2021 Toyota Land Cruiser

2021 is the final US model year of the J200 Land Cruiser (2008–2021 in the US); it carries over the 3UR-FE 5.7L V8 unchanged. 381 hp is strong for an SUV, though not class-leading next to turbo V8 luxury rivals.

401 lb-ft from a large naturally aspirated V8 gives the heavy (~5,800 lb) Land Cruiser solid low-end grunt for towing and crawling.

Respectably quick for a nearly three-ton body-on-frame SUV, but mid-pack against the SUV band. Toyota publishes no 0–60 figure; the powertrain has been unchanged since the 8-speed arrived for 2016, so earlier instrumented tests apply.

The naturally aspirated V8 is smooth, quiet and lag-free, with linear delivery reviewers consistently describe as refined. It feels heavy and thirsty rather than urgent, and the engine is coarse only near redline.

The 8-speed ECT-i automatic shifts smoothly and suits the V8's torque. It is tuned for comfort, with slightly lazy kickdowns, and the gear ratios lean toward towing rather than sharp responses.

8,100 lbs, with the tow package standard, tops the SUV band and is near full-size truck-based SUV territory.

Full-time 4WD comes standard on every Land Cruiser, with a Torsen limited-slip locking center differential, a 2-speed transfer case with low range, and Multi-Terrain Select. That is the top tier of the rubric.

Genuinely trail-capable from the factory: low range, locking center diff, CRAWL Control, Off-Road Turn Assist, KDSS for wheel articulation and a Multi-Terrain Monitor. It loses some points for having no rear locker in the US and for its large size and weight on tight trails.

There is one powertrain, the 5.7L V8 with 8-speed and full-time 4WD, and no hybrid, diesel or alternative engine in the US. Take it or leave it.

The 2021 J200 is gas-only. The registry's hybrid class reflects the 2024+ J250 i-FORCE MAX; no Land Cruiser hybrid was sold in the US for 2021. At 14 MPG combined it is among the thirstiest SUVs on sale and sits at the floor of any SUV band.

13 MPG city reflects a ~5,800-lb body-on-frame SUV with a large naturally aspirated V8, start-stop absent and no electrification.

17 MPG highway is below the bottom of the SUV highway band, held down by mass, frontal area and full-time 4WD.

A large 24.6-gallon tank only partly offsets 14 MPG, giving about 344 miles between fills. That is modest for an expedition vehicle.

About 1,070 gallons a year at 14 MPG puts the EPA annual cost at $4,800, far above the SUV band ceiling and so at the scoring floor. The dollar figure moves with EPA's current fuel-price assumption, but the 14 MPG behind it does not.

It runs on regular unleaded, certified by EPA as Regular Gasoline, with no premium requirement, plug or DEF. Unlike the 2024+ J250 hybrid, which Toyota certified on premium, the V8 needs no costly fuel grade. The rubric only weighs fuel grade, so the high consumption is scored in the other items.

NHTSA lists the 2021 Land Cruiser but publishes 'Not Rated' for every crash test (overall, frontal, side, rollover). The 2021 is the final US year of the 200 series (2008–2021), a low-volume nameplate NHTSA never tested in any year of the generation, so there is no generation result to fall back on.

IIHS never evaluated the 200-series Land Cruiser in any crash test, so there is no small-overlap, moderate-overlap, side or roof-strength result and no award. Untested falls in the low band; held above the floor because there is no known poor result, only an absence of independent evidence on a 2008-era structure that predates the small-overlap test.

The 2021 is effectively a single-spec vehicle (Land Cruiser and Heritage Edition), and everything is standard: Toyota Safety Sense P (pre-collision with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise, lane departure alert with sway warning, automatic high beams) plus blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sonar and the Multi-Terrain Monitor camera system. Held below 80 because the lane function is an alert only, with no steering assist or lane centering — a generation behind TSS 2.0 rivals.

AEB is standard via the first-generation TSS-P Pre-Collision System (millimeter-wave radar plus monocular camera, vehicle and daytime pedestrian detection), but IIHS never ran its front crash prevention tests on this vehicle and the system lacks the low-light pedestrian, cyclist and intersection capability of later suites. Credited as functional but unproven and dated.

Blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on every 2021 Land Cruiser, backed by front and rear parking sonar, but both are alert-only — no rear auto-braking, safe-exit alert or trailer-length-aware coverage, which the J250 later added.

The 2021 Land Cruiser has Lane Departure Alert with Sway Warning only — an audible/visual warning with no steering correction and no lane centering (Lane Tracing Assist never reached the 200 series). Warning-only lane assistance sits in the low band.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is standard, but with no lane centering to pair with it there is no combined highway assist, and the TSS-P implementation is an older design than the full-speed TSS 2.0/3.0 systems of contemporaries. A capable but basic radar cruise.

No hands-free driving at any trim — the 2021 lacks even hands-on lane centering, so hands-free is absent.

LED low and high beams with automatic high beams are standard, but IIHS never rated the 200-series headlights, so there is no evidence on actual illumination or glare. Scored mid-band on hardware alone.

Tall, upright, boxy greenhouse with thin-ish pillars and a commanding seating position gives good natural sightlines, and the standard Multi-Terrain Monitor camera system (including a see-through-hood forward view) plus front and rear parking sonar compensates for the size of the vehicle. Held below 80 by the bulk of the body and the side-hinged rear door/headrests limiting the rear view.

Cars.com's model-year-specific Car Seat Check grades the LATCH hardware an A — two sets of lower anchors under Velcro flaps that are easy to use, three top tethers on the seatbacks — and the roomy second row fits three car seats across, a capability the successor J250 lost. Only the poorly marked center tether keeps it out of the 90s.

The volume (standard) Land Cruiser grade seats eight with a standard 50/50 third row; the Heritage Edition is a five-seater with the third row newly optional for 2021.

38.3 in is modest for a large SUV, partly because the power moonroof is standard on every 2021 grade.

Generous front legroom, above the SUV midpoint.

Tall second-row headroom thanks to the upright boxy roofline.

Second-row legroom is short for a vehicle this size — the 112.2-in wheelbase and body-on-frame packaging give less stretch-out room than three-row crossovers, though the bench slides.

The standard third row is a kids-only, short-trip space: 28.3 in of legroom, a high floor, and the 50/50 halves fold up against the cargo-area sides rather than into the floor, so it is a token row by modern three-row standards.

Behind the second row the volume trim offers 41.4 cu ft with the third row stowed against the walls — middling for a full-size SUV.

Above-average maximum cargo volume, though usable width is pinched when the third-row halves are folded to the sides.

A refrigerated cooler box in the bi-level center console, a 120V cargo outlet, two 12V outlets, twelve cupholders and a tumble second row are useful touches; the side-folding third row and lack of underfloor storage hold it back.

Broad, well-padded semi-aniline leather front seats with power lumbar are comfortable over distance; the second-row bench is upright with short legroom, and the third row is poor.

Long-travel coil suspension with KDSS soaks up broken pavement well and the ride is cushy, but the 5,800-lb body-on-frame SUV floats and pitches more than unibody luxury rivals.

Hushed by body-on-frame standards with a smooth, muted V8 at cruise; some wind noise from the upright body and tire noise from the 285/60R18 M+S tires.

Four-zone automatic climate with a separate rear panel, heated/ventilated fronts, heated second row, heated steering wheel and a moonroof are all standard on every 2021 grade; only remote pre-conditioning via app is missing.

In 2021, the last US model year of the J200, the Land Cruiser was Toyota's most expensive model. Its base price sits far above the SUV band ceiling.

The standard model with three rows was the core configuration. The Heritage Edition (+~$2,330) and the rear-seat entertainment package (+$2,200) were the only extra-cost choices.

The 200 Series has a low repair frequency, but its heavy 5.7L V8 full-time 4WD platform carries above-average routine costs for fluids, tires and brakes, which lands it mid-band.

As the final US-market 200 Series, the 2021 has held value exceptionally well. KBB values in 2026 still sit in the high $60Ks to mid $70Ks against an $87k MSRP, above the SUV band ceiling.

This is Toyota's standard basic warranty, at the bottom of the band.

This is Toyota's standard powertrain coverage, at the bottom of the band. The 2021 has no hybrid battery coverage because the US model is V8-only.

