by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a classic figure on any road and in many personal garages. With all of the hubbub surrounding the release of the 2022 Land Cruiser FJ300, Toyota noted that a lot of the inspiration for the new model came from the 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80. Which attributes have stood the test of time?

The classic Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80

The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80 was released in 1991 and was the first year that it became a little more grown-up. Japanese Nostalgic Car translated a documentary put out by Toyota last week that documents the Development Story of the new Land Cruiser.

In the documentary, Toyota noted that the FJ80 generation of LC was the “north star” during the development phase. Takami Yokoo, Chief Engineer of the FJ300, noted that the Land Cruiser is the only vehicle to have traveled through all terrains as it has. It seems that Toyota is the only brand that can make such a broad statement.

Yokoo and the rest of the development team took the most recent Cruiser around Australia, one of the more treacherous terrains mixed with regular city streets. Yokoo and the Land Cruiser drove for over 1,000 miles and noticed that driver fatigue was an issue. With that, the brand set out to improve the “on-pavement smoothness.”

“Even as times change, the Land Cruiser has to be true to its core. I was constantly reminding the development team, ‘This is not just a car, it’s the Land Cruiser,’”

Takami Yokoo | Toyota

The team used laser-welding techniques to help improve the suspension while also reducing the overall weight by 440 pounds. The wheelbase, dubbed the “golden ratio” setup, remained unchanged from the Land Cruiser 80.

Is Toyota coming out with a new Land Cruiser?

One of the major changes with the Land Cruiser 300 is the absence of the V8. This made quite a splash with fans, but it makes sense. Akira Miura is a Dakar Rally racer and helped work with the Toyota team on this. The V8 was a source of weight that was no longer beneficial. With the new turbo V6 option, the LC is more balanced. The SUV isn’t as heavy in the front, which gives the driver better control throughout.

Speaking of control, the new wheel articulation feature is a number that indicates the ability of a tire to stay on the ground. The Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System E-KDSS system is the first in the world to improve road-holding.

Multi-Terrain Monitor is a way to display obstacles from the driver’s point of view. Multi-Terrain Select helps judge the road based on the surface and selects the best driving mode for the terrain ahead.

“Our customers trust this car”

Paul Currion wrote about the history of the SUV in the Panorama Journal. Currion said that while the Land Cruiser is important in getting to the people who need aid, it is also a station. While out in areas with extreme weather or situations, the Cruiser allowed workers a moment of quiet. It provided an office for work and air-conditioned space for a break, no matter where the team landed.

Toyota seemed to remember that when developing the new version. The video emphasized that people who own the LC trust the vehicle. “Our customers trust this car, and many say they think of it as a family member,” Sadayoshi Koyari, the Former Chief Engineer, said. “I believe this car’s mission is to take you wherever you want to go and bring you home in one piece, no matter what.”

While everything said is true, it is interesting to watch how much that impacted the design of the new LC. Since there has not been a redesign since 2017, it is assured that Toyota took all the necessary steps to create the new Land Cruiser. It is definitely a relationship of love between Toyota, the Land Cruiser, and those that drive one.

RELATED: Is the Problem With the Toyota Land Cruiser That It’s Too Good?

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by Gabrielle DeSantis

The new Honda Civic is everywhere right now, and rightfully so. Consumer Reports had the chance to review the 2022 Honda Civic, and though it did well in most of the tests, it fell flat in a few areas. What was the overall consensus on the Honda Civic? Not bad, not bad at all.

Consumer Reports enjoyed the 2022 Honda Civic for the most part

In a sea of other compact sedans, the 2022 Honda Civic still manages to stand out among the rest. Since 1972, the Civic has been a fairly popular car. The 11th generation version sounds like it will be too. Consumer Reports says the Civic alone sold more than 261,000 cars in 2020, which was more than half of the cars Honda sold.

Honda will offer the 2022 version in both a 2.0L four-cylinder getting 158 hp in the LX and Sport trims. A 1.5L turbo-four with 180 hp will only be offered in the upper EX and Touring trims. For pricing, the base LX trim starts at $21,700. The Sport starts at $23,100 and has features like Walk Away Auto Lock. The EX starts at $24,700, and the top Touring trim starts at $28,300.

When can I buy a 2022 Honda Civic?

You can order the new Honda Civic right now, and some dealerships have options on the lot already. Consumer Reports notes that the 2022 Honda Civic seems like a mini-Honda Accord. The CR team found it room and comfortable, with solid a solid interior. There was a lot to like about the 1.5L turbo engine. The acceleration was smooth and quick to respond.

The handling was solid and a noticeable improvement over the last generation. The ride quality didn’t change much but feels OK. The rear seat was roomy enough, and the styling was on point for Honda Civic. One area that has been a hot topic lately is visibility. The Civic offers good visibility to make for fewer blinds spots, which leads us to the lack of blind-spot warning.

Some of the drawbacks are not necessarily with the safety features but with blind-spot warning instead. The 2022 Honda Civic is fairly loaded with active safety features and driver assistance help. However, blind-spot warning isn’t available until you get to the EX trim. That’s already upwards of $25,000.

Another drawback was getting in and out of the car. The roof is pretty low, and the car is low to the ground, making it harder for taller people to get in and out comfortably. This is especially obvious when getting into the back seat. The Civic was pretty loud, even with extra insulation.

There are a few more small bits noted. A knob on the infotainment system would be helpful. Relying fully on touch-screen systems is much more time-consuming. The center console has an odd shape that some might find uncomfortable. These are a bit nitpicky but fair to mention since it is a bigger redesign.

Edmunds has an opinion, too

Overall, the Civic improved in a lot of areas. Edmunds tested the 2022 Honda Civic and found it a full second slower than the 2021 version. Other than that, Edmunds said the new Civic “remains the best sedan in its class.” When the company looked deeper into the 0-6 mph time difference, it seems a heavier weight could be the culprit. It weighs about 160 pounds more overall, but testers weren’t totally satisfied with the answer.

Either way, both Consumer Reports and Edmunds seem satisfied with the 2022 Honda Civic. While it falls short in a few areas, it stood the test of time in other important categories. Another fan favorite in the books for Honda.

RELATED: Consumer Reports Suggests Avoiding These Popular New Cars

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