I think the largest issue for resale of the LX vs LC is the bling factor. On the immediate resale market (2016-up) the LX fetches more coin but as it ages it drops below the LC. Old body style means less impressive grocery hauler. Its all demographics.
08-09 LX 570’s are 15-20% cheaper than LC’s
- Thread starter Alex1118
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It's actually because of us here. The enthusiasts. Those who want a true Land Cruiser. There were a total of 15,000 Land Cruisers sold between 2008 and 2013. At any one point there may be 100 or so on the market in all of the US. By the time you cross off high milers, salvage, rust belt trucks, and those at slimy corner lots there are actually very few eligible vehicles to choose from. When I bought my 2013 back in December there were three others behind me, one of which was texting the dealer as I was picking it up hoping that 'my credit was sh1t' (I pay cash for vehicles). Competition is strong for good, dry-climate Land Cruisers.
The overlanding market is huge right now and there are enough purists out there (myself included) who are willing (and competing) to spend $3-5K more for the Toyota. No different really than what has happened to the 40 pricing over the last few decades. Simple supply and demand.
I think the bigger story is why Jeep can justify selling 100,000-200,000 JK units per year but Toyota refuses to bring over a competing 70 platform and pacifies us with 120/150s. Good vehicles to be sure. But why sell 3,000 Toyota 200s when you could sell 50,000 70s? (I know the answer, I'm just venting again).
The overlanding market is huge right now and there are enough purists out there (myself included) who are willing (and competing) to spend $3-5K more for the Toyota. No different really than what has happened to the 40 pricing over the last few decades. Simple supply and demand.
I think the bigger story is why Jeep can justify selling 100,000-200,000 JK units per year but Toyota refuses to bring over a competing 70 platform and pacifies us with 120/150s. Good vehicles to be sure. But why sell 3,000 Toyota 200s when you could sell 50,000 70s? (I know the answer, I'm just venting again).
- Thread starter
- #23
The Jeep deal is baffling. My wife has a 2016 Wrangler Unlimited Sport. Sticker on that thing was $36,500. I will self admittedly tell you that the build quality is absolutely horrible. That car should be $30,000 TOPS. It's wild how much Corporate Chrysler makes on a lackluster product.
Now....the 2018's on the other hand....HUGE improvement. But with another price jump. Her Jeep, apples to apples, with a 2018 'JL' is about 3k more. They are getting another $1000 for the 8 speed auto.
The crazy thing is the resale. I NEVER lease cars but leased this Jeep. I figured my wife would realize it was somewhat of a crappy car in 3 years and the residual was unreal at 72% for a 36 month 45k mile lease. Think about that....
At the end of the day Toyota bean counters have determined there is more profit to be made with the 150 than splitting those sales up between enthusiasts and mall runners. That and CAFE...
I agree. Many of us would never entertain anything but a Toyota Land Cruiser.
But it's an interesting thing. We seek out the 200-series because of its premium nature and impeccable build quality. Yet that doesn't stop at the Land Cruiser. It progresses on to the top of the line LX, with additional premium features and build quality. Seats and surface materials get better. Paint quality and finish get better. More added insulation and NVH measures. Audio systems get more sophisticated and better...blah blah blah... the list of differences is rather substantial!
And so why do we draw the line at a Land Cruiser? For those that want more, the LX represents a crazy opportunity and value. Yet the LC offers the more recognizable and iconic Overlanding and Off-Road image. Which obviously some people will pay more for. This compared to the possibly confused image of yuppie mall cruiser. I'm comfortable in my own skin that I don't care what people think. Because the value proposition is what's most important in my book.
Not saying that I'm right either. It's just an interesting thought exercise. Surely I also recognize that some people find the extras in the LX a liability. Often times true, yet sometimes arguably falsely (e.g. AHC). Yet they can justify rebuilding racing coilovers every 30k.
So what's the takeaway? Nothing. It's awesome there's a choice. It's our best kept secret that these vehicles can be had in the second hand market for such a discount barely broken in! Easily rivaling 90% of what can be had new out there!
My bro in law drove my 08 LX and couldn't believe how nice it was. He rents a lot of cars traveling and said it's much nicer and feels as new as virtually anything he's driven in the past couple of years. The 08 LX is every bit as nice, actually nicer, than the LC until the 2016 model year. The LX is the best value in the used auto market IMO.
The best compliment a car can get is that after 10+ years and 150,000+ miles it drives the same as day one. No other vehicle can claim that except the LC/LX. Thats my experience with the 100 series and hopefully my 200 series will prove the same.
