If you have a need to get over, through, or around the toughest obstacles in your drive to your hunting or fishing spot, but you also have an overwhelming desire to be more comfortable during the journey than you are at home in your La-Z-Boy, and if you have about $84,000 burning a hole in your pocket, the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser is the vehicle for you.
This beast combines the best of both worlds. The suspension and drivetrain are tough enough to crawl through the Serengeti or an Amazon rain forest, with an impressive 27 inches of independent wheel travel both up and down. The onboard electronics can sense if you’re on the highway or off the pavement, and when you need that extra suspension travel, the vehicle automatically disconnects the sway bar to let you four-wheel to your heart’s content. The Land Cruiser has proven itself in the African bush, the Australian Outback, and even more hostile terrain.
When you’re on the road, all those electronics kick in again, giving you the smoothest ride I’ve ever experienced in any SUV, even one only half as capable.
But then there are all the creature comforts. There’s only one model – and it’s fully loaded, complete with a rear-seat entertainment system, including wireless headphones.
Unfortunately, with that price tag and all those luxurious appointments, you probably won’t ever see a Land Cruiser in its natural environment – off the paved roads. I’ve said before that I’m a truck guy, and not a big fan of SUVs, but I’d happily trade my ’94 F-250 for a new Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser will go places my old Ford just can’t, and it won’t knock your fillings out getting there. But something tells me nobody’s going to take me up on my offer.
