With its luxury appointments and on-road manners, the 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser might seem to have nothing in common with the rugged, no-nonsense Land Cruisers Toyota built for decades starting in the 1950s. But today's Land Cruiser is nearly unassailable once the pavement ends, maintaining the original version's go-anywhere reputation.
Pros Very capable off-road Comfortable ride and capable handling for a big SUV Commanding view of the road ahead
Cons Second- and third-row seats are clumsy and lack space Poor fuel economy even by large SUV standards Limited smartphone connectivity
The 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser’s go-anywhere capability makes it a cult favorite, but most buyers are better suited to rivals.
Pros The myth, the truck, the legend Will climb over anything Ample power Comfortable inrterior Soft ride
Cons Guzzles fuel Very expensive Guzzles fuel Not well-suited to suburbia Did we mention that it guzzles fuel?
The Patrol Y62, to give it its full in-house code name, is very different from every Nissan Patrol that preceded it. This Patrol has a big V8 engine that gives it exceptional performance. As well, its unusual and technically advanced suspension combines on-road handling impressively with off road ability. The Patrol has a luxurious and very roomy cabin with at least seven seats, and a sophisticated dual-range four-wheel drive system.
Pros Huge cabin; powerful engine; very capable off road.
Cons Heavy fuel use; needs plenty of parking room.
The Patrol does seem underdone with some of its controls and it is a big unit to thread around town. Yet it is a very good tow vehicle, with very good performance, pretty good stability and ride and the fuel consumption of a small V8 – if you don’t push it hard.
Pros Performance Relatively light on fuel Towing stability
Cons Outdated park brake Lack of digital speedometer Reduced towball download at GVM
