Events/Trails 2008 USA Land Cruiser Pics and Test Drive Impressions (2 Viewers)

[dclee]

you actually read it?

all this chat has me pining for a 500E again;p LandCruisers, focus people! damn I gotta go wheel some more...

I've been looking at them again too. We're too much alike!

I used to want a `94 for the improved body styling, but I think now it's down to a `92, best power figures and they were still actually built by Porsche (not sure if Porsche still handled assembly on the `94s).

Plan on finally taking the 100 out for real at DV08. Are you going? Any cool t-shirt designs forthcoming?

 

[twstrchasr]

you actually read it?

all this chat has me pining for a 500E again;p LandCruisers, focus people! damn I gotta go wheel some more...

I went back to some earlier posts and I think this thread got off track when someone started talking about the horrible reliability of BMW's and MB's....I don't think I started all of this dribble, but I could be wrong !!

Yeah, the 500 E was a cool car. The big 5 liter v8 stuffed into the mid-sized E class body. Then Porsche did all of the suspension tweaks...Nice stealthy fast sedan !! My dad had a 6.9 then got a 500E back in the mid 90's .

 

[twstrchasr]

I've been looking at them again too. We're too much alike!

I used to want a `94 for the improved body styling, but I think now it's down to a `92, best power figures and they were still actually built by Porsche (not sure if Porsche still handled assembly on the `94s).

Plan on finally taking the 100 out for real at DV08. Are you going? Any cool t-shirt designs forthcoming?

I think you want a 500E, not an E500. I can't remember if Porsche had anything to do with it after the designation change.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

someone started talking about the horrible reliability of BMW's and MB's....I don't think I started all of this dribble, but I could be wrong !!

Wasn't you. It was thousands of owners submitting surveys about their very own cars.

 

[justimaginejack]

John can you in one statement sum up what exactly you were trying to say?

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

BUY the way, you were incredible disrespectful to many members and their finances. Building yourself up as you tore others down. Stating how you could afford this and that and they couldn't. You behaved like a school yard brat whose daddy has to much money and not enough sense. Then when the 200 came out, you of all people complained about the price. You stated you had enough money, and now we see it to be otherwise. Either buy the damn thing and shut up, or admit that even you have financial limits, which you have already apparently hit.
Eitherway, quit behaving like a Jackass!

There are several lies/not totally accurate statements in there Jack. I will not take the time to even point them out. Enjoy the forum.

 

[FirstToy]

John can you in one statement sum up what exactly you were trying to say?

OMG, you just deleted and edited one of the best posts ever made?! I should have saved it...

 

[mobi-arc]

Well, this afternoon I headed down to the local Toyota dealer to check out the new LC on the lot. I was down a couple weeks ago, but they had only received one unit and the dealership's owner bought it, so there was nothing to look at. Saw the silver one on the lot about 10 days ago....still there today so I went to give it the once-over. I think it's a nice truck, but it doesn't seem $72,000 nice. I like the additional storage features sprinkled around the vehicle. It looks like they've got all passenger areas well protected from impact with plenty of airbags. Interior is clean, neat, and crisp. I'm sure it's a solid truck, much like it's predecessors, I only hope we'll be able to special order without sunroof, leather, coolbox and other fluff down the road. With respect to the exterior design, the word that comes to mind is "bla". When I had an 80 and looked at the 100, I thought it was a really nice looking truck. Nice lines. Nicely shaped wheel arches. Nice looking front facia. I wasn't happy with the "pussy" rear bumper, but the plasticized rear bumper was the way bumper design was going across the board, but compared to the 80 rear bumper, it was definitely tupperware-looking. But it was scupted and flowed with the lines so the truck looked nice to me. The 200 is just sort of "bla" from every angle. I like the smooth doors without the plastic strip down the middle...it looks cleaner like on the 80-series, however I do like the door-ding protection the strip on the 100-series provides. I think the 200's have an optional moulded door-ding strip, but at the price they're charging, there shouldn't be a surcharge for that option. Unless it grows on me, I may be skipping the 200 and plan on buying a 300. If my 100 tanks and I have to buy another Land Cruiser, I'd find it VERY hard to get comfortable writing a $72,000 check for a 200-series. It'll be interesting to see how a year or two of depreciation effects market prices.

