200 series question (1 Viewer)

[KingTito]

Hello, long time lurker and LC fan. Finally thinking about sealing the deal on a LC200, Blue Onyx, Terra interior.

I have a few questions that I am hoping this community can help me with.

I don't have any questions about the capability, reliability, quality of the LC. That's all a given and I have consumed all of the wisdom I can find in this great forum about these topics.

While I need some of the capability to get to trailheads, take the family on ski trips out west, and want the safety and reliability of the LC to do all of this, the other side of using the LC will be long road trips to see the outlaws, 80mph, long distance cruising, shuttling the kids to away hockey games, etc. I've found limited reviews on this boring yet inevitable aspect of how an LC could serve a family of mine.

If someone is aware of good reviews or posts, let me know.

Otherwise, I am looking to gain some insights on cabin quietness, comfort, ride, etc.

Thanks in advance, looking forward to serving this community in some way some day..

 

[shelby95]

I think your expectations will shape your impression. If you are comparing the LC to the Suburban and its brethren, the Expedition, or even the QX80 for family hauling/cross country tripping you may be underwhelmed. The aforementioned vehicles, especially the American, are designed for these duties, in my opinion. This is not to say that the LC is not competent to do the same, but it is certainly designed/engineered with the emphasis on function over form and with an eye toward unpaved roads. It certainly fits the bill for my family with respect to the duties with which you are concerned, but the ergonomics, cabin space and passenger comfort are likely not what the stereotypical soccer mom desires.

 

[Yossarian]

KingTito, I've done and do all of what you need out of the vehicle. DD duties including winter ski trips to the mountains, summer camping trips pulling a trailer, etc. Also long trips, 8 to 12 hours, 800 to 900+ miles straight and the LC does great. Sure some of the other offering like shelby95 stated "might" be better, but none of them are a Land Cruiser (absolutely biased of course).

Pull the trigger, you won't regret it!

 

[skitym]

I'll second to what the others have said.

I drive 30-35,000 miles a year with my 200. It is my daily driver cruising 80mph using Toyo AT 2 tires, taking it to the mountains, drive it to Cleveland and Michigan to see family, and pull a trailer loaded with my off road motorcycles. No kids yet, but will haul them in the cruiser. Last, it saved my fiancé and I from very severe injury in our accident. It is a tank and I will always own one.

My first time in a 200 was in 2013 in Kazakhstan. My good friend bought it new in D.C., put all of the goodies on it and shipped it over. He has a family of four and a dog. We drove it over 2,000 miles when I was there. The roads there are terrible, but the cruiser ate them up.

Go for it!

 

[KingTito]

Thanks all for the informative responses. The concerns I have with the Suburban/Expedition come down to reliability, longevity, ground clearance, durability, ultimate capability, blend into the crowd too much. I know too many people who have had problems with Suburbans and they cost a boatload and lose so much value so quickly. Are people satisfied with cabin quietness, seat (driver and passengers) comfort, solidity (no rattles etc.)?

 

[KingTito]

I should clarify. A suburban gets lost in the crowd. There are so many all over the place and they are just appliances. The LC blends in as well. Except to people in the know and I like that.

 

[Yossarian]

Plenty quiet, supposedly the LX570 even more so. The seats are well made, comfortable, and the newer generations are ventilated. As for solidity, built like no other, even 20+ year old LC's still don't rattle.

Personally, I don't think I've ever met a Land Cruiser owner who didn't like or love it. Now requirements might dictate a larger vehicle, or even a pickup truck, but I've never heard a negative comment. Keep in mind that your on Mud and we are all a bit obsessed, but most users just drive the thing as is, and it does the job well.

 

[Markuson]

Thanks all for the informative responses. The concerns I have with the Suburban/Expedition come down to reliability, longevity, ground clearance, durability, ultimate capability, blend into the crowd too much. I know too many people who have had problems with Suburbans and they cost a boatload and lose so much value so quickly. Are people satisfied with cabin quietness, seat (driver and passengers) comfort, solidity (no rattles etc.)?

No rattles in mine even though it's a 2008. Heck, it didn't even rattle after bouncing through Ouray or other washboard roads. Once I was back on the pavement? --Quiet as ever...and I'm picky about rattles.

