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Will the real Land Cruiser please stand up? 2024 Lexus GX 550 review by The Road Beat Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman Following my disappointments with the new Toyota Land Cruiser, I knew I could still count on the ace up Lexus' sleeve when delivering the true heir to the Land Cruiser; The result is one of the best and unique luxury SUVs on sale today. Like the Land Cruiser, the looks are outwardly phenomenal, boasting a commanding road presence with its neo-retro and cubist styling. Interior enhancements and a gutsy V6 engine solidify improvements that make this Lexus-enhanced version truly desirable and the real heir to the Land Cruiser legacy. Luckily, the Lexus GX looks nigh-identical to the new Toyota Land Cruiser, save for a different badge on the also-different grille. Dark olive green suits the GX admirably with its botanic natural hue that says, "yes, I do like hiking," and "yes, I do have a fresh clump of eucalyptus in my house." Where the Toyota let down, was inside, featuring an interior that was nice for a Toyota, but nowhere near what can be expected for its tall price. Lexus has fixed that, and even though the price creeps ever-so-slightly higher now, there's no getting around the fact that this is an appropriately nice car now. All the touch points are softer and feel more expensive and substantive, the screen is larger, and the Land Cruiser's dumb row of fiddly and creaky buttons have been evicted. I always favor physical switches verse digital, but the Land Cruiser's items felt like a future failure point with how flimsy and lamely tacked on they were. Also, the volume knob is now centralized and not out of reach for your passenger. See, this isn't just one rung nicer inside, but multiple, and plays the part of luxury SUV convincingly when the Toyota just could not. There's also the addition of jumper seats to make for additional third-row seating, not that I'd want to sit back there, ever, but it's welcome for emergencies (and with the seats upright in place, cargo volume all but disappears). Another large improvement involves the removal of the wastefully pointless four-cylinder hybrid power unit in favor of a smoothly combusting and robust twin-turbo V6. Not only does this new mill sound far more pleasing with its authentic guttural growls (still not as a good as V8, mind you, but vastly superior to a four cylinders) verse the noisy and cheap-sounding four-banger, but power is delivered more consistently and the gas mileage is literally the same. Actually, it's better, because while I averaged less than 19 in the Land Cruiser, the GX achieved 20 MPG during my weeklong test. So not only is the V6 an increasingly satisfying engine for its character and sound, but it's also more efficient than the boosted and hybrid four-cylinder that cheapens the experience in the Land Cruiser. Despite similar horsepower figures on their respective spec sheets (modestly improved with 349 here in the Lexus vs 326 in the Toyota), the GX walks away from the Land Cruiser further than 23 extra ponies would suggest, taking only 6.2 seconds to dispatch 0-60 MPH (instead of a staid 7.7). Why is this engine not at least an option in the Toyota Land Cruiser? Beats me, and logic certainly beats Toyota, as I think the GX is worth the upgrade alone just for the everyday pleasantries and refinement the twin-turbo V6 brings while not sacrificing any fuel economy in the real world. Also noteworth is towing capacity, because the GX and the V6 can tow up to 9,000 pounds, a monstrous 50% more than the Land Cruiser's 6,000 pound rating. On the road, there's very little to distinguish the two from one another, but the Lexus has a quieter cabin at speed, and the supportive and cushy seats and steering wheel both offer further comfort and command of this lux SUV. That's not to say this is a particularly quiet luxury car, because over 70 MPH, the wind noise can be excessive due to having the aerodynamic properties of a Doc Martens boot. The large, boxy mirrors don't contribute much help either, and with the windows down, driving over just only 40 MPH can become tiresome due to the lack of streamlining and those blocky mirrors. Also not exactly ideal is suspension that borders on the firm side, but this is likely necessary to retain improved road control on this classic and heavy SUV frame, but in return offers exceeding precision compared to past GX and Land Cruiser models. Which brings me to how the GX 550 drives, which is very well, just like the Toyota Land Cruiser to no surprise. Despite the classic off-road SUV architecture, the GX goes and steers like a thoroughly modern machine, and while some might say that drains character, it makes for an easier and more pleasant car to be behind the wheel of for longer. The steering is also nicely weighted and has accurate responses to nuanced inputs - no 'sawing' at the wheel to keep straight - and the handling impresses with a surprising threshold for balance, being far happier to quickly change direction and tuck the nose in corners than past big Lexus and Toyota SUVs. I really liked driving the GX around, and even if it lacks the vintage 'character' (flaws) of past models, it still oozes charisma when compared to the current