I find it interesting that I live in a city of 2.9 million people, the area I live in has a median annual income of approximately $95,000, and I haven't seen ONE 200-series on the road. Perhaps a $72,000 Toyota Land Cruiser is a tough sell....too early to say. Personally, I'd like to see an upmarket Lexus truck with all the bells-and-whistles for those who want to pay up for all the fluff, and a cloth-interior, non-sunroof, basic bare-bones utilitarian cruiser for the rest of us. They make them for the rest of the world, so why make it so difficult to get THAT type of cruiser here? If the grand marketing plan is to differentiate the LC from the Lexus, then strip the fluff out of the LC, dial the price out of the stratosphere, and bring in the diesel engines to maximize fuel economy. I hope Toyota gets a clue before I need to replace my '98 otherwise I may have to take my loyalty elswhere.

 

[dtt255]

OMG, you just deleted and edited one of the best posts ever made?! I should have saved it...

Are you talking about what showed up in my email box, but is found nowhere in the thread?

Because wow...those are strong words

 

[justimaginejack]

John,
I am sorry for venting on you. I was stressed and took it out on you. I realized right after i posted my comments that it was not right and amended my words to more reflect my frustrations with your multiple and confusing "to me" posts.
Please edit your response and we can hopefully both live this down, and understand it was not my finest moment.
What I was getting at was that I did not see what you were trying to accomplish. If you are trying to educate and persuade, then maybe you did not consider the audience. Thats all.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

The 200 needs:

1. DIESEL power
2. Lower MSRP
3. Much better looks
4. DIESEL power
5. Less Highlander design features
6. Much better looks
7. DIESEL power

While the price is unacceptable, so is the design. Too Highlander-ish and the folding seats didn't work in the previous model - who told you (Toyota) that they were OK to use in the 100???

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

The 200 needs:

1. DIESEL power

4. DIESEL power

7. DIESEL power

Right. Then nobody in the US will buy a new one AFTER the test drive. Wise up. These vehicles are made for NEW buyers (not wheelers buying an old one).

 

[dclee]

Right. Then nobody in the US will buy a new one AFTER the test drive. Wise up. These vehicles are made for NEW buyers (not wheelers buying an old one).

ShottsUZJ100, have you even driven a diesel in the last 10 years? By your comments I'm going to say "no" and that you're still living in the 80s. The Audi and VW diesels are super refined and can easily out-perform similar gas engines (Audi won the 24 Hours of LeMans with a twin-turbo diesel). The new Mercedes BluTecs are absolutely incredible. If you drive one, you'll never even have an inkling that it's a diesel unless you read the badge on the rear decklid. Absolutely no vibration, no clatter, no smoke (in fact better emissions than gassers), superior torque at lower RPM, and super refined power delivery that rivals or even exceeds that of my UZJ100 V8 (and that's saying a lot). To top it off, you get much improved fuel economy. I know that my parents' E320 BluTec is getting 30 mpg in mixed driving, while the equivalent E350 gasser gets something like 20 mpg mixed. Plus, the V6 BluTec blows away the lowly V8 UZJ100 with 400 pound-feet of torque (yes, I typed "four hundred")!

Please at least drive a modern diesel before posting comments like this.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

ShottsUZJ100, have you even driven a diesel in the last 10 years? By your comments I'm going to say "no" and that you're still living in the 80s. The Audi and VW diesels are super refined and can easily out-perform similar gas engines (Audi won the 24 Hours of LeMans with a twin-turbo diesel). The new Mercedes BluTecs are absolutely incredible. If you drive one, you'll never even have an inkling that it's a diesel unless you read the badge on the rear decklid. Absolutely no vibration, no clatter, no smoke (in fact better emissions than gassers), superior torque at lower RPM, and super refined power delivery that rivals or even exceeds that of my UZJ100 V8 (and that's saying a lot). To top it off, you get much improved fuel economy. I know that my parents' E320 BluTec is getting 30 mpg in mixed driving, while the equivalent E350 gasser gets something like 20 mpg mixed. Plus, the V6 BluTec blows away the lowly V8 UZJ100 with 400 pound-feet of torque (yes, I typed "four hundred")!

