cool there
the the cooler and the recovery kit the
boards not the firewood obviously yeah
but like no it's and and we've used it
we''ve I feel like I've only ever seen
this stuff and be like that would be
cool one day and now we've done it
speaking of cool all right we're finally
standing in front of the Land Cruiser
what do you think of this thing like
visually just straight visually what do
you think love it I love this it I I
think it I think it looks absolutely
fantastic they knocked it out of the
park styling wise so you know there is a
there's a top trim there's a first
edition I think there's like 5,000 first
editions and then there's the Land
Cruiser trim that's this so it still has
a bunch of fancy stuff and it has the
the squared off lights and then the
Basse trim is the 1958 Edition circular
lights circular lights I I weirdly I
like them like if I had two children I
like them both equally right I can't I
could not decide between this I love the
idea of the round lights but I also like
this front end I think it looks great
it's a slam dunk it I'm surprised you're
not triggered right now cuz this looks
exactly in this color scheme with the
Heritage blue looks exactly like the FJ
Cruiser you filmed yeah and here's a
ladder oh I did fall off a ladder you
fell off a ladder
top yeah it was really wet that day it's
not wet here yeah I am in no danger we
we almost didn't get a Heritage Blue we
almost got the trail dust which is the
sand colored one God I love that one so
much I love the look of that I would
100% that's the one that I would buy I
would do trail dust no question that's
my color Choice yeah yeah and there's an
underground the gray and there's white
which is ice cap actually white look
really cool sounds like a Starbucks
drink no it sounds exactly like a Tim
Horton's drink because there's one
called the iced cap
you can't extradite me to Canada from
here I'm
safe so yeah so these wheels and ties
this combo is not as aggressive as we're
used to seeing on like off-road trims
you know we've we've been out in desert
Junes with Broncos and and F-150 like
like right now you can get the four the
new 4Runner with like a whole bunch of
different options with like more
aggressive tires this is I mean it's the
first year so they got it out there
maybe in in another year or two I don't
know there'll be more options this has
this has handled everything we've thrown
as it it has um but it's I still think
like you know with like these tires have
been great but I want bigger tires I
want smaller Wheels I want more lift I
want rock rails yeah no it's it's a
great looking isn't it awesome yeah I
really like it okay well yesterday we
challenged ourselves yes and we tried to
build some confidence and we overstepped
because it turns out the Junes are crazy
dangerous um well we we knew that but
like it's not until you're on the top of
them and you know like in cam it doesn't
look that dangerous on the camera but
when you look down it's like six stories
like yeah it was like 200 ft tall yeah
it's really it's real
scary yeah it's soft to let's go do them
again okay I'll
drive we set off back into the dunes and
truth be told our cell service was very
spotty so we didn't exactly know where
we were and since Toyota had only given
us the Land Cruiser for one overnight
making it all the way across the
Imperial sand dunes was a pipe dream we
had to get it back to San Diego by
Nightfall which meant navigating back
through miles and miles of a desert that
due to the wind had no tracks for us to
follow and looked quite different to us
than it did
yesterday what do you think about the
interior of the Land Cruiser so when we
were in the GX we said you can feel the
Lexus and I think now that we're in here
you can feel the Toyota
very much yeah yeah it's a lot much
cheaper of an interior but I'm I'm just
not going to fault it for that because I
don't really care the only thing I care
about with a Toyota product is that it
works oh this is a bit of a hill it's
not flawed we got this nice infotainment
that's been working fine oh my God there
we go that was easy I'll wake you up
after 2 hours of
sleep yeah so we got this the
entertainment's nice like the GX the
passenger cannot see the gauge cluster
at all it's completely dark for me Isn't
that strange feels very strange yeah but
the visibility is good this comes down
low seats are comfortable these are this
is the brown leather in here F leel and
as I said earlier like there's not very
much knee room but that's because the
whole thing is very narrow like I can
pretty much touch your door and that's
good for Trails it's good for Trails
exactly we're not blessed with a moon
roof like the GX we just get the simple
sunroof it's okay and this is the JBL
sound system instead of the Mark
levenson got USB CS we got wireless
charging this all feels very familiar to
the GS exactly the same pretty much and
with a few minor tweaks and changes it's
comfortable but you can't get three rows
the L Cru is only a two row yeah whereas
the GX can be had in a three row but no
I'm a big whatever this is is all it
needed to be that is exactly right I
mean it is a lot of money and Land
Cruisers forever have been a lot of
money like if you look at how much a a
70 series Land Cruiser crosss over in in
Australia it's ridiculous they're
ridiculously charging a fortune for it
they are charging a fortune for it but
that's because Toyota knows that you'll
buy them because they know that if you
