Any buyer's remorse after getting the new 250? (1 Viewer)

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Happy to see you understand the Land Cruiser lines and that you dare to write Prado. Happy we got that cleared up.

To be clear, I like the Prado. I just do not get the misleading marketing.

I am sure the only markets they call the 250 a "Prado" is because the 300 or perhaps the 70 series already exists there. The 300 doesn't exist in the USA so Land Cruiser it is.
 
Thanks for the video ! I "fast forward watched it" kind of thing. Not sure who had watched it, but the constant through the video is this... The truck that what appears to be the "leaders of the trip" drive is the 70, and it is that truck the one recovering all the others ! LOL. The one we don't get in the USA, is THE real Land Cruiser here.... lol.

Just came by this trip through Namibia with 200, 150, 70 series, hilux and even a VW Amrak… All in all awesome display of Toyota's and their capability.

 
Thanks for the video ! I "fast forward watched it" kind of thing. Not sure who had watched it, but the constant through the video is this... The truck that what appears to be the "leaders of the trip" drive is the 70, and it is that truck the one recovering all the others ! LOL. The one we don't get in the USA, is THE real Land Cruiser here.... lol.
The Land Cruiser 70 they are using is the pick up “bakkie” version.

Also shared it as Namibia is an off-road and wild life paradise
 
No, can you please share? I thought this V6's were actually pretty good. Thank you for sharing !!!
I used to own a 2009 Honda Pilot and liked it a lot (until it couldn't make it up my very moderate grade gravel driveway when it snowed). The problem is with the ECO mode (aside from the driveway, that is). When the engine goes into ECO mode, it deactivates two cylinders for some alleged MPG savings, probably mandated by the US Government.

When I took the Pilot in for the first oil change, my mechanic said "one big drop of super concentrated oil came out." He mentioned some talk online about burning oil and suggested bringing it in for the next oil change early instead of waiting for the wrench symbol to show up on the dash. So I did, about when it hit 25% oil life and he said "the oil is 1 quart low". So we thought the Pilot was just burning oil. Kept driving it like normal.

I was on a longer drive (3+ hours) and all of a sudden I got a flashing check engine light. I drove it straight to the nearest Honda dealer (over 2 hours away) and checked it in. They said they would get back to me and feigned ignorance. So I went and started an intensive internet search and found something.
Apparently when Honda V6 engines go into ECO mode and deactivate two cylinders, the cylinder sleeves of the remaining cylinders being to rotate and burn oil. Some of this oil ends up being shot out onto the spark plugs. Over time this causes excessive oil use and fouling of the spark plugs, which is what caused my flashing check engine light - for a misfire. There was a TSB for this issue that ONLY covered affected vehicles for the first 7 or 8 years off the lot. After that you were on your own. My Pilot got covered by one month. There was no guarantee after fix that it wouldn't do it again. I found someone selling a defeat device for the ECO mode, which I installed and drove the Pilot until I couldn't make it up my own driveway in the winter, then I sold it. It was a 2WD anyway. :)

Basically when a V6 Honda reaches cruising speed, the ECU begins measuring the engine temperature, and when it reaches the 'ideal' temperature, it goes into ECO mode. There is a thermostat on either side of the engine in the wiring harness. So someone made an inline resistor so the Pilot would never reach the ideal operating temp, and thus never go into ECO mode. Looks stock and no one from Honda who saw it batted an eye. Basically this is a known Honda secret at the dealerships. BUT if you buy a used Honda you never know how close it is to the misfire. Every time I see a Pilot, I try to educate the owner about it.

 
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Thank you very much for this explanation and share of information !

I wonder a few things.... 1). Are these the same engines and functions as they are offering now in 2024 and 2025? The new upcoming Passport trail edition looks great ! 2). Are these the same engines in the 2019 Odyssey? I have a close friend with one, and she has experienced some "shutter" or hesitation while coming to a stop or intersection; they had done some service at the Honda dealership, but I am now wondering if this is the issue at deep.

Since we are walking away from Yotas, maybe better if we can DM, I truly appreciate the input.

Thanks again !

I used to own a 2009 Honda Pilot and liked it a lot (until it couldn't make it up my very moderate grade gravel driveway when it snowed). The problem is with the ECO mode (aside from the driveway, that is). When the engine goes into ECO mode, it deactivates two cylinders for some alleged MPG savings, probably mandated by the US Government.

When I took the Pilot in for the first oil change, my mechanic said "one big drop of super concentrated oil came out." He mentioned some talk online about burning oil and suggested bringing it in for the next oil change early instead of waiting for the wrench symbol to show up on the dash. So I did, about when it hit 25% oil life and he said "the oil is 1 quart low". So we thought the Pilot was just burning oil. Kept driving it like normal.

