Willstroo,
Would you expand on this? What was wrong with the 300?
I have been thinking that the LX600 was the best successor to the LC200 available to us.
I have always preferred n/a engines, particularly V8’s, the noise, the instant throttle response. From what I have read the Toyota 300 series diesel (australia), it is a capable and efficient engine by many accounts, but to me it’s still laggy and completely underwhelming. No soul. No smiles.
The cabin was ok, not cramped, but also not spacious. The materials are good but clearly not the same calibre of the 200 series and previous Lx. It’s just not the same. Like, jump into a 2005 AMG Mercedes and compare that leather to a 2020 AMG, newer is not better, and certain eras of cars were just better made.
The Lx600 is a tech powerhouse, very impressive. But the car had no soul to it, no personality. It was also IMO quite floaty and seemed to wallow a bit. The engine was ok, but the petrol tank is small, and I drive 700km a week on the highway and refueling is annoying. Yes the 570 uses more fuel but the tank is huge.
I would buy and own both of those cars, the 300 and Lx600, they are not bad cars. But, my 8 year old Lx feels better. To me. I am so happy every-time I’m in it, genuinely, I love that thing. I smile and think how lucky I am.
The seats are so comfy, the leather is somehow pristine after 8 years. There is no rattles or annoying oddities. It drinks a LOT of fuel but I also have out a $2k custom exhaust because IT SOUNDS SO GLORIOUS UNDER LOAD!! I’m obsessed. I love it.
If they were the same $$ to buy, now, I may be tempted to upgrade to the Lx600, petrol. But at triple the price I could never in a million years justify it, makes no sense. There is no way the ownership experience could be three times as good. Just no way.