In the movie "Popeye," Olive Oyl is trying to convince herself that Bluto is the guy for her, and while she easily lists his faults, the only good thing she can say is, "But he's large." So it goes with the Toyota Land Cruiser. It's large, and that’s the only good thing I can say about it.
2008 Ford F-250: Joe Wiesenfelder takes a look at a heavy-duty pickup truck that’s full of useful — not gimmicky — features.
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: Wiesenfelder take this opportunity to show us how the Evo proves that a four-door car can be fun.
2008 Toyota Land Cruiser: In one video Kelsey Mays outlines the SUV’s substantial offroad skills, while a second is devoted to dissecting the Land Cruiser’s seating and cargo space.
Toyota's bread and butter has been its smaller cars — your typical Camrys, Corollas and Priuses (or is it Priuii?). This leads expert reviewer Kelsey Mays to wonder why the company has invested so much time and energy in the Land Cruiser. Not only is it a large SUV that's going to chug gas for its entire existence, but he finds it flawed and, worse, overpriced. According to Mays, this is one luxury SUV you can easily put in the also-ran category. Click on the link for his full review.
Car companies usually release new models at major auto shows to get the most exposure possible. Supposedly, today’s online reveal of the all-new 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser is in advance of an auto show in Australia next month, but we’re guessing Toyota just didn’t want to unveil its behemoth SUV in the U.S. right now, when it’s seen as such a green-friendly company.
We’re not slighting this new Land Cruiser, though. The outgoing model had plenty of fans, and we’ve gotten quite a few emails in anticipation of the 2008 version. Nearly everything has been redesigned, from the chassis to the suspension to the bruising 381-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 that we loved in the new Tundra pickup. It takes regular gas and tows up to 8,500 pounds. There’s a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode. Mileage is rated at 13/18 mpg city/highway, compared to the aging 2007’s 275-hp V-8 and its 13/17 mpg using less-stringent EPA testing standards, meaning mileage has actually gotten even better than the numbers suggest.
Both the exterior and interior have been retooled nicely, though they’re still a bit on the boring side, and the price gets a bump too — up 12% from last year to $63,200, not including destination charge. The new Land Cruiser is longer, as well, to make more room for the three rows of seats that fit eight people. More photos below.
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