2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2025 Jeep Wrangler

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S, with its black-on-black-on-black colour scheme, was not the ideal choice for a tropical climate, leaving our crew less than thrilled. Despite the heat-sink colour combination, the Wrangler's design, rooted in a World War II military vehicle, remained fundamentally appealing. The Sport S trim, priced at $66,070 in Canada, featured a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a black hardtop, and a Convenience Group package. While the interior was functional with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, it lacked sophistication compared to other modern vehicles. Nevertheless, the Wrangler's capability to traverse almost any terrain at any time contributed to its enduring popularity.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered a more refined and modern appearance, especially in the Cruiser trim. The base model, known as the 1958, had a retro look with basic equipment, while the Cruiser trim, priced at $82,030, provided a more upscale interior with larger screens and critical off-roading hardware. Our test vehicle, equipped with the Premium Package, featured real leather, a power sunroof, and a Heritage Blue and Grey paint scheme. The Land Cruiser's utilitarian design maximized off-road clearances and room for passengers and cargo, making it a practical choice for adventurous drivers. Despite its drab paint options, the Land Cruiser's interior offered a comfortable and technologically advanced experience.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler offered two engine options: a standard 3.6-litre V6 with a six-speed manual transmission and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The latter produced 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, providing a marginally more fuel-efficient option with a rating of 11.0 L/100 km in combined driving. Our evaluation of the four-cylinder model resulted in an average fuel economy of 12.3 L/100 km. The Wrangler's standard four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and generous approach and departure angles made it a capable off-road vehicle. However, its three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA was a concern, and the ride was rough with disconnected steering feel.

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, producing 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The full-time 4WD system, with electronic locking differentials, enabled a towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms. Despite an optimistic fuel economy rating of 10.1 L/100 km, our real-world evaluation loop resulted in 15.0 L/100 km. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, with features like Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Monitor enhancing its off-road capabilities. However, its handling on twisty roads was less impressive due to its tires and suspension tuning.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler's high ground clearance and narrow door openings made entry and exit challenging, even with optional step rails. The front seats were comfortable, with cloth upholstery and optional heated features. Rear-seat legroom was adequate, but taller passengers needed to be cautious of plastic hooks on the front seatbacks. Storage space was limited, with small items often ending up in cupholders. Accessing the cargo area required opening the tailgate and lifting the rear window, with a maximum cargo capacity of 2,050 litres when the back seat was folded.

In the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, upgrading to the Cruiser trim replaced cloth upholstery with SofTex artificial leather, and the Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. The front seats provided excellent support, but the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The rear window design was less practical compared to the 4Runner, and the centre console's cool box reduced storage space. The Land Cruiser offered 1,062 litres of cargo space, with a maximum capacity of 2,324 litres when the back seat was folded.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio preparation. The Convenience Group package added a 7-inch digital display, passive entry, and remote engine starting. Rear parking sensors were available in the Safety Group package. The touchscreen remained bright and easy to use, even with the roof panels removed.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim upgraded to two 12.3-inch displays with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and connected service plans. The Premium Package included a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, and digital key technology. The Drive Connect feature provided cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant for voice commands.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler included side curtain airbags as standard equipment, a significant safety upgrade. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) were optional, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert available on most trims. The Wrangler received a four-star frontal-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS rated it Good for side-impact protection but Marginal for small overlap frontal-impact tests.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, offering a comprehensive suite of ADAS features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping 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 and a three-star rollover resistance rating.