More than meets the eye
I grew up in the back seat of several off-roaders. My dad had a few Ford Broncos, Explorers, and we’ve burned through a Chevy Blazer or two. After having my own kids, I wouldn’t dare put my children in those old cars, because of their terrible safety rating, less-than comfortable ride quality, and thirst for gasoline; so I bought a Subaru Forester to put them in instead of my Jeep Wrangler or my husband’s 1996 Land Rover Discovery. When I had a 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 to review, I knew I had to put my two toddlers in it — but I wasn’t expecting much. I saw “body-on-frame” and “back-to-basics homage to the original FJ25” and immediately thought it would mean a rough ride, a lack of features, and, despite a performance hybrid setup, terrible mileage.
Kristen Brown
I wasn’t half wrong–but it was much more comfortable and family-friendly than I thought it would be. Installing car seats was a breeze, loading and unloading them was even easier, and both my girls immediately loved the large windows that let them see so much more than they can in my Forester. Aside from the obvious, there are a few other reasons I loved it as a family SUV after driving it for a week.
The interior is fairly family-friendly
The Land Cruiser 1958, unlike the higher trim of the Land Cruiser, has black cloth seats instead of black or brown leather. The leather is easier to keep clean if you have toddlers or infants than cloth, but the cloth feels a lot more like the rugged off-roader that Toyota’s trying to make the 1958 model out to be. Even in the 1958 base model, the rear passengers had climate control (that’s easy to control and adjust from the driver’s seat) and two USB-C charging ports, perfect for tablets, phones, or whatever else you’re using to keep your kids from screaming.
Kristen Brown
It’s not a three-row SUV, but the Land Cruiser is wide enough to fit an adult between two car seats fairly comfortably–and I know this because my two childhood friends came to visit during my time with the Cruiser, and one of them had to fit between my two seats, and it was fine. Though it should be noted that both of my daughters are in a Graco SlimFit seat, which may or may not have something to do with it.
Installing their car seats was a breeze because of the tall ceiling. I was able to attach the top tether behind the seat by simply leaning over the seat. The only car I was able to do that with beforehand was the Land Rover Defender 130. The lower anchors were hidden under a cloth flap secured by velcro, so when you were done using them, you could reattach the flap easily. My daughters, once loaded in—which was also easy because of the mid-level entry point and wide doorway—instantly raved about the large windows. My three-year-old said, “I can see everything!” She especially loved that the windows rolled all the way down, and that she could fit her little hand out of it and feel the wind.
Kristen Brown
If your kiddos get carsick, the Land Cruiser is open enough that they can see out of the tall windshield, too, which makes it harder for them to get queasy. If they do feel queasy, the large window is great for increasing airflow to the rear seats as well. My youngest didn’t have a single issue with riding in the back of the Cruiser.
There’s plenty of space, even with a hybrid battery taking up vertical space
My girls are too cool for strollers now, but the Land Cruiser comes with 46.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. That’s a very generous trunk, and with all that vertical space, there’s plenty of room for stacking (just beware, the 1958 model doesn’t have a smart rearview camera). You could easily fit a double stroller, diaper bag, toys, and everyone else’s luggage without running out of space. The hybrid battery does take up some space in the trunk, but only an inch or two vertically, which is noticeable only if you’re loading something pretty heavy.
Gabriel Ionica
Even with a large trunk, the rear seats have a football field of legroom. As an adult, I had enough space to stretch out, relax, and enjoy the view. Since my toddlers are in car seats, the footwells acted as a place to store my purse, water bottle, extra toys, blankets, or even jackets without having to take up any trunk space. It was great. Thanks to its high towing capacity of 6,000 lbs, it can tow a trailer, a camper, a hitch cargo trailer, and a whole lot more. Just don’t put anything crazy heavy on the roof, since the dynamic capacity is 169 lbs, and the static is about 600 lbs, which is lower than a Subaru Forester.
The pricing definitely holds it back, though
While it has a lot of traits and features that make it a decent family SUV, the one thing I have a hard time accepting is the price. The Land Cruiser 1958 is the base model, and it starts at $57,200. The one I drove had a few options, so its price tag came out to $59,949. For its size, it isn’t bad; it’s just the fact that the list of features is shockingly short. There are no electronic adjustments on the driver’s seat, no sunroof, even as an option, no quick disconnect for the sway bars, no JBL sound system option, no leather (just black cloth), only three exterior colors to choose from, no power tail gate, no remote start option, no ventilated seats, no wireless phone charger option, no multi-terrain monitor, traffic jam assist, lane change assist, front cross traffic alert, or off-road cameras or even a 360-degree camera. There’s a lot it lacks for the price.
Kristen Brown
If you want all of those goodies, you’ll have to spend closer to $76,000 for the higher-level Land Cruiser trim. When you can get all those features on a mid to higher level trim of the 4Runner for less, it becomes very difficult for me to rationalize the elevated price point.
Despite its lack of modern tech, it’s packed full of safety features
As a reviewer and a mom of two young kids, one of the first things about a new car that I immediately put under a microscope is the safety features. The Land Cruiser 1958 has the latest and greatest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, with features like rear cross traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, road sign assist, pedestrian detection, rear passenger alert, and blind spot detection.
Kristen Brown
It may lack modern tech on the inside, but I especially appreciated the fact that the base model includes an anti-theft system that will kill the engine if it’s stolen, so at least you can rest assured that if someone did steal your $60,000 SUV, they wouldn’t get very far.
Final thoughts
There was a lot that I loved about both the top-shelf, decked-out Land Cruiser and the back-to-basics Land Cruiser 1958. It was incredibly comfortable on my three-hour drive to Portland, and while it doesn’t get stellar mileage (I averaged about 18 mpg around town and 28 during my highway jaunt), I loved the large windows and underappreciated family friendliness. The only thing I have a personal gripe with is the price. After taxes and all the add-ons, the 1958 model would be over $60,000, which isn’t all that approachable for most American families. There are more affordable off-road-ready SUVs that can accommodate a family for less. However, if I were affluent and just wanted the privilege of looking like a badass while dropping my kids off at school, the Land Cruiser in Trail Dust with the $3,700 Moab Package would be what I’d buy.
About the author
Kristen Brown
Contributing Writer, Autoblog