crop of more normal new SUVs from other brands. Like my Land Cruiser test, I unfortunately did not have an opportunity to venture off-road in the GX 550, but the advanced electronic controls remain to assure the easy mastery of soils. Locking center differential, full-time 4WD with a granny-gear low-mode, terrain controls, etc., it's all there. What unfortunately does remain is the low 8.7-inches of ground clearance, and despite the electronic tools and aids available at your disposal, what you can cross will ultimately be dictated by this moderate ride height. Want a comparable perspective? It's the same clearance (okay, it's 0.3 -inches extra) as a Toyota RAV4, and nearly a full inch less than most 2024 4Runners. So while the capability is there, you will be limited by what you can trek through and over by the kind mediocre ground clearance. Truthfully, most GX 550s will likely never leave pavement past perhaps a gravel driveway, but it's a bummer there isn't an additional inch of lift from the factory. Even the optional Overtrail package only boosts clearance to a moderate 8.9-inches. Land Rover's Defender, another off-road oriented SUV with a throwback shape, fails by offering a paltry 8.5-inches of standard ground clearance to its name, but with air suspension and off-road mode engaged, the Brit's clearance rises to a towering 11.5, and that's a standard feature on the pretty English box. However, and this is a big however, as just at the time of writing it was announced that 2025 model year GX 550s will receive a full one inch lift, albeit only on the Overtrail trim levels. In other words, for the most definitive overlanding and land cruising experience, a 2025 GX 550 Overtrail and Overtrail+ will be the obvious choices and address the last chief complaint of this test unit. That's not to outright shame the GX 550, because I do really really like this car. It's everything the Toyota Land Cruiser ought to have been, representing such a marked improvement in the problem areas that this is only one worth considering of the two. Yes, it costs a small premium, but it's easily worth it for those that can budget it. And besides, there's even some overlap to the pricing, with the Land Cruiser starting just below $60,000 and cresting $80,000, while the 2024 GX 550 starts at $65,000 and can reach nearly $85,000. This Premium+ model as equipped? About $71,455, or only a solitary grand more than the comparable Land Cruiser I previously tried, and this Lexus is significantly nicer in every tangible way that you would experience every single day. With its eerily-similar pricing in mind, the Lexus GX is the only Land Cruiser worth considering. Yet, it also warrants a gander all on its own merit, too, for choosing a luxurious new SUV with character and looks that get all the right kind of stares. 2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium+ As-tested price: $71,455 Pros: Gorgeous exterior; Satisfying V6; Nice interior Cons: Not exactly aerodynamic; Weak ground clearance on 2024 model 2024 Lexus GX 550 photo gallery Thank you for reading The Road Beat's 2024 Lexus GX 550 review. Please subscribe to never miss a review and photo gallery. All images by mitchellweitzmanphoto.com .

This huge SUV is outdated, but has space in spades 2025 Honda Pilot review by The Road Beat Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman Maybe not eight, but being able to haul six adults around in relative comfort is a skill that should not be underestimated. This Honda Pilot might have eight total seats, but does anyone really want to sit (squished) in the middle? Didn't think so, and I also didn't want to subject my friend's in-laws to that anyways. Where the Pilot lacks it makes up for with its easy road manners and spacious interior, making it one of the largest family SUVs available today. The Pilot starts at just over $40,000, an attractive and compelling figure for this vast and family-friendly vehicle, but this expensive Black Edition suffers from an abundance of accomplished competition to deter its bloated $56,000 retail price. With competition stronger and more diverse than ever, standing out can be a significant card to play in order to grab consumers' attentions, and it's here that Honda misses the mark with the new Pilot. Now, it's not to say that any prior Pilots were any sorts of lookers, but this new model is so plainly and lazily designed on the outside that it is unlikely to be noticed by new buyers, but at least the glowing red paint of this model helps when paired to the glossy black trim of the Black Edition. Unfortunately for Honda, American brands are sharpening their visuals, and then you have Mazda with the sensual CX-90 and Kia with the stylish and insanely popular Telluride; Honda just isn't doing enough visually to convert more shoppers to the big H. And that's a shame since their other new offerings, including the Civic, Accord, and CR-V, all look terrific. The Pilot, on the other hand, looks a bit like a big chunk of cheese. But, standing out has more to do than just visuals, and it's another demerit to the Pilot for offering an SUV that doesn't have any kind of calling card for it, being steadily average in all metrics, but never outstanding in any. Because when it comes down to it, the Pilot is not the best