I have to say that's insane on how much the Tacoma has grown :in size. It should never be anywhere near the size of a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and is honestly a lot less capable than a GMT800 is for towing/hauling.
Toyota also had it right with the 1st gen Tundra around that time. What a reliable...
I occasionally see clean 3/4 ton GMT800s for sale in my area. Usually they were bought new by famers or for camper towing and the owners are now post-camping age. I tow with my GX, and it's fine with our 4,000# loaded camper. However a clean, low-mileage, well-maintained GMT800 with either a 6.0...
No trips to SoCal planned but I would otherwise take you up in that :). A troopy would probably be a lot more fun and cool than the underground mining truck I got to ride in.
It was certainly a good truck, but, as mentioned by others, it reminded me of the pre-1997 F150s and F250s I used to drive in the aughts. Simple, bulletproof, and timeless, but not much more. The F250 in particular had the advantage of having an EFI 460, while the F150 had the EFI 300 I-6 and a...
Being able to walk into any HF in the USA on any day of the week and get a replacement winch that day is certainly a positive feature. I'm betting there are no more than a handful of places in the lower 48 that are more than 200 miles from a Harbor Freight.
Totally agree on the other means of...
I did this on our old Subaru Outback. It lasted around 18 months before it started to get cloudy again. Hopefully it lasts a bit better on the Lexus headlights :).
They are conspicuously just below the 300. I'm wondering if Toyota is intentionally sandbagging to protect the top-trim models. That would explain the 50 hp drop for the GX550 relative to the same engine in the LX600, and the 8.2 instead of the 9.5 in the 250. Otherwise it makes little sense for...
Spent this afternoon checking a few other minor items off the list.
^First up was wiring in a pair of PIAA Superior Bass horns. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed, they aren't much if any louder than stock, although the sound is more piercing/annoying (which is the point :)).
^Next up was...
I've ridden in one (not driven in it) and was pretty disappointed. It's like the old saying of "never meet your heroes". You realize they are flawed just like everyone else :).
I totally agree which is why (despite feeling good over at least the chassis/suspension) I won't buy one for at least another 5 years and maybe even 10 (if I buy one at all). By then the gremlins will be known. If the powertrain turns out to be a lemon, they'll still be a good supply of GX460s...
Beefier lower control arms, trussed rear axle (moreso than a 200), an obviously significantly modernized frame, and crossmembers.
The things I mentioned later on are not in the video. I'm not reading them from elsewhere either, I know of them because I'm an engineer :). The huge amount of...
It's certainly could be a higher grade steel. Again, 2024 engineering and materials vs. 2008 engineering and materials. I am sure a team of engineers in Japan spent hundreds of hours optimizing the control arms with detailed numerical analyses. Things can be lighter and stronger (or at least...
You are mis-reading my post even though you quoted it :). I would say what appears to be more robust would be the fact that it's a 2024 design rather than a 2008 design. Engineering software, materials, design methods, manufacturing, etc. have advanced significantly within the past 16 years...
The video I showed was not a LX600. It was a GX550. The GX550 has metal skids and does not have AHC. I said "likely LX600". Either way, pretty much all OEM Toyota skids I've seen suck anyway (sheet metal) and should be replaced if you are doing anything more than soft-roading.
Are the 200...
Weight in the wrong places does not add beef - it adds weight with no or limited benefits. Can you elaborate on what specifically on the 300/LX600 is less robust than the 200 series?
Thanks. I do totally concur with the CCN's conclusion that it lacks the sophistications and "feel" of the 460 and 470. The interior looks too much like our 2023 Highlander - too corporate and bland. My 470 is a very nice place to spend time and feels "warm" and "special". I think the inside of...
I finally got around to watching the CCN video on the GX550. It has by far the best undercarriege shots as he has it up on the lift:
In summary, it's waaaay beefier than my 120 is. The front suspension (control arms, knuckles, etc), frame itself, rear suspension, and the differential mounts...
Glare has been a problem for sure! I have put up with it since I like having AA, Torque Pro, and offroad mapping apps. That being said I did put an anti-glare protector on too :).
I'm not their target demographic and never will be. Dropping even $60K on a new vehicle to actually wheel with is still, IMO, too much money. $100K for a new LX600 to wheel in would be like lighting money on fire (more power to folks who can do that, it's just not me :)). My GX is covered with...