Well, this is Toyota we’re talking about. King of supply chain management. No way will Toyota let an important part go to ZERO nationally/worldwide in its stock.
2013 LX with 40k or LC with 80k. Help me choose
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Well, this is Toyota we’re talking about. King of supply chain management. No way will Toyota let an important part go to ZERO nationally/worldwide in its stock.
Toyota may be king of supply chain management, if the supply chain is broken not much can be done about it. I doubt Toyota is immune from world-wide events.
We've owned both, a 2019 LX570 and now a 2021 LC. The Lexus has better interior appointments, there's no denying that. Small things like double pane glass and the extra sound deadening material really do make a difference in cabin noise and ride comfort. If the LX has the ML sound system then it'll definitely be better than the JBL that comes in the LC but compared to the non-ML Lexus stereo the JBL in the LC is better. Drivetrain is a wash and as is the interior space. AHC was nice to have, I actually kind of miss it, but I didn't really notice much of a difference in ride quality between the two unless the LX was set in Comfort mode.
While the LX was an amazing vehicle for us in the end it came down to the fact that the misses was never really a fan of the bold styling of the LX and had always longed for the more sporty look and feel of the LC. We both have always been big fans of the 2016+ LC styling and we really should have bought an LC back in 2018 instead of the LX that I brought home. That said, I don't have any regrets about owning the LX and we carried over quite a bit of equity when we traded it in towards the LC. At the end of the day the misses was always longing for an LC even as she owned a much more nicely appointed LX. For me owning a true LC kind of factored in to my favoritism as well. If badging/branding matters to you then the LX may never fully scratch your itch, just like it didn't for us.
In the end you get more for your money in the LX and by no means do you get less of a vehicle. My suggestion is to go with what your gut is telling you. If you truly desire the LC then wait for the right one to come along and buy it on the spot without hesitation because as you can see they simply don't last on the market these days.
While the LX was an amazing vehicle for us in the end it came down to the fact that the misses was never really a fan of the bold styling of the LX and had always longed for the more sporty look and feel of the LC. We both have always been big fans of the 2016+ LC styling and we really should have bought an LC back in 2018 instead of the LX that I brought home. That said, I don't have any regrets about owning the LX and we carried over quite a bit of equity when we traded it in towards the LC. At the end of the day the misses was always longing for an LC even as she owned a much more nicely appointed LX. For me owning a true LC kind of factored in to my favoritism as well. If badging/branding matters to you then the LX may never fully scratch your itch, just like it didn't for us.
In the end you get more for your money in the LX and by no means do you get less of a vehicle. My suggestion is to go with what your gut is telling you. If you truly desire the LC then wait for the right one to come along and buy it on the spot without hesitation because as you can see they simply don't last on the market these days.
Great post. Me I'm just a Lexus guy through and through, but in this case I definitely DO NOT mind a badge re-engineering lol. Me personally? LX is everything a LC is but add in flagship Lexus luxury. No brainer.
When did they start with the double pane glass? My '14 doesn't have it.
What it does have is (95% of) the serenity and quietness that my LS430 has and I'm still blown away by how freakin' quiet this 12MPG brick is, especially at higher speeds. How the hell did they do that? LS430 engineered as a silent luxury car from the get go and was tested in wind tunnels and was the most aerodynamic car in production at the time (.25CAD) so I get that, but I've had our LX a few months now and am still shocked that this truck is so quiet. At all speeds but especially on the freeway.
I hope the LX worked out!
Tex, and a few others here, have done a great job sharing the pros of both the LC and the LX. FWIW, if this helps the OP enjoy his LX, or anyone else on the fence, after spending time in early LC200's for work and winding up with and LX, this is a situation where I don't think you can make a 'bad' choice. For me, it came down to my use case (long road trips before I get to the trail, and easy of loading older and younger adventurers in for the ride) and local service options.
Time on the road and AHC - I've had more than one lifted rig, on everything from 35's or 40's (I know, I know, not necessary), and while they are fun weekend cars, lifted rigs can grate on some people (or better halves or older relatives) if you're using them a lot. I love the flexibility the LX provides to fit a 33, 34, or 35 inch tire without too much work, the ability for the whole family to hop in or out easily en route (put it in park, lower the AHC, done), and the ability to get pretty high up for trails. No, I probably can't pre-run the LX with AHC like an LC on 3.0 Kings, but if I really get that itch, others have worked out a way to disable the AHC and go down the rabbit hole (thank you @turbo8 and others).