Please at least drive a modern diesel before posting comments like this.

IF diesel SUV's would outsell gas SUV's here in the US then the big automakers would have them sitting on the lots. They do not.

I've noticed the differences in some of the newer diesel motors. It's noted, however, I personally would not live with the smell and the reduced smoothness compared to a motor like Toy's 4.7 and 5.7L V8's.

These makers make new vehicles fro NEW buyers, not used buyers/wheelers.

If Toyota had that 4.4L in the 200 they'd never sell them HERE. One test drive in an Escalade, a Navigator, or the like with a smooth and quetER V8 and the buyer walks from the 200.

Oh, and we couldn't push start my next door neighbor's deisel Beetle. Something wrong with the glow plug setup. Had it towed.

So I'm the typical US buyer. I want it powerful, smooth, as quiet as possible and without poo-poo smell. And even those new deisels stills smell some, especially when they floor it. No thanks.

 

[FirstToy]

The Toureg V10 TDI is quite a stump puller. It's a great engine as is VAG's V12 TDI.

The Audi 3.0 TDI (2014 emissions compliant) has 500Nm torque (slightly tuned it can go over 550-600Nm easy). That is well into and over the 5.7L V8. Forget the V10, that is in the strata of locomotive torque!

The new Diesels ARE amazing. Clean, efficient and quiet. To say otherwise is just stupid.

The big hangup I see is the cost. Diesels have a huge price hike over petrol engines, but the LC market is perfect for that. That is why VW put the V10 in the Toureg, at the MSRP, people are less concerned w/ cost and more on content.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

The new Diesels ARE amazing. Clean, efficient and quiet. To say otherwise is just stupid.

Sorry. Me and most US buyers are just stupid. At least we're in the majority.

 

[pagemaster]

IF diesel SUV's would outsell gas SUV's here in the US then the big automakers would have them sitting on the lots. They do not.

I've noticed the differences in some of the newer diesel motors. It's noted, however, I personally would not live with the smell and the reduced smoothness compared to a motor like Toy's 4.7 and 5.7L V8's.

These makers make new vehicles fro NEW buyers, not used buyers/wheelers.

If Toyota had that 4.4L in the 200 they'd never sell them HERE. One test drive in an Escalade, a Navigator, or the like with a smooth and quetER V8 and the buyer walks from the 200.

Oh, and we couldn't push start my next door neighbor's deisel Beetle. Something wrong with the glow plug setup. Had it towed.

So I'm the typical US buyer. I want it powerful, smooth, as quiet as possible and without poo-poo smell. And even those new deisels stills smell some, especially when they floor it. No thanks.

100% agree. The Land Cruiser is available on with the 5.7 and only in America with the 5.7. All other countries as far as I have found have the LC with the 4.7 or 4.5 diesel. In the US, the LC would be laughed at for having the 4.7 or 4.5. Other parts of the world it is whole different story when it comes to engines.

 

[FirstToy]

Sorry. Me and most US buyers are just stupid. At least we're in the majority.

No, most US buyers are not stupid. The US is behind in diesel integration but it will happen because it makes a lot of sense on many levels.

 

[uzj100]

GM ruined the diesel market in the US. It will turn one day however it will take time. I think it is laughable that Toyota even offers a 2008 SUV that gets 13 mpg around town (Land Cruiser or not) and if I was bringing 70k to the table, the only place to go would be to MB and get the GL320 cdi. I am 37 years young and maybe by the time I am 55 or 60 we will have real diesel choices in the US. I know the GL is not a real offroader however it will do 99% of the stuff out there and get better mileage while it is doing it. Toyota could easily do the same. That is just my thoughts on the current situation.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

I know the GL is not a real offroader however it will do 99% of the stuff out there and get better mileage while it is doing it. Toyota could easily do the same. That is just my thoughts on the current situation.

Toyota has the Highlander for this application.