Toyota’s Land Cruiser Heritage Edition: The History Comes Standard

Toyota’s Land Cruiser Heritage Edition:

The History Comes Standard

The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition is a direct descendant of the iconic FJ40 Land Cruiser that first appeared in the US in 1960. Unfortunately, it has absolutely nothing in common with the original vehicle, like comparing John Kennedy from Massachusetts with Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana; in short, don’t. This new version may be highly capable when venturing off-road and comfortable driving down the highway, but this is one Toyota for which many American car buyers feel they no longer have a need. Which is too bad, because back in 1965 the Land Cruiser was Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the US.

Today, the Land Cruiser is still highly popular in countries where the road infrastructure is not as good as in the US. This is one vehicle that has always been way over-engineered, allowing it to survive in harsh conditions.  It’s a vehicle that will last your entire lifetime. At the 200,000 mile mark on the odometer, it’s just getting broken in. The Land Cruiser is a halo vehicle in the Toyota lineup that will probably never disappear from American showrooms, no matter how few are sold here.

There’s only one powertrain choice, a 381 hp, 5.7 liter V8 engine mated to an eight-speed transmission. It’s smooth running but the fuel economy is predictably marginal, getting you an EPA estimated 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway. Full-time 4WD is standard, and there’s loads of technology built-in, designed to get you safely in and out of any extreme terrain, from the Arctic to the Sahara.

The Midnight Black Metallic 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition I drove came with an eye-popping $89,239.00 window sticker.  Toyota considers the Heritage Edition package a factory custom, so there’s no third row and no running boards, but there is a massive Yakima Megawarrior roof rack as an added feature. The forged aluminum wheels are a distinctive bronze color, a color that carries into the interior for the contrast stitching highlighting the seats and the steering wheel. 

The Lexus-like interior is what Toyota calls “roughing it in comfort.” The cabin is very roomy with great visibility all around. The seats are black perforated leather, and the interior is accented by dark wood trim. The 9-inch touchscreen Toyota JBL Audio system is standard, which includes navigation along with fourteen speakers. And all the newest safety tech that most new car buyers insist on having in their new vehicle are included.  

There’s no doubt that the current Toyota Land Cruiser is a great vehicle.  Although it’s big and boxy, it’s actually fun to drive on city streets and on the highway.  I didn’t dare take this one off-road, but I have gone off-roading with Land Cruisers in the past and they didn’t break a sweat, which is what you would expect.  But when I do see a vintage FJ40, it makes me wish that Toyota had been able to evolve the Land Cruiser the same way Jeep has been able to keep the current Wrangler design, an ongoing tribute to the original Willys Jeeps.

It would be fun to take a peek behind the scenes of Toyota’s Future Planning Dept to see if the kernel of a new FJ is on a drawing board. If anyone’s asking, I’d want it to be about the size of a Jeep Wrangler with all the same off-roading capability. Ford is bringing back the Bronco, so a new Toyota FJ would expand that still-profitable niche. I want one. Anyone else?