Head to head

Ineos Grenadier vs Land Cruiser 70 Series

In the US only one of these is for sale. The Grenadier is a new, warrantied, coil-sprung box with a BMW six; every 70 here is a gray import at least 25 years old, usually a manual-gearbox diesel on leaf springs. Buy the Grenadier if you'll drive it every day. Buy a 70 if you want the simplest, most fixable Land Cruiser there is and don't mind the import paperwork.

The short answer

Buy the Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon if

you want a new ladder-frame, beam-axle 4x4 with permanent 4WD, up to three lockers, an automatic and a warranty, and can live with a young dealer network (buy MY2026 for the better steering)

Buy the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series if

you want a mechanically simple diesel workhorse with a part-time transfer case and manual hubs, you're happy with a manual gearbox and a loud cabin, and you'll check the build date and your state's titling rules before you pay

Side by side

	INEOS GRENADIER STATION WAGON	TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 70 SERIES
Years (US)	MY2024–present (built from 2022)	Never sold new; gray imports 25+ years old only
Engine	BMW B58 3.0 turbo I6 petrol, 282 hp / 332 lb-ft (US); B57 diesel elsewhere	Typical import: 1HZ 4.2 diesel I6, 96 kW (≈129 hp) / 285 Nm (210 lb-ft); also 3B, 2H, 1PZ, 3F, 1FZ
Transmission	ZF 8-spd auto	Mostly 5-spd manual; 4-spd auto on a few versions
4WD	Permanent, Tremec 2-speed, 2.5:1 low, lockable centre diff	Part-time, high and low range, manual locking hubs
Front suspension	Carraro beam axle, five-link coils	Live axle: leaf springs to 1999, coils with leading arms after
Rear suspension	Carraro beam axle, five-link coils	Live axle on leaf springs
Factory lockers	Centre standard; front and rear with Rough Pack (standard on Trialmaster)	Selectable front and rear in some markets only
Wheelbase	115.0 in (2,922 mm)	2,310–3,180 mm (≈91–125 in), five lengths
Ground clearance	10.4 in (264 mm)	302–330 mm (2024 Australian 79)
Approach / departure	35.5° / 36.1° (breakover 28.2°)	33–35° / 27–29° (2024 Australian 79)
Towing (braked)	7,716 lb (3,500 kg)	3,500 kg (2024 Australian 2.8); — for old imports
Fuel economy	EPA 15 city / 15 hwy, premium	— (no EPA figure; 2024 2.8 auto claims 9.6 L/100 km)
Wheel bolt pattern	6 x 130	6-stud to 1999; 5 x 150 after
Biggest tire, no lift	285/75R17 (≈34 in), washers under the spare carrier	235/85R16 (≈31.7 in), long wheelbase
Typical prices now	$56.5k–72k used 2024 · $71k–83k new 2026 (MSRP)	$20k–37k driver · $40k–56k excellent (US imports)
Best years	MY2026 (revised steering)	Condition over year; check the build plate

Off-road

Both are ladder frames with live axles at each end, which is more than most new 4x4s can say. The Grenadier hangs Carraro beam axles on five-link coils, runs permanent four-wheel drive through a 2.5:1 low range, and has a centre lock as standard plus front and rear lockers with the Rough Pack. It claims 264 mm of clearance, 800 mm of wading and 35.5°/36.1°/28.2° approach, departure and breakover angles.

The 70 does it the old way: a part-time transfer case, manual locking hubs and leaf springs, at the front until the 1999 facelift and at the rear on every heavy-duty truck. Factory front and rear lockers were only offered in some markets, so most imports have open diffs and wear ARB or Harrop lockers if they have any. It also comes in more lengths, from a 2,310 mm short wheelbase, much shorter than the Grenadier's 2,922 mm, to a 3,180 mm pickup. When Caravan World put the Grenadier's pickup sibling, the Quartermaster, against a new 79 in 2025, it said the Ineos 'blasts the 79 Series out of the water' off-road, crediting the coil suspension. That 79 has coils up front; a pre-1999 import has leaves at both ends.

On-road and daily use

The Grenadier is the one you can commute in. Its B58 makes 282 hp and 332 lb-ft through a ZF eight-speed automatic. The weak spot is pre-2026 steering, a slow recirculating-ball box with almost four turns lock to lock that The Drive found wandered on the highway; the MY2026 variable-ratio box is what GearJunkie called 'a big leap forward'. Caravan World found the Ineos quieter and better at speed than a 79, and the better steer even though both have solid front axles.

A typical US-legal 70 has a non-turbo 1HZ diesel with 96 kW (about 129 hp) and 285 Nm, a five-speed manual and a cabin with very little sound deadening. Unsealed 4X4's list of 70 complaints includes wind noise, leaky door seals, hard seats and weak air conditioning. The Grenadier isn't frugal either: the EPA rates it at 15 mpg on premium, and its 1,680 lb US payload is modest. Caravan World found the 79 out-carries the Quartermaster by more than 300 kg.

