Lexus may be considered the Toyota brand’s luxury company, but that doesn’t mean Toyota isn’t bringing some of that luxury into its own lineup. The Land Cruiser is a large family-hauler that may be Toyota’s largest and most luxurious SUV, but that also means it lacks the overall affordability Toyota is often known for. In fact, it may be one of the most expensive ways to get a three-row SUV. But is the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser even worth its terrible expense?

The cost of fitting your big family into the Toyota Land Cruiser

According to Consumer Reports, starting prices for the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser range from roughly $85,000 to $88,000. A special Heritage edition can raise the price even higher. Even taking its luxury SUV class into consideration, the Land Cruiser’s cost is not only expensive but comparably high. There are several other large luxury SUVs within the same segment from much more luxurious brands than Toyota.

For instance, both the Lincoln Navigator and Mercedes-Benz GLS SUVs have starting prices of roughly $10,000 less than the Land Cruiser at around $75,000. And both the Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz names are more synonymously linked to luxury than Toyota.

Even smaller SUVs have the ability to seat up to eight passengers, like the Mercedes-Benz GLE, which has a starting price of around $56,000. With so many large luxury family-haulers at cheaper prices, the question remains: what makes the Land Cruiser worth all that money?

Is it worth the hefty price?

The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser isn’t just more expensive than the competition. While it still made U.S. News‘ list of 12 Best 7-Passenger Luxury Vehicles You Can Buy in 2020, the large luxury SUV segment does not offer much in the way of selection. Its lack of competition allows it to find a spot at the bottom of the list with an underwhelming review behind it.

According to U.S. News experts, its smooth ride and “muscular” engine help the new Land Cruiser earn an overall score of 7.0 (out of 10.0). In fact, the Land Cruiser is a fairly impressive off-roading machine. And although that’s why Toyota justifies its astronomical price tag, there are not many people searching for a luxury SUV to take off-roading.

Its cramped rear quarters and gas-guzzling nature only enhance its “sky-high sticker price.” Its luxury price isn’t just higher than the competition but also unbalanced to the quality of luxury owners are buying as well.

The future of an expensive and unpopular Land Cruiser

The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser isn’t just one of the most expensive, large family-haulers you can find. It’s also one of the most unpopular and poorly selling.

According to U.S. News’ expert buying advice of the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser, it’s one of Toyota’s worst-selling vehicles. Its closest cousin, the Lexus LX, is outselling it by roughly 38 percent so far in 2020, with Land Cruiser numbers down by nearly 24 percent at the end of the second quarter over the previous year.

Even with the Land Cruiser being considered a “specialty” vehicle, its sales numbers over recent years hardly make it seem worth the investment from Toyota.

Sales numbers may be proof enough that the Toyota Land Cruiser has outlived its popularity. With so many other options, the overpriced Land Cruiser is a hard sell.

In fact, according to a report by Forbes, rumor has it that the Toyota Land Cruiser will be “getting the ax” by 2022. But oddly enough, Toyota has issued no official announcement of this, leading many experts to believe that Toyota is working on a complete redesign of the Land Cruiser, maybe even in the form of a hybrid powertrain.