Service - I have had one Toyota or another for more than half of my adult life, but after more than one subpar service experience in a row with my local dealer on my last Toyota and another one in the family, I passed on a 2021 Heritage Edition LC that I had a deposit on. I know there are great Toyota dealers, and I know from my IS300 days that there are some average Lexus dealers, and I know that the LC200 is a brilliant, reliable platform regardless of the badge. If I hadn't owned two Toyota's last year, or had decent service experiences with them (not trouble or recall free, just repairs done correctly the first time) I would be driving a 2021 LC. But, last year was what is was, and while I may look back and miss the LC, my first trip to the Lexus dealer (for scheduled maintenance) was great, and a quick drop-in to another dealer while I was on the road (for spares for a friend's LC100) was also polite and professional. The peace of mind those experiences bring - especially if my better half or one of my parents wants to take the LX out on a road trip - made my great initial experience with the LX570 even better than that first test drive (which was fun), and I will probably be swapping out another vehicle for a Lexus this summer because of those two short visits.
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Quick update - I picked up the 2013 LX yesterday. The clock rolled over 40K on my way back home - it looks practically brand new. In the end, getting an LX with 40K less miles than a comparable LC for the same price was just too good to pass up.
I appreciate everyone's feedback.
I appreciate everyone's feedback.
Three quick thoughts:
1) Having a choice is nice. I don’t think you can go wrong with choosing either an LC or an LX.
2) Dealership proximity probably plays some role (it is 109 miles from me to the nearest Lexus dealer). The dealer experience may be highly differentiated, but that doesn’t help if there aren’t any nearby.
3) I was more than impressed with the off-road capability of an LX on a drive last weekend. I walked away with a very positive impression of the Lexus. This stock LX with BFGs was eating up very difficult steep rocky technical terrain as well or better than my fairly built up LC.
I used to think I wouldn’t choose an LX, but that drive mentioned above changed my mind. I think it is pretty much a wash unless you are set in advance that you want to install an aftermarket suspension. I think for me, the AHC would probably be enough and would consider an LX in the future.
I would however have to go on a search and destroy on chrome, and figure out better front approach angles if I get an LX.
1) Having a choice is nice. I don’t think you can go wrong with choosing either an LC or an LX.
2) Dealership proximity probably plays some role (it is 109 miles from me to the nearest Lexus dealer). The dealer experience may be highly differentiated, but that doesn’t help if there aren’t any nearby.
3) I was more than impressed with the off-road capability of an LX on a drive last weekend. I walked away with a very positive impression of the Lexus. This stock LX with BFGs was eating up very difficult steep rocky technical terrain as well or better than my fairly built up LC.
I used to think I wouldn’t choose an LX, but that drive mentioned above changed my mind. I think it is pretty much a wash unless you are set in advance that you want to install an aftermarket suspension. I think for me, the AHC would probably be enough and would consider an LX in the future.
I would however have to go on a search and destroy on chrome, and figure out better front approach angles if I get an LX.
I’m one of the lucky ones as mine is over 200k; super lucky even as she was a NJ truck and there is rust as expected. Only thing I saw on maintenance record for AHC is just your typical flush.
I’d even go as far as saying that the demand for AHC replacement parts (even here on mud) is so low that just the people deleting it (many of which never gave it a fair chance), can provide enough parts for the ones who keep it for long enough for something to finally break. The system is mostly just hydraulic lines and a few key components like pump and accumulators, all of which seem like really solid parts that last. I think the most common problem I’ve seen is rusted out hydraulic lines (metal lines), which then leads to a leak. IMO, You’re way more likely to replace your shocks multiple times before you need to do anything major on the AHC system.
Im just an enthusiasts/proud owner of a 200, and not an expert by any means though. This is simply my own observation/experience.
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Read this after I made the last post! Congrats and I’m 100% certain you won’t regret it.
