We tested the new Toyota Land Cruiser against its legendary predecessor. It lives up to the hype, even without a third row.

• Toyota launched new Land Cruiser in the US, reviving the iconic SUV .

• The original Land Cruiser, known for its durability, debuted in the 1950s.

• The latest model aims to blend the classic ruggedness with modern features.

The original Land Cruiser launched in the 1950s and rightly earned a reputation as an unbreakable beast of a car. It was everything an SUV was supposed to be.

It was so hardy that the United Nations relied on it in war-torn and famine-ravaged parts of the world. Those white UN Land Cruisers are an image burned into my teenage mind as the ultimate, go-anywhere reliability.

After a few decades, these rugged benefits got expensive. Land Cruisers started costing almost $100,000. And they began to get a little old compared to the competition.

Then, they disappeared in the US and fans freaked out.

But in 2023, Toyota announced a new Land Cruiser, which went on sale in the US earlier this year.

I recently test-drove the Land Cruiser 1958 for a week in Silicon Valley, through a loaner from Toyota.

I also zipped around in it with my neighbor Julie, who owned a Land Cruiser for about 20 years and adored it.

First impression: It's cool!

It looks really cool, with a 1980's boxy retro design. A bit like the new Ford Bronco, but less extreme and more practical.

'This one better be a tank.'

Julie, my neighbor, had high expectations.

"My old Land Cruiser was a tank," she said when I told her I was going to test drive the new version. "This one better be a tank."

Music to Toyota's ears.

When I picked Julie up on a Friday afternoon, this was her first impression: "It looks like a Range Rover," she said. "It does feel tank-ish."

I imagine this is music to Toyota's ears.

$56,000 vs $98,000.

I told Julie the starting price of roughly $56,000.

"Wow, mine was $62,000 back in 2001, and the newer ones were $100,000. My neighbor had one that was $98,000," she said.

How many car companies take a legendary brand and knock at least $30,000 off the sticker price? This was a big risk to take by Toyota. What did it give up by making this new SUV less expensive?

No third row.

The main difference: There's no third row seating available in the new Land Cruiser.

This will be a significant loss for some customers and longtime Land Cruiser fans. More on this later, from Julie and myself.

Here's Julie desperately searching for any signs of a third row:

No, there isn't a third row Julie, sorry.

Towing capacity is lower, too.

The 2020 Land Cruiser had maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. The new version has 6,000.

In the back, there's not a massive amount of room.

Getting three fully grown adults in the back may be a slight squeeze, especially as there's a wide central bump in the floor which leaves less room for three pairs of feet.

Rear legroom was tighter than I expected.

Julie pushed her front passenger seat all the way back. Then, I jumped in the back to check out the legroom.

It wasn't uncomfortable, but there wasn't a massive amount of extra room for my legs back there.

The new Land Cruiser only seats 5.

The older Land Cruisers could fit 8 people using the third row of seats. The maximum with the new version is 5 adults.

The interior of the new Land Cruiser 1958 has a lot of plastic.

I didn't mind this. It added to the overall retro, rugged vibe of the vehicle.

Julie also noted that her old Land Cruiser had fancy wood-style veneer that eventually "went bad."

Let's talk about the Land Cruiser's sun visors.

Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

When she first got into the new Land Cruiser 1958, Julie very quickly checked the sun visors. Her old Land Cruiser had a double visor, where you could put one to the side and still have another for your front-facing needs. This kept the sun out of her eyes on winding roads.

Julie was a little disappointed this feature was missing on the new model.

The new Land Cruiser's engine is an effective turbo-hybrid mashup.

The new Land Cruiser has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. That doesn't sound like much for a big SUV. The previous Land Cruiser model had a 5.7 liter V8.

However, the 2024 version has a turbo and an electric power plant. So this turbo-hybrid mashup ends up with 326 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque at a pretty low 1,700 RPM.

That compares to the 2020 Land Cruiser, which had 381 horsepower and 401 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 RPM.

The result: Driving the 2024 Land Cruiser is an engaging combination of truck feel and modern smoothness.

At low speeds, the hybrid engine is quiet and calm. Press the accelerator down and you get truck-style grunt and a satisfying prod of low-end torque and speed.

Gas mileage is a lot better with the new Land Cruiser.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is about 800 pounds lighter than the 2020 model.

