How A 23-Year-Old Toyota Land Cruiser Held Its Own Against The 2025 Model
When people think about long-lasting cars and reliability, Toyota is pretty much always at the top of the list. They have proven to make durable vehicles that not only last long in theory, but you still see many of them on the roads. The guys at CarWow decided to test a new Land Cruiser SUV to a 2002 version to see how they handled different situations. I had my guesses about which vehicle would perform better, but I was surprised at the results at the end of the tests.
How Does The Old Land Cruiser Compare To The New One?
On a recent episode on the CarWow YouTube channel, Mat Watson puts a 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser up against a 2025 Land Cruiser. The specs are below, but the basics are that the old LC has more hosrpower, but the new one has new torque. Realistically, one would think the new SUV has better equipment across the board.
| Vehicle | 2002 Land Cruiser | 2025 Land Cruiser |
| Engine | 4.7-liter V8 engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine |
| Horsepower | 235 hp | 205 hp |
| Torque | 320 lb ft | 368 lb-ft |
The 2002 has a 4-speed automatic transmission, a low-range mode, a central locking diff, and adjustable height suspension. On the new one, it has a high and low range mode, a central locking diff, as well as an electric rear differential.
The Land Cruisers Were Put To The Test
The first challenge was a pretty straightforward race up a hill. The old Land Cruiser, which is widely regarded as one of the best years to buy, technically beat the new one during that challenge. The new one had a pretty rough landing over the top of the hill. Next up was a little course run through the dirt with some tight corners to test their agility and maneuverability.
The new LC did a good job; It bottomed out a little and dented the bottom of the car at some point. It completed the course in 30 seconds, which wasn’t too bad. When it was time for the old Land Cruiser, it was slightly less agile but seemed to handle it all a little better, but it was slower by half a second.
In the downhill challenge, the new SUV was a little better prepared with all of its new technology. However, it was incredibly slow going downhill. I suppose that is the point of the downhill control assist – slow and steady won the race. The old Land Cruiser sped down the hill pretty quickly and managed to do it twice in the time the new one completed the task. I think going slow was the point, which means the new one completed the challenge better.
The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Came Out Ahead
When they were going through the off-road portion of the test, both SUVs got stuck in the same place. It was a tough area where the course had some large rocks in the way, and it wouldn’t surprise me if most vehicles got stuck there. They were able to get unstuck with some maneuvering, but the sidestep on the old Toyota got pushed up. The old Land Cruiser did win the straight acceleration challenge, which is funny and unexpected. It appeared the ’02 had a lot of wheel spin.
At the end of the challenges, it was clear the new Land Cruiser was a little better equipped all around. Toyota added plenty of features to enhance the SUV and make it a solid option for off-roading and daily life. However, the price difference in the two cars will certainly impact which vehicle is suitable for everyone. The ’02 cost around $7,000, while the new one was more like $100,000. For how well the old LC did on all of the tests, I might go with that so I had some money leftover to fix my damaged vehicle after having fun with it in the dirt. Regardless, the 2025 proved to be a solid vehicle that can hold its own, and we have a feeling it would be a ton of fun to own.
This article was originally published by Hotcars
