Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus GX 550
Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus GX 550, which one should you buy? That’s what we’re going to find out.
The Land Cruiser is a bit of a legend known for its rugged go anywhere off-road capability and incredible reliability.
But is that still the case with this all new version?
And is this the right SUV to buy? Considering that there are other Toyota and Lexus SUVs that you can buy that are very mechanically similar, for example, for a bit less money you could buy the Toyota 4Runner or for a bit more money, the Lexus GX 550.
All of these SUVs are made on Toyota’s new global truck platform, which has an ultra rigid, fully boxed frame and a proper four wheel drive system with a low range two speed transfer case, a locking center differential and an available locking rear differential.
Which means that regardless of which one you buy, you’re getting an extremely capable off-road SUV and another major bonus that all of these SUV shares that they are all manufactured in Japan,
which is a huge bonus for those that value Japanese build quality.
Size
And you can really feel the similarities Between the Land Cruiser and the GX back to back, Both SUVs are a very similar size.
They’re both extremely spacious, mid-sized SUVs with nearly identical dimensions.
They both have plenty of ground clearance, a nice high seating position with a commanding view of the road and they both have fantastic outward visibility thanks to tall windows all the way around.
Ultimately you can really tell that these SUVs all come from the same basic platform and you’re getting that typical body on frame truck like feel regardless of which SUV you buy.
But of course there are some major differences between the Land Cruiser and the gx.
Drivetrain
one of the biggest ones is the drivetrain that you get underneath the hood.
With the Land Cruiser, you get a turbocharge four cylinder engine with a hybrid system that comes connected to an eight speed automatic transmission.
This is the same I Force Max hybrid system that was introduced in the new Tacoma Hybrid with the GX 550.
On the other hand, we have a twin Turbocharged V six engine with a 10 speed automatic transmission.
Power :
In terms of power, they’re really not that different On paper, the Land Cruiser produces 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, whereas with the GX you get 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.
So either way you’re getting a ton of power with
Both of these SUVs and you can really feel it.
They’re nothing like the old naturally aspirated engines from the old 4runner or the old GX, which were pretty sluggish by comparison.
And these two, you have tons of low-end, toric end, they really get going when you put your foot down.
Are Modern Cars Becoming Less Reliable?
But with that said, there are some significant differences between them and if I had to pick one as being the standout better choice without question, it’s the engine in the GX.
The Turbo four-cylinder hybrid in the Land Cruiser is perfectly fine, especially when you’re cruising because the hybrid system shuts off the engine and it cruises pretty quietly just like an electric vehicle.
But when you put your foot into it, you can still really hear and feel that at the end of the day it’s still a four-cylinder engine.
It’s quite smooth and refined, but when you push it hard, it can get a little bit loud and it has that crude gravelly feel that’s typical for a four-cylinder that you just don’t have in the gx.
By comparison, the twin Turbo V six in the GX is buttery smooth and extremely quiet and it just feels a lot more eager, like it has a lot more power.
So it really is the more potent and the punchier drive train. And that also shows with the towing capability.
Towing Capacity :
Now either of these are excellent towing SUVs.
The Land Cruiser is able to tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is impressive, but the GX can tow up to 9,000 pounds, which pretty much blows away not only the Land Cruiser but almost everything else it competes with.
So you get more power, a smoother drivetrain, and more towing capability.
Fuel Economy :
And the great part is is that it really doesn’t come at the expense of fuel economy.
And that’s really the disappointment with the Land Cruiser.
Given that the is a hybrid drivetrain, I was expecting it to be a lot more fuel-efficient than it is.
It’s rated to achieve up to around 23 miles per gallon or 10 liters per 100 kilometers.
But in the real world I didn’t see a huge difference between them.
It was actually much closer to the fuel economy of the GX, which is rated for only 17 miles per gallon or 14 liters per 100 kilometers.
And given that both of these SUVs require premium fuel, well there really isn’t much fuel economy benefit to the Land Cruiser when compared to the GX.
Ultimately, the real benefit that you’re getting with both of these drive trains is their performance.
They are a lot more impressive than the far more simple and basic drive trains that came before them, which we’re known for being extremely reliable and time tested, but that’s really about it.
Reliability :
But that brings into question the next major issue with both of these SUVs,
which is how exactly are they going to live up to their reputations for reliability? Yes, both the Land Cruiser and the GX
Have legendary reputations in that area.
They’re known for being extremely well-made and extremely long-lasting vehicles.
But is that still the case with these new versions which do have extremely complicated drivetrains? Well, at the end of the day, both of these have turbocharge engines.