While still feeling sturdy, you get much better gas mileage. 22 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, according to the official numbers. The older model got 13 and 17 mpg.

Note: The new Land Cruiser needs premium gasoline.

I loved driving the Land Cruiser 1958.

The steering was light and accurate at low speed. Perfect for zipping around town and parking.

At higher speeds, the steering firmed up nicely and remained accurate and responsive.

The best part: The Land Cruiser rolls slightly and rumbles as you drive around. In a good way. It feels like you're driving a sturdy, capable SUV, but it's also really easy to maneuver. A real pleasure.

"It feels like a heavy well-made truck that doesn't drive like a truck," Julie said. Well put.

The trunk is large, although not as big as the previous Land Cruiser.

There are 37.5 cubic feet of in the back trunk of the new Land Cruiser. With daily use, this was more than enough space.

The Land Cruiser 1958 has round headlights.

The midrange Land Cruiser, which starts at around $62,000, has square headlights.

The model I drove, the 1958, has round headlights. Both look really cool.

The Land Cruiser 1958 comes with fabric seats.

I wasn't bothered with this. This is a tough, go-anywhere style SUV. It's not a Rolls-Royce.

There are fancier seats in the more expensive Land Cruiser, along with optional leather seats as part of a larger option package.

The rear window of the Land Cruiser opens independently.

To open this window, you press a cool corner button. A nice design touch.

There's more than enough room in here for groceries, luggage, and other bulky items.

Still, the 2020 Land Cruiser model had more than 40 cubic feet of room in the trunk without the third row.

The roof rack is an optional.

Adding this roof rack costs $1,440. My test car came with other extras, too, including skid plates, cargo and floor mats, and rock rails.

All together, these extras added about $3,600 to the base price of $55,950. And with delivery, handling, and processing fees, the grand total was $59,574.

The roof rack and rock rails looked cool, but you don't need these really.

The wheels are solid and relatively chunky.

I'd probably add chunkier tires, which would make the new Land Cruiser look even more rugged.

Bigger wheels are available on the more expensive versions of this new SUV.

The new Land Cruiser has big, chunky wing mirrors.

Julie wanted the mirrors to be a little wider. Instead, they are unusually tall.

The air vents are another nice design touch. You could say they're cool.

The main instrument panel has handy switches and knobs that are satisfying to use.

The rear seats fold up and are held with a strap.

This is similar to how the back seats go up in old Land Cruisers.

A medium-sized touchscreen was clear and easy to use.

There's a larger touchscreen in the more expensive new Land Cruiser, which starts at about $62,000.

The new Land Cruiser is basically the same size as the old model.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is 193.8 inches long, while the 2020 model was 194.9 inches. The new version is actually about 2 inches higher.

(This picture I took includes a much older version of the Land Cruiser, by the way).

The width of the new model is almost exactly the same as the old Land Cruiser.

The 2020 Land Cruiser was 78 inches wide, while the new model is 77.9 inches in width.

Toyota should add a third row seat option to the new Land Cruiser.

Julie's major grumble with the new Land Cruiser was the lack of a third row of seats.

One of the reasons she loved her old Land Cruiser was that she could easily drive around a lot of kids and still feel safe. It could seat 8 people, while the 2024 Land Cruiser can only fit 5.

"It might be a deal killer if I was still running a lot of kids around," Julie told me. "If your kids have friends that need a ride too, you're out of luck."

She has a Toyota Highlander these days and that vehicle can carry 7 people.

Not including a third row, or at least an option for this, seems like a wasted opportunity.

I asked Toyota about this, and they said there's no third row currently offered in the US for the new Land Cruiser. And they "can't comment on future product."

Final verdict:

I loved the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958.

After a few days with this vehicle, I smiled every time I got in it. When I had to give it back to Toyota, I was sad — as you can see in this photo.

Why did I love it so much?

It's got the retro rugged vibe just right.

It's sturdy enough for Land Cruiser fans, and its ride is a perfect combination of rumbling truck and smooth car.

I have driven the new Ford Bronco quite a bit, and it's not as good. Sorry Ford.

My only real request: Add a third row option.

I'll leave the final words to Julie, my neighbor and longtime Land Cruiser fan.

"Oh why didn't I wait!?" she said while I drove her around in the Land Cruiser 1958.

She has a Toyota Highlander right now, and she's regretting that purchase now.

"Ask them if they'll trade mine in," she said.

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