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I drove the 1958, Ben drove the First Edition
Available for rent at Hatch Adventures in Bozeman, MT!
Hatch Adventures | 4WD Car Rentals Bozeman Montana - https://hatchadventures.com/
You can take them where ever you want, just know you’ll pay for damage and they only place Ben told me he tells people not to go is the Morrison jeep trail in WY which I certainly would not do in a rental
A little bit about me:
I daily drive a TURBO CHARGED LX450 on 37s and bead locks and a Fiat 124 spyder
I used to drive a FJ cruiser on 35s and kings
I have seen just about every Toyota generation wheeling in Moab, MT trails, CO trails, spotted numerous Toyotas over rocks, snow, sand. Just about everything you can imagine through years of running the trail rides for the local cruiser club. I have driven the Rubicon in my LX, have guided at Cruise Moab before I was blacklisted.
I won’t go into price point, cost or anything like that. I’m going to focus more on the off road feels and capability side, and we didn’t do any actual measurements, just more of a real-world application and thoughts then actual nerd data. No scientific method.
Initial impressions
The black on black looks good, minus the Prius wheels and tires, these would be the first thing to go. Interior was all mechanical seats, no stupid button on the rear hatch. Of course, I’m going to mention the fact I hate the rear lift gate/ losing the tailgate was a poor decision but this isn’t a real land cruiser anyways. Personally, I loved the feel of the cloth seats! I thought they looked great. The toggle switches are weird. I like dials and buttons but this is nit picking and I’m sure id get used to it. Seemed to have plenty of space in the back to haul weekends work of stuff but I’m just one guy. The big step up in the rear area was weird and defiantly made it seem like there was less space. Also, the cup holders in the rear area were strange. Someone told me this is because they sell a third row in other parts of the world for this one.
Drivability on the interstate
Felt great getting in the on ramp. Felt like plenty of power to get up to speed. Bare in mind I drive a big fat whale of an 80 series so going faster then 70 MPH is FLYING. Got up to 95-100 MPH without me really noticing. I was following the First edition out to the ranch and I looked down and was going 95. Maybe a slight body bobble around the corners but I was really pushing it when I was driving on the curvy road to the OX ranch. It is a rental after all. I got about 17 MPG according to the dashboard. Seems pointless to mess with the hybrid stuff if I only got 17 with idling, A/C on, low range and driving as fast as possible everywhere.
OX offroad course test track
Hill climbs – Mindless. Easy effortless. I did get the LC to get slightly held up when I choose the line up the hill climb that was completely overgrown grass and set it at one for speed, but I’m going to blame that one on the prius tires.
Descents – driving down the hills was a cake walk. Even with the Prius tires. First couple a of descents I did un assisted with just foot on the brake. Decent angles, but this was a closed course test track. Noting to cray cray really.
Flex – The LC defiantly flexes much better than the 5th gen runner and the tacos I have seen, I know not much of a comparison. But I was impressed. I did not see the flex photos until a couple days later and I didn’t realize how far off the ground it truly was. It still felt solid and level. The FI defiantly flexed noticeably more. We tried our best to put both cruisers on the same line and see which one flexed more. The FI had the advantage of the sway bar disconnects, and best be could tell it made a noticeable bit of difference. We did not use the scientific method. Just visual and I think on of the guys standing outside said it had at least three fingers more flex over the 1958 in the rear. The pictures tell the story
Constant beeps and notifications -This was very annoying. Granted this was a rental but this is the first thing I would turn off. There were numerous warnings that kept popping up. Especially on the steep hill descents. Collision warning? I went with a bunch of Toyota sales men and the told me I could give out how to make it go away but I just went with the solution I’m used to from driving older vehicles. Turn up the music and ignore the warning lights and sounds.
CRAWL CONTROL WILL DISENGUAGE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU TRY AND OPEN THE DOOR, YOU CANT GHOST RIDE THE WHIP.