to drive, not the best looking, not the most luxurious nor modern inside, not the most fuel efficient, and surprisingly not the most spacious. When you consider that altogether, this Pilot loses its wings unfortunately. That's not to say it's a bad car, but it's one that has no true calling card except being massive, and even then, a Toyota Grand Highlander has more cargo volume to boast on its spec sheet. I love a good old-fashioned V6 engine, and the 285-horsepower unit in the Pilot definitely delivers in the smoothness and character department compared to grainy four-bangers. While power up top is impressive when you stretch its legs, there's a lacking flexibility lower in the rev range that requires extra effort to produce and maintain momentum. In the real world, this means that accelerating requires moderate revolutions and frequent downshifts. I'm surprised this engine produces as much pop as it does in the top of the rev range, but I'm also surprised it wasn't tuned to instead sacrifice some of that top-end for increased bottom and drivability. Also disappointing is the thirsty nature of the engine, averaging just 19 MPG overall after a week. Freeway mileage is notably better at nearly 25, but city and slower urban driving brings that number down considerably. Further defining a lacking engine elasticity is a transmission that doesn't shuffle through its ratios quickly enough. Upshifts are quick and fine at full throttle, but elsewhere it all seems a little lazy, playing shuffleboard instead. Downshifts are particularly weak, where manually asking for a lower gear on steep descends is met with a ponderous pause in-between gears that feels like neutral, causing it to momentarily freewheel and surge a MPH or two with each downshift. If you're towing something (it is rated for 5,000 pounds) and trying to control speed down hills, this is the last thing you would want from your vehicle. I'm also not a fan of the plasticky PRND buttons to control the transmission that reside on the center console. Pilot is not the best SUV to drive in its class, but it is notably near the top at least, with only the Mazda CX-90 showing improved mannerisms and balance. I like the weight of the steering, providing actual substance in the hands, and the Pilot changes direction with a decisive eagerness for a big honking SUV. Ride quality is also well-judged on a variety of surfaces, and avoids the endless bouncing rebound like I've experienced in other SUVs recently when loaded up with passengers, like the weltering Hyundai Tucson. Dynamically, this is a good SUV, not at the top, but near the top at least, and I'm glad Honda has continued to pay attention to how their cars drive. Because on the road, this is not only more engaging to drive than a Grand Highlander, but also feels smaller, especially noticeable and appreciated on tight roads through the quaint and coastal Carmel. While the space inside is a plus point, it's the overall quality of the Pilot's cabin that leaves a lot to be desired. Despite this being one of the high-end Black Editions costing over $55K, the interior feels too cheap and too old. This is more annoying when you remember that this is a new Pilot, just having been redesigned not even two years ago, and yet it already feels outdated and outclassed by its competitors. The center display screen is laughably small when situated atop of the vast dash, and lots of hard plastics are easily spotted by the eye, let alone felt by the hands. The seats are plenty comfy enough, and the leather is distinct at least, but the rest of it all, both visually and texturally , lacks the refinement one would expect at this price. I recently drove a $45K Hyundai Palisade XRT which was nearly every bit as refined as this Pilot, and the same price for a Mazda CX-90 will get what you think is a Mercedes inside in terms of comparable quality. Outdated again is the term that comes to mind, and that is further emphasized when reversing for the first time at night and you see just how terribly old and grainy the backup camera is. I do at least enjoy the convenience of the easily folding rear sets of seats. All that said, I still liked driving the Pilot around, as it was a convenient way to transport myself plus five others around Carmel for a couple days. But, there's no way of getting around the perplexing price tag of this Black Edition; There are simply better options for the money. I think the Pilot represents great value at its entry price in the low forties, because of just how big it is and it drives pretty well, but when forking over the premium dollars, the Pilot Black Edition makes less sense than it should. Even though it might be a recent release, with such stiff competition available from all corners of the globe, this Pilot already feels just a tad too old. 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition AWD Price as-tested: $55,975 Pros: Huge and comfortable interior space; Good road manners Cons: Bland styling; Thirsty; Lacks low-end grunt; Cheapness inside More photos of the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition Thank you for reading The Road Beat's 2025 Honda Pilot review. For more candid and honest real world reviews, please subscribe to our emailing list. All photos by mitchellweitzmanphoto.com .

Objectively improved in every imaginable metric, the new Land Cruiser left me cold. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser review by The Road Beat Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman With so much weight on its shoulders, the new Land Cruiser is almost destined to be a disappointment. Serving a long tenure as Toyota's flagship vehicle in the United States (the ultra-luxury Century limo in Japan is the true flagship, the vehicle of choice for politicians and yakuza ), this new edition has gone down-market to appeal to an increasingly mainstream audience. And it's here where the Land Cruiser makes its first mistake, because despite the striking and pupil-grabbing retro exterior, there is nothing special about this new Land Cruiser. To be fair, there was never anything special about the outgoing Land Cruiser, which, as recently as a couple years ago, was selling brand new for nearly $90,000 and had the basic interior of a pumped-up 4Runner (in other words, the interior sucked for the money). At that price, the vehicle offered was quite frankly was a gargantuan ripoff. But, it was at least hilariously and legendarily durable, known to run and run with the only limitation to your destination being the human behind the wheel, which greatly depends on their ego and potential dumb ideas. For example, if you were stuck in the middle of the Sahara Desert, a Land Cruiser might be the most desirable car in the world in that moment for how trustworthy and capable enough one is. Apart from the toughness, the rest of the former Land Cruiser was a grossly overpriced turkey, so in that respect, the new Land Cruiser doesn't have much to do in order to improve. Let's let the past die, though, because this new Land Cruiser has nothing related to the old model in anything but name. However, this Land Cruiser is more of a Land Cruiser than its American-market forebears for the fact this new one is based on the Land Cruiser Prado (what previously has been sold in rest-of-world markets), which itself is derived from the smaller 4Runner platform. Shrunken down to a more approachable footprint, swap out the venerable V8 for a modern turbocharged four-cylinder with hybrid assist, add neo-vintage styling, and we have the new Land Cruiser. And wow is that styling rather wonderful. Wonderful doesn't last long, though, because despite the internet's pretentious hype for this vehicle, I did not gel with my tester. Even with a vast array of clever off-road technological wizardry and drive modes to conquer your intended terrain, it's a fact that most Land Cruisers will never leave the pavement, except for maybe a dirt or gravel parking lot/driveway. A dominating detriment includes the supposedly clever hybrid powertrain. Downsizing is supposed to be all the rage, at least as the manufacturers will make you believe you, but this tiny little four-cylinder averaged, wait for it, under 18 MPG during my week of daily driving on a variety of roads. 18?? That's actually laughable, because while the window sticker displays a combined 25, don't believe that fantasy for even a second. To put into perspective how terrible that economy figure really is, the last Sequoia I tested, which is a vastly larger SUV with an accordingly vastly larger twin-turbo V6 hybrid, averaged the exact same MPG. Where performance is concerned, it never feels quick either despite the 326 combined horsepower and whopping 465 pounds of torque, only translating to a steady 0-60 MPH time of 7.5 seconds. Land Cruisers aren't about speed, but I would have hoped for more poke in passing situations upon seeing the silly i-FORCE MAX engine badge emblazoned on the back, though it's perfectly serviceable around town and in normal driving and accelerating, as any new car of the last ten years has also been. The engine is luckily mostly smooth and without the crass coarseness of previous Toyota four-cylinders, but this new hybrid setup is severely disappointing because of the wretched fuel mileage. Like, what is the point of a hybrid four-cylinder if it drinks this much fuel?. Oh, and on the outside, it's loud at idle, with lots of clicks and clacks that sound like your new car has an exhaust leak or noisy lifters. This mid-range model has a nice interior for a Toyota, but not for a $70,000 vehicle. The soft materials on the doors and seats in a rich brown color can fool you into thinking it's nicer than it is, but the seats are also quite flat and unaccommodating for longer drives, and there are lots of cheap feeling and oddly placed controls. The row of buttons for the air conditioning can creak and you can see the whole arrangement bend and move if you aren't gentle on them. Further, the volume knob is placed in a position where a passenger cannot reach it, and such that the steering wheel even blocks it from driver's view. Did they forget about putting a volume knob and just slabbed it on somewhere? It looks like such an afterthought. Forgoing the usual rugged build quality, the doors don't open and close with the same bank-vault security that the old Land Cruiser demonstrated, with these new items sounding hollow and tinny, the sign of a vehicle's cheaper construction. And with a hybrid setup impeding space in the rear, the floor of the cargo area arrears is high, limiting volume and your storage capabilities. Road noise from below is low, but don't discount the rushing wind noise, with those large mirrors likely attributing to the vortex that hits the boxy windshield and side windows. Driving with the windows down above 40 MPH is also ruined by the mirrors, with wind volumes reaching too high for my own comfort at even moderate speeds. Adding to the disappointment on the inside, the air conditioning was curiously weak for a brand new car (even during a 30 minute drive at night with ambient temperatures comfortably in the 80s), and the front seat warmers were basically not even there. In light of it being summer, there was a particularly cool couple of evenings where a friend turned the seat warmer on the highest