Review: 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition
There’s something reassuring about a Toyota Land Cruiser. Like a proper cup of tea or a Labrador with a daft grin, it doesn’t need to shout, flash or try too hard, it just is. Solid, dependable, and endlessly capable off-road. But has Toyota managed to bottle that old-school charm while dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st century? Let's find out.
Looks That Mean Business
First off, just look at it. It’s square, it’s boxy, and it’s proud of it. The retro-inspired face with its circular LED headlights and bluff grille screams “utility”, while subtle modern touches, like the fancy alloys and tidy body lines bring it bang up to date. The First Edition, being the launch special, gets all the bells and whistles, including a two-tone paint job, exclusive badging, and a general air of “I was here before it was cool”.
Size-wise, the new Land Cruiser Prado measures in at 4.9 metres long, so it’s only about 30–60mm shorter than both the full-size 200 and 300 Series, depending on which tape measure you're using and what trim you’re looking at. Not a huge difference, but just enough to make tight country lanes and multi-storey ramps a little less heart-stopping.
It’s also 10mm narrower than the 200 Series, though bang-on the same width as the 300, so you’re still very much in “full-fat 4x4” territory, just without quite the same elbow-scraping bulk.
As for the wheelbase, Toyota’s stuck with the tried-and-tested 2,850mm, the same as its big siblings, because they reckon that’s the sweet spot for stability, articulation and interior space. And honestly, we’re not arguing – it works.
On-Road Ride: Good – But Not Defender Good
Let’s not kid ourselves, this is a heavy, body-on-frame 4x4. It’s never going to glide down the motorway like a Range Rover, but for what it is, the on-road ride is surprisingly decent.
The new TNGA-F platform has helped it feel a bit less wallowy in the bends, and the steering, though vague, at least points you in the right direction without needing a plan and a prayer. But it did give me the impression that it wanted to carry on when you try and take the bends a little too quickly.
That said, it's no match for the new Defender in terms of on-road manners. The Land Cruiser can feel a little bouncy on uneven tarmac, especially at low speeds, and there's a fair bit of body lean when you start pushing on. It’s not scary, just a gentle reminder that it’s made to climb rocks, not carve corners. On the plus side, it’s better behaved than the Grenadier on-road.
The Diesel Elephant in the Room
Now, let’s talk about that 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel. With 204PS and 500Nm of torque, it’s got the grunt to move the big Cruiser along without too much fuss. It’ll tow 3.5 tonnes and climb up the side of Ben Nevis if you ask nicely.
But, and it’s a big ‘but’, it sounds like a tractor. No, really. It drones on and on like someone moaning about parking permits on a community Facebook group. In a commercial vehicle, fair enough. In an £80k SUV? Less so. We can forgive a bit of diesel clatter in a Hilux, but in something this plush, it feels out of place. A six-cylinder diesel or petrol-hybrid option wouldn’t go amiss.
Fuel economy isn’t terrible for something this size, think mid-30s MPG if you’re gentle, less if you’re dragging a caravan or boot full of camping kit. Still, it’s better than the Grenadier, which drinks like it’s got a hole in the tank.
Off-Road? It’s a Mountain Goat in Hiking Boots
Here’s where the Land Cruiser properly shines. Engage low-range, hit the ‘lanes, and it comes alive. With full-time AWD, a centre diff lock, rear diff lock, and Multi-Terrain Select with Crawl Control, it can tackle ruts, rocks, bogs and bombholes with calm confidence. The underbody protection, suspension articulation and sheer ground clearance mean you can just point and go.
Compared to a Defender, it’s just as capable, if not quite as sophisticated. You don’t get air suspension that raises and lowers at the press of a button, but you do get that “I can get you home no matter what” feel, which, let’s face it, is what we love about the Land Cruiser.
Interior: Rugged Luxe, or Luxurious Rugged?
Inside, the First Edition balances modern tech with chunky usability. There’s a 12.3” digital driver’s display, a 12.3” infotainment screen (with buttons – rejoice!), and a good spread of physical controls for climate and off-road gubbins. Heater controls? Yep, buttons, thank you very much. None of this swiping through menus while your windscreen fogs up nonsense.
