Toyota Land Cruiser Vs. Lexus LX: Is The Luxury Premium Worth The Price?

The Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX are among the best-known models from their respective brands. And, as Lexus is owned by Toyota, the two SUVs have certain similarities, including the GA-F platform, which also underpins other body-on-frame vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, and Lexus GX. That truck platform helps both SUVs to excel off-road. 

However, there are still some differences between them, one of which pertains to their sizes, as Toyota classifies the current Land Cruiser as a midsize SUV, while the LX is designated by Lexus as a full-size one. But despite the current-generation Land Cruiser being smaller and cheaper than the Lexus LX, it does have strong credentials that make it worth considering. We have compiled some of the differences between the two to help you see how they compare in terms of their prices, sizes, performance, technology, and general interior features. All information and data have been sourced directly from the manufacturer. 

While the Lexus LX and Toyota Land Cruiser both have a similar 112.2-inch wheelbase, the LX is longer and wider than its cousin, with its length and width coming in at 200.5 and 78.3 inches, respectively. The Toyota Land Cruiser, meanwhile, measures 196.4 inches in length and 77.9 inches wide, but it is taller than the LX at up to 76.1 inches in height, compared to 74.2 inches of height — or 74.6 in most trims. 

The Lexus LX features greater ground clearance than the Land Cruiser, however, with 8.1 inches at standard height versus 7.9 inches for the Land Cruiser. The towing capabilities of the Lexus LX are higher too, as it is tow-rated at 7,992 pounds, while the Toyota Land Cruiser has a maximum tow rating of 6,000 pounds. Curb weight-wise, the lightest LX model comes in at 5,665 pounds (applies to the LX 600 Premium, LX 600 Luxury, LX 600 F Sport Handling, and LX 700h F Sport Handling), making it 305 pounds heavier than the entry-level, 5,360-pound Land Cruiser 1958, while the heavier model weighs 5,945 pounds (applies to the LX 700h Luxury, 700h Ultra Luxury, and 700h Overtrail), which is 500 pounds higher than the heavier, 5,445-pound Land Cruiser trim. 

Despite being the smaller SUV, the Toyota Land Cruiser has considerably more cargo space than the Lexus LX. In the back, it provides 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space as standard with the rear seats in place. If you fold down the rear seats, cargo space nearly doubles to 82.1 cubic feet, which is quite impressive for a midsize SUV. And while the Land Cruiser seats five people across two rows, the Lexus LX offers three separate rows of seating for up to seven occupants. Hence, the base LX 600 Premium, LX 600 Luxury, and LX 600 F Sport Handling have 11 cubic feet behind the third row, 44 cubic feet behind the second row, and up to 64 cubic feet with the third and second row seats folded down.

The LX 700h trims are even less generous cargo space-wise, with just 7.2 cubic feet of space on offer with all three rows up. Folding down the rearmost seats reveals 30.9 cubic feet behind the second row, while putting the rear and middle seats down increases volume to 62.4 cubic feet. If you remove the third row, as can be done with the LX 700h Overtrail (which then offers seating for five), you get 30.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 62.4 cubic feet behind the first row.

The Lexus LX comes with gas and hybrid engine options. All three LX 600 models (Premium, Luxury, and F Sport Handling) feature a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. It is coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission that routes output to all four wheels to facilitate a 0-60 mph sprint time of 6.9 seconds. 2025 Lexus LX 700h trims like Luxury, Ultra Luxury, F Sport Handling, and Overtrail come with a hybridized version of the twin-turbo V6 energized by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack to produce a whopping 457 total horsepower and 583 lb-ft, which equates to a quicker 0-60 mph time of 6.4 seconds.

By comparison, motivation for the Land Cruiser comes from a hybrid 2.4-liter four-cylinder i-FORCE MAX engine, good for 326 hp and 465 lb-ft directed to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. In EPA testing, the current seventh-generation Land Cruiser returned 23 mpg of combined city-highway fuel economy, which makes it more efficient than both the gasoline (19 mpg) and hybrid (20 mpg) Lexus LX models. 

Because the Lexus LX competes in a more luxurious market than the Land Cruiser, it does offer more luxuries in standard guise than you would find in the Toyota Land Cruiser. Take the entry-level LX 600 Premium. It has evidently cosseting seats upholstered in leather, along with a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, driver's-seat memory function, heated second row seats, and Open-Pore Wood interior trim. 

Choose the higher-grade LX 600 Luxury, and you'll have the leather upholstery swapped out for the more expensive-looking semi-aniline leather. That's in addition to niceties such as illuminated door sills, a massage function for the front seats, a ventilation system for the second-row seats, as well as a high-quality wood and leather steering wheel. However, if you're after the grandest and greatest Lexus LX trim, that would be the 700h Ultra Luxury. It adds to or substitutes the equipment in the other trims for better materials, such as Takanoha Wood trim, diamond-stitch semi-aniline leather upholstery, heated and ventilated second-row captain's chairs, massaging feature for the rear seats, and similar. 

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser interior, while obviously built to a very high quality, is modest and spartan on the inside, with the list of noteworthy amenities found inside the base 1958 limited to cloth upholstery, heated front seats, and tri-zone automatic climate control. Upgrading to the range-topping Toyota Land Cruiser gets you synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a power driver's seat.

Modern drivers buy cars because of the latest and greatest technology, and Lexus spared no effort to try to provide that. Every model comes standard with a 12.3-inch display accompanied by a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a separate 7-inch screen that shows key vehicle and climate information and controls. The LX also supports wireless smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as you'd expect for a flagship Lexus model. Other standard tech includes a wireless smartphone charger, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a head-up display, navigation, up to six USB ports, and a 10-speaker sound system. Higher LX grades like the LX 600 Luxury, 700h Luxury, and 700h Ultra Luxury get a 25-speaker Mark Levinson audio system as standard, while the 700h Ultra Luxury makes for an even techier interior with a wireless smartphone charger and a pair of 11.4-inch screens for rear seat passengers. 

You do lose a lot of these tech features with the Land Cruiser, unsurprisingly. The standard 1958 trim gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, and satellite radio, but there's not much else. As for the top-tier Land Cruiser trim, it has a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, navigation, a 10-speaker audio system, navigation. A head-up display, wireless device charging, and a 14-speaker JBL premium audio system are available as part of the Premium package. 

Given that the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser has a base MSRP of $56,700 while the Lexus LX begins at $106,850, the sticker prices of the two SUVs are separated by a whopping $50,150, which is a lot of money. Even if you consider the top-level Land Cruiser trim, the base Lexus LX will set you back around $45,380 more than the Land Cruiser. That price difference makes the Toyota Land Cruiser ideal if your primary goal is to get from point A to point B or if you want to save money compared to buying luxury.

The midsize SUV is practical and still fresh off the redesign for 2024, which brought several new, exciting features, including a torquey and more efficient hybrid powertrain than the one found in the Lexus LX. Then, there's the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which bundles a deluge of advanced safety features designed to protect occupants and other road users. Our review of the current-generation Toyota Land Cruiser also found the midsize SUV to be talented enough to handle any off-road terrain with ease.

But if your choice is between the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus LX, and you're shopping around for a vehicle that delivers a luxurious experience you won't forget in a hurry each time, then you'll enjoy living with the Lexus LX. Not only is it more tech-advanced than the Land Cruiser, but it also boasts a wonderfully plush interior upholstered in expensive-looking leather, loads of luxuries, and, of course, the refined driving experience it's widely known to provide. That's even before you consider its powerful engine options and the fact that you get a third row, which the Land Cruiser doesn't have. So, while expensive, the LX is well worth considering for luxury shoppers who can afford it.