2 Questions about 2016/2017 Cruisers (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jan 29, 2017
Threads
1
Messages
3
Location
Short Hills, NJ
Hi All:

I'm thinking seriously about picking up a new Landcruiser. Years ago, my family had an FJ 60 and I have lots of great memories with my Dad as we ran around Colorado in it.

But, I had a couple of questions about the newest generation of Cruisers that weren't cleared up on my test drive this weekend. These are superficial (I know) but would help me decide and lock in (over the LX 570):

  • Is the interior wood trim in the Land Cruiser real wood? Some reviewers say it is...others indicate it is plastic.

  • Does the rear hatch open (not just unlock) with the keyless remote? This is important to my wife.

Thanks!
 
Hi All:

I'm thinking seriously about picking up a new Landcruiser. Years ago, my family had an FJ 60 and I have lots of great memories with my Dad as we ran around Colorado in it.

But, I had a couple of questions about the newest generation of Cruisers that weren't cleared up on my test drive this weekend. These are superficial (I know) but would help me decide and lock in (over the LX 570):

  • Is the interior wood trim in the Land Cruiser real wood? Some reviewers say it is...others indicate it is plastic.

  • Does the rear hatch open (not just unlock) with the keyless remote? This is important to my wife.

Thanks!
I roll a 2013, but those 2 things have not changed on the newer one's(99.9% sure), the wood is fake and ya have to open and close the rear door by yourself...
 
Have to go with LX to get auto hatch. Which is still a sweet rig. The guys at Slee like the LX570 better
 
Go with the LX570. If I had to do it again I would pick the LX. The LX drives much more like a sport SUV. Much smoother and easy for daily driving than the LC thanks to the AHC, refined interior and seats and handling.
 
I won't lie, that was a slight disappointment even with my '09. $75K and I can't press a button to open or close the rear hatch like you can do on a $30K Hyundai.
 
Thanks for all of the very quick responses. I'm a bit disappointed, I have to say that the LC doesn't have real wood or this simple option to automatically open the rear hatch.

Like others, I very much like the understated exterior of the LC more than the LX. It has a much more classic look and i've read that the LC has a higher resale value.

This last point isn't important to me as if I'm going to spend this kind of $dough, I plan to keep the vehicle forever. IMHO, the LC would be perfect if it had real wood trim and an auto opening hatch.

The LX doesn't seem to have the same timeless and classic looks but I also hate spending +$80 K on a vehicle with a plastic interior...that I plan to keep forever.

Anyhow, thanks for the responses. I'm LX-bound.
 
The upside is that real wood doesn't last forever. It cracks, delaminates, and generally looks like crap after ten years. There's an entire cottage industry of wood restoration for cars that wouldn't exist if wood lasted forever.

That's a good point. But, I very much like the warm look of real wood over plastic. I thought the plastic stuff in my LC test drive yesterday looked suspicious but I was holding out hope that it was the real thing....

Here's a follow-up question - Is there a company that will do aftermarket wood inserts for the LC? My quick web search seems to indicate the there companies that only offer kits to replace what is there...and i'm guessing that this is all plastic.
 
The auto opening rear hatch is a matter of personal taste, I guess. I had a Sequoia, which had that feature. I hated it. Got rid of that rig. The LC retains a few old school features and the manual back end is one. I love it.
 
The upside is that real wood doesn't last forever. It cracks, delaminates, and generally looks like crap after ten years. There's an entire cottage industry of wood restoration for cars that wouldn't exist if wood lasted forever.

Agree. My 100 series had real wood...beneath a thick layer of some sort of resin. It discolored over time, and frankly, I didn't much care that it was "real." To me, real wood isn't of any particular use, so it's not attractive.

About the rear hatch. My only gripe (and its a significant one) is that the LC doesn't provide an interior latch to GET OUT of the back!! To me, this is a serious oversight. If you sleep in back? You can't get out the rear.

To pile on... If the battery is dead? You CANNOT open the back hatch at all, unless you disassemble the interior switch. I would love to come up with a manual interior latch solution.
 
I used to think the power hatch was awesome but most of the time my hands are free and I prefer the quick operation of the manual hatch. Much like how I love manually adjustable seats.

That being said I'm sure the 300 series will let me down and delight you with a power hatch.
 
I figured I would throw in my 2¢. I have a 16 200 and everyone is correct about the hatch - not automated, but you have a tail gate - which is to best move ever - I love tail gates. Wood, not 100% sure but it appears real, as does the density of it feel real - but it could be fake I suppose - if it is it fooled me.
 
I actually own both a 2016 LC and a 2017 LX.

I chose to drive the LC and my wife drives the LX.

A couple observations one would likely not notice unless one drove both cars for a while:

LC pros
The LC is better in feeling open and less claustrophobic in the front. LC has cup holders in the logical location just forward of the coolbox, but LX has them all the way up against the center of dash. Totally illogical and causes problems with big cups.

LC has storage above the coolbox below the armrest. Inexplicably, the LX does not. LC has more practical storage under the center of dash bc cupholders not in way.

LC now has all the same cameras as the LX and has touchscreen nav. LX has a mouse / mousepad control which takes up even more room and contributes to cluttered feeling. LC has added cooled seats and LED lights, which used to only be on LX.

LX screen (and I've not seen this mentioned anywhere) is now so big it cuts into the space where the sub for the stereo is located on top of dash. Sub for LX is now tiny compared to previous LX or current LC. Noticeable lack of bass.

LC weighs 300 lbs less. Rated to tow more.

LC digital clock. LX analog. Stupid.

LX pros
LX heads up display.
LX AHC. Other than the serious off-road naysayers, AHC is awesome. The car will lower itself allowing easy access for kids, wives, and pets. You can raise it to go through water or whatever. And best of all you can back up to a boat trailer lowered, and raise it right up onto the ball. No more cranking. It's a huge advantage.

LX has auto tailgate and auto rear seats. Not sure why that matters. I like slamming the tailgate myself and I like doing the seats myself. It's quicker.

LX has more comfortable seats, without a doubt. Also more controls to dial them in and more support.

LX does have real wood. I don't care about that.

That's about it.
 
IMG_0981.JPG
IMG_0993.JPG
 
IF towing matters, the tow rating difference between the LX and LC is over 1,000#. May not matter if you won't be towing or will be towing less then 6,000#. The 300# difference in vehicle weight does not account for the 1100# difference in tow rating. My speculation is that the AHC is the culprit. We tow a 6,000# trailer so it mattered to us - though I know people who use an LX570 to tow the same trailer and love it.

BTW, I'm with those who prefer manual tailgates and rear seats. I had the auto stuff on my Acura and on a smaller Lexus. I found it was too slow for me - and when I tried to "make it go faster" it would get angry and push back.
 
Non-US Sahara LC200 models have the power lift rear hatch. I'm sure it could be retrofitted and triggered by the exterior switch and dash switch. Integrating to a factory fob might me a bit out of reach.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom