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From the “Did You Know” files: Toyota Land Cruiser lasts longer than any other model across all brands. At least, that is, according to a recent study by iSeeCars.com.
Over 16 million used cars were analyzed to see how often owners were keeping their vehicles at least 200,000 miles. A whopping 15.7% of total Land Cruisers lasted over that 200k milestone.
This news may come as a shock to some, but a majority of people familiar with Toyota may not even think this to be a big deal at all. You see, Toyota has built a well-earned reputation for long-term quality, dependability and reliability.
You can trust a Toyota more often than not.
Just ask my friend Mike in the Raleigh, NC area who has over 1.3 million miles on his 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Still going strong, my friends. Still going strong.
So, what makes the Toyota Land Cruiser so special anyway? And what about Toyota’s new Land Cruiser Heritage Edition?
2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition
I recently had the opportunity to evaluate a Midnight Black Metallic Heritage Edition, and it was everything I had built it up in my mind to be.
Believe me, with a factory MSRP of $87,745, I came into this with pretty lofty expectations.
The Land Cruiser Heritage edition was designed to celebrate Land Cruiser’s long and prosperous 60-year history. It first become a part of the Toyota world in 1958.
1977 Land Cruiser
1977 Land Cruiser
One look at the Heritage “Land Cruiser” retro cool vibe badging and it takes you back 60 years or so.
And for well over these same six decades, Land Cruiser has often been billed as “the world’s premier luxury sport utility vehicle.”
Heritage Edition offers owners a callback to Land Cruiser’s earliest roots. Several key features naturally catch the eye (and help you tell it apart from a traditional 2020 Land Cruiser in the process).
2020 Land Cruiser Heritage basket
First, you can probably pick Heritage Edition out of a crowd just from its signature Black Yakima MegaWarrior cargo rack on top. This is ideal for transporting your extra coolers, luggage, camping gear and kayaks safely and in a cool way.
The only drawback is it does seem to bring with it some extra wind noise up top due to (I suspect) its vertical front panel. This was a surprise to me because otherwise Land Cruiser rides so smooth and quiet.
You really do feel like your Land Cruiser is just gliding along the road. Try it – you will see.
2020 Land Cruiser Wheels
As opposed to traditional shiny 18-inch alloy wheels on Land Crusier, the Heritage Edition sports its own unique wheel identity.
Look for 18-inch bronze BBS forged-aluminum alloy wheels on Heritage Edition. They really do stand out in a big way and make this an obvious “first impression factor” for people.
On a side but similar note, the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition rides with similar bronze wheels as well.
2020 Toyota Land Crusier Heritage Edition is available in Blizzard Pearl and Midnight Black. Friends and family members I polled were split on whether they thought these bronze wheels looked better against a black or white exterior color.
My vote is for Midnight Black.
2020 Land Cruiser Specs
Both Land Cruiser 4x4 and Heritage Edition 4x4 are powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine (think Toyota Tundra and Sequoia) combined with an electronically controlled 8-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode and with uphill and downhill shift logic.
Your 2020 Land Cruiser delivers 381 horsepower @ 5600 rpm and 401 lb.-ft. torque @ 3600 rpm.
Drivers and passengers will feel a nice smooth acceleration rate and a comfortable ride at highway cruising speed. My Mom rode in it (Hi Mom) and commented a few times about how quiet and how smooth it felt. She also thought the back seat was spacious enough both to stretch her legs out and to fit three passengers across.
Speaking of passenger space, an important consideration between the two Land Cruiser models is the number of rows of seats. Traditional Land Cruiser features a third row that can fold up against the interior sides.
Heritage Edition removes this third row, which makes it a five-passenger vehicle, as opposed to eight.
2020 Land Cruiser drawbacks
Although so many technology, convenience, and safety features make Land Cruiser such an attractive option, a couple things did nag at me.
I felt a more modern multimedia entertainment system would benefit all passengers. The standard 9-inch touch screen seemed an appropriate size to match the spacious Land Cruiser interior cabin. Basic functions, however, could be made easier to use.
It was a little distracting trying to use the heating and air conditioning systems. Too many steps to be able to tweak the temperature and fan speed.
Also, noticeable features not offered on 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition were Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I have gotten used to the benefits these popular applications bring, and I was a little bummed they were missing.
I have to say, though, that Land Cruiser’s 14-speaker JBL Synthesis sound system is probably the richest, most powerful and clearest system I have heard in a Toyota yet (upcoming 2021 Venza will rival it for sure). Engineering teams did a great job with speaker placement and sound quality. Kudos.
Time for your thoughts on Land Cruiser Heritage Edition
All in all, I enjoyed the Land Cruiser very much, and for several reasons.
When you spend this much money, you come to expect certain features as part of the luxurious air that comes with it.
As you would imagine, 2020 Land Cruiser comes with a complete set of LED lighting, including projector beam low and high beam headlights with auto level control, daytime running lights, fog lights, taillights and stop lights.
You will stay comfortable in Heritage Edition’s black leather seats. Which, by the way, include 10-way power driver’s seat and 8-way power front passenger seat. Plan on both heated and ventilated / cooled front seats as well.
It is rare to find in any vehicle, but Land Cruiser also offers three different driver’s seat memory settings. You can check that box for being “so extra” as the kids are saying.
VIDEO: Take a tour of 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition in my video review.
What do you think of Toyota Land Cruiser? Do you own one yourself and if so, how many miles do you have on it? Do you like the look of Heritage Edition?
Is the third row important to you or not really?
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2021 Highlander XSE - Here is what to expect.
Thanks for reading everyone. See you next story when I give reasons why people should consider 2021 Venza instead of RAV4 Prime.
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