Blackteqrunner
Moderator
A good friend of mine works at my local Toyota dealership and informed me that they just got two First Edition Land Cruisers on their lot. I was pumped so I asked if I could swing by, take some pictures and test drive it, and that's exactly what I did. First and foremost, the Land Cruiser is one impressive vehicle in person. My wife said the same thing that I was thinking when we looked at the interior, that it was beautifully simplistic. Everything was well done and tasteful, and embodied what the Land Cruiser is but with a modern twist.
This is one of the first Hybrids I had ever driven except for the in-laws hybrid Sienna, so I wasn't sure what to expect. First driving impressions? Man this thing is smooth yet still feels like a rugged vehicle. My initial fears was that they hybrid would feel too floaty or synthetic but it was responsive and had a ton of power available, especially in the lower RPMS (~1500 RPM range). Having the same engine as the 4Runner and the Tacoma, the turbocharged 2.4 liter iForce Max felt like it had plenty of power available for larger tires and/or towing providing output ratings of 326 hp and 465 lb-ft.
Another thing I was looking for was the quality of the vehicle itself, how well things seemed to be put together. Since the Land Cruiser, just like the GX and 6th Gen 4Runner, is built at the Tahara plant in Japan you can almost guarantee the quality that they have been known for. I did my best to find some loose interior components, poorly mounted consoles or things that rattle and I couldn't find any. This reassured my confidence that the new 4Runner will have similar qualities and will continue to be made with care as it has been in previous generations.
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This is one of the first Hybrids I had ever driven except for the in-laws hybrid Sienna, so I wasn't sure what to expect. First driving impressions? Man this thing is smooth yet still feels like a rugged vehicle. My initial fears was that they hybrid would feel too floaty or synthetic but it was responsive and had a ton of power available, especially in the lower RPMS (~1500 RPM range). Having the same engine as the 4Runner and the Tacoma, the turbocharged 2.4 liter iForce Max felt like it had plenty of power available for larger tires and/or towing providing output ratings of 326 hp and 465 lb-ft.
Another thing I was looking for was the quality of the vehicle itself, how well things seemed to be put together. Since the Land Cruiser, just like the GX and 6th Gen 4Runner, is built at the Tahara plant in Japan you can almost guarantee the quality that they have been known for. I did my best to find some loose interior components, poorly mounted consoles or things that rattle and I couldn't find any. This reassured my confidence that the new 4Runner will have similar qualities and will continue to be made with care as it has been in previous generations.
View attachment DSC07258.jpg
View attachment DSC07250.jpg
