2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review // Idiot Proof

Throttle House
16 Apr 202434:03

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 Algodón 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

  • 🚗 The new Toyota Land Cruiser is used for a mini adventure, showcasing its capabilities on highways, back roads, sand dunes, and camping.
  • 🏜️ The Land Cruiser's performance in the Algodón sand dunes is tested, revealing its prowess in off-road conditions despite challenging terrain.
  • 💨 The I-Force Max engine, a 2.4L 4-cylinder hybrid, provides sufficient power but is not as thrilling as initially expected.
  • 🔥 The Land Cruiser's reliability and comfort on the highway are highlighted, with a ride quality comparable to the Lexus GX.
  • 🤔 Some confusion is expressed regarding the Land Cruiser's model series and its positioning relative to the Lexus LX and Toyota 4Runner.
  • 🌟 First impressions of the Land Cruiser are positive, with a focus on its potential for long-lasting reliability and good fuel efficiency.
  • 🏕️ The rooftop tent experience is less than ideal, with the crew facing a windy and sleepless night in a remote desert campsite.
  • 🚧 The Land Cruiser's off-road tires are not as aggressive as some other models, which impacts its performance in extreme dune conditions.
  • 💲 Despite its high price, the Land Cruiser is seen as a worthwhile investment due to Toyota's reputation for reliability and durability.
  • 🤝 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.
  • 🔧 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

00:00

🚗 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 Algodón 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.

05:02

🏜️ 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.

10:03

🚨 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.

15:03

🌅 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.

20:04

🚙 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.

25:06

🏞️ 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.

30:07

🚘 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

💡Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is highly regarded for its durability and reliability. In the video, it is the central vehicle used by the hosts for their adventure, showcasing its off-road capabilities, comfort, and importance to the world, as mentioned by the host who has become obsessed with Land Cruisers.

💡Hybrid Engine

A hybrid engine combines a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric propulsion system. The video discusses the new I-force Max engine, a 2.4 L 4-cylinder hybrid engine, which is the only engine option for the Land Cruiser in the video. It is noted for its fuel efficiency and reliability, although not for being particularly exciting or powerful.

💡Off-Roading

Off-roading is the act of driving vehicles on unsurfaced roads or terrain. The video script is filled with the hosts' experiences off-roading with the Toyota Land Cruiser, particularly in the Algodone sand dunes. It is a key aspect of the video, demonstrating the vehicle's performance in challenging environments.

💡Camping

Camping involves spending one or more nights away from home in the outdoors, often sleeping in tents. In the script, the hosts embark on a mini adventure that includes camping. They discuss the experience of sleeping in a rooftop tent on the Land Cruiser and the challenges faced due to weather conditions and the minimalist nature of the setup.

💡Desert

A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The desert serves as the backdrop for the hosts' journey, with the Algodone sand dunes being a significant part of their adventure. The desert's harsh conditions test the capabilities of the Land Cruiser and the hosts' off-roading skills.

💡Adventure

An adventure is an exciting or unusual experience. The video is centered around a mini adventure of the hosts with the Toyota Land Cruiser, which includes highway driving, back road exploration, sand dune traversal, and camping. The term encapsulates the exploratory and daring spirit of the journey.

💡Reliability

Reliability refers to the ability of a vehicle or system to perform consistently and continuously over time without failure. The Toyota Land Cruiser is praised in the video for its reliability, which is a key factor in the host's consideration of purchasing one and their confidence in taking it on a challenging desert adventure.

💡Suspension

Suspension in vehicles refers to the system of springs, shock absorbers, and linkages that connects a wheel to the frame or body. It is crucial for a comfortable ride and good vehicle control. The video mentions the Land Cruiser's suspension as being good at handling various terrains, from the desert dunes to the highway.

💡Towing Capacity

Towing capacity is the maximum weight a vehicle can pull along behind it. It is an important consideration for off-road and SUV vehicles. The script compares the Land Cruiser's towing capacity with that of the Lexus GX, noting that the GX offers more without compromising on trunk space.

💡Fuel Efficiency

Fuel efficiency is a measure of how far a vehicle can travel with a set amount of fuel. It is a significant consideration for drivers, especially in off-road vehicles that are often used for long trips. The hybrid engine of the Land Cruiser is highlighted for its good fuel efficiency, which is beneficial for long adventures.

💡Rooftop Tent

A rooftop tent is a type of portable tent that is mounted on the roof of a vehicle. It is popular among campers and overlanders for its convenience and ease of use. In the video, the hosts use a rooftop tent for their camping experience, which adds to the adventure but also presents challenges due to weather and the learning curve of setting it up.