Markuson
SILVER Star
That really is true. Just today I was noticing again how QUIET and rattle-free my 10 yaer old 2008 is as I bumped up the rather screwy, concrete street hill to get to my house. In fact, when I picked up my Ukranian friends from the airport, they thought I had bought a NEW cruiser! It's 10 years old, and they though it was new.
These things are quality, and I'm continually amazed how tight & new mine still seems (so long as I keep my ancient NAV screen turned OFF -and I do).
(so long as I keep my ancient NAV screen turned OFF
Yep that's the only thing that makes it feel dated for sure! I keep mine on the Aux setting which at least on the LX looks decently updated.
Markuson
SILVER Star
I just turn the screen off and it stays black.
Pops on momentarily if I hit volume or whatever, but then goes back to it's happy, black, blank state.
It even looks strangely "modern" that way!
There are always people that will pay more for less because of some "image" they think they are projecting. It's your money and your image. But in the real world the 200 series LX is a better vehicle then a 200 series LC. Unless you are modifying it for extreme off road/rock crawling. I did think my FZJ80 series was better looking then the 80 series Lexus. With the 100 series the LX470 looked better then the LC and was higher quality materials and if you wanted to mod the suspension it was not a big deal, ( I added an OME 2" lift to my 2005) from 2008-2015 the LX is a superior product and better looking then the LC. 2016 on the looks go to the LC. JMHO
I intentionally avoided the LX 570s in my search. I don't like the negative attention that premium nameplates attract. I'd much rather fly under the radar - well, as much as you can in an enormous 200 series LC.
I think this is vastly overstated. After having both, neither attracts attention other than enthusiasts who know it is. My 14 Land Cruiser with $25+k in off road equipment was constantly called a Highlander, Sequoia or 4Runner. My LX has been confused multiple times for an RX. No one knows what these are and quite frankly don't care. I had a Macan for a short time, and I constantly dealt with people cutting me off, flipping me off, and one crazy lady screamed at me at a gas station once and called me an a$$hole completely randomly. In the LX, I have never even had someone look at me twice. The "bling" factor of the LX really isn't there and shouldn't be a reason to avoid it IMO.
@mcgaskins my experience is coming from having an AMG Benz and the looks I get while driving that, along with the conversations I have with people in regards to the car. No thanks. No more luxury brands for me.
Edit: I see you had a similar experience with the Porsche - I just want to avoid the Lexus discussion entirely.
Edit: I see you had a similar experience with the Porsche - I just want to avoid the Lexus discussion entirely.
I get what you're saying, and I'm certainly not trying to convince you what to buy. An AMG, particularly G class, will attract about a million times more attention than any Lexus apart from the LFA. The LX simply doesn't attract any attention good or bad in my case, but the LC attracts even less. I would say driving the LC is actually far more annoying when people ask you if it's a "4runner XL", a Highlander or Sequoia. For whatever reason, it really started to piss me off after about the 100th time. A guy at work was buying a 4runner and asked me for advice "because I already had a cool one with a rack on it". I explained it was a Land Cruiser and he literally said "what do those go for new? 20s? 30s? they're cheaper than the 4runner right?". After a lengthy explanation of what it was and several times driving him around in it, he asked me a couple weeks later how my Sequoia was. We were in a convoy in Breck with close to 10 built 200s, and a guy at a gas station asked if we were part of a Highlander club. I find ignorant questions like that far more annoying than anything to be honest, and the LC gets them constantly.
I also had a Macan and people cared about it and asked questions how I paid for it, etc. coz its a Porsche. My LX costs 50% more and no one really cares about it. A neighbor thought it was an Infinity. I really don’t care what random people think about my cars and certainly would not give it a thought when making my car purchases.
I've had them all 911's, NSX, AMG, Aston Martin. Only comments I've ever gotten were I love your car
. No aggressive behavior. Maybe I'm to ugly and they don't want trouble?
Trust me, I really wanted to convince myself to buy an LX. Could have easily found one locally and saved some money. But I felt that it may eventually limit my potential. And so it was worth it to me to have a Land Cruiser. If Slee had stellar reviews on their LX I probably would have gone that direction.
It would be really great if someone were able to engineer a solution enabling the AHC system removal. Or have a PNP upgrade solution of springs/shocks to properly dampen a heavy (over GVWR) LX. That would really open up the market for 200s.
I do think it would be a very rare person that would intentionally spend $000's more for a Toyota just to avoid the image of a Lexus badge. Not a significant factor in the price delta.
It would be really great if someone were able to engineer a solution enabling the AHC system removal. Or have a PNP upgrade solution of springs/shocks to properly dampen a heavy (over GVWR) LX. That would really open up the market for 200s.
I do think it would be a very rare person that would intentionally spend $000's more for a Toyota just to avoid the image of a Lexus badge. Not a significant factor in the price delta.
