The Toyota Land Cruiser has made a name for itself as one of the most reliable and dependable SUVs on the market, and with good reason. It’s no accident that this famous nameplate has thrived for 70 years. Its evolution from a military light utility vehicle to a modern luxury off-roader is a story that unfolds one series at a time. Let’s take a look at some of the best Toyota Land Cruisers throughout history and see how each one helped make the model more iconic.
The FJ40 series is perhaps the most well-known Toyota Land Cruiser line in the off-road community. This powerhouse of a vehicle was Toyota’s ambassador to the international markets, and it did not hold its punches. Its excellent build quality coupled with its no-nonsense interior harkened back to its history as an evolved form of a military vehicle.
In 1960, the first of the FJ40s arrived in the United States. Although the Land Cruiser had a rather rocky start, the FJ40 changed things and eventually began to outsell every other Toyota model in the US market from 1961 to 1965. After that, different variations of the FJ40 were released, some of which sported five doors while others had a hardtop. In 1975, Toyota replaced the engine with a 4.2-liter straight-six that boasted more horsepower and torque. By this time, other features had become standard, such as four-wheel drive and a four-speed stick-shift. In the end, after all of the different iterations it went through, the FJ40’s status as a Toyota icon recognized around the world earns it a spot on this list.
The fully-enclosed FJ60 series hit the American market in the 1980s and brought with it more creature comforts than its predecessors. Its softer seats, air conditioning, and carpeted floors made it a favorite family vehicle for many. Beyond this, the FJ60 series still boasted impressive off-road capabilities for the time, staying focused on its roots despite offering more family-friendly features.
The FJ60 sold in the US market was equipped with a 2F 4.2-liter inline-six engine. The original F-series engine was built under license from Chevy and was based on the Chevy 235, meaning the FJ60 shares some mechanical heritage with the C1 Corvette. This gave the FJ60 a solid 135 horsepower with 210 ft-lbs of torque. The engine block was known to be robust and resistant to warping even when overheating. The FJ60’s sturdy leaf springs and straight axles meant it could take to the trail with ease, sacrificing a cushy ride on the road for more drivability off the road. Lane mergers were slow and fuel economy wasn’t great, but the FJ60 remained popular.
In 1991, Toyota took an even bigger step towards establishing the Land Cruiser as a luxury vehicle. It released the FJ80, which adopted a sleeker finish to its rough and tumble edges. And the FJ80 didn’t just look different, it felt different. The interiors and instrument panel received an upgrade. Noise, vibration, and harshness insulation quieted road noise, and the addition of an automatic transmission option meant driving a Land Cruiser became easier than ever.
Interestingly enough, with all the changes made to the FJ80’s body and interior, very little changed under the hood. The 3FE engine in the FJ80 was basically a modernized version of the cam-in-block six-cylinder from the FJ25. Considering how bulky the FJ80 was, the 155-horsepower engine struggled at times. Toyota addressed this in 1993 by switching to a 24-valve DOHC engine that produced 212 horsepower. The FJ80 is iconic, and the 1991 model is where all the changes to the series started to solidify into what we know Land Cruisers to be today.
In the late 90s, the US automotive market started to swing more towards SUVs, and Toyota’s horse in this race was the UZJ100. Building off the UZJ100’s predecessors, Toyota pushed for more comfort and luxury, adding more safety features while also boosting the engine’s power. The UZJ100’s 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE V8 engine had bulletproof reliability. The iconic solid front axle was dropped in favor of an independent front suspension with double wishbones and torsion bars.
Traction control was added in 1999, and a five-speed transmission in 2003. In 2006, the UZJ100 also received a boost to its horsepower, from 235 to 275. Its powerful engine and light steering make the UZJ100 a delight to drive over 15 years later, and the classic Land Cruiser look only grows more iconic by the decade.
By the time the late 2010s rolled around, Toyota had adequately established the Land Cruiser as a dependable and reliable luxury SUV. Leather interiors, advanced safety features, and voice recognition technology are just some of the perks that come with owning a URJ200. The 2016 facelift included a new front fascia, new front fenders, and an upgraded eight-speed automatic transmission.
While the J200 has a more refined, city-slicker look, it is still a very capable beast off the road. Under the hood is a powerful 381-hp 5.7-liter V-8 engine, giving it plenty of oomph. It also has Toyota’s Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) to help control wheelspin and a host of other driver-selected settings to optimize the drivetrain for any terrain. Despite all the changes over the years, the URJ200 series proves that the Land Cruiser series can still showcase its off-roading heritage with pride.
Most Land Cruiser models hold their value for several reasons.
First, Land Cruisers are arguably some of the most dependable vehicles out there. Given their military background back in the day, drivers expect nothing but a powerful performance from the model, whether it’s driven off-road or on-ramp.
Also, the limited number of production from this model made it a highly sought-after vehicle.
Following the law of supply and demand, the limited number of Land Cruiser units (low supply) makes the model a rare acquisition. It’s why many people want to buy one (high demand).
With the limited number of available units in the market and a high demand for the Toyota SUV, prices are bound to skyrocket.
J40 Land Cruisers are some of the rarest models out there, particularly the 1981 FJ43 and 1964 FJ54LV.
The rarest FJ43 was actually a restomod that was crafted out of an authentic 1981 FJ43L-KC from central Columbia.
The FJ Company turned this classic into a Dune Beige two-door with an engine mod that swapped the original 4.2L straight six with a Toyota 4.0L 1GR-FE V6.
The 1964 FJ54LV is another restomod that’s considered one of the rarest Land Cruisers of all time.
There were only 5,080 units of the FJ54LV sold in the market, and when Toyota got its hands on some of them, the automaker upgraded their old engines with a Toyota 1GR-FE 4.0 V6.
Declining sales eventually led Toyota to discontinue the Land Cruiser. Demand for large SUVs fell with the rise of more fuel-efficient vehicles like crossover SUVs and electric vehicles.
There are, however, some reports that the Land Cruiser is slated to make a comeback in North America while sharing the same platform as Lexus.
There’s really no doubt that the Land Cruiser has come a long way. From the bare-bones but iconic FJ40 series to the more modern, luxurious URJ200, it’s intriguing to see how the Land Cruiser has adapted to the times. While Toyota did not release the J300 Land Cruiser to the US market in 2021, it has now released the 2024 Land Cruiser, which is based on the international-market Land Cruiser Prado. With a hybrid 4-cylinder in tow, this new Land Cruiser is poised to continue being an off-road beast while being highly efficient.
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