Visibility – Much better than a 5G 4runner. Much better then 3G Tacoma. The Tacoma’s are almost worse than the visibility in a FJ cruiser. Of course, the 80 series is the best LC ever made so I’m going to compare it to this. The visibility isn’t bad defiantly a smaller nose then most modern Toyotas but not as good as my 80. The front has a weird channel in the front that is higher on the two sides. Not ideal but still way better then the taco or the runner.
“Devils toboggan” – this was an obstacle on the back section of the ranch. It is a long hill. Id says about 200-250 yards long and steep and narrow with side where it was cut into the side of the hill. Lets call it at least 30% grade and loose gravel and scree. Its long enough that I would think twice about driving up it. And if I did it would be triple locked and at 5psi and full send. I was the eighth vehicle to drive down it so it was pretty town up while I was driving down it. Serious respect to crawl control after driving this obstacle. Its literally set the dial at one and just hod the wheel. It made this decent mindless. Just sit back and enjoy the view. Straight down. There also was a noticeable difference in the what we kept referring to as the Gen 2 crawl control vs the OG crawl control. The tacos with Gen one CC were noticeably faster, slid more on the scree and they made the very loud sound. If anyone hasn’t heard first gen CC in person it sounds like there a rock or something in the brakes. It’s not a pleasant sound. The LC is smooth, and silent. It was slightly entertain hearing the comments from the others driving the G1 CC about how much better the LC was doing it.
I really would love to test the crawl control somewhere like Moab because I feel like this would shine even more on the slick rock.
Final thoughts
I would not sell a 200 series for this. This is not a real land cruiser, and we knew that. It’s a Prado. I kept referring to it as the Kirkland version of the land cruiser.
IT makes me really want to wheel the new GX.
Buy the most expensive GX and leave it stock. Only upgrade the tires. OR buy this land cruiser base model and do lift sliders and 35s and hopefully all the electronic stuff still works and the bigger tires don’t screw up the crawl control.
Available for rent at Hatch Adventures in Bozeman, MT!
Hatch Adventures | 4WD Car Rentals Bozeman Montana - https://hatchadventures.com/
You can take them where ever you want, just know you’ll pay for damage and they only place Ben told me he tells people not to go is the Morrison jeep trail in WY which I certainly would not do in a rental
A little bit about me:
I daily drive a TURBO CHARGED LX450 on 37s and bead locks and a Fiat 124 spyder
I used to drive a FJ cruiser on 35s and kings
I have seen just about every Toyota generation wheeling in Moab, MT trails, CO trails, spotted numerous Toyotas over rocks, snow, sand. Just about everything you can imagine through years of running the trail rides for the local cruiser club. I have driven the Rubicon in my LX, have guided at Cruise Moab before I was blacklisted.
I won’t go into price point, cost or anything like that. I’m going to focus more on the off road feels and capability side, and we didn’t do any actual measurements, just more of a real-world application and thoughts then actual nerd data. No scientific method.
Initial impressions
The black on black looks good, minus the Prius wheels and tires, these would be the first thing to go. Interior was all mechanical seats, no stupid button on the rear hatch. Of course, I’m going to mention the fact I hate the rear lift gate/ losing the tailgate was a poor decision but this isn’t a real land cruiser anyways. Personally, I loved the feel of the cloth seats! I thought they looked great. The toggle switches are weird. I like dials and buttons but this is nit picking and I’m sure id get used to it. Seemed to have plenty of space in the back to haul weekends work of stuff but I’m just one guy. The big step up in the rear area was weird and defiantly made it seem like there was less space. Also, the cup holders in the rear area were strange. Someone told me this is because they sell a third row in other parts of the world for this one.
