New Toyota Land Cruiser tested on its towing capabilities

  • The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a capable towing truck
  • But how does it compare to its competitors?
  • The Fast Lane Truck team took a closer look

Published on Aug 28, 2024 at 2:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson

Last updated on Aug 28, 2024 at 7:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Alessandro Renesis

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser was put to the test to see if it had the towing capabilities of models that came before it.

YouTube channel The Fast Lane Truck were the ones to try out the truck’s abilities, putting it up against the GMC Canyon and a Rivian.

Right off the bat, they’re critical of the Land Cruiser, as they claim it ‘sucks at towing’.

In fairness, it’s not so much the truck’s towing, but everything that leads up to it.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

The Toyota Land Cruiser put to the test

Capable of towing 6,000Ibs, this is a reasonable amount for a five-person SUV.

It certainly didn’t struggle when it came time to rescue this semi-truck trapped by sand in India.

The issues begin with a piece of plastic on the back of the Land Cruiser.

This covering obscures the tow hitch and requires a screwdriver to release – already a pain.

Even once it’s been released, it hangs on and requires further removal.

So by the time you get to tow anything, you’ve likely spent a couple of minutes fiddling around with tools.

Not very convenient.

Every towing job requires a rear-view camera, and the Land Cruiser’s gets the approval of the Fast Lane Truck team….barely.

Assistance lines will appear to show the driver where they’re going, but they don’t move when the vehicle is in motion, which isn’t ideal.

Admittedly, cameras in cars cover a lot of bases these days so it’s hard to keep up – the Mercedes E-Class even has a selfie camera.

How does the Land Cruiser compare to other trucks?

The general consensus was that the Land Cruiser was over complicated compared to its competitors.

With the trailer’s brake lights hidden behind three menus on the steering wheel’s dashboard, it’s not the most user friendly at times.

By way of comparison, on the GMC Canyon and the Ram trucks, connecting the trailer to the truck is an easy job and the tow settings pop up immediately.

Over on the Rivian R1T, the backup camera was easy to use and the truck’s tech allows the driver to know how heavy its trailer will be.

The Fast Lane Truck’s video asked whether the Land Cruiser was a ‘champ’ or a ‘chump’.

Whilst the latter seems a little harsh, it’s clear that ‘champ’ might be overstating things, especially when comparisons are brought into the mix.

To check out the review in full, head over to The Fast Lane Truck’s YouTube channel.


user

Ben Thompson

Ben got his start in journalism at Kennedy News and Media, writing stories for national newspapers, websites and magazines. Now working as a freelancer, he divides his time between teaching at News Associates and writing for news sites on all subjects.