I was on a longer drive (3+ hours) and all of a sudden I got a flashing check engine light. I drove it straight to the nearest Honda dealer (over 2 hours away) and checked it in. They said they would get back to me and feigned ignorance. So I went and started an intensive internet search and found something.
Apparently when Honda V6 engines go into ECO mode and deactivate two cylinders, the cylinder sleeves of the remaining cylinders being to rotate and burn oil. Some of this oil ends up being shot out onto the spark plugs. Over time this causes excessive oil use and fouling of the spark plugs, which is what caused my flashing check engine light - for a misfire. There was a TSB for this issue that ONLY covered affected vehicles for the first 7 or 8 years off the lot. After that you were on your own. My Pilot got covered by one month. There was no guarantee after fix that it wouldn't do it again. I found someone selling a defeat device for the ECO mode, which I installed and drove the Pilot until I couldn't make it up my own driveway in the winter, then I sold it. It was a 2WD anyway. :)

Basically when a V6 Honda reaches cruising speed, the ECU begins measuring the engine temperature, and when it reaches the 'ideal' temperature, it goes into ECO mode. There is a thermostat on either side of the engine in the wiring harness. So someone made an inline resistor so the Pilot would never reach the ideal operating temp, and thus never go into ECO mode. Looks stock and no one from Honda who saw it batted an eye. Basically this is a known Honda secret at the dealerships. BUT if you buy a used Honda you never know how close it is to the misfire. Every time I see a Pilot, I try to educate the owner about it.

 
muh real land cruiser

MuhmuhmuhLc.jpg
 
I used to own a 2009 Honda Pilot and liked it a lot (until it couldn't make it up my very moderate grade gravel driveway when it snowed). The problem is with the ECO mode (aside from the driveway, that is). When the engine goes into ECO mode, it deactivates two cylinders for some alleged MPG savings, probably mandated by the US Government.

When I took the Pilot in for the first oil change, my mechanic said "one big drop of super concentrated oil came out." He mentioned some talk online about burning oil and suggested bringing it in for the next oil change early instead of waiting for the wrench symbol to show up on the dash. So I did, about when it hit 25% oil life and he said "the oil is 1 quart low". So we thought the Pilot was just burning oil. Kept driving it like normal.

I was on a longer drive (3+ hours) and all of a sudden I got a flashing check engine light. I drove it straight to the nearest Honda dealer (over 2 hours away) and checked it in. They said they would get back to me and feigned ignorance. So I went and started an intensive internet search and found something.
Apparently when Honda V6 engines go into ECO mode and deactivate two cylinders, the cylinder sleeves of the remaining cylinders being to rotate and burn oil. Some of this oil ends up being shot out onto the spark plugs. Over time this causes excessive oil use and fouling of the spark plugs, which is what caused my flashing check engine light - for a misfire. There was a TSB for this issue that ONLY covered affected vehicles for the first 7 or 8 years off the lot. After that you were on your own. My Pilot got covered by one month. There was no guarantee after fix that it wouldn't do it again. I found someone selling a defeat device for the ECO mode, which I installed and drove the Pilot until I couldn't make it up my own driveway in the winter, then I sold it. It was a 2WD anyway. :)

Basically when a V6 Honda reaches cruising speed, the ECU begins measuring the engine temperature, and when it reaches the 'ideal' temperature, it goes into ECO mode. There is a thermostat on either side of the engine in the wiring harness. So someone made an inline resistor so the Pilot would never reach the ideal operating temp, and thus never go into ECO mode. Looks stock and no one from Honda who saw it batted an eye. Basically this is a known Honda secret at the dealerships. BUT if you buy a used Honda you never know how close it is to the misfire. Every time I see a Pilot, I try to educate the owner about it.

This is really interesting information. So based on this, should we avoid using the ECO mode in our LC 250's?
 
Thank you very much for this explanation and share of information !

I wonder a few things.... 1). Are these the same engines and functions as they are offering now in 2024 and 2025? The new upcoming Passport trail edition looks great ! 2). Are these the same engines in the 2019 Odyssey? I have a close friend with one, and she has experienced some "shutter" or hesitation while coming to a stop or intersection; they had done some service at the Honda dealership, but I am now wondering if this is the issue at deep.

Since we are walking away from Yotas, maybe better if we can DM, I truly appreciate the input.

Thanks again !
Any reason you aren't considering a Outback? They aren't Toyota reliable but are a very well-sorted, longitudinal-engine AWD platform. A basic N/A 2.5 Outback should get 30+ mpg and is a better soft-roader than just about any other crossover. The N/A cars are also stupid-easy to work on. Like working on a car made out of Legos. Get the Wilderness or XT version if you want some power, but maintenance will be harder.

Disclaimer: My personal fleet always had at least 1 Subaru from 2009 to 2023 and my extended family has at least 4 Subies in it right now, and had had them on-and-off dating back to 1993. I've yanked and re-head gasketed EJ25s before. Cakewalk compared to doing just about anything on my 120 series.
 