The front seats are big, comfy armchairs, heated and ventilated with memory settings. Rear passengers get loads of legroom and heated seats too. Boot space is a generous 640 litres with the seats up, and the flat load lip means chucking in a muddy dog, half a forest of camping gear, or several crates of Boddingtons is a doddle. There’s even a split tailgate and rubberised mats to protect the interior from soggy Lurchers and rogue tent pegs.
And because it's still a Land Cruiser at heart, everything feels tough. Not harsh, just solid. The sort of interior that’ll still look decent after 10 years of kids, dogs, and green-laning weekends.
Tech and Tedium + Tantrums
Toyota’s latest infotainment system is decent, fast, logical, and with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But best of all, you’re not forced to use it for everything. Want to change the temperature? There’s a button. Need to engage low range? There’s a switch. Lane-keep assist annoying you? Hmmm… You can switch off most of the overzealous driver aids like lane departure alert, steering assist, pre-collision alerts, and road sign recognition - but it’s not always a one-button affair. After living with it for a fortnight I want to say it gets easier, but it just became more annoying, as did dealing with the ‘agree or disagree’ to Toyota’s term and conditions..
Whilst I’m moaning…
Slip the Land Cruiser into low range, and you’ll be met with a flurry of dash warnings that seem determined to make a stressful descent even more distracting. As soon as you engage low, the 250 automatically disables or limits various driver aids, things like Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Pre-Collision Braking, Lane Departure Alert, and so on. Which makes sense, because you don’t want the car slamming on the brakes mid-bog.
The issue is, it doesn’t just quietly switch them off and crack on – oh no. Instead, you get a new warning message every 10 seconds or so. So, while you’re trying to tiptoe down a muddy hill in first low or thread your way up a rocky hill, the dash lights up again with:
“VSC Turned OFF”
“Pre-Collision Brake System Unavailable”
And you can’t help but glance down, thinking, "Have I broken something?" when all it’s really doing is giving you a heads-up about systems you already knew were switching off.
Useful? Honestly, not really.
Annoying? Absolutely.
Can you turn them off? Not properly. It’s the car’s way of saying, “Alright mate, you asked for low range – I’m backing off. If you hit a tree, that’s on you.” And fair enough, I get it. But after the tenth flashing message, you do start wishing it’d just pipe down and let you get on with it.
Worth It? Or Wallet-Wilting?
Ignoring my grumbles, would we recommend it? Yes… but with a few caveats.
The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition is a brilliant bit of kit – capable, comfy, and tougher than a weekend in Snowdonia during Storm Beryl. It does exactly what you’d expect a proper Land Cruiser to do, and then some.
But here’s the sting: all that rugged goodness doesn’t come cheap. The First Edition will set you back around £79,000–£81,000 OTR, depending on options and dealer mark-up. That’s knocking on the door of Range Rover Sport money, and quite a step up from the old Prado (150 Series), which topped out around £60k before it was pulled.
And as if that wasn’t enough, brace yourself for the tax bill.
Being a big diesel SUV, it falls into the top VED band for CO₂ emissions. That means £2,745 in the first year (as of 2025 rates), followed by the standard £190 per year thereafter.
Oh, and because it’s over £40k, you’ll also get slapped with the 'Premium Rate' car tax surcharge – another £410 per year for five years, on top of the regular VED.
That’s over £4,000 in tax alone in the first six years, before you’ve even topped up the tank.
So yes, it’s a big investment, both upfront and over time. But what you’re paying for is a vehicle that’ll likely still be going strong when the neighbour’s crossover SUV has retired to the great scrapyard in the sky.
But Does It Suit the UK?
Absolutely – and not just for those with a postcode that ends in “shire”. The 250’s compliant suspension handles broken tarmac, potholes and cobbled farm tracks with ease, and it feels just as at home in a muddy lay-by on the North York Moors as it does cruising down the M6. And thanks to proper wading depth and underbody protection, you won’t think twice about tackling a bit of standing water or a chewed-up green lane.
In short, it suits the rough and tumble of British roads just fine, whether that’s in Cumbria, Cornwall or Conisbrough.
The Verdict?
The 2025 Land Cruiser Prado First Edition is the real deal. It’s not flashy (okay, just a bit!). It’s not the last word in refinement. And yes, the engine drones like an old Massey Ferguson on a wet Tuesday. But it’ll get you there, and back, with muddy dogs, a boot full of camping gear, and a big daft grin on your face. That’s if you can stomach the price, and the tax man’s demands.