The Greatest Car in the World Is Back

On Monday, the world was shown not simply the most compelling new car announced this year but almost unquestionably the greatest car on sale in 2024. No, it’s not the new limited-edition Porsche 911 ST — though that is fantastic.Rather, it’s the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser, which goes on sale next year, returning to the American market after a three-year hiatus, and seems better than its almost perfect predecessor in every way.The Land Cruiser formula is simple but rare to find. For daily, on-road use, they come with plush seats, solid interior plastics, a big boot, reasonably comfortable suspension, and are powered by seemingly bulletproof engines, meaning repairs are infrequent and relatively inexpensive. However, when you want to head off-road, this isn’t a saloon on stilts. Unlike most modern runabout family-hauler SUVs, this is a proper body-on-frame off-roader, built from the ground up to excess in even the roughest terrain.ToyotaThis combination of reliability and top-tier off-road capability is why miners, militaries, and militias all drive Land Cruisers. Yet building upon this foundation, with customizable options and new features, is why the Land Cruiser is the perfect car for so many others.Compared with the outgoing model, the 2024 model looks far better. It has a chunky, boxy, retro look, which is simultaneously utilitarian and also premium, and the entry-level 1958 comes with retro round LED headlights in an attempt to compete with the retro charm of the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. The mid-tier “Land Cruiser” is physically identical, except for its rectangular headlights, harking back to the 1980’s FJ62 Land Cruiser.And yes, the full name of the mid-spec version is the Toyota Land Cruiser.Unlike Lexus’s version, the GX — which comes with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 — the Land Cruiser will only be available with Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. Also available in the new Tacoma truck, this is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and eight-speed automatic. It’s not an exciting powertrain — I do wish there was still a V8 option — this is necessary given environmental regulations and will be more than potent enough, with 326 horsepower. Before Toyota pulled the Land Cruiser from the American market in 2021, they had reduced the range to the leather-trimmed, higher specs. This appealed to the Land Cruiser buyer who wanted a comfortable, premium, yet unassuming SUV, but — starting at $85,515 — left out most of their potential customers.Toyota has somewhat resolved this for the 2024 model, which starts $30,000 lower, at $55,000. You can then spec this out with an enormous range of options and more than 100 optional accessories. Some buyers will choose a colorful $55,000 entry-level 1958, paint it with a contrasting white roof as homage to the 2007–2014 FJ Cruiser, and enjoy all the usual safety features for city driving: Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Tracing Assist, Automatic High Beams, Road Sign Assist, Proactive Driving Assist, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and the various other useful, boring, capitalized features.That’s a perfect family hauler, but others will choose a First Edition as their ultimate off-road machine, making use of the almost nine inches of ground clearance, 30-degree approach angle, new double-wishbone, twin-shock front suspension, downhill and crawl assist functions, terrain select system, and front stabilizer bar disconnect.They’ll choose chunky winter tires, ski plates, rock rails, and handy off-road recovery gear and will have a great time out on the trails with their car, and unlike a Wrangler, it’ll just work.When car enthusiasts think about what makes a car great, they usually think of how fun or fast it is. And sports cars, like the 911 ST, are often fantastic. It will perfectly fit as the third or fifth car in someone’s elongated garage. Yet more broadly, what makes a car great is how well it performs its intended functions.The 911 ST is a great driver’s car, but the appeal of the Land Cruiser is simpler and broader. It’s the car that can do almost everything for almost every lifestyle and will do it all excellently and never let you down.It’s great to see it back on the American market.

The Greatest Car in the World Is Back

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