They are a lot more complicated and they are more difficult to service and work on, especially as they age beyond the warranty period.
There’s just no getting away from that. And yes, there have been some issues with these drivetrains in other vehicles.
For example, the eight-speed automatic in land cruise, there has been having some reported problems in the current generation Tacoma.
And of course, we have the Twin Turbo V six engine from the gx, which has been subjected to a major recall in the Lexus LX and the Toyota Tundra for the 2022 and 2023 models which had a defect requiring a complete engine replacement under recall.
Now the good news is that the new models for 2024, but especially 2025 should be clear of these issues.
And given the fact that the Land Cruiser and the GX are newer vehicles and have not experienced these issues yet, they should be in the clear.
Hopefully, they live up to their reputations and maintain excellent reliability as they should, but of course, only time will tell.
Driving :
Still it is very impressive what Toyota and Lexus have done here.
These are fantastic driving SUVs. They have great performance, they’re incredibly capable and they are surprisingly comfortable to drive.
Now there’s certainly nothing wrong with the Land Cruiser.
It’s a fantastic driving SUV, but there’s no question that the GX just has an entire extra layer of comfort of refinement.
It’s a little bit quieter and smoother, which is exactly what you would expect.
Some often wonder whether it’s always worth it to spend the extra money on the luxury version of a mainstream model, but in this case,
the differences are very noticeable and it’s definitely worth it and not just because it’s a nicer driving SUV,
Space
But for what you get on the inside, the Land Cruiser is only offered as a five-seater two-row SUV in North America, whereas with the gx, you have a choice of getting it as either a five-seater or a three-row seven seater, which is very nice to have.
And although these are both extremely spacious, practical SUVs with a ton of passenger space and cargo space, you do have a little bit less cargo space in the Land Cruiser thanks to the higher floor due to the hybrid battery.
Interior & Exterior :
Both of these SUVs though, have extremely well-designed interiors with really good fit and finish good materials and really Good technology and control setups.
The Land Cruiser of course, does feel quite a bit more basic, especially the lower trims.
The base model comes with manually adjustable fabric seats, a manual tailgate and a rather small eight-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.
Going with the higher trims, however, does get you more features, better materials, and a larger touchscreen, and you do get regular controls for your climate setup, which is really nice to have.
the GX takes things to the next level with larger screens, better technology and much nicer materials and finishes.
And of course, going with the GX unlocks the option of just having nicer luxuries like a 21 Speaker Mark Levinson sound system, massaging Semial line leather seats, and even a cooler in the center console.
Pricing :
Now, how do these two SUVs compare when it comes to their pricing? Well, in the case of the Land Cruiser, the pricing ranges between 58 to 77,000 US or roughly 72 to 92,000 Canadian.
Whereas with the GX five 50, the pricing ranges from 65 to 82,000 US or 86 to 110,000 Canadian, which means that these SUVs do overlap in terms of pricing, and to me that makes the decision between them a whole lot easier, even though the Land Cruiser is a very impressive SUV.
Any really nice SUV to drive? There’s no question. Toyota did a phenomenal job with it. The GX is just an enormous upgrade in so many ways.
It has a much nicer drivetrain. That V six engine is a lot more refined, more powerful and just makes it much nicer to drive.
It’s a quieter, smoother, nicer SUV overall.
The interior is significantly more luxurious with more options and the available third row seating,
you’re really not paying a huge price premium over the Land Cruiser or you’re potentially paying the same price depending on which trims you get.
And for me, that really seals the deal.
Final Word :
With that said, though, there are going to be those who don’t necessarily want to have the extra luxuries.
Perhaps they just want a more basic SUV or perhaps they’re just won over by the Land Cruisers, more nostalgic retro-looking design, and that’s perfectly fine.
But the thing with the Land Cruiser it is more or less identical to the new six generation Toyota 4runner, which you can get for a significantly lower price.
Now, who knows, I could be wrong. Maybe there is a big enough difference between them to make the Land Cruiser the better choice.
But based on what I’m seeing so far in my mind, I really think that Toyota should have done a little bit more to differentiate the Land Cruiser from the rest of its very similar SUV lineup.
Given that the Land Cruiser is historically known for being this extremely rugged, capable, high quality SUV that’s known for being indestructible and incredibly reliable,
I think it would’ve been really neat for Toyota to keep it as more of an old school SUV with a more simple old school drivetrain set up, perhaps a simple naturally aspirated V six engine like you got in the fifth generation 4runner end.
I know that’s just a pipe dream to even mention, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with the hybrid system that’s in the Land Cruiser still, I think differentiating it a little bit more would’ve been really nice.