 

[mcgaskins]

We also have a 2007 Yukon Denali XL with Blizzaks and our 2014 Land Cruiser with Duratracs. I'd say on the road the Denali with Blizzaks is a little better in the snow, and honestly it's hard to beat for long highway hauls. It's also MUCH bigger on the inside and has TONS more storage space behind the 3rd row - like to the point I don't even consider them both in the size class it's so much bigger. The power is very similar with a slight edge going to the Denali in performance, and perhaps surprisingly the Denali gets materially better fuel economy. I've only put 2 tanks through the 200 since we bought it, and the first mpg was mostly city and slower driving in the snow and we got 10 mpg. The next tank was more mixed and I got 14 mpg. I think the worst tank I've ever had in the Denali was just under 15 mpg, but I've consistently seen 17 and even a little above 20 on long trips. The good thing about it being older is that it's done depreciating materially (I bought it for a smoking deal about 1.5 years ago and haven't seen any depreciation), it's easy and cheap to maintain, and it's well made/reliable...for an American truck.

It probably sounds like a lot of compliments for it, and that's because we like it a lot. However I look at it through the lens of what I expect out of an American vehicle which admittedly is far lower than what I compare anything from Japan or Germany. The 2014 LC we just bought is everything we expected from the flagship of Toyota - it's extremely solid, comfortable, capable and good looking. I would say things like the tech are still a bit dated compared to everything in the $80k range, but it's probably the best blend of capability, dependability, and luxury on the road today. It also depreciates much more slowly than American or German vehicles which is another appealing aspect. If you have any plans to go off road, the Toyota is hard to beat. If you want purely a capable pavement pounder for road trips and hauling kids, there are honestly a lot of good choices depending on how much you're willing to "spend" in depreciation over the years. Spend time driving the LC and anything else you're considering back to back and make your decision based on that. You're going to get biased information on any vehicle specific forum you visit, so it's important to make your own decision based on what feels the best.

 

[Tripledave]

LC is like a bank vault. No squeaks, no rattles, interior noise level is largely based on how aggressive your tire choice is. With highway tread tires, I'd challenge you to find a quieter ride that doesn't wear a Lexus badge. Seats adjust to suit all quite comfortably. If you have no more than two kids, the LC is as good as it gets..

 

[jetstream23]

I own a 2009 with 95,000 miles on it now. It's our primary vehicle for everything from family trips to California to shuttling kids to/from baseball and dance classes. We were torn between the LC and Sequoia when we first looked at getting a new SUV. I liked the interior spaciness of the Sequoia, the creature comforts, 2nd row captains chairs, etc. It also would have cost me about $15 - 20K less. But the LC is simply a much more capable vehicle. It's different and you know it the second you drive one. While it may not be as "comfy" as a tricked out Suburban, Cadillac, etc. it will go places confidently that those vehicles could only be helicoptered to. The Toyota Land Cruiser is a true off-road truck with a touch of class, good comfort and solid amenities. My wife loves it too. Her favorite features are the center box refrigerator, park distance alerts and the fact that it's easier to get in the garage than the Sequoia would have been.

I also prefer to buy vehicles new but keep them for a long time (10+ years). This way I know that the vehicle didn't suffer from previous poor ownership/maintenance and that despite a big upfront cost I'll benefit in the long term with many, many years of satisfaction. I don't think you see too many Suburban owners enjoying the later years of ownership with those vehicles. Most people I know who have owned Cadillacs, etc. want to get out of them after 4 or 5 years.

No matter what you choose, good luck!















PS - Choose the Land Cruiser

 

[D21FJ60]

Op- did you ever decide?

 

[KingTito]

I definitely decided to go with a LC. Drove one and loved it. Comfortable, has the right look, obviously has the capability and the heritage. Want Blue with Terra. Managing the cash flow to be able to cut the check, assuming I can find one when I want to write the check...

 

[tabraha]

You will not be disappointed. The 200 couples capability with comfort like no other and is fine cruising at 80mph. Also, the Blue Onyx with Terra is gorgeous. One downside to that combo is the Blue Onyx is a bear to keep clean and you have to be on point when washing to avoid water spots. I've never had a vehicle dry so quickly/spot when washed! Keep a good coat of quality wax on it to avoid those headaches! I picked up my '16 used with 12k on it (IIRC) so you may want to also keep an eye on the market for a barely used one to pop up. I haven't seen another blue/terra 200 around since we picked ours up.