I am sure the only markets they call the 250 a "Prado" is because the 300 or perhaps the 70 series already exists there. The 300 doesn't exist in the USA so Land Cruiser it is.
No no no.... Haven't you read, some very self-informed posters in this thread (who don't own a 250) tell us that the 250 can't be a Land Cruiser. They said so 🤣
 
To chime in, topically,
We've had our 250 for about a month now. Only complaint I have is the small tank. I was hoping to have a little more range than the 300 miles per tank my 100 gets, but seems like the engineers decided 300 miles was all you need. That being said, even with premium the outlay at the pump doesn't hurt quite as much (only a little jaded considering the 100 has consumed about 21,000 gallons to date). Aside from that, no real complaints. The NVH from the drivetrain is a non-issue, could be that I've subliminally trained my right foot to drive around it. The raised floor in the cargo area seemed off at first, but it's still a non-issue switching between it and the 100 (3rd row long gone). 2 adults, car seat, 2 70lb dogs are just as easy in each car for long weekend excursions. Now, the real bonus with the 250 is driving up to the mountains. The power feels effortless.

As a long term 100 series owner, going on 15 years now, these two cars feel like a much better comparison than comparing to the 200. I've always appreciated the capabilities of the 200, my cousin has a few of them, but I was never able to get over how bulky they are comparatively. Different courses for different horses, I suppose. If Toyota had gone straight to the 250 from the 100, it probably would have felt like a more linear evolution than the path they eventually took.

Regardless, they're all great cars.
 
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Was reading the last few pages and going to call for peace but then I see this is the latest post.

The 250 is a significantly cheaper product than the 200 series from 5+ years ago. Clearly there must have been compromises to achieve that. I doubt anyone is confused on this point. Whether the 250 is a “real” Land Cruiser or not doesn’t really concern me. What does concern me is declining quality. Now you could make an argument that the differences in the video above will not be noticed by 99% of use cases, but when I survey the landscape to see what’s out there should anything happen to my 200, I really don’t see anything that constitutes an upgrade.

Also reminds me of this video, which ironically almost ends up as a celebration of just what makes the 200 and 570 so special.
 
Was reading the last few pages and going to call for peace but then I see this is the latest post.

The 250 is a significantly cheaper product than the 200 series from 5+ years ago. Clearly there must have been compromises to achieve that. I doubt anyone is confused on this point. Whether the 250 is a “real” Land Cruiser or not doesn’t really concern me. What does concern me is declining quality. Now you could make an argument that the differences in the video above will not be noticed by 99% of use cases, but when I survey the landscape to see what’s out there should anything happen to my 200, I really don’t see anything that constitutes an upgrade.

Also reminds me of this video, which ironically almost ends up as a celebration of just what makes the 200 and 570 so special.
The 200 Series is a Station Wagon Land Cruiser, while the 250 is a Light-Duty Land Cruiser two tools designed for different jobs. Comparing them is fundamentally flawed. The 200 should be compared to other Station Wagons, like the 300, not a light-duty Land Cruiser.

At the end of the day, one’s a light-duty Land Cruiser, and the other is a Station Wagon. Seeing smaller or lighter components on the 250 shouldn’t be surprising it’s purpose-built for lighter use. The quality hasn’t declined. it’s just engineered differently for its role as a Light Duty Land Cruiser.

There aren’t “compromises” here just design decisions made for a light-duty LC, not a Station Wagon ''muh real'' LC.
 
My light duty Land Cruiser is almost 18 years old. It still gets used to tow our camper (4k pounds - including 700 mile days with it hitched up), wheel (ran the Alpine Loop in it 2 months ago - and drove it across the plains and back to get there), and for general work truck/trailer/hauling duties. Being that it's light, it kind of rips with a tuned 2UZ in it and is fun to drive.

Guess I'm having a hard time seeing what the detraction of "light duty" is when the older Prado series rigs hold up so well.
 
The 200 Series is a Station Wagon Land Cruiser, while the 250 is a Light-Duty Land Cruiser two tools designed for different jobs. Comparing them is fundamentally flawed. The 200 should be compared to other Station Wagons, like the 300, not a light-duty Land Cruiser.

At the end of the day, one’s a light-duty Land Cruiser, and the other is a Station Wagon. Seeing smaller or lighter components on the 250 shouldn’t be surprising it’s purpose-built for lighter use. The quality hasn’t declined. it’s just engineered differently for its role as a Light Duty Land Cruiser.

There aren’t “compromises” here just design decisions made for a light-duty LC, not a Station Wagon ''muh real'' LC.

This is true.

But it's also true that, for US Land Cruiser consumers, the light duty 250 necessarily replaces a long lineage of heavier duty station wagons. This makes the flawed comparison somewhat inevitable. And it's a comparison that Toyota itself begged by marketing the 250 as "the return of a legend" in the US market.

For most use cases this won't matter; the 250 will be excellent. And in other ways it's a wash too; the 250's reduced capacities (like payload or cargo volume) continues a decades-long erosion of capacities within the station wagon lineage itself. Light duty or wagon, this is where things were headed.

Of course, Toyota is still force feeding the US market needless luxury bloat on the heavier duty station wagon. At least the 300 is now relegated to the Lexus badge; it's a more honest way to force feed that bloat than what we saw with the market failure that was the 200 series.
 
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