2024 Chevrolet Trax vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax underwent a significant transformation, shedding its previous image to emerge as a more stylish and modern vehicle. The design team embraced a "longer, lower, wider" philosophy, resulting in a vehicle that was 11 inches longer, four inches lower, and two inches wider than its predecessor. This redesign incorporated elements from the midsize Chevy Blazer, such as a prominent grille and distinctive body lines, giving the Trax a commanding presence despite its compact size. The Trax offered various trim levels, including the Activ and RS, which added unique styling touches like faux skid plates and blacked-out trim, respectively. Inside, the Trax featured a mix of cloth and Evotex upholstery, with higher trims offering more upscale materials and design elements.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser embraced a more traditional SUV design with a focus on off-road capability and utility. The base model, known as the 1958, paid homage to the Land Cruiser's heritage with retro styling cues, while the higher-end Land Cruiser trim offered a more modern and upscale appearance. The interior featured SofTex artificial leather, with the Premium Package adding real leather and additional amenities like a power sunroof. The Land Cruiser's design prioritized functionality, with a high seating position for excellent visibility and a spacious cargo area. However, the rear seats lacked comfort, and the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging. Overall, the Land Cruiser exuded a rugged and utilitarian charm, appealing to those seeking adventure and off-road prowess.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax featured a new 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. While this represented a decrease in power compared to the previous model's 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Trax managed to improve its 0-60 mph time by about a second. The engine's flat torque curve provided strong acceleration from a stop and confident highway overtakes, with minimal turbo lag. The Trax retained its six-speed automatic transmission and was available only with front-wheel drive, differentiating it from the all-wheel-drive Trailblazer. The Trax's handling was tuned to be more car-like, offering a planted feel and nimble handling, although it still exhibited some body roll and limited grip. Despite its econobox roots, the Trax impressed with its refinement, thanks to active noise cancellation and a comfortable ride.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser boasted Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, providing ample power for both daily driving and off-road adventures. The Land Cruiser featured a full-time four-wheel-drive system with electronic locking differentials, enabling a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. Off-road capabilities were enhanced with features like Downhill Assist Control, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Select modes. However, the Land Cruiser's fuel efficiency fell short of expectations, with real-world testing yielding only 15.7 mpg. While the Land Cruiser excelled in off-road scenarios, its handling on twisty roads was less impressive, with noticeable body roll and a preference for slow and steady driving.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax offered increased rear-seat legroom, with a slight improvement in front-seat legroom, but headroom decreased slightly in the second row. The Trax's interior space was comparable to its main rivals, with comfortable seating and a car-like driving position. Cargo space increased by about 12%, providing 25.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 54.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. This made the Trax a practical choice for those seeking a compact crossover with decent cargo capacity.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser provided a more spacious interior, with comfortable front seats and a generous cargo area. However, the second-row seats lacked comfort, and the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging. The Land Cruiser offered 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 82.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. While the Land Cruiser excelled in cargo capacity, its interior design prioritized functionality over luxury, with some features like the rear window and center console cool box feeling unnecessary.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax saw significant upgrades in infotainment technology, with an 8-inch touchscreen standard on lower trims and an 11-inch touchscreen with an 8-inch digital instrument cluster available on higher trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with wireless phone charging, were introduced for the first time. The Trax's infotainment system was user-friendly, with crisp graphics and a logical menu layout. However, the screen's tilt toward the driver made it less accessible for front-seat passengers. The Trax also offered multiple USB ports and optional digital instrument cluster, enhancing its tech-savvy appeal.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured advanced technology, with two 12.3-inch displays for the driver and infotainment system. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless smartphone charger, head-up display, and digital key technology. The Land Cruiser's infotainment system was well-equipped, with a cloud-based navigation system and a conversational digital assistant that performed admirably in voice recognition tests.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax offered a range of driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, and a following distance indicator. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist. The Trax also came standard with the Teen Driver system, which monitored driving behavior and provided a "report card" to parents. However, crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems. This included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The Land Cruiser also featured adaptive cruise control, road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.