Surprising news from Toyota continues to stir up automobile lovers in just about every class. Those in the large luxury SUV class were shocked to learn that the automaker will discontinue the Toyota Land Cruiser in 2022 after keeping it in production since 1951.

Don’t fret too much if you already own an earlier model; keep in mind that longevity has always been one of its strong points. However, we have to face the facts: The 2020 Heritage Edition Land Cruiser is expensive, and responsible buyers need to question whether it’s worth it.

Spend more for less seating in the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition

A Car and Driver review celebrated the Land Cruiser’s return to its off-road roots. In spite of that bit of thrilling news, only five people at a time can enjoy the ride in the 2020 Heritage Editions of the nameplate. To further dampen enthusiasm, at close to $90k, you pay almost $2,500 more to take away three seats from a standard Land Cruiser. Do features like hyper legroom and a reduction of 100 pounds justify the increase in price?

What are the positive and negative features of the Heritage Edition Land Cruiser?

There are plenty of positive features to justify enthusiasm for the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition. To begin with, impeccable quality and reliability, standard attributes of Land Cruisers, are an integral feature that you can’t overlook. The Land Cruiser shares its 381-hp 5.7-liter V-8 with the Sequoia, but attached to the Land Cruiser are an 8-speed automatic transmission and hydraulically controlled disconnecting anti-roll bars capable of producing a serene ride even in the roughest terrain. Rough terrain handling is another major positive of the 2020 Heritage Edition with features like four underbody skid plates, a 27.6-inch fording depth, and an impressive RTI that is 161 points higher than its cousin the Tacoma. Further legitimizing the Heritage’s off-road capabilities are a two-speed transfer case, a locking center differential, and off-road turn assist.

In spite of these great features, the Heritage Edition Land Cruiser has its drawbacks as well. This Land Cruiser trim level includes less luxury than the base model Land Cruiser. Stripped away from the standard edition Land Cruiser are three seats, the running boards, two cup-holders (10 versus the regular 12), the cooler box in the center console, semi-aniline leather, and the choice of colors (the Heritage only offers Midnight Black Metallic and Blizzard Pearl).  The Heritage sits on a platform that has worked, but is severely outdated. The most glaring negative is the loss of so much while bumping up the sticker price to $90k.

The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition will be a better buy used

You might suspect that the purpose behind the Heritage Edition of the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser was to appease the masses while announcing that the iconic SUV will be put out to pasture; like a prize for participating. However, the reliability and durability of this model means that it will be around for a while.

The 2020 Heritage Edition Land Cruiser has some impressive features, which highlight and celebrate the Land Cruiser’s roots, making it difficult to turn your back on it. However, it seems unreasonable to pay more money for less seating, fewer choices, and what amounts to a lot of hype. There are only two justifications for buying the Heritage Edition trim package; its off-roading capabilities, and because you can. For the former, wait until you can buy it used.