Normally, the “mainstream” model is significantly less expensive than the luxury version, but that’s not the case here.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is the largest and most expensive Toyota you can buy today. You may know that it also has a largely similar cousin: the Lexus LX 570. Both are large SUVs, and both use the same drivetrain. That’s not too uncommon among most car brands. There’s the Nissan Armada and the Infiniti QX80. You have the Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator. Not to mention the Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. However, there’s one key difference between all those and the Land Cruiser’s relationship to the LX 570. While most luxury SUVs are $20,000 or so more expensive than their mainstream counterparts, the Toyota and Lexus are nearly the same price.
So what gives? What are the differences between the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus LX 570? Is the LX worth the premium over the Land Cruiser? In this TFL Expert Buyer’s Guide, we’ll show you the options for both cars and compare these two cousins so you can make the most informed buying decision.
Overview
Under the skin, the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 570 are virtually identical. They both use a naturally-aspirated 3UR-FE 5.7-liter V8 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, there is a nominal difference in power output. The Land Cruiser makes 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque – the exact same output as the 5.7-liter Toyota Tundra. The LX 570, on the other hand, puts out 383 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque. Both engines have the same bore, stroke and compression ratio, yet the Lexus squeezes a bit more from its powerplant. The transmissions, however, are geared exactly the same in both SUVs.
On the outside, the Land Cruiser and LX 570 look are distinct from one another, despite sharing the same powertrain. The Lexus offers a bolder, more aggressive exterior package, while the Toyota is much more subdued. Toyota and Lexus have facelifted their respective models multiple times throughout the years. The latest facelifts came in August 2015. The 200 Series Land Cruiser hasn’t changed much on the outside since its 2008 inception, but the LX 570 looks remarkably than it did even a few years ago, mainly thanks to the brand’s distinctive grille.
Moving to the interior, the layout between the two SUVs isn’t all that different. However, the LX 570 has a much larger infotainment screen, at 12.3 inches, than the 9.0-inch display in the Land Cruiser. The LX 570 also offers a few more bits of technology, like a heads-up display (HUD) and a Mark Levinson premium audio system, while the Land Cruiser doesn’t.
Capability
As they share the same drivetrain, the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 570 are largely the same in terms of capability. They’re similar to drive on the road, and offer the same amount of off-road features. Both models have full-time four-wheel drive with Crawl Control, Turn Assist, Multi-Terrain Select and variable gear ratio steering. However, the Lexus LX 570 has one extra party piece: its Active Height Control allows you to raise it up to 3 inches for extra ground clearance. The Land Cruiser just has a fixed 8.9 inches of ground clearance.
Another area you can split the Land Cruiser and LX 570 is on towing capacity. While the 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser can tow up to 8,100 pounds, the Lexus LX 570 is limited to 7,000 pounds. Both models weigh around 5,800 pounds, and both achieve 13/18/15 city/highway/combined fuel economy. In our recent test of the Land Cruiser, we achieved 12.9 average MPG in mostly city driving.
Land Cruiser vs. LX 570 – Features, Options, Pricing
Looking at both the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 570 in a wide lens may not split the two very much, but what about options? Click through the pages below to see more individual details about each model, including features, options, and pricing.
Model details:
2018 Toyota Land Cruiser | 2018 Lexus LX 570 | TFL Recommendations