actually you want to go somewhere you
need one of these yeah right and Toyota
was and still is right the Land Cruiser
was being absolutely bloody magnificent
we spent hours navigating our way
through the Junes route finding paths
for us and our crew that our trucks
could actually do as usual the Junes
were being completely unpredictable and
that was made worse by the high winds
which move and deposit sand in such a
way that you never quite know what the
upcoming surface is going to be be like
it was a lot of getting to the top of
the tune getting out and then trying to
figure out how to make forward progress
but we were figuring it out we had a
flow going and the Land Cruiser was
soaking it all up soon enough we spotted
the exit in the distance is that the
parking lot
yeah okay it's not it's weird to see it
it's not that much further H it's a few
dip dup Dives and
Dodges let's dick duck dick duck dive
and Dodge no there's no dick in it no
dick no dick just you
yeah however in order to get there we
needed to get through this last section
of the dunes but we couldn't find a
simple path through the only spot was a
run to the top that was much steeper
than anything we'd tried yet fortunately
and unfortunately Thomas's confidence in
the dunes was at an all-time high
and yeah
oh oh my
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God so Ry what they've done with the
drive connect on the interior here is I
find this is the ride's good the ride is
really good it can handle bigger hits
cracks in the road but also you know
potholes and those sorts of things
yeah so yeah basically what happened was
that a large soft lip of sand made the
Run look much longer than it actually
was so instead of running up and over
the top we bashed through the soft stuff
and the rock hard lip underneath sent us
flying in the
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air unfortunately there was damage since
the Land Cruiser doesn't get the 4Runner
heavyduty underbody TRD skid plates that
huge initial impact that sent us flying
had mangled the underside and damaged
the
radiator yeah you see that that's not
supposed to be curved at all there was
nothing left to do at this point Except
watch the temperature gauge and get out
of the dunes quickly that and let Thomas
realize that there was still room to
make some
mistakes hell but thankfully the temps
stayed steady and we escaped back to the
parking
lot well we made
it 82% of us importantly not the car's
fault you know very much my fault no
question driver eror no
question good boy so so that phrase of
if you want to go somewhere and come
back you need a Land Cruiser yeah you
also need to not be a no that's
fair enough but listen even when morons
are present the Land Cruiser takes care
care of you and that's the moral of the
story doesn't make me dislike it any
less right yeah yeah you know exactly
yeah yeah it's endearing it's is very
cool isn't it yeah listen I grow in
attachment to everything I sleep with
and I have slept with this and I have on
it you slept with
me I'm just I'm just being
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literal so the dunes were over but we
still had hours of driving back to San
Diego so we aired up the tires made sure
no other damage was present somehow
found ice cream in the desert one of the
most undeserved ice lollies Thomas has
ever had and then set off away from the
sand and into the mountains as we gained
elevation the weather kept getting worse
dropping to almost freezing but the Land
Cruiser took it all in stride there
wasn't even a hint of any suspension
damage and it tracked Arrow straight
down the highway even the coolant Le
managed to sort of stop being a coolant
leak and the temp stayed steady the Land
Cruiser sort of did that Land Cruiser
thing it got us
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home so now that we know that the new
4Runner remains a proper off-road go
anywhere SUV and the Lexus GX isn't
actually that much more expensive than
the Land Cruiser but gets a bigger V6
engine more towing capacity no loss in
trunk space due to a hybrid system and
the possibility of three rows it's
actually very hard to see where the Land
Cruiser fits but somehow it feels like
it does it feels like Toyota left some
room for it to be a slightly more classy
and grownup Forerunner and likewise it
feels like a more honest Lexus GX that
does benefit from better fuel economy
and a 2400 W Outlet in the trunk as for
its right s even though the Land Cruiser
currently doesn't sport a wild engine
option in its top trim it's nicer to
live with every day and has better Road
manners than a normal Bronco and
Wrangler and whilst we love the defender
historically Land Rover versus Toyota
for reliability isn't so much a fight as
it is a Slaughter we've talked at length
about desirability and it's certainly
very difficult to quantify but the Land
Cruiser seems to have it because if
someone asks you about your Lexus GX you
might say well it's a Lexus but it's
actually a Land Cruiser underneath or
about your Forerunner you might say yeah
think of it as sort of like a North
American Land Cruiser but if you're
driving one of these no questions need
be asked or at least that's the way I
see it because I'm a weak man and I've
been sold on the name plate so I have
purchased a special Old Land Cruiser and
it's currently on its way from the Land
of the Rising
Sun thanks for watching
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