2008 Land Cruiser: Redesigned, but is it Any Better?

There was once a period in time where a person could look at a car and tell what make and model vehicle it was simply by the outward appearance. However, we need only to take a look around most car dealerships today and realize that the era in question is long gone. In today's automotive world, it seems to be stylish to make everything look like everything else. Sadly, the 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser seems to have fallen prey to this philosophy as well, and although the Land Cruiser does offer some interesting innovations, the changes to interior and exterior appearance are likely enough to dismay many faithful fans of the vehicle line.

The radical changes made to the Land Cruiser start right from the grill. The front grill has been widened and heightened, meaning that it now takes up more of the car than it did before. Also, for some strange reason, the headlights have been "bulged" out from the rest of the car, and the traditional box headlights now look like strange bubbles protruding from the car. The lighting idea is followed up in the rear of the vehicle, and he tail lights also bulge out. The body of the car itself has been widened, and sits higher off the ground than previous models. However, the most unattractive thing about the 2008 Cruiser is simply how big it is. Although the previous year models weren't exactly small cars, they were reasonably sized SUVs that managed to have style and provide comfort without overwhelming everything else on the road. The new Cruiser, with virtually everything on it becoming bigger and seemingly bloated, can no longer make that claim.

While the exterior changes may not make the Land Cruiser any friends, it is possible that the redesigned interior might. Changing from the traditional, and somewhat boring Land Cruiser interior, the 2008 model is much more advanced, and seems to resemble the interior of a Scion xB more than anything else. Although it is as of yet impossible to tell how the interior provides comfort or function while driving, it does appear, at least for now, to be stylish and a required refinement for a model that has little overall interior change for a fairly long period of time. The interior also looks to have plenty of space, and sports additional features such as a leather wrapped interior and attractive gauges.

However, the 2008 Land Cruiser does offer an incredible number of luxury features and amenities which should make it an attractive vehicle for anyone seeking a luxury car. However, for a vehicle which starts at over $63,000, one would expect Toyota to put a couple of incentives in there. However, the car does come with the upgrades V8 engine, and a unique suspension system designed to provide equal comfort on pavement or when taking the vehicle off road. However, the question remains as to who in their right mind would take a full size luxury SUV offer of the pavement.

When the matter is fully considered, perhaps it comes to a bit of a toss up for the 2008 Land Cruiser. One the one hand, consumers are provided a vehicle which far outshines the previous years models in terms of features and size capacity, as well as a more interesting, if somewhat flawed design. On the other hand, it seems as though the high price of the Land Cruiser, and the large size and strange choices with regards to the interior and exterior may put off a good number of potential buyers. However, at this point, we must leave it up to time to decide if the 2008 Land Cruiser is a brilliant new move for Toyota, or just the death of another unique vehicle.