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's内饰 (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

00:05

[Music]

00:07

yep that's me you're probably wondering

00:09

how I got us in this

00:10

situation well why don't we rewind a bit

00:13

and I'll tell you the

00:14

[Music]

00:26

story you're watching throttle house I'm

00:29

Thomas I'm James and today we're going

00:32

on a mini throttle House adventure with

00:34

the allnew Toyota Land Cruiser we're

00:36

going to do highways we're going to do

00:38

back roads we're going to do sand dunes

00:41

and we're going to do a little bit of

00:44

camping hey

00:50

Camp I don't know why I let him talk me

00:52

into these things anyway we're starting

00:55

here by the sun-kissed gentle waved

00:57

shores of Coronado and then our plan is

01:01

to Head East out of San Diego through

01:04

the mountains and deep into the desert

01:07

to the algodon sand dunes which look

01:10

straight up like someone grabbed a piece

01:11

of the Middle East and dropped it into

01:13

California not even scientists really

01:16

know for certain how the dunes got there

01:18

so consider us investigators with the

01:21

new Toyota Land Cruiser as our vessel I

01:24

was more excited for this trip than any

01:26

other in recent memory because for some

01:28

reason lately I've become totally

01:30

obsessed with Toyota Land Cruisers I

01:33

spent some time in Costa Rica and on top

01:35

of touring around in a last generation

01:37

Land Cruiser Proto I fell in love with

01:40

the endless array of old and new Land

01:42

Cruisers they were everywhere it has

01:45

become apparent to me just how prolific

01:48

longlasting and important the Land

01:50

Cruiser is to the world so much so that

01:53

I'm actually thinking about buying an

01:55

old one for myself this does mean

01:57

however that my expectations for this

01:59

new Land Cruiser are very very high and

02:04

considering it's close to the same price

02:06

as its six-cylinder Lexus counterpart

02:09

and is supposed to be a price point

02:11

above the new 4Runner let's see if it

02:15

has its

02:20

place all right I want to talk about

02:22

this first because some people might say

02:25

that this isn't a real Land Cruiser oh

02:29

what is that because this is technically

02:31

a 250 series Land Cruiser prao and the

02:34

prao is kind of like the rest in the

02:35

rest of the world it's like a light duty

02:36

Land Cruiser is you can still get the

02:39

300 series Land Cruiser in different

02:41

markets you can actually still get it

02:42

here it's called the Lexus LX right yeah

02:44

cuz in my head LX was to Land Cruiser as

02:47

GX was to 4Runner right and now that we

02:50

know that the new 4Runner is kind of

02:52

like the same platform as the GX and the

02:54

Land Cruiser it's all very confusing

02:57

those are triplets basically those are

02:58

triplets essentially right so comes trim

03:00

levels we'll talk about that later but

03:02

the thing that I believe I don't I don't

03:04

think it matters this is still a Land

03:06

Cruiser Land Cruisers are Land Cruisers

03:07

they could be called many different

03:09

things and if you really want to get

03:10

pedantic the 70 series Land Cruiser

03:12

still exists we don't get that that's a

03:14

crazy off-road body on framed solid

03:17

axled Leaf springed it's been the same

03:20

since the 70s essentially you can still

03:22

buy that that's called a Land Cruiser so

03:24

this is a Land Cruiser that's a Land

03:25

Cruiser everything's a Land Cruiser so

03:27

let me get this straight the Toyota

03:28

lineup is everything's a crown yeah or

03:31

everything's a Land Cruiser yeah and

03:33

except Land Cruiser actually means

03:38

Crown now that we know what this is y

03:42

First Impressions we've done a few miles

03:44

well you just uh put your foot down and

03:46

fired us forward with the new I force

03:49

Max engine so this is our first attempt

03:52

with this engine this a 2.4 L 4 cylinder

03:55

hybrid hybrid that's the important bit

03:57

Yeah and this is what the this is the

03:59

only Eng option for this car and in the

04:01

4Runner there's going to be a non-hybrid

04:03

and then this engine and the same as the

04:05

Tacoma there's the normal four-cylinder

04:07

and then there's a Max see I was kind of

04:08

sold on this I force Max engine being

04:10

like this like powerful exciting Baja

04:13

style thing that's kind of cuz the

04:15

numbers are almost the same as the V6

04:16

and the GX yes but it's not really that

04:20

no it just moves you forward with a bit

04:21

of like droney four-cylinder noise yeah

04:24

there's nothing it's it's not a monster

04:26

I don't need my Land Cruiser to be

04:28

exciting and cool sounding I just need

04:30

it to get me to a place and back

04:33

reliably and with good fuel efficiency

04:36

forever yeah which we're not getting no

04:38

we're not getting it's not very you have

04:39

a very large object stuck to the hood so

04:41

that we can go camping yes it's a good

04:44

word that b is ruining everyone's day

04:47

it's like a it's like a good punch word

04:49

there's value to it right away though

04:52

this is a very comfortable car to cruise

04:53

down the highway yeah I'm not going to

