I would evaluate the pros and cons of both vehicles and then decide what is most important to you in a vehicle. The LCs are very capable off road, even bone stock, and have legendary long-term reliability. They drive great and feel rock solid on and off the road. They also tow an amazing amount for their size.
The downside is that they get lousy gas mileage (I average about 16mpg mixed driving with stock tires) and lack many of the features that you probably would find on a Mercedes or other high-end SUV. The infotainment/GPS system is a bit antiquated in my opinion and lacks features such as Apple Play. I've never been a fan of the Toyota nav system and instead rely on Google Maps on my phone. The digital display on the dash is not as advanced as those from many other auto makers.
I off road my 'Cruiser quite a bit and use it for camping, cycling, surfing, etc. I frequently have muddy, sandy, or dirty gear thrown in the back. I sometimes take it deep into the back country and want to be sure I don't get stranded due to an unreliable rig. For these reasons, the reliability and off-road capability of the LC far outweigh the lack of features found in other cars. Plus I think 'Cruisers have a huge cool factor that makes them more attractive to me than other SUVs. After owning my 200 series for a few months, I plan to keep this rig until it literally won't drive any more.
If I wasn't planning to off-road much, and simply wanted a spacious rig with AWD of 4WD for road trips that occasionally involved driving on snow or sand, I might have considered something else with better tech and better mpg.
The good thing about 'Cruisers is that if you decide you don't like it, you'll have no problem unloading it for close to what you paid for it, especially if you buy a used one.
