We tested the new Toyota Land Cruiser against its legendary predecessor. It lives up to the hype, even without a third row.

It looks really cool, with a 1980's boxy retro design. A bit like the new Ford Bronco, but less extreme and more practical.

Julie, my neighbor, had high expectations.

"My old Land Cruiser was a tank," she said when I told her I was going to test drive the new version. "This one better be a tank."

When I picked Julie up on a Friday afternoon, this was her first impression: "It looks like a Range Rover," she said. "It does feel tank-ish."

I imagine this is music to Toyota's ears.

I told Julie the starting price of roughly $56,000.

"Wow, mine was $62,000 back in 2001, and the newer ones were $100,000. My neighbor had one that was $98,000," she said.

How many car companies take a legendary brand and knock at least $30,000 off the sticker price? This was a big risk to take by Toyota. What did it give up by making this new SUV less expensive?

The main difference: There's no third row seating available in the new Land Cruiser.

This will be a significant loss for some customers and longtime Land Cruiser fans. More on this later, from Julie and myself.

No, there isn't a third row Julie, sorry.

The 2020 Land Cruiser had maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. The new version has 6,000.

Getting three fully grown adults in the back may be a slight squeeze, especially as there's a wide central bump in the floor which leaves less room for three pairs of feet.

Julie pushed her front passenger seat all the way back. Then, I jumped in the back to check out the legroom.

It wasn't uncomfortable, but there wasn't a massive amount of extra room for my legs back there.

The older Land Cruisers could fit 8 people using the third row of seats. The maximum with the new version is 5 adults.

I didn't mind this. It added to the overall retro, rugged vibe of the vehicle.

Julie also noted that her old Land Cruiser had fancy wood-style veneer that eventually "went bad."

Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

When she first got into the new Land Cruiser 1958, Julie very quickly checked the sun visors. Her old Land Cruiser had a double visor, where you could put one to the side and still have another for your front-facing needs. This kept the sun out of her eyes on winding roads.

Julie was a little disappointed this feature was missing on the new model.

The new Land Cruiser has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. That doesn't sound like much for a big SUV. The previous Land Cruiser model had a 5.7 liter V8.

However, the 2024 version has a turbo and an electric power plant. So this turbo-hybrid mashup ends up with 326 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque at a pretty low 1,700 RPM.

That compares to the 2020 Land Cruiser, which had 381 horsepower and 401 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 RPM.

The result: Driving the 2024 Land Cruiser is an engaging combination of truck feel and modern smoothness.

At low speeds, the hybrid engine is quiet and calm. Press the accelerator down and you get truck-style grunt and a satisfying prod of low-end torque and speed.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is about 800 pounds lighter than the 2020 model.

While still feeling sturdy, you get much better gas mileage. 22 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, according to the official numbers. The older model got 13 and 17 mpg.

Note: The new Land Cruiser needs premium gasoline.

The steering was light and accurate at low speed. Perfect for zipping around town and parking.

At higher speeds, the steering firmed up nicely and remained accurate and responsive.

The best part: The Land Cruiser rolls slightly and rumbles as you drive around. In a good way. It feels like you're driving a sturdy, capable SUV, but it's also really easy to maneuver. A real pleasure.

"It feels like a heavy well-made truck that doesn't drive like a truck," Julie said. Well put.

There are 37.5 cubic feet of in the back trunk of the new Land Cruiser. With daily use, this was more than enough space.

The midrange Land Cruiser, which starts at around $62,000, has square headlights.

The model I drove, the 1958, has round headlights. Both look really cool.

I wasn't bothered with this. This is a tough, go-anywhere style SUV. It's not a Rolls-Royce.

There are fancier seats in the more expensive Land Cruiser, along with optional leather seats as part of a larger option package.

To open this window, you press a cool corner button. A nice design touch.

Still, the 2020 Land Cruiser model had more than 40 cubic feet of room in the trunk without the third row.

Adding this roof rack costs $1,440. My test car came with other extras, too, including skid plates, cargo and floor mats, and rock rails.

All together, these extras added about $3,600 to the base price of $55,950. And with delivery, handling, and processing fees, the grand total was $59,574.

The roof rack and rock rails looked cool, but you don't need these really.

I'd probably add chunkier tires, which would make the new Land Cruiser look even more rugged.

Bigger wheels are available on the more expensive versions of this new SUV.

Julie wanted the mirrors to be a little wider. Instead, they are unusually tall.

This is similar to how the back seats go up in old Land Cruisers.

There's a larger touchscreen in the more expensive new Land Cruiser, which starts at about $62,000.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is 193.8 inches long, while the 2020 model was 194.9 inches. The new version is actually about 2 inches higher.

(This picture I took includes a much older version of the Land Cruiser, by the way).

The 2020 Land Cruiser was 78 inches wide, while the new model is 77.9 inches in width.

Julie's major grumble with the new Land Cruiser was the lack of a third row of seats.

One of the reasons she loved her old Land Cruiser was that she could easily drive around a lot of kids and still feel safe. It could seat 8 people, while the 2024 Land Cruiser can only fit 5.

"It might be a deal killer if I was still running a lot of kids around," Julie told me. "If your kids have friends that need a ride too, you're out of luck."

She has a Toyota Highlander these days and that vehicle can carry 7 people.

Not including a third row, or at least an option for this, seems like a wasted opportunity.

I asked Toyota about this, and they said there's no third row currently offered in the US for the new Land Cruiser. And they "can't comment on future product."

I loved the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958.

After a few days with this vehicle, I smiled every time I got in it. When I had to give it back to Toyota, I was sad — as you can see in this photo.

Why did I love it so much?

It's got the retro rugged vibe just right.

It's sturdy enough for Land Cruiser fans, and its ride is a perfect combination of rumbling truck and smooth car.

I have driven the new Ford Bronco quite a bit, and it's not as good. Sorry Ford.

My only real request: Add a third row option.

I'll leave the final words to Julie, my neighbor and longtime Land Cruiser fan.

"Oh why didn't I wait!?" she said while I drove her around in the Land Cruiser 1958.

She has a Toyota Highlander right now, and she's regretting that purchase now.

"Ask them if they'll trade mine in," she said.