Toyota Land Cruiser vs Jeep Renegade

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015, was a compact SUV that drew inspiration from the iconic Wrangler, featuring a boxy profile, circular headlights, and a seven-slat grille. By 2021, it retained the design updates from its 2019 refresh, with some previously optional features becoming standard. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern and functional cabin, with an upright center stack reminiscent of the Wrangler. It came in various trims, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk, each offering a unique set of features and equipment.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser, in its final year of the current form, was available in a Heritage Edition to celebrate its 65th anniversary. The standard model, however, was more subdued, with Magnetic Gray paint and Terra leather upholstery. Its exterior design was basic, with large headlights and a chrome-heavy look. Inside, the Land Cruiser combined Toyota parts-bin switchgear with high-quality materials, offering a plush and premium feel. Despite its dated design, it provided a commanding view and a sense of luxury, with features like a traditional hand-operated parking brake and a CD player.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. While neither engine was particularly spirited, the turbocharged option provided better torque and refinement. The Renegade's ride quality was solid, with good cornering stability and maneuverability, especially in urban settings. The Trailhawk trim, with its off-road capabilities, featured a terrain management system and 8.7 inches of ground clearance, making it "Trail Rated."

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser was powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine, delivering 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a full-time four-wheel-drive system. Despite its size, the Land Cruiser offered smooth acceleration, with 90% of its torque available at 2,200 rpm. It featured a Torsen limited-slip differential, mud-and-snow tires, and a suite of off-road technologies like Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select. On-road, the Land Cruiser provided a refined driving experience, though its nearly 3-ton weight required more steering effort. It was rated to tow up to 8,100 pounds.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade provided 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with them in use, offering above-average space for a subcompact SUV. Its tall, boxy design allowed for ample headroom in both rows, with good legroom in the front and adequate space for adults in the rear. The Renegade featured various storage solutions, including foldable front passenger seats for added versatility.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser, despite its luxurious interior, offered limited storage space. It featured plush leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a four-zone climate control system with 28 air vents. The second-row bench seat was roomy, while the third-row seat could accommodate adults if the second row slid forward. Cargo space was 16.1 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 41.4 cubic feet with the third row folded and 82.8 cubic feet with the second row down. The split clamshell-style liftgate provided convenient access to the cargo area.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on higher trims. Both screens featured the intuitive Uconnect system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A Kenwood premium audio system was available for enhanced sound quality.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, running Toyota's Entune technology. It lacked modern conveniences like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and its interface required tapping rather than swiping. The system was straightforward, with large buttons and knobs for easy control. A dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system was available, though it was dated and lacked streaming capabilities. The standard JBL Synthesis audio system provided good sound quality.

For 2021, the Jeep Renegade made several safety features standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection. However, the Trailhawk trim did not include emergency braking. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and parking sensors. The Renegade received a four-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser came with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P) as standard, offering forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. It also included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. However, it lacked more advanced driving assistance systems like stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance. Crash-test ratings were not available for the Land Cruiser.