Drivability on the interstate
Felt great getting in the on ramp. Felt like plenty of power to get up to speed. Bare in mind I drive a big fat whale of an 80 series so going faster then 70 MPH is FLYING. Got up to 95-100 MPH without me really noticing. I was following the First edition out to the ranch and I looked down and was going 95. Maybe a slight body bobble around the corners but I was really pushing it when I was driving on the curvy road to the OX ranch. It is a rental after all. I got about 17 MPG according to the dashboard. Seems pointless to mess with the hybrid stuff if I only got 17 with idling, A/C on, low range and driving as fast as possible everywhere.
OX offroad course test track
Hill climbs – Mindless. Easy effortless. I did get the LC to get slightly held up when I choose the line up the hill climb that was completely overgrown grass and set it at one for speed, but I’m going to blame that one on the prius tires.
Descents – driving down the hills was a cake walk. Even with the Prius tires. First couple a of descents I did un assisted with just foot on the brake. Decent angles, but this was a closed course test track. Noting to cray cray really.
Flex – The LC defiantly flexes much better than the 5th gen runner and the tacos I have seen, I know not much of a comparison. But I was impressed. I did not see the flex photos until a couple days later and I didn’t realize how far off the ground it truly was. It still felt solid and level. The FI defiantly flexed noticeably more. We tried our best to put both cruisers on the same line and see which one flexed more. The FI had the advantage of the sway bar disconnects, and best be could tell it made a noticeable bit of difference. We did not use the scientific method. Just visual and I think on of the guys standing outside said it had at least three fingers more flex over the 1958 in the rear. The pictures tell the story
Constant beeps and notifications -This was very annoying. Granted this was a rental but this is the first thing I would turn off. There were numerous warnings that kept popping up. Especially on the steep hill descents. Collision warning? I went with a bunch of Toyota sales men and the told me I could give out how to make it go away but I just went with the solution I’m used to from driving older vehicles. Turn up the music and ignore the warning lights and sounds.
CRAWL CONTROL WILL DISENGUAGE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU TRY AND OPEN THE DOOR, YOU CANT GHOST RIDE THE WHIP.
Visibility – Much better than a 5G 4runner. Much better then 3G Tacoma. The Tacoma’s are almost worse than the visibility in a FJ cruiser. Of course, the 80 series is the best LC ever made so I’m going to compare it to this. The visibility isn’t bad defiantly a smaller nose then most modern Toyotas but not as good as my 80. The front has a weird channel in the front that is higher on the two sides. Not ideal but still way better then the taco or the runner.
“Devils toboggan” – this was an obstacle on the back section of the ranch. It is a long hill. Id says about 200-250 yards long and steep and narrow with side where it was cut into the side of the hill. Lets call it at least 30% grade and loose gravel and scree. Its long enough that I would think twice about driving up it. And if I did it would be triple locked and at 5psi and full send. I was the eighth vehicle to drive down it so it was pretty town up while I was driving down it. Serious respect to crawl control after driving this obstacle. Its literally set the dial at one and just hod the wheel. It made this decent mindless. Just sit back and enjoy the view. Straight down. There also was a noticeable difference in the what we kept referring to as the Gen 2 crawl control vs the OG crawl control. The tacos with Gen one CC were noticeably faster, slid more on the scree and they made the very loud sound. If anyone hasn’t heard first gen CC in person it sounds like there a rock or something in the brakes. It’s not a pleasant sound. The LC is smooth, and silent. It was slightly entertain hearing the comments from the others driving the G1 CC about how much better the LC was doing it.
I really would love to test the crawl control somewhere like Moab because I feel like this would shine even more on the slick rock.
Final thoughts
I would not sell a 200 series for this. This is not a real land cruiser, and we knew that. It’s a Prado. I kept referring to it as the Kirkland version of the land cruiser.
IT makes me really want to wheel the new GX.
Buy the most expensive GX and leave it stock. Only upgrade the tires. OR buy this land cruiser base model and do lift sliders and 35s and hopefully all the electronic stuff still works and the bigger tires don’t screw up the crawl control.
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