Underpowered And Underequipped, Toyota Land Cruiser J250 Still Manages To Get Ahead Of The Competition

Toyota is on a roll resurrecting or reimagining iconic nameplates. While we can talk about the upcoming Toyota FJ Cruiser or the resurrection of the Stout pickup truck, I am focusing on a more recent model. The Toyota J250 Land Cruiser is different than any other generation before it. Some would say it is a bit too bold for its own good, as some buyers are trading in their J250 Land Cruisers for other SUV models. 

But I am here to tell you that despite a few shortcomings, the Land Cruiser continues to be one of the greatest Japanese off-road vehicles you can get. On that note, Carwow performed a grueling comparison test between the Toyota J250 Land Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler, and Land Rover Defender 110. All three represent the most capable off-road models of their brand. But despite being the heaviest, having the wrong tires, and the least power, the Japanese SUV proved why it is worthy to carry the Land Cruiser name.  

I am writing this article because it is interesting to see how the non-US variants of these rugged SUVs perform and how they differ from their counterparts that are sold here, in the US. 

The tires 

Out of the three SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser is the only one that comes with all-terrain tires instead of mud tires. The Japanese model comes standard with Toyota Open Country A/T III with a standard size of 265/70 R18, all around. 

The Jeep Wrangler comes equipped with BF Goodrich mud terrain tires, measuring 255/70 R18 on all four corners. 

The Land Rover Defender 110 is a bit of a wildcard when it comes to the tires. Normally, the British SUV comes with Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires. However, this particular one features upgraded off-road tires. The Defender is clearly the most on-road-focused SUV of the bunch. 

The uphill test bore a surprising winner

SUVs need to be able to climb up a hill in a muddy terrain, which is the first test the three SUVs lineup for. To give you an idea of how outgunned the Land Cruiser is, it features a 2.8-liter, inline-four turbodiesel that produces 204 horsepower at 3,000-3,400 RPM and 369 pound-feet at 1,600-2,000 RPM. At 5,555 pounds (2,520 kg), the Toyota SUV is also the heaviest of the bunch. 

A Jeep Wrangler with a 2.0-liter turbo-four would raise a few eyebrows, especially in 4xe guise, where it is a PHEV, but due to emissions and taxation (unfortunately), it makes sense in Europe. With 272 horsepower at 5,250 RPM and 295 pound-feet at 3,000 RPM, the Jeep Wrangler is not far from the Pentastar V-6 in terms of output. It even packs a bit more torque. The European version also packs two extra horsepower compared to the US-spec model. 

The Land Rover Defender 110 seen here is the P300 variant. This means a 2.0-liter, turbo-four mill from the company's Ingenium engine family. It packs 300 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 295 pound-feet at 1,500-4,000 RPM. Having driven the Ranger Rover Velar with this engine, I was surprised of how much performance it provides. 

All three SUVs feature an eight-speed automatic, with the Jeep and Land Rover sharing the eight-speed ZF unit (called Torqueflite in the Jeep). The Toyota has the Aisin direct-shift, eight-speed automatic. The four-wheel-drive systems on all three SUVs are completely different in the way they operate. 

Why did the Land Cruiser win?

In the end, the least powerful and heaviest SUV – the Toyota J250 – won the uphill drag race. Heavier vehicles tend to have better initial traction, which is important on loose terrain, like mud. It is likely no coincidence that the lightest of the three SUVs – the Jeep – reached the top of the hill last. 

How the three 4WD systems differ 

The Toyota Land Cruiser J250 comes with full-time four-wheel drive, featuring three differentials. A Torsen-type mechanical locking center differential, an electronic locking rear differential and an open front differential.  

The Jeep Wrangler features four-wheel-drive on demand. The full-time Selec-Trac can automatically switch between rear-wheel drive on dry roads and four-wheel drive on mud, snow, and other rough terrain. You can also opt to manually alternate between two or four-wheel drive. Low-range gears are also available. The Jeep Wrangler features locking differentials and is the only SUV here that features rigid axles on the front and rear.  

The Land Rover Defender is the most sophisticated SUV of the bunch. Its reliance on electronics will, no doubt, raise the eyebrows of classic Land Rover Defender lovers. No fear, the INEOS Grenadier is a great substitute as I managed to discover last year. The SUV features full-time four-wheel drive with an electronically locking center differential, an optional e-locking rear differential, and a two-speed transfer case. 

Agility is not the Land Cruiser's strong suit 

The agility test confirmed one thing – the Land Cruiser, despite its off-road prowess, is not the most agile SUV out there. The lightweight(ish) Jeep Wrangler managed to ace the course in record time – 16.27 seconds, while using only rear-wheel drive for the majority of the course.  

Interestingly enough, the Jeep Wrangler's 40.35-foot (12.3 m) turning circle is slightly worse than the J250 Land Cruiser's 39.37-foot (12.0 m). The Defender 110 has the worse turning circle of the bunch – 42.2 feet (12.84 m). The SUV with the best turning circle on paper, finished last in the agility test, mostly due to its weight and suspension setting, better suited to crawling. 

Another unexpected win for the J250 Land Cruiser 

The hill-descent test aims to make descending a steep slope as safe as possible. Despite being the heaviest, the Toyota Land Cruiser managed to win by going the slowest, without driver intervention, although it was a rather close call between it and the Jeep. 

Rock-crawling should be the Land Cruiser's bread and butter, but the competition is tough 

The Land Rover Defender 110's adaptive suspension gives it an edge when navigating tricky terrain. The ground clearance ranges from 8.6 to 11.5 inches. For this test, the adaptive suspension was in its highest setting. The Jeep Wrangler's 9.92 inches allowed it to pass the course without scraping the undercarriage (barely). The Land Cruiser managed to scrape due to having the least ground clearance of the bunch – 8.4 to 8.9 inches. This was also with the Land Cruiser's optional stabilizer disconnect mechanism (SDM) - a $1,250 option. 

• Toyota Land Cruiser J250 approach/departure/breakover angle (degrees): 31/22/25 
• Toyota Land Cruiser J250 wading depth: 27.56 inches (700 mm)  
• Jeep Wrangler approach/departure/breakover angle (degrees): 36/31.4/20.8 
• Jeep Wrangler wading depth: 30 inches (762 mm) 
• Land Rover Defender 110 approach/departure/breakover angle (degrees): 38/40/28 
• Land Rover Defender 110 wading depth: 35.43 inches (900 mm) 

The Japanese SUV may have lost this round, but one of the most popular Toyota J250 Land Cruiser modifications owners do is a lift kit, which greatly improves the off-road capabilities. 

The chassis–articulation challenge was won by the Land Cruiser 

This test looks at suspension travel. Despite the least amount of ground clearance, the J250 won. I give that, partially, to Toyota's SUV having the shortest wheelbase – 112.2 inches (2,850 mm) versus 118.43 inches (3,008 mm) for the Jeep and 118.98 inches (3,022 mm) for the Land Rover.   

The hill climb was, by far, the most dramatic part of the test. While the Land Cruiser won, there was an extra challenge at the end, just for giggles. You can see the full comparison on Carwow's video below. Do you any of these SUVs? If so, I would be curiosu to hear your thoughts. 

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image source: YouTube/ Carwow (video link in the article)