2013 LC 200 - mountainous region road comfort with family (1 Viewer)

[arekieh]

Hi all,

Looking for some input on a purchase I'm considering. 2013 LC 200 GXR with 70k kms in very good condition.

This would be my main vehicle when visiting my parents in Lebanon. We live in a small village in the mountains. I will keep it stock, main concern that I am struggling with is what the ride comfort is like on a windy mountainous roads (blacktop) especially for kids in 2nd/3rd row.

I currently drive a '15 GX460 in Oman and love it. Main things I am looking for is reliability, decent off-road capability for around the village, family hauler, and ideally something i can keep for a decade or more.

Would appreciate any input. Especially if anyone can comment on ride quality between GX460 and an LC200.

P.S. I am not in Lebanon now so i would be buying the LC through my dad. I can't test drive it myself, hence this post.

Thanks

 

[MCtree]

Hi all,

Looking for some input on a purchase I'm considering. 2013 LC 200 GXR with 70k kms in very good condition.

This would be my main vehicle when visiting my parents in Lebanon. We live in a small village in the mountains. I will keep it stock, main concern that I am struggling with is what the ride comfort is like on a windy mountainous roads (blacktop) especially for kids in 2nd/3rd row.

I currently drive a '15 GX460 in Oman and love it. Main things I am looking for is reliability, decent off-road capability for around the village, family hauler, and ideally something i can keep for a decade or more.

Would appreciate any input. Especially if anyone can comment on ride quality between GX460 and an LC200.

P.S. I am not in Lebanon now so i would be buying the LC through my dad. I can't test drive it myself, hence this post.

Thanks

I had a 460 and sold it when I got my 200. I wanted more space.

I think the 460 has a better ride and is more nimble while the 200 feels more like a big truck. It’s more so, now that my 200 has a lift but even before I felt like the 200 was more truck-like.

That said, I also feel like the 200 is more solid. And, anecdotally, it will last longer.
I’m not sure how easy repairs are in Lebanon, but if reliability is a big factor than that might push me to the 200.

Also, I think the 200 is better off road, but unless you need to do some rock-crawling to get to your parents house, the 460 should be perfectly fine.

Disclaimer: these are all just my opinions. I worry that this being a 200 board, I will get pilloried for suggesting the 200 isn’t better in all ways.

 

[arekieh]

I had a 460 and sold it when I got my 200. I wanted more space.

I think the 460 has a better ride and is more nimble while the 200 feels more like a big truck. It’s more so, now that my 200 has a lift but even before I felt like the 200 was more truck-like.

That said, I also feel like the 200 is more solid. And, anecdotally, it will last longer.
I’m not sure how easy repairs are in Lebanon, but if reliability is a big factor than that might push me to the 200.

Also, I think the 200 is better off road, but unless you need to do some rock-crawling to get to your parents house, the 460 should be perfectly fine.

Disclaimer: these are all just my opinions. I worry that this being a 200 board, I will get pilloried for suggesting the 200 isn’t better in all ways.

Thanks appreciate it.

GX460 will stay as my daily in Oman, Land cruiser will be a second vehicle that'll stay in Lebanon for when we visit (usually a couple months a year).

Parts and repairs are available in Lebanon but we're in a small village so it's a bit of a pain to get stuff done. Also, I want something reliable so it's not a headache when I am using it during our visits and something that my parents can drive as well.

Finding a good car is pretty difficult so I am pretty much sold on the LC. My one concern is how "boaty" it is. As most of the roads in our region are windy mountainous roads and it could be a dealbreaker if my kids will be nauseous every time we go on longer trips.

 

[dudemancool1904]

I think the 200 with later brakes and KDSS drives great considering it weighs 5500 lbs. even better with AHC (Lexus lx570 in the states).
The GX is lighter but not by much, maybe 4 or 500 lbs.
I drive my truck through legit twisty roads (same roads I would tear up with my Miata, M5, 325is, Mazdaspeed3, etc) on the way to the desert and it’s totally livable. Never made anyone sick. Yet!

 

[aM200]

My reference for the 200 series is primarily with the AHC suspension system on LX’s, though I believe this is an option on the LC in other markets. I had a new GX 460 for about a year as well.

The 200 is surprisingly capable in corners, but the caveat is still the weight. You’ll never forget that it’s a heavy vehicle. The GX definitely feels lighter and a bit more nimble, but I wouldn’t say it’s better. The 200, on the other hand, is rock stable in almost all conditions. In heavy crosswinds where the GX would be a fight to keep the straight the 200 barely even moves. There’s a real sense of stability in the 200 no matter what you’re doing.

The AHC suspension is really something too. There are times you can feel it ironing out bumps and body motions that conventional setups couldn’t deal with. Sort of a similar feeling to the magnetic shocks on some GMs, though not as good honestly.

 

[bloc]

@arekieh Which suspension does a GXR come equipped with?

 

[arekieh]

@arekieh Which suspension does a GXR come equipped with?

Not sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate but it's standard no AHC.

AHC sounds awesome but for my application it seems like it's overkill? Not sure if it's worth the eventual maintenance that will be needed (I plan on keeping it forever)

 

[TimCFJ40]

I live at the top of a 1000' vertical mountain road. The road up the mountain is paved, twisty, and relatively high speed (45 mph).
Our LC has KDSS, and I don't have any issues or requests from my wife or kids with regards to ride on twisty pavement. It's not as much fun as my wife's VW Golf wagon, but it does just fine. There are a lot (for the US) of 200 series up on this mountain, so I assume that I am not alone in my assessment. Almost every time I drive up or down I see at least one other 200 series.

For a large SUV, I think the 200 holds it's own, but it's no sports car, and probably a little more "floaty" than the GX, but I haven't driven one so I can't say personally.

 

[arekieh]

Thank you all, I apprecaite the input. Hopefully it checks out and the deal works out.

Thanks again

 

[bloc]

Not sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate but it's standard no AHC.

AHC sounds awesome but for my application it seems like it's overkill? Not sure if it's worth the eventual maintenance that will be needed (I plan on keeping it forever)

Do you know whether that trim has the KDSS swaybars? If so, these big vehicles actually corner quite flat.

 

[arekieh]

Do you know whether that trim has the KDSS swaybars? If so, these big vehicles actually corner quite flat.

Yep it does have KDSS

 

[unclemat]

I don't consider LC w/KDSS as "boaty" and that's even with stock suspension. Especially with LT tires. Passenger tires indeed soften it a bit. No experience with AHC/LX570 but I'd take KDSS any day for simplicity, reliability and its effectiveness. Though AHC of course has merits, too.

 

[stonepa]

If you look around the middle east - Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, KSA, you name it, you see LC200s everywhere. For good reason. It was almost like they were designed for those roads. You’ll be fine with a 200.

 

[Heckraiser]

Standard suspension is fine for ride quality and I think keeping it stock is probably best for your intended use. Whether standard, KDSS or AHC, the stock suspension is going to ride better and be more easily serviceable than aftermarket. Aftermarket suspension not needed for the bumpy roads around your parents'. KDSS or AHC suspension will improve handling (i.e. taking corners faster), but even the standard non-kdss, non-ahc suspension will get the job done with good ride quality. I agree that the GX460 rides a little nicer than the 200, but both are very good for a vehicle that can do it all on or off the pavement.