ToyotaCare covers factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for 2 years/25,000 miles. That is a short included-maintenance window, below the multi-year plans luxury rivals at this price offered.

$87,030 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (78% retained, or about $67,883) leaves about $19,147 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,300 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $25,447 in total.

2021 is the 14th and final US model year of the J200-series Land Cruiser, a fully matured design with no year-specific changes beyond the Heritage Edition package, and J.D. Power rates its quality & reliability 'Great'. RepairPal's middling 3/5 reflects repair cost more than failure frequency, so it holds the score just short of the top of the band.

Toyota is a consistent top-tier finisher in both Consumer Reports' brand rankings and J.D. Power's dependability study, and was in the 2021–2022 period.

Over a 14-year generation the J200 drew only a handful of campaigns, and the NHTSA recall database shows none filed against the 2021 model year itself. The generation's recalls (seat-belt tension sensor, a low-pressure fuel pump on 2018–2019 units) were limited and remedied, with nothing systemic for the powertrain.

The 2021 car uses only the 5.7L 3UR-FE V8 with the Aisin 8-speed automatic, a pairing also used in the Tundra, Sequoia and Lexus LX 570 and widely known for 300,000-mile service lives. Note: no hybrid existed for 2021; the registry's hybrid class describes the 2024+ J250.

The cabin is solidly built with leather and wood trim, but a decade-old design and dated switchgear and infotainment look plain against its roughly $87,000 price and the newer luxury SUVs it competes with.

Built at Toyota's Yoshiwara plant in Japan on a tooling run more than a decade old, the J200 is known for tight, rattle-free assembly that holds up over time, with few initial-quality complaints.

Toyota has one of the densest US dealer networks, about 1,500 dealers, with good service satisfaction scores.

Many powertrain parts are shared with the high-volume Tundra and Sequoia, and the off-road aftermarket is huge, but Land Cruiser-specific body, suspension (KDSS) and interior parts are dealer-priced and the low-volume SUV costs more than average to repair.

A 9-in. split-screen touchscreen is standard on both 2021 grades — small against contemporary full-size luxury SUVs.

The aging Entune-era head unit has plenty of physical buttons, which helps, but graphics, responsiveness and menu logic were dated by 2021 and reviewers called the tech out of step with the $85K+ price.

Neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto — wired or wireless — was offered on the 2021 Land Cruiser; only Siri Eyes Free and Bluetooth.

Integrated navigation with HD Radio predictive traffic and Doppler weather is standard, which matters more here because there is no phone projection; the command-based voice system is basic.

A 14-speaker JBL system with subwoofer and amplifier is standard on every grade — solid, though not in the league of the Mark Levinson or Bose/B&O systems in luxury rivals, and there is no upgrade.

Analog Optitron gauges with a small TFT multi-information display between them; no full-digital cluster was offered.

No over-the-air capability; Toyota's own disclosure says navigation updates come from the dealer, possibly at extra cost.

Connected Services are limited to Safety Connect (emergency assistance, stolen-vehicle locator, collision notification) on a trial; no app-based remote start, lock or climate is listed for 2021.

Qi wireless charging and a 120V cargo outlet are standard, but there is a single (USB-A) media port up front and no USB-C anywhere, leaning on two 12V sockets.

Smart Key proximity entry on all doors and liftgate with push-button start and a power liftgate are standard; no remote start, hands-free liftgate or phone-as-key.

Bird's Eye View 360-degree camera with perimeter scan and curb view, Multi-Terrain Monitor, and front/rear parking sonar are all standard — generous coverage, though image resolution is dated and there is no automated parking.

No head-up display was offered on the 2021 US Land Cruiser.

Eight seats and a sliding/tumbling second row help, but LATCH lower anchors are only on the two second-row outboard seats, the step-in height is tall, rear legroom is short and the third row is cramped.

TSS-P, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360 camera and ten airbags are standard, but neither NHTSA nor IIHS crash-tested the 2021 model, there is no lane-keeping steering assist, and no rear-seat reminder.

Four-zone climate with rear controls, heated second row, optional dual-screen rear DVD and a console cooler make long trips pleasant; the short-legroom second row and only 16.1 cu ft behind the third row limit it with all seats filled.

