Which one of these retro off-roaders deserves your hard-earned cash?
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser has been unveiled, and looking at the design and specification sheet, it’s no secret what the Japanese manufacturer is targeting. It rides on a ladder frame chassis and is blessed with a retro-inspired body on top. At the front, it has one of the oldest and most respected badges in the automotive industry. All of this sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
The Jeep Wrangler had this little segment all to itself for several decades, but then Ford introduced the Bronco. And now Toyota also wants a slice of the heritage pie, entering the Land Cruiser in this highly-anticipated battle.
There are many similarities between these cars, but as we shall shortly see, there are massive differences, too.
Exterior Design: Who Does Boxy Best?
The exteriors of all three vehicles are meant to be a throwback to earlier models. Back then, designers were limited to rulers because intricate shapes had to be bashed out by hand. Stamping out a square on the production line was much easier, especially when you’re busy fighting a war.
The Wrangler is Genesis. Without it, the other two wouldn’t exist. Ford needed a rival for the Jeep CJ-5, while the Japanese Army stole a Willys from the Americans during WWII because they wanted something similar. For the record, the Americans also stole from the Germans a little, which is how we ended up with the Jerry Can.
All three are boxes on wheels, but there are some unique features that give each car its own unique identity.
First up, we have the new Land Cruiser, which is available with two front-end designs. The Land Cruiser 1958 and limited-edition Land Cruiser First Edition trims have round headlights, while the mainstream Land Cruiser has rectangular lights. Both versions have “TOYOTA” lettering on a blacked-out grille. Black body cladding surrounds the Land Cruiser, while black design elements near the top of the A- and C-pillars help to create a floating roof illusion. The rear is a bit dull compared to the rest of the car, but you can’t have it all.
Pricing & Verdict: Is The Land Cruiser Name Enough?
Many Broncos are available, but we eventually settled on the Wildtrak (standard EcoBoost V6) because it gets closest to the Land Cruiser and Wrangler. We don’t know the Land Cruiser’s MSRP or destination charge yet, but Toyota has stated that it will be a mid-$50,000 vehicle. Our best guesstimate is $55k for the 1958, $58k for the Land Cruiser, and around $60,000 for the Land Cruiser First Edition. Based on that, we found the closest model trims from Ford and Jeep. We have a separate article on how the Land Cruiser fits into the Toyota lineup.
A Bronco Wildtrak costs $59,315, and for that, you get the V6 EcoBoost engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Sasquatch Package is included as standard, so you’re getting the most off-road capable model this side of the Bronco Raptor.
At Jeep, we opted for the Rubicon, and to give it the best possible chance, we added the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot for the tiny torque bump. And because it’s the cheapest of the lot, we also added full-time 4WD for the reasons mentioned earlier. Even so, it still retails for $50,390.
That means the Land Cruiser may be $5k-$10k more expensive than the Wrangler Rubicon but will be more closely aligned in price to the top-tier Bronco models.
While the Wrangler is the most affordable, we couldn’t live with it. The Bronco is tempting, but Ford’s build quality reputation leaves much to be desired. The Land Cruiser, at face value, seems to offer the best of all worlds and therefore gets our vote.
Toyota 
