The Chevy Suburban Is a Better Overall SUV Than the Toyota Land Cruiser
The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser and the 2020 Chevy Suburban are both enormous SUVs with extreme family-hauling capability. Each has its pros and cons, but which one stands out as the more ideal SUV for families? The Suburban and the Land Cruiser both come equipped with robust V8 engine power, and boast roomy, luxurious interiors perfect for families that need room for plenty of people and gear. But which is the better buy?
Pricing
The Chevrolet option boasts a much more budget-friendly starting price. According to Car and Driver, the Chevy Suburban SUV starts in the LT trim for $52,995. To make that more comparable to the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV and its standard 4WD off-roading roots, we’ll tack on $3,000 to the Suburban’s price to add AWD.
“The Chevy Suburban has a high-end interior with lots of upscale touches.”
US News and World Report
The Toyota Land Cruiser is considered a member of the luxury SUV class, and its price definitely reflects that. $86,640 is the starting price for the Land Cruiser SUV. The base model comes standard with 4WD and leather upholstery. For many, however, the Land Cruiser’s iconic name isn’t enough to justify its high price.
“For a more-than-$85,000 vehicle, the Land Cruiser hits the mark with its interior design.”
US News and World Report
Performance
Each of these family SUVs has a powerful V8 engine under the hood. The 2020 Suburban and the 2020 Land Cruiser are both trucks at heart and their powertrains hold true to that. The Chevy SUV, according to Car and Driver, comes equipped with a 355 horsepower 5.3-liter V8 engine, which comes standard. Or you can upgrade to an optional 420 horsepower 6.2-liter V8. The Chevrolet Suburban can tow up to 8,300 pounds, according to Car and Driver.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is another SUV with a standard V8 engine. Its 5.7-liter V8 is good for up to 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. This is right in between the two Chevy engine options in both displacement and horsepower. The Land Cruiser tows up to 8,100 pounds according to Us News and World Report.
In terms of fuel economy, US News writes that the 2020 Land Cruiser is “among the worst.” The Toyota three-row SUV gets about 13 mpg city and 17 mpg on the highway. However, the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban is reported to have “about average” fuel economy by the US News review. It’s slightly more efficient with 14 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway when equipped with AWD and the base engine––20 mpg on the highway with the larger V8.
Off-roading: is the Land Cruiser SUV really that much better?
This is the one place that the Toyota Land Cruiser crushes the Suburban. According to Car and Driver, the 2020 Suburban “can be fitted with a package that gives it some decent off-road chops.”
Still, Car and Driver reports that the Land Cruiser SUV is “a mountain goat on the trail.” In short, yes. If you want a big SUV that can really crawl around on rough terrain, the Toyota Land Cruiser is hard to beat. Even if the Chevy SUV is a good off-roader.
The Chevrolet Suburban SUV is a better choice for families
According to US News and World Report, the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV seats up to 8 people across three rows. However, if you opt for the range-topping Heritage Edition, you’ll lose your third row. Conversely, the higher your options price the Chevy Suburban SUV, the more family-friendly it gets. Each Suburban option seats 7-9 people, according to US News.
The Toyota Land Cruiser‘s 82.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo space pales in comparison to the Suburban’s class-leading 121.7 cubic feet. These stats are for when the seats are fully folded, which is also a lot easier to do in the Chevrolet SUV, according to US News. Additionally, it made the US News list for the safest large family SUVs. Overall, it’s a much more economic, well-rounded SUV and it’s a better choice for most families.
