2016 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser is offered in only one trim with a V8 engine. However, this is a purpose-built vehicle that evolved into a luxury SUV with time. It is meant to last longer than other vehicles in the category and go anywhere without any hassle. Being available only in one trim, the Land Cruiser is well stacked with features like four-zone climate control, all-LED exterior lights, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, power-folding mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, and a few more.

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Since the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser comes in only one trim with no factory options available, there isn’t much we can recommend to you here. Thus in terms of choice, you don't have much of an option here. You either go for the vehicle or look for something else in the segment. However, if we have to make a decision, the standalone trim of the Land Cruiser has everything to keep you engaged.

The 2016 Land Cruiser is powered by a 5.7L naturally aspirated V8 engine that makes 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. The big V8 is mated to an all-new eight-speed automatic gearbox that replaces the older six-speed automatic unit. The ride quality masks the fact that this is a body-on-frame SUV. The braking performance of the Land Cruiser is also very good both on-road and off-road. The Land Cruiser shines off-road as with its high ground clearance and locking rear differential it can tackle any obstacle without breaking a sweat. On tarmac, this beast can sprint from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds while it covers the quarter-mile in 15.1 seconds. Also, it can tow up to 8,100 pounds.

Except for the Land Rover Range Rover, all the rivals are priced cheaper than the Land Cruiser. The Infiniti QX80 is the only other SUV here that comes with a naturally aspirated V8, while the other two come with a supercharged or twin-turbo V6. The Infiniti QX80 puts out the highest power and torque figures, while the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is the fastest in both 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs compared to the Land Cruiser.

The 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, even with the new eight-speed gearbox, is not the best vehicle for efficiency. As per the EPA estimates, the 2016 Land Cruiser with a full-time 4WD can return a subpar 13 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg combined. The fuel tank capacity of the Land Cruiser is 24.6-gallons, and you can expect somewhere around 320 miles and 443 miles in the city and on the highway, respectively from a full tank of gas.

The V6 powered rivals deliver far better gas numbers, and the Land Rover Range Rover is the most fuel-efficient among all. It returns 4 mpg more in the city, 5 mpg more on the highway, and 4 mpg more combined compared to the Land Cruiser. The Mercedes-Benz GL 450 comes with the biggest 26.4-gallon fuel tank and the highest 500 plus miles of combined range.

The cabin of the Land Cruiser is no match to the opulent interiors of the luxury SUVs like the Land Rover Range Rover or the Mercedes-Benz GL 450, but the interior is good when compared to the other Toyota cars, and by that yardstick, it has a sense of luxury and uniqueness about it. The built quality is excellent and feels premium but lacks a decent amount of space inside the cabin, especially the third-row, which is best suited for kids and not adults. However, it has a capacity for eight passengers. The cargo capacity is at par with the segment but might fall short for the family’s luggage on a long trip. 

Among the rivals, the Range Rover is the only SUV here that offers seating for five, while the other two offer seating for up to seven passengers. The Mercedes-Benz GL 450 has the most spacious cabin, followed by the Infiniti QX80. Although all the three-row SUVs here offer a ballpark figure of 16 cubic feet for cargo space. Key interior features include:

• Quad-zone automatic climate control
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Heated second-row seats
• Driver’s seat memory function
• Power tilt and telescoping steering wheel

How intuitive is the Toyota Land Cruiser’s infotainment system?

The 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser gets an updated 9-inch touchscreen that runs on the latest Entune infotainment system from Toyota. The system also incorporates the Siri Eyes Free technology that helps you control the infotainment from the steering wheel without taking your eyes off the road. Overall the system is pretty easy to get hang off and is far better than the laggy unit of the Range Rover or the archaic unit found on the Infiniti QX80. Key infotainment features include:

• 9-inch touchscreen
• Qi wireless charging system
• 14-speaker JBL sound system
• HD Radio
• Satellite radio
• iPod/USB audio interface

The Land Cruiser looks purpose-built from the outside. It is boxy and bulbous, and the design is rugged and aggressive with LED lights front and rear. With a ground clearance of 9.1 inches, it gives you a very commanding position and view of the road as well. Although it may seem big, in fact, the Land Cruiser is the shortest and the least wide vehicle among the competition, which helps in maneuverability.

As per the table above, the Infiniti QX80 is the longest, widest, tallest, and has the highest ground clearance, 0.1-inches more than the Land Cruiser’s, and comes with the longest wheelbase. The Mercedes-Benz GL 450 shares the spot for the longest wheelbase with the QX80, thus it makes it pretty evident why the cabin of the Infiniti QX80 was more commodious than the Land Cruiser in the first place. Key exterior features include:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights
• LED tail lights
• Fog lights
• Sunroof
• Auto-dimming and power-folding side mirror
• Running board
• Rear spoiler
• Automatic wipers

None of the safety rating agencies have crash-tested the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, but that didn’t deter Toyota from providing a bevy of safety features and a bundle of driver-assist features in the form of Toyota Safety Sense-P. Also available on all Land Cruisers is Toyota’s Safety Connect System that adds features like vehicle locator, collision notification, and roadside assistance. The standard suite of safety features includes eight airbags, hill-start assist, trailer sway control, front and rear parking sensors, etc. Key safety features include:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• A-Trac ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Safety Connect Emergency SOS service
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Pre-Collision System and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert 
• Lane Departure Alert
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning

The Land Cruiser is one of the most capable vehicles off-road, although its body-on-frame design might put off some buyers of the luxury SUV market due to its inherent nature of bouncy ride quality and lots of body roll. But the same chassis offers long-term reliability, abuse-friendliness, and cheaper maintenance cost. Older generations of Land Cruisers are shooting up in value already, and this generation might just be the future classic. The poor fuel efficiency might be a deal-breaker for some, but for others, it is the vehicle to survive the apocalypse.