The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser's a Hybrid—So Does It Get Good MPG?
See how the new Land Cruiser's numbers compare to other hybrid SUVs and off-roaders.
If you're waiting to see just how efficient the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will be, considering it has a gas-electric hybrid four-cylinder powertrain, well you're in luck. It looks as if Toyota has finally released its own estimates—so, how does the new 4x4 compare to other similarly purposed hybrid SUVs? And how does it compare to the last Land Cruiser sold here, a larger, V-8-powered model that was an absolute gas guzzler?
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When you think "hybrid" you would expect to see numbers that are far better than you could get with a traditional internal-combustion-only vehicle. Using an electric motor to bolster a gas engine, particularly at low speeds, should reduce fuel consumption. Especially in heavier, less-aerodynamic SUVs.
For the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, a single hybrid engine is the only choice: a 2.4-liter turbocharged and hybridized I-4. With 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque, it not only out-muscles the 4.0-liter V-6 still serving in the similarly sized but ancient Toyota 4Runner (270 hp and 278 lb-ft), it also comes close to the horsepower generated by the 5.7-liter V-8 that served in the last-generation Land Cruiser Toyota sold here (381 hp) while beating that bigger engine's 401-lb-ft torque peak. So, the hybrid Land Cruiser has the power, but let's dig into its fuel economy:
The 2024 Land Cruiser's 22 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined easily beat the old Land Cruiser's 13/17/14 mpg figures, as well as the current 4Runner's 16/19/17 mpg figures. Venture outside the Toyota landscape, though, and the Land Cruiser's numbers look more average, at least compared to the limited number of hybridized off-roaders out there.
There is the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, a plug-in hybrid SUV, that uses an electrified 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 good for the same 23 mpg combined as the Land Cruiser, plus 56 mpge with 26 miles of all-electric driving range. (PHEVs get a single rating for mpg and mpge since they are capable of driving on electric power only.) It's available in trail-ready Trailhawk trim, but if you want a more off-road-capable Jeep hybrid, the Jeep Wrangler also is available with the same 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain, which nets it 22 miles of all-electric range, 49 mpge, and 20 mpg combined when driven as a hybrid.
If you're willing to compromise on size and off-road capability, Toyota's own Corolla Cross Hybrid AWD gets 42 mpg combined out of its 2.0-liter electrified engine. Go for something bigger, like, say, the Grand Highlander three-row SUV with the same 2.4-liter turbocharged I-4 hybrid nabs a slightly better 27 mpg combined.
Other more street-focused hybrid SUVs include the 2024 Kia Sorento Hybrid, which also offers three rows and more possible cargo space and gets 34 mpg combined. Mazda's 2024 CX-90 PHEV delivers 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, along with 25 mpg combined and an all-electric mode with 26 miles of range.
In all, the hybrid power of the Toyota Land Cruiser looks strong, but not particularly efficient compared to other hybrids. It is, however, markedly more efficient than the old Land Cruiser—even if that's helped by the 2024 model's smaller footprint and engine displacement—as well as other hardcore off-roaders such as Land Rover's Defender, Jeep's Wrangler, and Ford's Bronco.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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