2016+ LX review

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Jul 1, 2013
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I have owned several cruisers in my life, 2 80 series, a 100 series and now the 16' LX 570. I was really torn between buying the LX and the LC and again torn between the years. Since I spent months thinking, driving and buying, I thought I would do a little write up so others can make the decision easier themselves.

My 100 series, a 99' LX470, was starting to show its age. I actually think it is a great vehicle and has a lot of life left, but when I started driving my wife new car more I really started to want some of the modern upgrades new cars provide. (btw, I have a 99' LX with lift and many upgrades for sale in Denver w/ 168K). So I started looking at 200 series. The first thing I noticed is how outdated these vehicles are in comparison to other cars/trucks available for the same year. I wanted things like AC seats, radar cruise control, decent infotainment, ext. Once I started test driving and looking closely I realized that the upgrades in the 16+ LC and LX were what I wanted. Plus these things are so expensive I fell into the trap of, "Well for only $$$ more I get this much more" and before I knew it I was way over my intended spending. But that being said I have always bought my cruisers with 90K-120K miles on them and I really wanted this truck to be nicer for longer and avoid a lot of that 100K+ maintenance that gets expensive and time consuming.

The real decision was choosing an LC or an LX. I went back and forth on this forever. I really like the look of the 16 LC and do not care for the styling of the LX. But the LX's interior is incomparable, its so damn nice, like really really nice. My wife thought the LX was too flashy and wanted the cruiser. I liked the idea of getting the cruiser so I could immediately start throwing on aftermarket parts (bumpers, lift, ext). However in reality my vehicles mostly get used for pulling my rafting trailer up to rivers in the summer and skiing in the winter. My offloading consist of Colorado mountain passes when I happen to already be driving through the areas while on a climbing/camping trip. I do drive a ton on dirt mountain roads, and I usually have the truck full of gear and people and a dog.

After driving the LC and LX many times, sometimes back to back I could not get over how much nicer the LX was to drive. Remember that these two vehicles are close in cost, but when you get inside the LX you fell like its worth the price. When you get inside the LC it feels like a nice Toyota, its nice but not special by any means. So eventually I got a great deal on a 16' LX 570 with 30K miles. I bought it for 62,500. Now for my review:

The LX so far is awesome. I did the sensor lift gaining 1.5" in ride height, and I put on Rock Warrior wheels with ~33" Goodyear Duratrac Wranglers. This immediately changed the look of the vehicle and made it look way nicer to me. (Who in the world actually likes 21" wheels? Also, I have a set of 21" wheels for sale!). The suspension is way better than the AHC in the 100. It rides very nice on pavement but also seems to control body roll and nose drop under braking better than any suspension Ive put in my other LC's. It's amazing how good it can handle a curved road at high speeds. I actually appreciate the ability to lower the vehicle bc I can actually fit in the parking garage at the hospital I work at, which is a first. Sure, I like the look of a bigger truck, but really I am enjoying being able to get in and out of the truck more easily and its still high enough for me.

The interior is unbelievable. I have spent time in a new range rover, a G63 AMG and a escalade and I can say that I prefer this interior to all of them (although the Range Rover is hard to beat, but its a Range Rover). The stereo is really really good. The seats are not as comfortable as my wife Volvo, or that Range Rover but they are good enough.

The Radar Cruise control is immediately a feature that you will want forever. I70 traffic just became less annoying. The headlights are amazing, the brights are on auto and I can say that I already had a close call at 70mph with an elk in Wyoming 5 days after buying the truck. I believe I would have hot the elk if I didn't have such bright lights to give me early warning.

The infotainment center was something that I was nervous about. I like touch screens and hate the stupid Lexus mouse pads and joysticks but I can tell you now that it is not a big deal at all and I think I'm starting to prefer this system over the one in the LC. For one the screen is big and looks great. The joystick was a pain in the ass for the first few days but I have gotten use to it and it is easy to use now. Plus, no one ever made it clear just how little you actually need to use it. There are buttons for all stereo controls and HVAC. There are scrolling buttons, a map button, ext. You don't have to use the joystick that much. If you are afraid of this system I would say that you should not let it be a factor in you r decision. Plus, by using a joystick instead of touch screen, the screen is now completely clear of fingerprints and smudges.

I have also put on a Yakima ski rack (I have a roof box I use sometimes). I prefer the yakima style racks over the cargo roof racks bc Im usually needing it for skis, paddles, ext. I added the Lexus rubber floor mats. I do not care for the weather tech's anymore bc they are hard plastic and they always look dirty. Plus they are $200 and the Lexus mats were $90.

I was expecting a more dramatic difference in power between the 100 series and the 200. The truck does not feel much faster driving around town, but when you want to pass someone on I-80 going 80 mph it takes off and makes the pass seem easy, which my 100 could not do. I ordered the Pedal Commander and it arrives today. My buddies 4 runner was massively improved by this device so I will let y'all know if it makes a difference here.

