2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was offered in two trim levels, with the base model named the 1958, a nod to the year it first hit the US market. This version had a retro aesthetic, featuring round headlights, cloth seats, and basic equipment, available in three paint colors. Despite its nostalgic charm, the 1958 was priced at $58,195, making it a costly choice for those seeking a budget-friendly SUV. The more modern Land Cruiser trim, priced at $62,965, boasted a contemporary look, a wider color palette, and a more luxurious interior with larger screens. It also included essential off-roading hardware and software, with an optional Premium Package that added leather and advanced tech features.

The Land Cruiser's design was traditional, with a two-box SUV structure that maximized off-road capabilities, visibility, and space for passengers and cargo. Its utilitarian interior was enhanced with Java-colored leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens, offering a blend of classic switchgear and modern technology. The steering-wheel controls were notably intuitive, especially when compared to those in a Lexus RX. The vehicle's exterior featured a purposeful look with dark gray cladding, and an optional roof rack increased its utility. Despite its personality, the Land Cruiser's color options were limited to mostly neutral tones, which seemed to align with consumer preferences.

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander was available in ES, SE, and SEL trims, with options for front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Its distinctive front design, featuring a thin upper eyebrow as a daytime running light and a large square headlight below, made it stand out. Although the lighting design remained unchanged, subtle modifications to the grille and diffuser were made for 2025. Despite these tweaks, the Outlander retained its unique, albeit polarizing, appearance. Inside, the top SEL trim offered quilted leather seats and soft-touch surfaces, with physical controls for the HVAC system providing ease of use. The Yamaha speaker faces in the doors added a touch of elegance, though some plastic elements attempted to mimic high-end materials.

The Outlander's interior was more impressive than its exterior, especially in the SEL trim. It featured heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The cup holders were spacious but could be improved for better stability. The third row of seating was cramped, suitable only for small children or short trips, and limited cargo space when in use. Folding the third row increased storage capacity to 30 cubic feet. The driver's seat offered easy access to controls, with a digital HVAC display and physical buttons for fan and seat heating. Overall, the Outlander provided a comfortable and functional interior, despite some minor shortcomings.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with 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. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, with a full-time four-wheel-drive system and electronic locking differentials. The Land Cruiser had a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds and featured standard Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. The more expensive trim added Multi-Terrain Select off-roading modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect feature. Despite an EPA rating of 23 mpg combined, real-world testing showed a lower 15.7 mpg. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, though it struggled on twisty roads due to its suspension tuning. It offered a high driving position with excellent visibility, making it easy to maneuver and park.

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. While comparable to other models like the Mazda CX-50 and Honda CR-V, the Outlander also offered a more powerful plug-in hybrid version. The standard engine struggled with acceleration, and the CVT exhibited a droney, rubber-band feeling. The Outlander’s fuel economy was rated at 26 mpg combined, slightly below competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The AWD system, developed from Mitsubishi’s rally racing experience, provided stability on curvy roads, though the ride was harsh over broken pavement. The Outlander offered various driving modes, including Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, and Mud, enhancing its versatility.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered an upgrade from cloth to SofTex artificial leather upholstery, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The running boards could be cumbersome for taller passengers. The rear window design was less practical compared to the 4Runner, and the center console's cool box reduced storage space. The Land Cruiser provided 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 82.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, though the high load floor required effort when loading heavy items.

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander included a third row of seating, though it was cramped with only 18.7 inches of legroom, making it suitable for small children. With the third row in use, cargo space was limited to less than 11 cubic feet, but folding it increased storage to 30 cubic feet. The driver's seat offered easy access to controls, with a digital HVAC display and physical buttons for fan and seat heating. The top-line trim featured heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The cup holders accommodated large cups but could be improved for better stability during driving.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 7-inch digital driver display and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, upgraded to dual 12.3-inch displays in the higher trim. The Toyota Audio Multimedia 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, with Drive Connect offering cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander’s standout feature was a new Yamaha premium sound system, with upper trims offering a 12-speaker, 1,650-watt system. The system allowed customization of sound modes and volume adjustments based on driving conditions. The Outlander included a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a physical volume knob, and a button for the camera system. Upper trims featured a digital gauge cluster, a rear camera mirror, and a head-up display. Mitsubishi Connect offered a five-year trial, with Remote Services providing additional features like remote start and live traffic information.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). It included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided semi-autonomous highway driving aid. Additional features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing and a three-star rollover resistance rating.

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander offered basic ADAS features like blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and automatic braking. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. The NHTSA had not rated the 2025 model, but the 2024 version received four stars in rollover testing and five stars in side crashes. The IIHS gave the 2025 Outlander a “Good” rating for headlights, with previous models receiving “Good” ratings in crashworthiness and “Poor” in front crash prevention.