10 best Toyota Land Cruiser alternatives 2025

April 30, 2024 by

The new Toyota Land Cruiser is on sale in the UK now, and it’s a great car for tackling rough terrain.

But what if you’re after something a bit more wallet-friendly? (the Land Cruiser starts from a hefty £75,000). Or maybe you don’t need an SUV with quite such extensive off-road capabilities.

Well thankfully there are loads of great SUV options out there, whether it’s a budget option or something a bit more luxurious. Here are 10 alternatives to the new Toyota Land Cruiser.

1) Land Rover Defender
2) Jeep Wrangler
3) Ineos Grenadier
4) Kia EV9
5) Suzuki Jimny
6) Subaru Crosstrek
7) Dacia Duster
8) BMW X5
9) Porsche Cayenne
10) Land Rover Discovery

1) Land Rover Defender

Let’s start with the Land Cruiser’s closest competitor, the Land Rover Defender. For around £10,000 less than the Toyota, you can get yourself a Defender 110 with a decent level of spec. It’ll prove to be just as capable off road as well.

Land Rover may not have the same track record for reliability as Toyota, but there’s no denying that the Defender is one of the most desirable off-roaders on the market thanks to its cool styling and upmarket image.

2) Jeep Wrangler

If all you want to do is boss the off-road trails and look cool while doing it, the Jeep Wrangler is the 4×4 for you. There are plenty of ways to personalise the design as well to make it suit your tastes.

Things aren’t quite so good on the road though, where the Wrangler is quite uncomfortable and noisy, however it makes up for this with generous levels of standard equipment.

3) Ineos Grenadier

You may have never heard of Ineos, but this newcomer to the 4×4 game has built a seriously capable mud-plugger. The Grenadier has been designed to tug at the heartstrings of classic Land Rover fans, creating something akin to the old Defender.

As a result, it doesn’t have the same on-road manners of the Land Cruiser, however it will easily match it off the beaten track. It’s just a shame it’s so expensive at £79,000, making it a few thousand pounds more expensive than the more well-rounded Toyota. Ouch.

4) Kia EV9

Not everyone needs an SUV which can climb every mountain and ford every stream, so if you’re looking for a practical family hauler then check out the all-electric Kia EV9. It won’t match the Land Cruiser when the going gets rough, but most models come with all-wheel drive so the occasional muddy track shouldn’t pose an issue.

Not everyone will be willing to part with upwards of £70,000 for a Kia badge, however the EV9 could teach more premium brands a thing or two. It has a posh, spacious interior, as well as generous levels of standard equipment.

5) Suzuki Jimny

But what if you want to go as far off the beaten track as you can for the smallest amount of money? Enter, the Suzuki Jimny. This pocket-sized off-roader will get you where you need to go, whether that’s the local corner shop or the top of Ben Nevis.

It’s a shame that, thanks to ever-tightening emissions regulations for cars, Suzuki only sells the Jimny in the UK as a commercial vehicle these days. It’s also pretty uncomfortable on the road.

6) Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek may look like a normal hatchback at a glance, but look a bit closer and you’ll notice the jacked-up ride height and chunky black cladding indicating that this is a family car with proper off-road credentials.

It may not be the cheapest car to run thanks to its thirsty boxer engine, and it’s a bit pricey when compared to a normal hatchback. It’s still around half the price of a Land Cruiser though, making it ideal as long as you don’t need the same levels of space the Toyota offers.

7) Dacia Duster

It may be a great-value family SUV, but you may not know that the Dacia Duster is also available as a four-wheel drive model with decent off-road ability. It won’t leave the Land Cruiser quaking in its tyres when the going gets rough, but it can handle itself through the muddy stuff.

Prices for the new Duster are yet to be announced, but being a Dacia it’s likely to represent great value for money. Just don’t expect cutting-edge levels of tech.

8) BMW X5

What if you’re more interested in having fun on the road than off it? Well the BMW X5 is a great place to start. It handles twisty roads with aplomb, especially for such a big and heavy car.

It’ll be a fair bit more expensive than a Land Cruiser after you’ve done some box ticking on the options list, because quite a few desirable features don’t come as standard. Once you’ve got all the kit on board though it’s a great all-rounder.

9) Porsche Cayenne

Another great shout for driving thrills is the Porsche Cayenne. This posh SUV will put a smile on your face on a back road, while also being super comfortable for the daily commute.

Like the BMW, you’ll spend quite a lot of cash after browning the optional extras. It also won’t hold a candle to the Land Cruiser off road, but it feels a lot more plush inside than that car and there’s a great range of engines on offer.

10) Land Rover Discovery

Finally, we come to the Land Rover Discovery. This offers all the same off-road capability of the Toyota Land Cruiser, as well as the Land Rover Defender, but in a more posh and upmarket package. The whole extended family can enjoy the ambience as well thanks to the seven seats.

The styling might be a bit polarising, but behind that design lies a comfortable, quiet and spacious family SUV which can tackle the worst that mother nature will throw at it. It’s also a few thousand pounds cheaper than the Land Cruiser.

What if I’ve won the lottery?

Let’s imagine money is no object for a minute and you want an SUV with a premium image. Here are three posh alternatives to the Toyota Land Cruiser.

1) Mercedes G-Class

The Mercedes G-Class might seem like an obvious Land Cruiser alternative, but it’s actually a whopping £62,000 more expensive than the Toyota. That would leave you enough change to buy a whole Mercedes GLC.

So why is it so expensive? Well the G-Class is one of the most desirable off-roaders you can buy thanks to its iconic styling, luxurious interior and unstoppable mud-plugging capabilities. It may not be as refined on the road as some more traditional SUVs, but for some people that won’t matter when it looks this cool.

2) Range Rover

You can’t talk about posh 4x4s without mentioning the Range Rover. This British luxury can has been the go-to wheels of the rich and famous for decades now, and it’s easy to see why. It’s imposing to look at, super comfortable to drive and packed with all the latest tech.

All this does come at a hefty price, over £100,000 in fact, but that’s what you pay when a car is this desirable. It’ll easily give the Land Cruiser a run for its money off road as well.

3) Volvo EX90

Finally, for something a bit left-field, what about the Volvo EX90. This electric SUV won’t beat the Land Cruiser when it comes to off-roading, but it offers seven seats, a posh interior and an impressive amount of safety kit.

We haven’t managed to get behind the wheel of the EX90 yet so therefore can’t comment on the driving experience, however being a Volvo you can expect comfort and refinement to be top notch. It’d better be anyway with a £100,000 price tag.

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