04:55

let you ruin my mood cuz the car's the

04:57

car's doing fine it is you know you

04:59

think the GX in this more refined

05:01

beautiful silent one and I remember you

05:04

doing an impression of the Bronco in the

05:05

GX oh you you want to hear my impression

05:07

of a Bronco on the highway

05:10

ready that's a Bronco at all time this

05:13

is not like that no this is very similar

05:15

to the GX very ni in fact I would say

05:17

even ride a bit better I think it might

05:19

actually it still has some body on frame

05:21

motions but it's a bit lighter so

05:23

significantly lighter yeah okay let's

05:25

let's go onward to the best tourist

05:28

attraction in all all the land I'm very

05:31

excited it was a long drive towards the

05:35

dunes and none of the towns along the

05:37

way had a ton to offer but James did

05:41

manage to find on Google a highly

05:43

reviewed unique geological formation

05:47

called

05:48

mysteriously patch of

05:51

dirt honestly don't know what I expected

05:54

yeah I what did the review say he said

05:57

it was highly reviewed it was there was

05:58

nothing for hundreds of miles apart from

06:00

this I thought there'd be like a

06:02

historic marker

06:03

or okay this person says amazing

06:06

artistic and beautiful I met my husband

06:09

here okay um this patch of dirt saved me

06:12

from 420 zombies alone with nothing but

06:15

rocks wow this patch of dirt gave me

06:18

CPR that makes sense this patch of dirt

06:20

saved me from being attacked by a shark

06:23

I mean well that's true if you're

06:24

there's no sharks there he's you're safe

06:25

from sharks for sure good options to

06:27

exercise

06:30

Sprint back and forth or something

06:32

anyway um you want to get some lunch

06:34

yeah yeah leave a review right yeah yeah

06:35

we're going to leave a review what do

06:36

you think five stars five stars five

06:38

star 100%

06:44

yeah before we left we opted to use

06:47

patch of dirt's expansive exercise area

06:50

to build up an appetite which was easily

06:52

satiated by a rather quirky and

06:55

authentic local Mexican restaurant whose

06:57

decorations were as endearing as the

06:59

food was good even the bathrooms had

07:02

charm but before long we were back on

07:05

the road and quickly watched the last

07:07

bit of civilization disappear soon

07:10

enough the dunes appeared on the horizon

07:13

spanning as far as the eye could see in

07:15

every direction there must have been

07:18

thousands of grains of sand in there but

07:21

before we actually set off into the

07:22

desert we pulled over to prep the Land

07:27

Cruiser okay desert

07:30

time is is that a lady's bathing suit

07:33

yeah you said save money I didn't know

07:35

you were going to steal someone's

07:36

curtains this was $7 this was

07:39

eight I'll win

07:44

okay all right so unfortunately the Land

07:46

Cruiser right now doesn't come with the

07:48

most aggressive off-road tires so we're

07:50

going to hope for the best but we are

07:51

lowering the pressures going to try

07:53

about 25 psi and see how that goes I'm

07:56

going to lower the pressures in all the

07:57

crew cars as well but I will say that

08:00

the the sand noons look a little bit

08:02

more intimidating than I thought they

08:03

were going to and so far the only

08:06

Vehicles we've seen driving on them are

08:09

very specialty built off-road things

08:13

that people are trailering in here so

08:17

yeah our plan is to cross the entirety

08:20

of the Imperial sand dunes down to the

08:23

end let's see how it goes

08:30

we were quickly going to find out just

08:33

how overly ambitious that plan was

08:36

because the further you go into the

08:38

dunes the more intense they get like AR

08:42

racus but without the Colossal sandworms

08:45

or the actor that looks like this shoe

08:47

for some

08:48

[Music]

08:50

reason okay here we go we've aired down

08:53

pressures a little bit sand mode we're

08:55

in sand mode okay and the goal here is

08:57

not Baja no this is get there get there

09:01

get there don't get stuck don't debe a

09:03

tire please and get back please don't

09:05

roll us shiny side up those are the

09:07

rules for the day sand mode which can

09:09

now be used in four high is basically a

09:12

sophisticated traction control setting

09:14

allowing slip and diverting power where

09:16

needed so that coupled with locking the

09:19

rear diff or disconnecting the front

09:20

sway bar when it was required meant that

09:22

the new Land Cruiser was making this

09:24

business of

09:25

overlanding easy oh it's smooth so we've

09:30

we've barard before in in the Bronco

09:37

Raptor but this is overlanding because

09:40

there's a tent on the roof see I I'm

09:43

glad that you understand the distinction

09:45

and you and you choose somewhere and you

09:46

just go you choose somewhere and you go

09:48

over par the land parkour it's parkour

09:51

parkour for cars for cars exactly call

09:54

yeah fastest point from A to B it's

09:55

exactly what it

09:56

is more more speed

10:00

do it yeah there it is out of boy okay

10:03

we'll slow down cuz there might be a

10:05

cliff that is the phrase of the day to

10:08

slow down cuz there might be a

10:11

[Music]