Finally, the LX's looks are growing on me. The headlights look sharp and I'm getting use to that big grill. Still like the LC better but hell, Im always on the inside anyway. I am planning on putting on sliders and loosing the running boards. And I will be lined up to buy bumpers when I can find out they fit on the LX. Overall Im extremely happy with the vehicle and have no doubt I made the right choice for my needs.

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Beautiful truck. I was exactly in the same boat when I bought my 15 with the exception of just having ridden around in friends' 100s. If our 200 wasn't our primary towing vehicle at the time we probably would have gone with a LX for those same reasons, but then I wouldn't have had the BP51s and ARB 2721s in the back. I'm with you on the RWs. They look great on the 200s and those 33" Duratracs have been working out for me this winter getting up and down I25 or the back roads along 83. I've got just over 40k on them, but they've still held up this winter (just not as well as their first).
 
Thank you for sharing this wonderful review and pictures! . I have also come to the same decision in that I will be getting a 16 LX, but I need to wait longer for lower prices. This is the exact color combo that would be my preference as well.

Wonderful to see what the rock warriors look like on the 16 LX.

Did you drive long on the 21s? Any marked differences in ride quality on pavement and MPG?
 
Great writeup, man. I'm new to the cruiser world and have been lurking here for a while, waiting for the right time to get into a 200. I've been all over the map with the models and years, but I thought i was dead set on the '16+ LC. Then i decided to walk into a Lexus dealer and they let me take home a certified '16LX for a couple days to see how I liked it. The interior is fantastic, almost too nice for a guy with a 4 year old ;-)

I thought I'd hate the joystick, but I was surprised that it wasn't so terrible. The fan speed buttons make a big difference.

Great to see the truck with some proper wheels on it. Seeing this further pushes me toward the idea of buying the LX.
 
Great write up! Here I was thinking I'll be good to go when I find a lower mileage '13-15... Guess I might want to look into stretchin the budget and getting a 16.
 
I only had those big rims on there for a few days. I’d say the new set up is certainly a little more noisy. And I need to get an alignment still. I have a tiny bit of rubbing that should go away once I put my old spacers on this truck (tire shops won’t touch spacers).

I forgot to write about the downsides of the truck, although they are minor and few. The cup holders are small and not placed well. That is annoying. Also I was lucky enough to get this truck exactly the way I wanted it. No rear seat tv’s and no cooler box. I loved the idea of the cooler box but the storage is more important and I always have a cooler with me. I plan on taking out the 3rd row and adding drawers as well.

The blind spot monitors are on the mirrors which is ok but I prefer them on the inside of the car. The stupidest thing is not having a bright light on the rear door. You can’t see anything in the back, I plan on adding one there.
 
The 13-15’ years are certainly a better deal but they feel outdated compared to the 16’+. After driving them both I decided it was better to get a newer one. I figure I will recoup the cost with added resale value.
 
Thanks for the writeup, can't have enough info in this decision. Did you see any of this year with 20" stock rims? Tire Rack shows 20" or 21" as a stock size, 21" really limits the tire choices. I don't offroad, but hit a lot of broken pavement and potholes at 80mph, and deep snow in winter. Slightly taller tires on stock rims would be adequate for my mostly highway driving, shouldn't really need to lift.

Please do post up bull bar info. I've hit seven deer, totaled some vehicles, a bull bar is one of the reasons I'd choose another LC/LX for my highway commute. I've read I'd need to cut the front fascia to fit an ARB Deluxe bar, wonder if I could just retrofit a LC grill instead? I've read some writeups here on the subject, looks possible to fit the LC-spec ARB bar, one way or the other.
 
Well I am really wanting a front bumper too bc I have hit two deer in the last 4 years, and almost hit more. So it’s a priority, I really want one of these awesome builders on here to make a bumper for these rigs. Hopefully soon.
 
It'd be a tough, tough call to make a new LC or LX decision.

-Totally agree how awesome radar cruiser is, but only if it works in stop and go traffic which I understand the LX offers while LC does not
-LX interior is definitely many levels above the LC
-Looks a toss-up, though I really do love the 80 series style front end update
-If LC, I'd lift it on bigger tires
-If LX, I'd actually add the Wald Int'l widebody kit in all black
-I don't like AHC and daily driving it lifted may accelerate wear on components
-Does the LX still have the fake plastic stitching on dash? Lame

Congrats on the acquisition. That interior is lux! Love the red.
 
The wheels and tires really transform the entire look of the truck.
 
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I highly recommend this for your tiny cupholder issue. I have one in one of the two from upholders, so I can accommodate basically any size container. I have this in my LX and in my Odyssey. Really worth it! Only real downside is that you cannot open/close the small door that is right behind the cupholders, while this is installed. So I love the door open.

Amazon product ASIN B01M028L5E
 

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