Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus NX

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. Priced at $58,195, it was a more affordable option, but the Land Cruiser model, priced at $62,965, was considered the better choice. This version boasted a modern, upscale look, a wider color palette, and a more luxurious interior with larger screens and essential off-roading enhancements. The Premium Package added leather and advanced tech features, elevating the MSRP to $71,004. The Land Cruiser's design emphasized off-road capabilities, with a traditional two-box SUV shape, dark gray cladding, and an optional roof rack. Inside, the utilitarian interior was enhanced with Java-colored leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens, offering a blend of traditional switchgear and modern technology.

The 2026 Lexus NX, despite being a few years into its second generation, maintained a fresh appearance with well-integrated styling elements like chunky fenders, LED headlights, and the signature spindle grille. While not as classically handsome as some competitors, it avoided the awkwardness seen in other luxury SUVs. The NX design team refined existing elements, ensuring they appeared intentional rather than added for visual impact. For 2026, the NX was available in non-hybrid, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid versions, with various trim levels. The F Sport Handling grade added performance features like adaptive dampers and black 20-inch wheels. Despite its bold styling, the base NX 350 didn't fully meet luxury expectations, with an interior that felt similar to high-end Toyota models. The NX 350 Luxury grade offered more upscale features, but the F Sport Handling's sport seats and aluminum pedals didn't significantly enhance the experience.

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 electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, distributed through a full-time 4WD system with electronic locking differentials. It had a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds and featured standard off-roading aids like Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. The Land Cruiser model added Multi-Terrain Select modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect. Despite an EPA rating of 23 mpg combined, real-world testing showed a disappointing 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 both in urban settings and on trails. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect and Crawl Control.

The 2026 Lexus NX offered various powertrain options, but the standard setup in the NX 350 F Sport test car was underwhelming. It used a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD. The engine, shared with the Toyota Tacoma, felt more suited to a pickup than a luxury SUV, with a coarse exhaust note and sluggish acceleration. Lexus claimed a 6.6-second 0-60 mph time, but the transmission made achieving this difficult. The NX 350h hybrid and NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid models offered more compelling specs, with the latter delivering 304 hp and a 6-second 0-60 mph time. However, the NX's chassis tuning was indifferent, even with the F Sport Handling package's adaptive dampers and 20-inch wheels. The ride quality was uncomfortable, and the steering lacked engagement, detracting from the driving experience. Despite Lexus' reputation for comfort and refinement, the NX fell short in these areas, with noticeable wind noise at highway speeds.

Upgrading from the Land Cruiser 1958 to the Land Cruiser model meant swapping cloth upholstery for SofTex artificial leather, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. The front seats were comfortable for long trips, but the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The running boards could be cumbersome for taller passengers, though they aided roof rack access. The rear window design was less practical than the 4Runner's, and the center console's cool box reduced storage space. The Land Cruiser offered 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 to load heavy items.

The 2026 Lexus NX offered competitive passenger space for a compact luxury SUV but had some compromises. Rear-seat headroom was comparable to rivals, but legroom was slightly less. Front-seat legroom was similar to the Audi and Mercedes, though the Acura offered more. The front seats felt constrained, with limited headroom and hindered visibility due to the deep dashboard and large mirrors. The rear window was small, but the digital rearview mirror helped. The F Sport Handling spec included sport seats with extra bolstering, which were comfortable but unnecessary given the NX's performance. Cargo space measured 22.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 56.3 cubic feet with them folded, trailing competitors. The NX's 2,000-pound towing capacity was also below class-leading figures, but it featured large center-console cupholders for convenience.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser upgraded from the 1958 model's 7-inch driver display and 8-inch infotainment screen to dual 12.3-inch displays with a sophisticated appearance. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music. Five connected service plans were available, including Drive Connect with cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless smartphone charger, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

The 2026 Lexus NX featured a 9.8-inch infotainment touchscreen on base and Premium trims, with a 14-inch display optional on Premium and standard on higher trims. All models had a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and six USB ports. Wireless charging, a head-up display, and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system were available. Data connectivity packages offered features like cloud-based navigation and digital key functionality. The 14-inch touchscreen was well-placed but had room for improvement, with awkward touch sliders for fan speed. The voice recognition system could adjust temperature but not set specific levels or change SiriusXM stations. The instrument cluster efficiently presented information, though it resembled older analog displays.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) designed to prevent accidents. 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, though they struggled in certain conditions. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.

The 2026 Lexus NX was equipped with the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suite, covering essential driver-assist features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and traffic-sign recognition. The electronic door handles were linked to a Safe Exit Assist feature. Additional features included park assist, front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and a 360-degree camera system. The NX was named a 2025 Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, missing the Top Safety Pick+ award due to an "Acceptable" score in the moderate overlap front crash test but receiving "Good" scores in other evaluations. The NHTSA had not yet published safety ratings for the current-generation NX.