setting and proclaimed they couldn't feel it. I tried it myself and only could detect the faintest warmth from below. On another drive on a warmer afternoon, I turned the seat warmer on for my friend without them realizing it. Upon arrival 15 minutes later, I asked if they knew the seat warmer was on and they had no idea. So, weaker air conditioning (something I've noticed in a couple other new Toyotas), and probably the worst/weakest seat warmers I've ever tried. What else? The gauge cluster cannot be seen by passengers during daytime, as if it has a privacy filter on it like you see on smartphones. The cluster is also the typical new-Toyota-mess of excessive icons and with menus that are difficult to learn and scroll through (all the safety setting have to be adjusted here and cannot be done through the main center display - dumb). And this particular Land Cruiser had a malfunctioning automatic day/night setting for the main screen. Like all other new cars (and you can set this on phones and computers), the display is supposed to change from bright white day mode to a nighttime and eye-friendly dark mode on its own when the sun sets. I had this setting marked on, and with the correct time and zone automatically set, and it never worked once, blinding me upon starting the car at night with its piercing white screen at max brightness. Toyotas in the past will momentarily flash white before changing to dark (which it still shouldn't do), but this one never changed automatically as designed (I checked the settings multiple times, yes). The solution was manually changing it to a permanent dark mode during my testing. This makes it all the more disappointing when you consider the Land Cruiser does drive quite nice and better than I would have expected. The steering is accurate and makes controlling this rolling box easy on the road, and the handling isn't half-bad either when you throw it into corners, with some semblance of balance being demonstrated. That's all relative of course, because overall grip levels from the tires are low, but this is easily a more capable car in corners than any previous 4Runner or Land Cruiser when you crank the steering wheel. Ride quality is well-judged over a variety of road surfaces, too, not ever demonstrating the over-stiffened jiggly-ness of past Toyota SUVs and trucks. I didn't get a chance to take it on any challenging terrain to test the quotable departure angles and suspension articulation, but all that technical goodness and terrain controls can't make up for a ground clearance of only 8.7 inches. That's less than a current 4Runner, significantly less than a Tacoma TRD Off-Road pickup, and not even an inch more than an everyday Highlander. So without lifting one or fitting bigger tires, you're going to have to be very mindful about off-roading a Land Cruiser to ensure you're not scraping or bottoming out. In real world use and application, not amount of articulation can make up for the fact that the Land Cruiser won't be able to clear unassuming rocks and other obstacles. And it really begs the question of what's all the point of this technology and fancy suspension if you're limited by modest clearance? For a vehicle that is a centerpiece pride of the Overlanding community, the new Land Cruiser might disappoint fresh out of the showroom and also betrays its pared-down simple approach of being back-to-its-roots or more of an off-roader for everyone. The true off-roaders might best be served with a 4Runner TRD Pro for less money. Will the Land Cruiser will be good off-road? Sure. But is it that good? It's not going to do anything better (it'll actually be worse) than less expensive SUVs, but at least it'll do what it can in some degree of comfort and with electronic ease from all the controls inside. I really wanted to like the new Land Cruiser because of how much eyeball it possesses, drawing looks for many and garnering highly positive comments from friends. But the engine lacks sorely, the interior could be better still, and the off-roading ability will be less than other current (and less expensive) Toyotas. It comes across then mostly as a fashion statement piece, and that will likely be the reason for many buying them. And that's fine; Looks are that important to some, and most Mercedes G-Wagons never see a drop of dirt. For me, though, it's less that I didn't like the Land Cruiser and more that I was disappointed. I hoped for more, I wanted to believe the hype, but the Kool Aid doesn't taste that good in reality. By aiming the Land Cruiser as mainstream and approachable, the appeal has decreased as well, and so has the desirability. At least the past Land Cruiser was a rare and unique offering produced in low volumes, making it somewhat special, but this new edition is just another Toyota now. For a more 'proper' Land Cruiser experience, you should consider the Lexus GX instead, which looks the same, has a more luxurious interior, and ditches that four-cylinder tragedy for a twin-turbo V6. The review for that model will come hopefully soon. Update 11/1/2024: I just finished driving the GX 550 for a week, and it's the proper 'Land Cruiser' to get, improving upon the Toyota version in nearly every way. You can read that review here . The twin-turbo V6 sounds great and is significantly more powerful in the real world, dropping its 0-60 MPH by over a full second, and goes without the harshness of a four-banger. Also, it achieved the same gas mileage, so no sacrifice there. The interior's notably more luxurious, and the best part? Comparable trims are only an extra $2,000. In other words: WORTH IT. Most will be significantly happier with the Lexus GX 550 instead. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser As-tested price: $70,029 Pros: Excellent exterior styling; Electronic off-road tools Cons: Thirsty four-cylinder; Expensive; Limited by ground clearance 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser review and photos by Mitchell Weitzman and The Road Beat.

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