I know a lot of you worship at the alter of the Land Cruiser. But the J200 is really just a luxury barge with some impressive off road credentials. But it primarily appeals to people who NEVER take it off road...and likely gets cross shopped with a Range Rover, Escalade, or Navigator. It's not what a Land Cruiser should be anymore, which is probably why it's having trouble appealing to a wider audience in the US (and is being canceled).

I'd like for you to meet the real off roader in Toyota's lineup. The Toyota 4Runner TRD Off Road features locking diffs, crawl control, dynamic suspension management (mechanical system that loosens the the sway bars for extreme off roading), and ECM software that can optimize the truck for various terrains at the push of a button. It doesn't have a hybrid powertrain or self-driving functionality. It has only an 8" touchscreen that just got Apple Carplay in 2020. The off road versions still has a manual lever to engage 4x4.

The 4Runner also features an ancient 4.0L V6 that's neither particularly fast nor particularly slow. It has the same 5 speed auto that they've been using in the 4Runner since 2003. It's sufficiently tested and proven. The only impressive thing about it is it's record for reliability and durability. But that's the tradeoff for an affordable mid sized SUV that can actually go off road.

If you want to build an overlanding rig, this is the proper place to start. Or if you just need to tow your boat to the lake and reliably get almost anywhere off road....the 4Runner is damn solid even in base form. It also rides much better than a Jeep Wrangler, and will last much longer than a Land Rover Discovery.

The 4Runner's history starts in the US from 1984 (1985 model year), where Toyota introduced an open top SUV to compete with the popular Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco a the time. It didn't offer a V8 engine and was extremely prone to premature rust, but it was otherwise very reliable and excellent off road. Your only engine option for most markets was the 22RE 2.2L 4 cylinder mated to either a 4 speed auto or a 5 speed manual.

the Blazer has been replaced by the larger and more expensive Chevy Tahoe. The Bronco has been canceled (and returning as a off road toy with much hype). But the understated yet highly capable 4Runner has soldiered on in the US market without interruption. The design has evolved away from the open top original due to safety standards changing, but it's still a true go-anywhere SUV. Despite it's aging design, Toyota still sells a lot of these trucks to a very loyal set of buyers. They've even produced a 2 door variant with cartoonish styling called the FJ Cruiser, but that was canceled.

Today, the 4Runner TRD (earlier known as the Trail edition) remains the true off roader in the Toyota lineup. As of now, it's the only truck-based mid sized SUV available from any manufacturer. Toyota even has a bro-dozer version called the TRD-Pro with massive tires, custom paint, and a safari-ready roof rack. But I'd skip that and go with the regular TRD/TRD Premium, then build it up however you want.

Would you drive this? It's not an "in your face" design like the Wrangler or the new Bronco. It will quietly serve you on road or off for decades.

This post was edited on 2/22/21 at 9:40 am