The Toyota Land Cruiser — a SUV explained

What the Land Cruiser is

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a SUV that Toyota built from 1981 to 2026 — 46 model years. Our measurements put it at 4 generations, the current one starting in 2024. It has been offered with Hybrid, V6, V8 power. Its closest sibling in the Toyota range: FJ Cruiser.

Where the Land Cruiser is built

A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 182 Land Cruisers on record.

Check your own: the first three characters of a Toyota VIN decide which of these 4 lines your Land Cruiser belongs to. What every character in a Land Cruiser VIN means →

Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Toyota Land Cruiser adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.

Land Cruiser generations, and what changed

These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Land Cruiser's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Land Cruiser that gives 4 distinct generations below.

Between 1981 and 2026 the Land Cruiser gained 92 cm in length (+23.0%) and 524 kg in weight (+29.8%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Land Cruiser that is 524 kg against 92 cm. Full dimensions by year →

Toyota Land Cruiser tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Land Cruiser owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Toyota Land Cruiser have? Power & range

The Toyota Land Cruiser is offered with 3 powertrains — 4.5L 6-cyl, 5.7L 8-cyl, 2.4L 4-cyl Hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 3 for the Toyota Land Cruiser, against one or two on most rivals.

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

Can a Toyota Land Cruiser tow? Towing & payload

As an SUV, the Toyota Land Cruiser is built to tow and haul. The exact maximum towing capacity and payload depend on the engine, drivetrain and whether it has the factory tow package.

What sets your Land Cruiser's tow & payload rating:

• Engine — a larger or turbocharged engine tows more than the base unit.
• Drivetrain & axle — 4WD/AWD and the axle ratio shift the rating.
• Tow package — the factory towing package (hitch, wiring, transmission cooler) raises the max.
• Payload & GVWR — GVWR caps the combined load; more passengers and cargo lower how much you can tow.

Exact towing capacity, payload and GVWR are added per engine, drivetrain and trim — decode your VIN above, or check the driver's door-jamb and hitch labels. Curb weight from vehicle specifications.

The Land Cruiser by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Toyota Land Cruiser. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.