The 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser saw very few changes for the model year, as a redesign was in the works for the following year. The most notable change was the addition of an optional two-person third seat, supplementing the three-person third seat option.

The 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser came as a standard model and the luxurious 40th anniversary Limited Edition. The 1997 Land Cruiser had a 4.5-liter, 212 horsepower six cylinder. A four-speed automatic was the only available transmission. The 1997 Land Cruiser had a permanently engaged four-wheel-drive system. Fuel economy was about 12/14 mpg.

The 1997 Land Cruiser was very popular among outdoorsy types and soccer moms alike. The car handled well off-road and in bad weather, but also had plenty of cargo space for kids and gear alike. However, owners do complain about the poor gas mileage, and say that due to the vehicle's weight, brakes wear out very quickly.