10:13

cliff as we delve deeper we started to

10:16

feel that wildness that isolation that

10:18

only a desert can give you and out here

10:22

considering its ability to crush a

10:23

3-hour highway commute the Land Cruiser

10:26

made light work of the sand it was at

10:30

home and the

10:32

dunes its playground of Wonders

10:36

[Music]

10:47

[Applause]

10:49

[Music]

10:59

however the easiness ended quickly

11:03

driving on Sand Dunes is a very

11:05

challenging discipline not only are the

11:07

dunes completely unpredictable and

11:10

random in their shape it's also very

11:12

hard to see what's coming next

11:15

especially since the land Cruiser's

11:17

forward-facing camera annoyingly

11:19

disappears once you exceed parking lot

11:21

speeds add to that the softness of the

11:24

sand and the possibility of rolling is

11:27

very very real a low center of gravity

11:31

is key which is why dune buggies are a

11:34

thing and yeah for all its wonderful

11:37

Headroom the Land Cruiser doesn't have

11:40

that especially since we've added to its

11:42

height with a heavy tent all right more

11:45

power more power more

11:48

power up and over up and over yes

11:53

boys no no watch The Edge okay just get

11:56

up here and stop for a second get here

11:57

and stop okay

12:01

we needed a bit of a rethink these Dunes

12:03

are classified as double black diamond

12:06

and there just wasn't a way through in

12:07

the Land Cruiser safely all right so

12:10

about 5 minutes in yeah you're going to

12:13

admit that we've bitten off more than we

12:14

can shoot no we're going to take an

12:17

alternate route this is a Land Cruiser

12:19

notom Magic Carpet it might it might

12:21

look like a laddin okay hard left hand

12:23

down you're going to give it some gas

12:24

and we're going to go that way having

12:26

lost sight of our crew we did some route

12:28

finding to get out of this giant bowl of

12:30

sand and then we pulled over for a quick

12:33

breather see what R house has done has

12:35

made it an error because we're a bit

12:37

Cowboy we don't go on the traditional

12:39

launches we carve our own path and that

12:42

is not great right now yeah see the path

12:45

involves Cliffs of sand that you can't

12:48

see until you're right there but it's a

12:49

good moment to talk about the fact that

12:51

right now this is the most aggressive

12:52

Tire you can buy on Toyota Land Cruiser

12:55

and it's not that aggressive when you

12:56

compare it to things like the 35 in

12:58

tires on a

12:59

the 37 in tires on a Bronco those are

13:02

like off-road at allterrain things these

13:04

are okay they're doing all right anyway

13:06

we're going to skirt the craziness of

13:08

the Dune there and we're going to cross

13:10

the desert that way you see where

13:12

there's some shrubs yeah the shrubs are

13:15

happier place for this thing right now

13:17

okay we don't quite have the

13:19

uh why didn't you give it okay all right

13:22

good let's do

13:24

it we started off on a slightly

13:27

different route skirting near the edge

13:29

of of the biggest Dunes keep your

13:31

enemies close and all that and as much

13:33

as Thomas would credit what I can only

13:35

assume is a Spirit Halloween Indiana

13:38

Jones costume the Land Cruiser was being

13:41

an absolute Workhorse and we started to

13:43

cover some serious

13:49

distance we're going

13:51

[Music]

13:55

down that was great

13:59

honestly it's it's doing an extremely

14:01

good job this even with these tires like

14:04

we haven't felt close to stuck once no

14:07

and you end up you end up feeding like

14:09

pride in the car yeah yeah exactly

14:12

overlanding we're

14:14

overlanders the day surged on and even

14:17

though we'd been driving for hours and

14:19

the sun was starting to set we hadn't

14:21

even broken the back of the Imperial

14:23

sand dunes they were vast not a chance

14:26

we could make it the rest of the way in

14:28

one day

14:29

so defeated we found Camp which meant

14:31

locating some element of shelter from

14:33

the Relentless winds which we noticed

14:35

were getting stronger as the day went

14:38

[Music]