Smooth V8, plush seats and full-speed radar cruise make it relaxed in traffic, but its height, 5,800-lb mass and slow-witted steering make it cumbersome around town.

At 14 MPG combined on premium-recommended fuel, the Land Cruiser is among the most expensive SUVs to commute in.

A reasonable 194.9-in length and 38.7-ft turning circle for a full-size SUV, plus a standard 360 camera and front/rear sonar, make it manageable — but it is 78 in wide and 74 in tall.

8,100-lb towing with a standard hitch and 4/7-pin wiring, plus 401 lb-ft, is strong for an SUV; payload (~1,570 lb from GVWR minus curb) and luxury trim limit true work use.

The 200-series' 10-member ladder frame, proven 3UR-FE V8 and worldwide service with aid agencies and remote fleets give it one of the strongest durability reputations of any vehicle.

A 120V cargo outlet, frame-mounted tow hooks, all-weather mats (Heritage) and a huge global aftermarket for racks and armor help; leather-trimmed luxury cabin and lack of tie-down-focused provisions keep it a moderate work vehicle.

Comfortable, quiet and solid on the highway with radar cruise, but 24.6 gal at 17 MPG highway gives ~420 miles at best and only lane-departure alert (no steering assist) for driver relief.

Full-time 4WD with low range and locking Torsen center diff, KDSS, Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select, skid plates, 27.55-in fording and 8,100-lb towing make it a genuine expedition vehicle.

82.8 cu ft max, a standard roof rack, hitch receiver and a tumbling second row are useful, but the third row folds up against the sides, cutting width, and there is no underfloor storage.

KDSS keeps body roll in check better than most body-on-frame SUVs, but the 5,800-lb, tall Land Cruiser leans, pushes early and feels ponderous in quick direction changes.

Variable-ratio hydraulic rack is light and slow with little on-center precision — fine off-road, vague on the highway.

Large 14-in front and 13.6-in rear ventilated discs handle the mass adequately, but stops are long for the weight and the pedal is soft.

The naturally aspirated 5.7L V8 and 8-speed automatic are silky with no stop/start or turbo lag; response is linear if unhurried given the weight.

The V8 is muted at cruise with a pleasant, distant growl under load and little vibration through the controls.

38.7 ft is mid-pack for a large SUV.

Commanding high seat with power tilt/telescoping wheel and memory, good outward visibility and plenty of physical buttons; the button-heavy center stack is busy, and ingress is a climb (running boards help on the standard grade).

Not fun on pavement, but the V8 character, legendary nameplate and genuine trail ability give it a 'go anywhere' appeal enthusiasts value.

Every 2021 Land Cruiser came essentially fully loaded. Standard equipment included full-time 4WD with a locking center diff, Crawl Control, KDSS, Toyota Safety Sense-P, blind-spot monitoring, LED headlights, a moonroof, JBL audio, four-zone climate, and heated/ventilated leather seats.

At about $87k it cost far more than a Tahoe, Expedition or Sequoia and carried dated infotainment and 14 MPG. Durability, off-road ability and resale partly justify the price, so value is fair at best.

The lineup was essentially take-it-or-leave-it: one V8 powertrain and one drivetrain, with the standard model or the Heritage Edition (2- or 3-row in 2021) and a rear-entertainment package. That is marginally more choice than in earlier years.

US volume was a niche few thousand units a year in the J200's final season, far below volume full-size SUVs. Toyota then withdrew the nameplate from the US after 2021, a sign of thin market acceptance at this price.

The Land Cruiser nameplate has an almost unmatched global reputation for durability, and the final-year 2021 Heritage Edition took on collector status. That shows in exceptionally strong resale.

As a final-year model selling into the 2021 chip-shortage market, the Land Cruiser drew essentially no national incentives. Buyers often paid MSRP or markups, especially for the Heritage Edition.

2021 was the 14th and final year of the 200 Series in the US. Its last refresh was for 2016, and the nameplate was being discontinued here: buyers got an old platform with no direct successor until the 2024 J250.

Reviewers praised its off-road ability, quality and refinement but faulted price, fuel economy and dated tech. It was respected, not a comparison-test winner.