This week we published our review of the new Land Cruiser, known as the 250, replacing the outgoing 150 model after participating in the European launch. You won't be surprised to hear that the new generation offers significant improvements over the outgoing one, it's also the case in this situation. What is better about it, what it preserves, and whether Toyota managed to maintain the recipe that made it a product of about 2,000 units a year despite its price? You can read about this in the review.
Either way, the new generation will be significantly more expensive than the outgoing model and is expected to arrive in Israel only at the end of the current year. How much more expensive? An increase in the range of between NIS 50,000 to 70,000 will not be surprising. Another issue is the absence of the 3-door version, meaning the "short" Land Cruiser from the future lineup. Toyota says that demand for this version was too low to justify a separate model presentation. Our estimation is that it is related to its plans to offer a "Baby Land Cruiser" in the coming years.
This situation creates an interesting scenario for those considering buying one of the latest off-road vehicles that offer a combination of proven components, very good off-road capability, and, of course, very few vehicles can compete with. Especially given the discounts that can now be obtained in showrooms on the remaining stock of the outgoing model.
Reminder: The current generation of the Land Cruiser, known as "150," has been with us since 2010. During this time period, it underwent several changes such as replacing the old engine of 190 horsepower from the previous generation with a more powerful and refined unit. Later in 2015, a second engine replacement was made, this time to one with 177 horsepower to comply with air pollution regulations. It was replaced again in 2020 with the current engine of 204 horsepower. Additionally, it underwent two facelifts, the first in 2014 which added a multimedia system and comfort accessories, and the second in 2018 and again in 2020 which was more significant as it added Apple and Android connectivity at all trim levels, the second generation of Toyota's advanced safety systems (excluding the basic TS trim intended for tenders) and more.
Driving the outgoing model just before tasting the new one reveals that, like the friend from the military who jumped into training once in..., the Land Cruiser is all the good and bad things you remembered from the last time, as if years haven't passed since you last saw it. Like that friend, the exterior is worn and weathered. In the passenger compartment, it's not difficult to spot signs of age, especially with the added buttons scattered everywhere around the driver's vicinity, sometimes illogically placed, with some of them appearing very archaic - like the seat heater switch on the central console, for example. The materials quality will also struggle to provide you with any sense of satisfaction compared to what's commonly found in cars that cost half or a third of its price.
The engine reminds you that it also serves under the cover of the Hilux engine, and can be heard well at rest and under effort. Aside from isolating the noises from the engine, in travel it is revealed as a very pleasant vehicle for covering distances, with long-travel shocks pressing the infrastructure and as long as you do not exaggerate with it or expect it to behave like a crossover - it will do the moving job well.
The off-road capabilities that rely on a sturdy chassis, ladder frame, central locking, and constant force continue to be its strengths. Also here, as long as the pace is moderate, it floats very well on trails thanks to the soft shocks. But if the trail has too big bumps, or the driving speed is too fast, they are not enough to absorb the bump before it hits the bottom of the vehicle.
Explaining why many customers who truly drive it off-road rush to replace those serial shocks with improved shocks. Along the way, they also raise it by two inches to gain air under the axle and protect it to save expensive repairs. Another recommended improvement for off-road travelers is adding a rear differential lock. At the limited finish level, for example, it comes without it and the traction control system that is supposed to replace its operation - falls short of doing convincing work when slow technical work is required and "flowing" transition based on a swing is not allowed.
The fuel consumption was moderate, not surprisingly for a vehicle of 2.2 tons with a variety of uses - 10 km per liter.
Ultimately, the outgoing generation also receives a good plus rating after 15 years. Yes, it is outdated on the inside, definitely not offering the levels of updates, noise insulation, and finish of modern vehicles. But on the other hand, it was and still is a blend that has no direct competitor.
The Jeep Wrangler is just as good off-road (and significantly better in the Rubicon version), but basic, tight, and rough even more for daily use, and it does not have 7 seating places. The Grand Cherokee is completely different from the trail and terrain. The Ford Bronco is an excellent and very beloved vehicle for us, but very expensive and only has 5 seats. The same can be said for the Defender, only with a few more "very, very" next to the "expensive" that at least offers an option for a third row of seats. The Ssangyong Rexton is significantly cheaper than the Land Cruiser, also coming with a 7-seat configuration and will be close to us after a facelift, but its off-road capabilities are less good.
And the price? The Land Cruiser has never been a cheap vehicle and it is not today either, but there is a small twist in the story here. Until the new generation arrives, the importer has several hundreds of vehicles that need to be moved, and customers report discounts of NIS 15,000-20,000 for the short version. By the way, a short version, the combination of the absence of one of the new generation and the hysteria surrounding the Land Cruiser as a used vehicle make it a very interesting purchase, one that will see very little depreciation or at least minimal in relation to the norm.
If you need the 5-door version with 7 seats, we have encountered a customer who purchased the "Sahara" trim level for NIS 35,000 less than its official price of NIS 464,000 without too much haggling. A conversation with the importers confirmed this discount policy, although they caveat it by saying they will reduce stock levels.
If you are willing to live with its shortcomings in terms of quality of life and updates, do not want to wait for the new generation or are afraid that it will not maintain the same mechanical resilience and capabilities of the outgoing model, then this is not a bad opportunity. In the worst case, it's a Land Cruiser, and you will probably be able to sell it without losing too much.