14:44

on all right this is as not windy As It

14:47

Gets By the way that is not a very like

14:49

I was just I was just about to say

14:50

that's not a very confident door slam

14:53

sound doesn't sound too great it's just

14:55

a bit that's okay I mean whatever a bit

14:57

of Solace from the wind yeah it's not

14:59

that much Solace but it'll do right all

15:01

right this is Rooftop tent time rooftop

15:03

tent time rooftop tent time I have

15:05

absolutely no idea how this tent sents

15:07

up I've never done it before I'm kind of

15:08

grateful it's on the roof right now cuz

15:10

there's lots of holes holes that look

15:12

like scorpion sized holes yeah very much

15:14

a scorpan area this snake yeah or desert

15:18

bear is that a

15:21

thing would you

15:23

help no I was going to just stand there

15:27

looking at me scorpions I was going to

15:30

see how you did that corner I was going

15:32

to handle the other three corners I

15:34

can't even get the one piece of velcro

15:35

off it's completely

15:39

pointless I think I think Thomas the

15:41

only move is uh I think the only move is

15:44

hotel is it is it leaving and going to a

15:46

hotel is that what you're going to say

15:47

vro is going to give you trouble right

15:49

of

15:51

course all right I'm going to do a jump

15:53

ready

15:54

yeah

15:56

nice despite James's allergy to camping

15:59

he did actually manage to almost be

16:01

helpful setting up that tent but I think

16:04

the novelty of a bed on a roof of a Land

16:06

Cruiser was about to wear off quickly as

16:09

he started to realize that that little

16:11

bit of nylon was the extent of

16:14

it that's pretty cool that is such a

16:16

small space to spend with you listen I

16:19

didn't design it we'll we'll sleep we'll

16:22

do we'll we'll do this way it's my fault

16:24

cuz I suggested Mexican for lunch we'll

16:26

go this way totally my yeah I told you

16:28

that was about bad idea there's no food

16:30

that goes in your stomach that doesn't

16:32

cause issues in the

16:35

evening either way as the sun was

16:37

setting on our very remote campsite

16:39

Spirits were high and our team got to

16:42

work setting up the rest of camp and

16:44

thanks to Iron Man 4x4 America who

16:46

reached out before this trip to suppli

16:48

us with a ton of overlanding gear we had

16:50

everything we needed for them to sleep

16:52

comfortably and to cook a bit of dinner

16:54

bellies full we headed to our respective

16:56

quarters to attempt sleep

17:03

okay so James has decided that he

17:07

doesn't want to sleep in this tent for

17:10

two reasons one well I'm a pretty smelly

17:13

guy

17:14

two making a lot of noise and flapping

17:17

in the wind so he's decided to sleep in

17:19

the Land

17:20

Cruiser right beneath me but it doesn't

17:24

go totally flat in the back the seats

17:26

don't fold all the way flat and we don't

17:29

have an extra sleeping pad because this

17:30

is the pad it's built into the Overland

17:33

tent

17:35

so he's just going to suffer I'll give

17:37

him an hour before he gives up and comes

17:39

and and Cuddles up here with me

17:47

yeah you're already diagonal eh well I'm

17:50

not I wasn't I'm going to stay diagonal

17:53

this looks so cozy exactly that's what

17:56

I've been trying to say it's cozy with

17:58

you like

18:00

just just give it a go when I got

18:02

married I thought that meant I only had

18:03

to sleep with one annoying person fair

18:05

enough yeah fair enough just give it a

18:08

go pretty Sandy no no no no it's not

18:10

about you just like there's this nice

18:11

little trough here and there's actually

18:13

access to the outside I don't think this

18:14

is any better what are you talking about

18:15

this is this is a bed it's like a

18:22

bed it's official here he is I am Harry

18:26

putter that's the official thing it was

18:27

it was less than an hour I was

18:31

wrong yeah you never have seen Thomas so

18:34

upset that he didn't have a bed

18:36

fellow I just knew that he was going to

18:38

realize his mistake and then wake me up

18:41

so I'm glad that he did it now before I

18:44

finally fell

18:47

asleep as we were trying to fall asleep

18:49

we noticed that the wind started to get

18:51

worse this was probably going to be a

18:54

rough night but we did manage to try and

18:56

set up some campsite security for our

18:58

team

18:59

te are we worried about scorpions what

19:03

no we like 8 ft off the ground what

19:07

about the crew oh they're fine I took

19:09

care of

19:18

it it's 3:00 a.m. and uh there's severe

19:22

wind warnings the whole car and the tent

19:25

are shaking

19:28

so we can't

19:31

sleep I'm Thomas I love camping we

19:34

should go

19:35

camping feels like we're in a baggage

19:38

car behind a jet

19:42

engine freaking

19:47

ridiculous yeah I do I do like camping

19:51

