The New Land Cruiser 250, Off-Road at XOverland Ranch

Oct 20

Montana • XOverland Ranch • June 2024

The New Land Cruiser 250,Off-Road in Montana

I spent two days driving the new Land Cruiser at XOverland Ranch, a new off-road training ranch near Bozeman. Here’s what it’s like on a real course, and why Crawl Control won me over.

Land Cruiser 250 — i-FORCE MAX — Crawl Control — Devil’s Toboggan — Triple-Lock It — Never Lift — Land Cruiser 250 — i-FORCE MAX — Crawl Control —

The Land Cruiser Is Back

For 2024, Toyota brought the Land Cruiser name back to the U.S. after a two-year break, this time on the smaller 250 Series. In June 2024, I spent two days at XOverland Ranch, a brand-new off-road training ranch outside Bozeman, along with the sales team from Ressler Toyota of Bozeman. The 406 Cruisers club set up the invite, and Hatch Adventures loaned us a 250 for the weekend.

My job was half driver, half teacher. By the end, the salespeople might actually understand what all the buttons do.

XOverland Ranch.

The Truck

Here are the basics, from Toyota’s launch announcement:

Engine. Every 2024 Land Cruiser uses the i-FORCE MAX: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid making 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed automatic.

Four-wheel drive. Full-time 4WD with a two-speed transfer case, and center and rear locking differentials standard on every trim. A front stabilizer-bar disconnect is available for more articulation.

Trims. 1958, Land Cruiser and First Edition. The truck we drove was a 1958.

Numbers. 31 degrees of approach, 25 of breakover and 22 of departure, and up to 6,000 pounds of towing. Toyota announced a starting price of $55,950 plus $1,395 for delivery at launch.

Boxy, the way it should be.

Front three-quarter view of a tan 2024 Land Cruiser with round headlights and TOYOTA grille lettering at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Round headlights are back.

View from the driver’s seat of a 2024 Land Cruiser dashboard and screen looking out over a grassy course at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — The office.

The Ranch

XOverland Ranch is built for exactly this. There’s a classroom called the LAB, where we went over traction control and the 4WD systems before anyone touched a key. The off-road course has hill climbs and descents, an easy rock garden, whoops, a ditch crossing, an Aussie-style drop into a deep ditch and a flex section that puts trucks on three wheels. Out back, there are ranch roads with big views and a short rock-crawling track.

When we weren’t driving, it was seven plush cabins, catered meals, a coffee bar and fishing ponds full of smallmouth bass.

Welcome packet.

Coffee first.

On the Course

The 250 did the course without drama. Whoops, off-camber, climbs, the ditch: it just walked through all of it. The hybrid torque makes low-speed work smooth, and the visibility out of that boxy body is excellent.

Tan Land Cruiser 250 tilted on an off-camber dirt slope while people watch from the top at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Off-camber, with an audience.

Black Land Cruiser 250 climbing out of a dip with a tan Land Cruiser waiting behind at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Through the whoops.

Black Land Cruiser 250 nose-up on a dirt mound with a driver at the wheel at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Climb.

Tan Land Cruiser 250 on a dirt course below green hills at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Wide open course.

Black Land Cruiser 250 cresting a dirt hump with a tan one behind it at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Follow the leader.

The Devil’s Toboggan

The highlight was a hill the ranch calls the Devil’s Toboggan: a narrow cut into the hillside about 200 to 250 yards long, at least a 30 percent grade by my guess, covered in loose gravel and scree. Going up it, I’d want all three lockers in, tires around 5 psi and full commitment.

We went down it. I was the eighth truck in line, so the surface was already torn up. I set Crawl Control to its lowest setting and just held the wheel. That was it. It was close to mindless, and I could actually look at the view.

The interesting part was the comparison. A few older Toyotas with first-generation Crawl Control went down too. They were noticeably faster, slid around more on the scree and made a loud grinding noise that sounds like a rock stuck in your brakes. The new Land Cruiser was smooth and silent. Even the guys driving the older trucks said the 250 did it better.

Serious respect to Crawl Control after that one.

Tan Land Cruiser 250 parked on a rocky ridge above a wide green valley under streaky clouds at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Up on the back of the property.

Black Land Cruiser 250 on a two-track through sagebrush with mountains behind at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — Ranch roads.

Recovery Class

There was also a recovery scenario: a 4Runner TRD Pro “stuck” on the course and winched out, with the situation changing as it went. Turns out there’s more to overlanding than just turning the locker dial. It was actually quite good.

Side mirror reflecting a black and a tan Land Cruiser 250 on a grassy course at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — In the mirror.

Rear three-quarter view of a tan Land Cruiser 250 with a white roof on a dirt slope at XOverland Ranch near Bozeman, Montana — From behind.

Verdict

The 250 is a real Land Cruiser where it counts: lockers standard, full-time 4WD and the best version of Crawl Control I’ve used. It’s smaller and more modern than the 80 and 200 Series, and it isn’t pretending to be a luxury barge. For most people who actually go off-road, it’s enough truck.

As for XOverland Ranch: Toyotas, good food, good company and a course built to teach you something. It’s basically an overlander’s paradise, and I’m going back.

Wondering how the 250 fits in the family? See every Land Cruiser generation and what every Land Cruiser sells for.

Set Crawl Control to one, hold the wheel, enjoy the view.