The only thing I get jealous over when driving the LX is a new 70 series, simply because the LX is just way too luxurious for me, and I’m willing to trade a crap ton of creature comforts for even more reliability/longer vehicle lifespan. The Lx just has SO MUCHHH comfort to spare!
Actually, while true that LC200 is more luxurious, the 200 series is a STRONGER and MORE DURABLE platform than 70 series.
This is not true. YMMV.
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Oh really? I have a hard time picturing 4x power-heated seats, 2 cooled seats, automated power folding mirrors, 4-zone climate control, 4XDVD players in headrest + 1 more in head unit, and things like that breaking when they don't exist. I really don't need those things... and my point is I'd rather have windows that i manually roll down, if it means it will still work in 30 years if i take decent care of the vehicle. The 70s is ideal for me because i don't care about those things, and i'd love a truck that could last me the rest of my life if properly maintained.
I just have a hard time picturing the 200s being more "reliable" past the 2nd decade of its life, because a part of reliability is maintenance cost. Less things to maintain = lower maintenance right? That and, the 70s series is plenty durable enough; but that doesn't matter because we are talking RELIABILITY. If i wanted durability i would buy an Abrams.
Which is it? Neither, because it is true and it is with varying mileage accounted for.
Show me evidence that MOST AHC (rather than a small tiny % of them) owners have to do anything other than an AHC flush, in the same amount of time that MOST of the shocks users have to change out their shocks. Grinchy had some very good points about how numbers on mud may be skewed, because google searches direct people here for AHC-related questions; and even then it's not as many failing AHC threads as you claim.
Anyways, believe what you want but as someone who is driving a 200k+ AHC example myself and have maintenance records to show for it, i can assure you that the cost of maintaining my AHC system is in fact cheaper than the cost of you keeping up with your shocks alone. You providing a few examples and not taking into consideration that even all of the AHC threads you can find added together, the total # of failures still represent a very small fraction of AHC-vehicles out there. Only a handful of AHC owners (less than 1% and im certain you won't find more than that) need to replace anything major before 100k, but how many % of shock users need to replace shocks before 100k?
AHC has been out for decades starting with the 100 series and GXs, and if its as unreliable and high maintenance as you say, then there'd be a mountain of overwhelming evidence against it by now. In reality, it has proven quite reliable and right in line with Toyota's philosophy of thoroughly testing everything before they put it into a Land Cruiser.
With that said, you and i both owe the OP an apology for hijacking his thread. To each their own, and my apologies to OP. Over and out.
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@SharpeCat dump that LX570 and grab an 80 series and you'll almost be there, a 60 series if you want a few less creature comforts, and a 40 series if you want the full analog experience. Hop in a stock 40 series with the top and doors off for a full on raw experience. It is awesome. Unless it rains, or snows, or is cold, or if you are in a hurry, or if you want accident safety, or airbags, or seatbelts, etc. All readily available here stateside for what you have into your LX.
And no apologies for thread jacking here. This is a 200 tech forum, not a which of the two nearly identical 200 series should I buy forum. This thread was jacked from birth...
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@SharpeCat No worries at all
@CharlieS I accept your non-apology
Hope y'all both have a great day!
@CharlieS I accept your non-apology
Hope y'all both have a great day!
If the 80 was still sold as new and had a chance at lasting another 30 years, i'd seriously look at it over a 200. Sometimes taking a step back to the basics isn't a bad thing, as it means less potential problems to deal with. I could say this about the times as well.@SharpeCat dump that LX570 and grab an 80 series and you'll almost be there, a 60 series if you want a few less creature comforts, and a 40 series if you want the full analog experience. Hop in a stock 40 series with the top and doors off for a full on raw experience. It is awesome. Unless it rains, or snows, or is cold, or if you are in a hurry, or if you want accident safety, or airbags, or seatbelts, etc. All readily available here stateside for what you have into your LX.
And no apologies for thread jacking here. This is a 200 tech forum, not a which of the two nearly identical 200 series should I buy forum. This thread was jacked from birth...
I wouldn't mind the 60s either, as the 80s is a little too "luxury oriented" for me. To me the 70s is the middle-of-the-road balance. Am i hijacking now that it's not even about a 200? XD sorry.