though I actually do I promise

19:59

the next morning we all woke up

20:00

Windswept and sleep deprived but at the

20:03

very least the scorpion sign seemed to

20:06

have worked oh and the desert was

20:08

absolutely stunning so now that we'd

20:11

slept on it a bit we had a quick chat

20:13

about our thoughts on the land Cruiser's

20:15

desert Chic demeanor and the other

20:17

flavors you can have your Land Cruiser

20:19

in I've seen enough musicals to know

20:21

that I'm supposed to break into song

20:23

now so how so what what do you think I

20:26

think you are both 8 years old and 80

20:29

years old what do you mean well you like

20:31

camping and trucks yes and you pee 10

20:34

times in a night I may have overhydrated

20:36

a little bit I I was like so worried

20:38

about being dehydrated today I drank

20:40

like you could my voice is even horse

20:41

right now but like I drank like five

20:43

bottles of poweray and then I I peed

20:45

four times last night and they weren't

20:47

like more than four times yeah but they

20:48

were like they were broken up every time

20:50

it was every time it was James you awake

20:53

yeah go cuz I got to pee he was always

20:55

awake did you how many how much did you

20:57

sleep at all I have no idea how much I

20:59

said it wasn't good it wasn't good we

21:01

just going to power on it was just

21:02

making so much noise I don't think I can

21:04

go back from a rooftop tent though

21:05

having seen scorpions yeah well I'm I'm

21:07

glad that you got to that point because

21:09

before you were like thank you for

21:10

removing all the cool accessories from

21:11

the land Cruis I wanted to create the

21:13

the auto show set piece that this is

21:16

this is all stuff you can get from the

21:17

dealer by the way it's pretty cool there

21:18

the the cooler and the recovery kit the

21:20

boards not the firewood obviously yeah

21:23

but like no it's and and we've used it

21:25

we''ve I feel like I've only ever seen

21:27

this stuff and be like that would be

21:28

cool one day and now we've done it

21:30

speaking of cool all right we're finally

21:33

standing in front of the Land Cruiser

21:34

what do you think of this thing like

21:36

visually just straight visually what do

21:37

you think love it I love this it I I

21:39

think it I think it looks absolutely

21:41

fantastic they knocked it out of the

21:43

park styling wise so you know there is a

21:44

there's a top trim there's a first

21:45

edition I think there's like 5,000 first

21:48

editions and then there's the Land

21:49

Cruiser trim that's this so it still has

21:51

a bunch of fancy stuff and it has the

21:53

the squared off lights and then the

21:55

Basse trim is the 1958 Edition circular

21:58

lights circular lights I I weirdly I

22:01

like them like if I had two children I

22:03

like them both equally right I can't I

22:06

could not decide between this I love the

22:08

idea of the round lights but I also like

22:10

this front end I think it looks great

22:12

it's a slam dunk it I'm surprised you're

22:14

not triggered right now cuz this looks

22:16

exactly in this color scheme with the

22:17

Heritage blue looks exactly like the FJ

22:19

Cruiser you filmed yeah and here's a

22:22

ladder oh I did fall off a ladder you

22:24

fell off a ladder

22:26

top yeah it was really wet that day it's

22:29

not wet here yeah I am in no danger we

22:33

we almost didn't get a Heritage Blue we

22:34

almost got the trail dust which is the

22:36

sand colored one God I love that one so

22:39

much I love the look of that I would

22:41

100% that's the one that I would buy I

22:42

would do trail dust no question that's

22:44

my color Choice yeah yeah and there's an

22:46

underground the gray and there's white

22:48

which is ice cap actually white look

22:50

really cool sounds like a Starbucks

22:52

drink no it sounds exactly like a Tim

22:54

Horton's drink because there's one

22:55

called the iced cap

22:58

you can't extradite me to Canada from

23:01

here I'm

23:03

safe so yeah so these wheels and ties

23:06

this combo is not as aggressive as we're

23:07

used to seeing on like off-road trims

23:10

you know we've we've been out in desert

23:11

Junes with Broncos and and F-150 like

23:14

like right now you can get the four the

23:16

new 4Runner with like a whole bunch of

23:18

different options with like more

23:19

aggressive tires this is I mean it's the

23:22

first year so they got it out there

23:24

maybe in in another year or two I don't

23:27

know there'll be more options this has

23:28

this has handled everything we've thrown

23:30

as it it has um but it's I still think

23:33

like you know with like these tires have

23:34

been great but I want bigger tires I

23:37

want smaller Wheels I want more lift I

23:39

want rock rails yeah no it's it's a

23:42

great looking isn't it awesome yeah I

