2024 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its familiar aesthetic, with the Wilderness trim receiving a subtle update featuring a new front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark gray cladding provided a striking contrast to the Autumn Green Metallic color of the Outback Touring XT, which was described as a "green-tinged dark khaki." This color choice was surprisingly appealing, offering a fresh take on the typical champagne-beige hues. The Outback's various trims showcased different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Touring trim featuring the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied by trim, with standard black 17-inch alloy wheels and a matte black version for the Wilderness trim, while the Onyx Edition and higher trims sported larger 18-inch wheels.

Inside, the top-trim Outback Touring XT impressed with its luxurious Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, which was both attractive and comfortable. The Outback Limited offered standard leather seating, while the Onyx Edition and Wilderness trims featured Subaru's StarTex synthetic leather. Base and Premium trims came with cloth seats. The interior quality exceeded expectations for a brand known more for capability than luxury, providing a pleasant surprise for those seeking a more refined driving experience.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, known for its iconic design, retained its boxy shape with a flat roof, reminiscent of its predecessors. Each of the three trims featured heritage-inspired details, such as the "TOYOTA" grille and round headlights on the base 1958 and First Edition trims, while the middle-grade Land Cruiser had rectangular headlights. All lighting was LED, blending classic design with modern standards. The two higher trims offered color-selectable fog lights from RIGID Industries, adding a contemporary touch. The beltline was lowered for improved visibility, and all trims came with 18-inch alloy wheels, with 20-inch wheels available for the middle trim. The First Edition included additional off-road gear like a roof rack, front skid plate, and mudflaps.

Inside, the base 1958 trim featured cloth seats, while the middle trim had SofTex upholstery, and the First Edition boasted real leather with unique logos. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard across all trims. The Premium Package, available for the top two trims, added a moonroof and ventilated front seats. The cabin of the mid-grade tester was comfortable, with cushy seats, a padded center console, and attractive contrast stitching, emphasizing comfort alongside capability. The layout allowed drivers to focus on navigating challenging terrain without discomfort.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the standard 2.5-liter flat-four producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, were equipped with a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This turbo setup increased the towing capacity from 2,700 to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard. The Touring XT test car featured the more powerful engine, which was well-suited to the vehicle's weight. The CVT mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears, managed via steering wheel paddles. The brake pedal, aided by an electronic booster, provided a satisfying feel. Steering was adequate, with the Outback offering a comfortable ride, thanks to its reasonably sized wheels and well-engineered suspension. The base Outback had 8.7 inches of ground clearance, while the Wilderness trim increased it to 9.2 inches, with all-terrain tires and an advanced dual-function X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, reintroduced to North America, featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a 1.87-kWh battery pack, and a 48-hp electric motor, producing a total of 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. It had an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard full-time four-wheel drive (4WD) with an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case for high and low range. The Multi-Terrain Select system, available on mid-tier and First Edition models, operated in both 4Hi and 4Lo. An automatic limited-slip differential was standard, along with rear- and center-locking differentials. The middle- and top-trim Land Cruisers featured a push-button disconnect for the front sway bar, enhancing off-road articulation without compromising on-road stability. The updated CRAWL control function, with five speed settings, managed braking and acceleration over challenging terrain, operating silently. The transmission was unobtrusive, allowing drivers to focus on the off-road experience.

The 2024 Subaru Outback, despite its sleek proportions, offered ample interior space. With a moonroof, it provided more front headroom (39.1 inches) than the Honda CR-V (38.2 inches) and Toyota RAV4 (37.7 inches), and nearly matched the RAV4 in rear headroom. The Outback excelled in front-row legroom and surpassed the RAV4 in rear-seat legroom. Its lower profile affected cargo space, with 32.6 cubic feet with all seats in place and 75.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While the RAV4 and CR-V offered more cargo space with all seats occupied, the Outback led with the rear seats down. Feature availability was a key consideration, with dual-zone climate control standard on all but the base trim, and heated front seats starting with the Premium trim. The Limited trim added a powered front passenger seat and heated rear seats. Ventilated front seats were exclusive to the Touring trim, while a heated steering wheel was standard from the Onyx Edition. The hands-free power liftgate was optional on the Premium trim and standard on higher trims. Raised roof rails with retractable cross bars were standard, with the cross bars easily stowed when not in use.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, based on the Prado, featured two rows of seating, with no third row available in the U.S. Headroom measured 36.1 inches in the front and 35.3 inches in the back, with legroom at 33.0 inches front and 26.7 inches rear. The center console provided easy access to off-road features, with buttons for the stabilizer-bar disconnect and lockers conveniently located. Hard controls for climate and media were placed below the infotainment screen, within easy reach. The wireless charging pad was positioned ahead of the cupholders, and the center console cool box, part of the Premium Package, chilled items quickly. The rear liftgate opened to a cargo area with a raised load floor, equipped with a rubber mat for easy cleaning. The cargo volume was 37.5 cubic feet, with a 120-volt AC outlet, USB-C ports, and illumination standard.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Touring was the only trim to feature a CD player, appealing to those who appreciated old-school features. The technology package included both USB-C and USB-A ports on all but the base trim, which had USB-A only. The top-trim test car boasted an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, while the base trim retained a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated in appearance, offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless capability starting with the Premium trim. Climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Wi-Fi capability was available on all but the base trim, and most trims featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, except for the base model with four speakers and the Premium trim with six.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser we tested was equipped with the Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM) system, standard on the two higher trims. The 12.3-inch center touchscreen display was invaluable on the off-road course, automatically activating at speeds below 10 mph. For infotainment, the larger screen was preferred over the massive versions in other Toyota models, with a minimalist interface. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with two USB-C ports for front and rear passengers. The base 1958 trim featured an 8-inch display and six-speaker sound system, while the middle trim offered a 10-speaker system or an upgrade to the First Edition's 14-speaker JBL premium sound system. The Premium Package added a head-up display and digital rear-view mirror.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), though it fell short of the 2023 model's Top Safety Pick+ designation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded both the 2023 and 2024 models five stars overall. Safety features improved for 2024, with reverse automatic braking standard from the Onyx trim level. The EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies remained standard, including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, automatic pre-collision braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency steering. Blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert were standard on the Onyx Edition. The Touring trim added a wide-angle camera, digital rearview mirror, and driver-attention monitor.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, nor had its predecessors. However, the 2024 Tundra, a platform-mate, earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, providing some confidence in the Land Cruiser's safety. All 2024 Land Cruisers came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the latest driver-assistance technology suite, including adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign assist, and Proactive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added lane-keep assist, front cross-traffic alert, and traffic jam assist to the middle trim, with these features standard on the First Edition.