2024 Hyundai Kona vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2024 Hyundai Kona was designed with an electric vehicle (EV) focus, evident in its sleek, modern appearance. The front grille closely resembled that of the Ioniq 5, featuring a single-piece design that signaled its electric powertrain. The Kona adopted the "seamless horizon" styling seen in the new Sonata, with a prominent skinny LED headlight at the front. Despite its increased size, with nearly 6 inches added to its length, the Kona maintained its recognizable silhouette. The visual updates were more apparent up close, with new creased "parametric surface" doors and more substantial black body cladding on the SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The N-Line trim, however, featured body-colored wheel arches. Standard LED headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights were part of the new Kona lineup, with a single taillight spanning the rear width. Wheel sizes varied from 17-inch on the base model to 19-inch on the N-Line and Limited trims. Inside, the Kona's cabin was noticeably updated, with a driver-oriented center stack and a relocated gear shift to the steering column, creating more storage space. The most striking update was the curved display housing both driver-information and infotainment screens, alongside revised vents, climate controls, and dash.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, in its second model year, offered two trim levels, with the base model named the 1958, a nod to its US debut year. The 1958 trim had a retro look with round headlights, cloth seats, and basic equipment, available in three paint colors. The more modern Land Cruiser trim, priced higher, featured a sophisticated appearance, more color options, and a nicer interior with larger screens. It also included essential off-roading hardware and software, with an optional Premium Package adding leather and more tech. The test vehicle, equipped with the Premium Package, sported Heritage Blue and Grayscape paint, 20-inch wheels, and an accessory roof rack, bringing the price to $71,004. The Land Cruiser's traditional two-box SUV design maximized off-road clearances, visibility, and cargo space, with dark gray cladding underscoring its utility. The interior was utilitarian, with traditional switchgear, but the Java-colored leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens added a touch of luxury. The steering-wheel controls were intuitive, especially compared to the Lexus RX.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona retained its predecessor's engine lineup, featuring a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for the SE and SEL trims, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder for the N-Line and Limited trims. The base engine produced 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The turbo engine delivered 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, now coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Paddle shifters were available on the N-Line and Limited trims, with the SEL Convenience Package offering them for the CVT. During the Kona launch, the Limited trim was driven from Baltimore to the Maryland countryside, and the N-Line was tested on the return to the city. The turbo engine's pickup was slightly slow, but the steering and handling were intuitive and nimble. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $1,500, reducing EPA fuel economy estimates slightly.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor. The battery pack was located under the cargo area's load floor. The system produced 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, transferred through a full-time four-wheel-drive system with electronic locking rear and center differentials, allowing a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. Standard features included Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control, with the Land Cruiser trim adding Multi-Terrain Select off-roading modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect feature. The official EPA rating was 23 mpg combined, but real-world testing yielded 15.7 mpg. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and weekend adventurer, though it struggled on twisty mountain roads due to its tires and suspension tuning. The SUV handled urban and suburban driving well, with a high seating position providing excellent visibility. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Monitor, along with 8.7 inches of ground clearance. The Land Cruiser felt powerful and responsive, but acceleration tests revealed modest results, with noticeable rear-end squat and nose dive during hard braking.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona's increased length was most noticeable in the rear seat and cargo area. Rear-seat legroom increased to 38.2 inches, three inches longer than the 2023 Kona and six inches more than the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. The new narrower, molded front seats created a more comfortable and spacious second row. Headroom increased to 38.3 inches front and rear with the sunroof, and cargo capacity expanded from 19.2 to 25.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and 63.7 cubic feet with them folded down, nearly 20 cubic feet more than the first-gen Kona. The Kona Limited featured a power hands-free liftgate for easy access. Inside, storage was enhanced by a handy shelf on the passenger's side of the dash, perfect for a phone or sunglasses. The wireless charging pad, standard on N-Line and Limited trims, included a "guardrail" to keep a phone in place. The center console had a short and shallow tray, suitable for a small wallet or charging cable. The 2024 Kona offered cloth seats on SE and SEL trims, a leather/suede combination for N-Line, and H-Tex leatherette for Limited. Ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard on the Limited trim, with heated front seats standard on N-Line and optional for SEL with the Convenience Package.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, when upgraded from the 1958 trim, swapped cloth upholstery for Toyota's SofTex artificial leather, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a standard-size power sunroof. The front seats were comfortable and supportive on long trips, but the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle, leading to a slouched position. Long-legged passengers might find the running boards obstructive when entering and exiting, though they were helpful for roof rack access. The rear window design was less than ideal, as it required driving with the glass flipped up rather than powering down into the tailgate like the 4Runner. The center console's cool box, part of the Premium Package, seemed unnecessary and reduced storage space. The Land Cruiser offered 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space in a cube-shaped area, but the high load floor required effort when loading heavy items. Maximum cargo space with the 60/40-split folding back seat down was 82.1 cubic feet.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona introduced several technological enhancements. A 12.3-inch infotainment system touchscreen display became standard across the lineup, replacing the 2023 Kona's standard 8-inch display and 10.25-inch screen for higher trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were initially available only on the lower trims, but an over-the-air (OTA) update was promised to add wireless connectivity to the top trims. N-Line and Limited trims, along with the SEL Convenience Package, offered wired connections, wireless device charging, and a new Wi-Fi hotspot. The upgraded stereo system was now provided by Bose, with six speakers standard. Every 2024 Kona included two USB-C ports in the front and two at the back of the center console. SE and SEL trims retained a 4.2-inch driver-information display, while dual 12.3-inch screens were optional with the Convenience Package and included with N-Line and Limited trims. OTA update capability was standard, and Hyundai's Bluelink connected services were included for the vehicle's life.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, when upgraded from the 1958 trim, featured two 12.3-inch displays with a sophisticated appearance, replacing the 7-inch digital driver display and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Five connected service plans were available: Service Connect, Safety Connect, Remote Connect, Wi-Fi Connect, and Drive Connect. Drive Connect offered a cloud-based navigation system and a conversational digital assistant, which performed well in voice recognition tests. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL premium sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display, a digital camera-based rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona came equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assistance safety features. Standard features included Safe Exit Warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, with high-beam assist now standard. Adaptive cruise control was standard on N-Line and Limited trims, and the Limited trim also included Surround View Monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist suite of Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features impressed with its smooth lane-keep assist, though it was slightly resistant to cancellation on backroads. The system's driver-assistance features were easily managed through a clear screen interface.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), the automaker's latest collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). TSS 3.0 included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection. Lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist were also part of the package. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided a semi-autonomous highway driving aid, with the ability to bring the Land Cruiser to a safe stop if the driver became unresponsive. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist (PDA). The standard blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert system were separate from TSS 3.0. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser's ADAS performance varied, with some features proving useful, such as the front cross-traffic alert system, while others, like the PDA system, were less desirable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rated the Land Cruiser with four stars out of five overall, with four stars in the frontal-impact test, five stars in side-impact testing, and a three-star rollover resistance rating.