23:43

really like it okay well yesterday we

23:45

challenged ourselves yes and we tried to

23:47

build some confidence and we overstepped

23:49

because it turns out the Junes are crazy

23:51

dangerous um well we we knew that but

23:53

like it's not until you're on the top of

23:55

them and you know like in cam it doesn't

23:58

look that dangerous on the camera but

23:59

when you look down it's like six stories

24:03

like yeah it was like 200 ft tall yeah

24:06

it's really it's real

24:08

scary yeah it's soft to let's go do them

24:11

again okay I'll

24:15

drive we set off back into the dunes and

24:19

truth be told our cell service was very

24:21

spotty so we didn't exactly know where

24:24

we were and since Toyota had only given

24:26

us the Land Cruiser for one overnight

24:29

making it all the way across the

24:30

Imperial sand dunes was a pipe dream we

24:33

had to get it back to San Diego by

24:35

Nightfall which meant navigating back

24:38

through miles and miles of a desert that

24:40

due to the wind had no tracks for us to

24:43

follow and looked quite different to us

24:45

than it did

24:47

yesterday what do you think about the

24:49

interior of the Land Cruiser so when we

24:52

were in the GX we said you can feel the

24:55

Lexus and I think now that we're in here

24:57

you can feel the Toyota

24:58

very much yeah yeah it's a lot much

25:00

cheaper of an interior but I'm I'm just

25:03

not going to fault it for that because I

25:06

don't really care the only thing I care

25:08

about with a Toyota product is that it

25:10

works oh this is a bit of a hill it's

25:12

not flawed we got this nice infotainment

25:13

that's been working fine oh my God there

25:16

we go that was easy I'll wake you up

25:18

after 2 hours of

25:20

sleep yeah so we got this the

25:21

entertainment's nice like the GX the

25:24

passenger cannot see the gauge cluster

25:25

at all it's completely dark for me Isn't

25:27

that strange feels very strange yeah but

25:29

the visibility is good this comes down

25:31

low seats are comfortable these are this

25:34

is the brown leather in here F leel and

25:36

as I said earlier like there's not very

25:38

much knee room but that's because the

25:39

whole thing is very narrow like I can

25:40

pretty much touch your door and that's

25:42

good for Trails it's good for Trails

25:43

exactly we're not blessed with a moon

25:45

roof like the GX we just get the simple

25:46

sunroof it's okay and this is the JBL

25:49

sound system instead of the Mark

25:50

levenson got USB CS we got wireless

25:53

charging this all feels very familiar to

25:56

the GS exactly the same pretty much and

25:58

with a few minor tweaks and changes it's

26:00

comfortable but you can't get three rows

26:02

the L Cru is only a two row yeah whereas

26:04

the GX can be had in a three row but no

26:06

I'm a big whatever this is is all it

26:09

needed to be that is exactly right I

26:11

mean it is a lot of money and Land

26:13

Cruisers forever have been a lot of

26:14

money like if you look at how much a a

26:16

70 series Land Cruiser crosss over in in

26:19

Australia it's ridiculous they're

26:22

ridiculously charging a fortune for it

26:24

they are charging a fortune for it but

26:25

that's because Toyota knows that you'll

26:26

buy them because they know that if you

26:28

actually you want to go somewhere you

26:29

need one of these yeah right and Toyota

26:32

was and still is right the Land Cruiser

26:37

was being absolutely bloody magnificent

26:40

we spent hours navigating our way

26:42

through the Junes route finding paths

26:44

for us and our crew that our trucks

26:46

could actually do as usual the Junes

26:48

were being completely unpredictable and

26:51

that was made worse by the high winds

26:53

which move and deposit sand in such a

26:55

way that you never quite know what the

26:56

upcoming surface is going to be be like

26:59

it was a lot of getting to the top of

27:00

the tune getting out and then trying to

27:02

figure out how to make forward progress

27:04

but we were figuring it out we had a

27:06

flow going and the Land Cruiser was

27:08

soaking it all up soon enough we spotted

27:11

the exit in the distance is that the

27:13

parking lot

27:15

yeah okay it's not it's weird to see it

27:18

it's not that much further H it's a few

27:20

dip dup Dives and

27:23

Dodges let's dick duck dick duck dive

27:26

and Dodge no there's no dick in it no

27:28

dick no dick just you

27:31

yeah however in order to get there we

27:34

needed to get through this last section

27:35

of the dunes but we couldn't find a

27:37

simple path through the only spot was a

27:39

run to the top that was much steeper

27:41

than anything we'd tried yet fortunately

27:44

and unfortunately Thomas's confidence in

27:47

the dunes was at an all-time high

27:51

and yeah

28:03

oh oh my

28:05

[Music]