Reliability and what breaks

The 70's reputation is earned. Unsealed 4X4 calls the engine strong and the driveline tough, with many trucks running very high mileage. Its known faults are wear and abuse: front wheel bearings, gearbox synchros (Unsealed blames GL-5 oil and specifies GL-4 75W-90), rusty A-pillars on coastal trucks, rear spring hangers cracking on overloaded pickups, and door seals that never sealed. The DPF and airbox-dust problems belong to the 2007-on V8, which isn't old enough to import yet.

The Grenadier is too new for a long-term verdict. Its BMW engine and ZF gearbox are proven elsewhere, and owner complaints focus on electronics: failed modules, false warnings, software reflashes, sticky door buttons and water in the doors. Early US trucks carry three recalls (23V828, 23V903 and 25V147), all free fixes. Check that each one has been done.

Running costs, parts and modifying

Much of the Grenadier's drivetrain is BMW and ZF, so BMW specialists such as FCP Euro carry many of the service parts. Body and chassis parts come only through Ineos, and the factory stopped from September 2024 to January 2025 over a parts shortage. For the 70, Toyota's own GR Heritage Parts program reproduces 70 Series parts and lists US shipment timelines, and IH8MUD's 70-Series Tech forum is full of North American import owners.

Tires: the Grenadier takes a 285/75R17 (about 34 in) at stock height with washers under the spare carrier, and 35s with about 2 in of lift. The IH8MUD consensus for a stock long-wheelbase 70 is 235/85R16. A 285/75R16 goes on but rubs at full lock on factory steel wheels unless you change the offset. Wheels don't swap between the two: the Grenadier is 6 x 130, while the 70 is 6-stud before 1999 and 5 x 150 after. With a 70, match the springs to the real load or fit a GVM upgrade before you add armor.

Buying one in the US

Toyota never sold the 70 in the United States. Every one here came in under NHTSA's exemption for vehicles more than 25 years old, so in 2026 you're shopping among trucks built before about late 2001, mostly 1HZ, 1PZ, 2H, 3B and 13B-T diesels or 3F and 1FZ petrol sixes. The 1VD V8 arrived in 2007, so it won't be importable until 2032. On Bring a Trailer, drivers sold for about $20,000–37,000 and the best low-kilometre trucks for $40,000–56,000 in 2026, with HZJ75 Troop Carriers at $29,000–42,000. Check the build plate, look hard for rust in the A-pillars, and check your state's rules before you buy. California's smog rules make registering one there difficult.

A new 2026 Grenadier starts at $71,000 and runs to $82,995 for the Black Edition, plus about $1,995 destination. Used 2024s typically sold for $56,500–72,000 on Bring a Trailer. Buy a MY2026 if you'll do a lot of highway miles, or a 2024 with all three recalls closed and its software updates on file. If you want a coil-sprung, solid-axle Land Cruiser that was sold new in the US, look at the 80 Series.

Questions, answered

Can I buy a new Land Cruiser 70 Series in the US?

No. Toyota never offered the 70 in the United States. Canada got a few BJ70s for the 1985–87 model years and, as of 2022, Canadian mining companies could buy them through Toyota Industrial Sales. Americans import trucks more than 25 years old under NHTSA's age exemption.

Is the Grenadier a modern 70 Series?

It's closer to one than almost anything else on sale, with a ladder frame and beam axles at both ends, but the details differ. The Grenadier has coil springs all round, permanent 4WD and an eight-speed automatic. The 70 has a leaf-sprung rear axle, a part-time transfer case with manual hubs and usually a manual gearbox. In the US the Grenadier has a petrol engine and most imported 70s are diesels.

Which is better off-road?

Stock, the Grenadier: up to three factory lockers, coil suspension and permanent 4WD, and Caravan World found its Quartermaster pickup clearly ahead of a new 79 off-road. A short-wheelbase 70 is far shorter, though, and with aftermarket lockers and matched springs a 70 is a proper rock truck that's simple to repair on the trail.

Can I get either one with a diesel in the US?

Not the Grenadier: US trucks have the BMW B58 petrol six only, and the B57 diesel is sold in other markets. Most 70s old enough to import are diesels, such as the 1HZ, 1PZ, 2H, 3B and 13B-T.

What's the biggest tire each can run without a lift?

About 34 inches on the Grenadier: a 285/75R17, with washers under the spare carrier to clear the small rear door. On a stock long-wheelbase 70, IH8MUD owners settle on 235/85R16 (about 31.7 in); 285/75R16 fits but rubs at full lock on factory steel wheels.

Which is cheaper?

The 70, by a lot. US imports sold for about $20,000–37,000 as drivers in 2026, against $56,500–72,000 for a used 2024 Grenadier and $71,000-plus for a new one. Budget for import paperwork, rust repair and parts lead times on the Toyota, and for dealer visits on the Ineos.

The full guides

Sources