2024 Cadillac LYRIQ vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ was a striking vehicle with a design that commanded attention. Its exterior styling was reminiscent of a long sedan, despite being an SUV, with a long hood and low ground clearance. The design drew inspiration from the classic Seville, featuring a long wheelbase, short tail, and wide track. The vertical light bars on the front, combined with nine LED headlights, created a captivating light show upon unlocking the car. The grille, adorned with lighting effects, added to the vehicle's unique style. The wraparound taillights and fender-mounted vertical lights contributed to the LYRIQ's distinctive appearance, making it stand out on the road.

Inside, the LYRIQ showcased Cadillac's attention to detail, with leather-wrapped seats and polished controls. The interior featured a sweeping 33-inch OLED display, which was integrated seamlessly into the design. However, the floating centre console was a misstep, offering little usable space. Despite this, the interior was luxurious, with a focus on comfort and style. The LYRIQ's design was a testament to Cadillac's commitment to creating a visually appealing and comfortable vehicle.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, available in two trims, offered a blend of retro and modern styling. The base model, 1958, paid homage to the original Land Cruiser with round headlights and cloth seats, while the Cruiser trim provided a more upscale look with additional colours and features. The Cruiser trim, especially with the Premium Package, boasted a more luxurious interior with leather seats and larger screens. The exterior design was traditional, with a two-box SUV shape that emphasized off-road capabilities and utility. The Heritage Blue and Grey paint options added a touch of personality, although the overall colour palette was somewhat limited.

Inside, the Land Cruiser's interior was utilitarian yet comfortable, with supportive front seats and a high driving position that offered excellent visibility. The second-row seats, however, lacked comfort for long journeys. The cargo space was generous, with a high load floor that required some effort when loading heavy items. The Land Cruiser's design focused on practicality and functionality, making it a suitable choice for those seeking a capable off-road vehicle with a touch of luxury.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ was designed for comfort rather than sportiness, excelling on highways with its calm and poised ride. It featured two powertrain options: a single rear motor with 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, and an optional dual-motor setup producing 500 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. Both configurations used a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack, offering a claimed range of 505 kilometres for rear-wheel drive and 494 kilometres for all-wheel drive. However, real-world testing showed a maximum range closer to 420 kilometres. The LYRIQ's handling was hindered by its weight, resulting in significant understeer and uninspiring steering feel. Despite strong braking, the vehicle's heft raised concerns about brake durability during hard use.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for a total output of 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The full-time four-wheel-drive system, equipped with electronic locking differentials, provided a maximum towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms. The Land Cruiser excelled in off-road conditions, thanks to features like Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control. However, its handling on twisty roads was less impressive due to its suspension tuning. The Land Cruiser's fuel efficiency was lower than expected, with real-world consumption at 15.0 L/100 km, compared to the official rating of 10.1 L/100 km.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ faced challenges with build quality and functionality. Misaligned rear fenders, a faulty charging port, and a problematic pull-out tray in the dash were notable issues. The glovebox was difficult to access while driving, and the floating console offered limited storage space. Despite these drawbacks, the LYRIQ provided generous headroom and legroom, with a spacious back seat. However, its cargo capacity was limited, with 793 litres behind the seats and 1,722 litres when folded.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered a more practical interior, especially in the Cruiser trim with the Premium Package. The front seats were comfortable and supportive, while the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The high load floor in the cargo area required effort when loading heavy items, but the overall cargo space was generous, with 1,062 litres available and 2,324 litres with the back seats folded. The Land Cruiser's interior focused on functionality, with features like ventilated front seats and a power sunroof enhancing comfort.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ featured a 33-inch OLED screen divided into three sections, offering touch-enabled controls for lighting and gauge cluster layouts. The infotainment system ran native Google Maps and Google Assistant, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The Super Cruise system provided an excellent hands-free driving experience, while the 19-speaker AKG stereo delivered impressive sound quality.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim upgraded the digital driver display and infotainment system to two 12.3-inch screens. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, and a head-up display. The Drive Connect feature offered cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant for voice commands.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ came standard with forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera system. The LYRIQ received a poor rating for its headlights from the IIHS and an acceptable mark for its front pedestrian collision avoidance system.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Proactive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert and lane-change 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.