28:10

God so Ry what they've done with the

28:12

drive connect on the interior here is I

28:15

find this is the ride's good the ride is

28:18

really good it can handle bigger hits

28:21

cracks in the road but also you know

28:23

potholes and those sorts of things

28:25

yeah so yeah basically what happened was

28:29

that a large soft lip of sand made the

28:31

Run look much longer than it actually

28:34

was so instead of running up and over

28:36

the top we bashed through the soft stuff

28:38

and the rock hard lip underneath sent us

28:41

flying in the

28:45

[Music]

28:55

air unfortunately there was damage since

28:58

the Land Cruiser doesn't get the 4Runner

29:00

heavyduty underbody TRD skid plates that

29:04

huge initial impact that sent us flying

29:06

had mangled the underside and damaged

29:08

the

29:09

radiator yeah you see that that's not

29:12

supposed to be curved at all there was

29:14

nothing left to do at this point Except

29:16

watch the temperature gauge and get out

29:17

of the dunes quickly that and let Thomas

29:20

realize that there was still room to

29:21

make some

29:24

mistakes hell but thankfully the temps

29:27

stayed steady and we escaped back to the

29:29

parking

29:30

lot well we made

29:33

it 82% of us importantly not the car's

29:38

fault you know very much my fault no

29:40

question driver eror no

29:45

question good boy so so that phrase of

29:48

if you want to go somewhere and come

29:50

back you need a Land Cruiser yeah you

29:51

also need to not be a no that's

29:54

fair enough but listen even when morons

29:56

are present the Land Cruiser takes care

29:58

care of you and that's the moral of the

30:00

story doesn't make me dislike it any

30:03

less right yeah yeah you know exactly

30:05

yeah yeah it's endearing it's is very

30:07

cool isn't it yeah listen I grow in

30:09

attachment to everything I sleep with

30:11

and I have slept with this and I have on

30:13

it you slept with

30:16

me I'm just I'm just being

30:19

[Music]

30:21

literal so the dunes were over but we

30:24

still had hours of driving back to San

30:27

Diego so we aired up the tires made sure

30:29

no other damage was present somehow

30:32

found ice cream in the desert one of the

30:35

most undeserved ice lollies Thomas has

30:37

ever had and then set off away from the

30:39

sand and into the mountains as we gained

30:42

elevation the weather kept getting worse

30:45

dropping to almost freezing but the Land

30:48

Cruiser took it all in stride there

30:50

wasn't even a hint of any suspension

30:53

damage and it tracked Arrow straight

30:55

down the highway even the coolant Le

30:58

managed to sort of stop being a coolant

31:00

leak and the temp stayed steady the Land

31:03

Cruiser sort of did that Land Cruiser

31:07

thing it got us

31:09

[Music]

31:15

home so now that we know that the new

31:18

4Runner remains a proper off-road go

31:21

anywhere SUV and the Lexus GX isn't

31:24

actually that much more expensive than

31:25

the Land Cruiser but gets a bigger V6

31:28

engine more towing capacity no loss in

31:31

trunk space due to a hybrid system and

31:33

the possibility of three rows it's

31:36

actually very hard to see where the Land

31:38

Cruiser fits but somehow it feels like

31:41

it does it feels like Toyota left some

31:43

room for it to be a slightly more classy

31:46

and grownup Forerunner and likewise it

31:48

feels like a more honest Lexus GX that

31:51

does benefit from better fuel economy

31:54

and a 2400 W Outlet in the trunk as for

31:57

its right s even though the Land Cruiser

31:59

currently doesn't sport a wild engine

32:02

option in its top trim it's nicer to

32:04

live with every day and has better Road

32:06

manners than a normal Bronco and

32:09

Wrangler and whilst we love the defender

32:12

historically Land Rover versus Toyota

32:15

for reliability isn't so much a fight as

32:18

it is a Slaughter we've talked at length

32:21

about desirability and it's certainly

32:24

very difficult to quantify but the Land

32:26

Cruiser seems to have it because if

32:29

someone asks you about your Lexus GX you

32:32

might say well it's a Lexus but it's

32:34

actually a Land Cruiser underneath or

32:36

about your Forerunner you might say yeah

32:39

think of it as sort of like a North

32:40

American Land Cruiser but if you're

32:43

driving one of these no questions need

32:46

be asked or at least that's the way I

32:48

see it because I'm a weak man and I've

32:51

been sold on the name plate so I have

32:53

purchased a special Old Land Cruiser and

32:56

it's currently on its way from the Land

32:59

of the Rising

33:00

Sun thanks for watching

33:16

[Music]

33:26

[Music]

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Tags associés
Toyota Land CruiserOff-Road AdventureDesert DunesCamping TripCar ReviewHighway DriveBack RoadsSand DunesOverlandingVehicle ReliabilityThrottle House
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