My 18-year-old son and I were driving in a luxury car the other day marveling at all the virtual gauges and touch screens.
"Wonder if any of this will work 20 years from now?" I mused, gesturing toward all that dashboard magic.
"Good question," he said. "I wouldn't count on it."
Then, when you climb into the cabin of the massive, old-school 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser, this week's tester, another thought arises: "This thing feels like it will last forever." Or 300,000-miles, whichever comes first.
By today's standards the Toyota Land Cruiser is showing its age. But there's something about those analog gauges and (merely) 18-inch wheels shod with beefy all-terrain tires that telegraphs strength and stability. This is the car you want to survive nuclear winter and the apocalypse.
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser * Exterior color: Blue Onyx * Interior color: Pearl/Beige * Engine: 5.7-liter, V-8 * Horsepower: 382 * Transmission: 8-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 17 mpg highway, 13 mpg city * Local Dealer: Capitol Toyota, Toyota of Cleveland * Price (as tested): $89,129
Although the design is 13 years old - it debuted in the 2000s - the Land Cruiser has classic, chunky SUV lines and looks (and is) tall. From tires to roof-rails it's taller than the average American male.
Land Cruisers are available locally at Capital Toyota, Toyota of Cleveland and North Georgia Toyota. It's a low-volume, high-value piece, so don't expect a ton of inventory.
WHAT IS IT?
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a five-passenger, truck-based SUV that shares mechanicals with the Lexus LX 570. It's 5.7-liter V-8 engine roars to life with 381 horsepower, and it can pull up to four tons of trailer weight.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The Land Cruiser is pricey. The bottom line on our tester is $89,129. A redeeming factor is that it doesn't have a bunch of options and trim levels. Every Land Cruiser is extremely well equipped with such features as a multi-terrain drive settings, 10 airbags, LED headlights, 14-speaker JBL audio, heated and ventilated front seats and a heated leather steering wheel.
WHAT WE LIKED
The old-school styling, including sculpted hood and simple chrome grille, the rich upholstery, great ground clearance, intuitive dials and switches. This was the first test vehicle in awhile that I didn't feel like I needed to study the owner's manual before driving.
More Info
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THE DOWNSIDE
Fuel economy is on the thirsty side with 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. The navigation graphics are a bit dated and the rear-seat entertainment system is an expensive extravagance ($2,220) in this day of iPads and smartphones.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The Land Cruiser feels and drives like an exceptionally well-built truck. It has broad shoulders so go slow on narrow mountain roads. For example, driving up the W Road to Walden's Ridge proved to be a teeth-grinding experience. Although, we are glad to report that we registered no scratches.
BOTTOM LINE
If you are the kind of buyer who likes the idea of a purchase that may last decades, the Land Cruiser is a good choice. Yes, it's pricey, but if your consider that it may last twice as long as a lesser-built SUV, you come out square in the long term.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.
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