considering 2007 LC. insight please.

[Jim_Chow]

A roof rack will drop your mileage by maybe 2 mpg, maybe another 1-2 mpg if you have a 2" lift all the time, still more mileage loss w/ bigger tires.

Rear locker is only available on 98-99 US LC and still availble on the '06-07 LC's outside of N. America. Center diff lock means power will be always split 50-50 between front & rear drive shafts. Rear diff lock means power is split 50-50 between each rear wheel. So with both center and rear locked, each rear gets 25% of the power, even if a front wheel loses traction (spinning wheel gets 100%, wheel w/ traction gets 0% for an open diff). With the '00+ LC, this is not the case. You can also lock the center diff in either high or low (on some LC's, you can do this; on others, you need to do the pin7 mod or else you can only lock up in 4wd low). The owners manual should say.

BTW, the display on the LX (at least the '03+) is probably brighter since the lights are all LED's. Also, no burned out bulbs to replace.

 

[NMuzj100]

since the LC has a central locking diff, how does a rear locker change things? doesn't central locking mean that all four wheels will spin simulaneously?

The CDL forces both the front and rear axles to spin in unison. The rear locker then prevents slip between the two rear wheels.

The locker is not available in NA 100s with the ATRAC but ARB lockers can be added to lock both the front and rear. Some love the ATRAC and have little use for a locker. Dual ARBs would probably be overkill for gravel and logging roads. But if you are in a position to buy new the ARBs aren't too pricey and there is no downside to them.

Welcome to the board. If you get an 07 I think you'll be the first here.

Given Toyota's recent quality problems. I think the last model year of a sound vehicle is a lot better idea than a new model designed during their push to be the global #1.

 

[_JP_]

went and spoke to the dealer yesterday about the 07. plan to put in the order in mid december to make sure it's ready for mid february (when my current lease expires).

i asked the dealer what the purpose of the adjustable height control was and got an answer i was a bit suspect of. he said that the idea behind the AHC was that you could raise the back end up when heavy tongue loads were on while towing. doesn't the AHC raise the entire vehicle? does it change ground clearance?

its difficult getting information on the land cruiser from dealers who only have 1 on the lot every couple months (that's all we have in my neighborhood). everything they say i feel like i have to double check.

a confirmation of what the guy told me would be would be great.

thanks.

jp

 

[tech_dog]

1. when you take a stock land cruiser off the lot (without modification) and get out in rutted dirt roads, mud, and actually use the ground clearance/4WD, is it common to have alignment issues when returning to pavement? i'm not talking the extreme stuff in some of the photos, just some rough driving that wouldn't suit my current sedan.

I've pounded mine mercilessly and am amazed that I still track straight on the way home. I think it holds its alignment very well.


2. with the land cruiser's long and storied past, is getting what appears to be the last model year of a body style something to be viewed as favorable or detrimental in terms of continued support and value retention? it may be a wash, i don't know. your opinions would be appreciated.

These things last forever. If you plan on keeping it for 10+ years, who really cares about resale value? It will be worth peanuts when you sell it, but it will still run great.

5. are there any low level modifications that are agreed upon to be near essential? i.e. not hindering grocery getter functionality while adding off road capability

If offroad is just a sidebar, don't modify it until your warranty is up.

T.

 

[LXPearl]

The LC/LC is very well built for both on road and off road travel in stock form. The alignment holds up very well. The NAV works better than I expected and is reasonably user friendly. Although there have been a few reports of some failures of the NAV system, they have been rare.

The AHC is great for traveling because it has an auto leveling feature. You can lower it for loading & unloading. It will auto level when towing. If you go off roading or have to deal with deep snow, you can put the AHC in HI. The adaptible suspension mode is nice in various conditions from soft rides to winding mountain roads (sport), plus its auto sensing works very well on gravel roads. I have been pleased with the system on the LX over the LC I owned.

If you are buying new, check out the Lexus dealer. The price difference may not be much, the warranty is better, and you can use it for bargaining between Toyota and Lexus. Lexus also treats the customer much better.

 

[_JP_]

longer warranty means longer wait to start messing with it. i want to do the work on it mostly myself, so it would void a warranty. i can pretty much get the 07 LC for 2-300 over invoice, so i can't see any real reason to pay extra for the lex. they'll order me what i want for the price i want.... can't see any reason to mess with it..

that said, if i can steal a leftover 06 in february (doubtful) in galactic grey, i probably wouldn't differentiate b/t LX and LC. i'll search all the dealerships within 500-1000 miles. vegas, SFO, phoenix, diego.... ya never know.

jp

 

[a990dna]

longer warranty means longer wait to start messing with it. i want to do the work on it mostly myself, so it would void a warranty. i can pretty much get the 07 LC for 2-300 over invoice, so i can't see any real reason to pay extra for the lex. they'll order me what i want for the price i want.... can't see any reason to mess with it..

jp

so the dealer said they can order exactly what you want at $300 over invoice... I'm assuming you're dealing with the fleet manager.

How many weeks or months does it take to get a customer ordered vehicle delivered from Japan?

you may want to ask a few dealers to get an accurate account when Toyota will stop accepting orders for new '07 Land Cruisers -- especially since it's the last year for the current design.

 

[_JP_]

they told me they need 2 months to get what i want. order mid december to get a vehicle in mid february. talked to 3 different dealers and that was the exact same answer i got from all of them, so i'd like to believe that it's accurate. if, by chance, i've been given errant info (which is all too possible given the sources) i am somewhat confident that if i'm willing to go anywhere this side of the continental divide for it, i'll be able to get what i want for what i want to spend.

i was burned pretty badly buying my prius on the whole registration process (still got the sticker though), so i told that dealer the only way i'd give them any more business was a LC under invoice.

not wanting to do business with them ever again regardless, i offered my purchase and my service business on the prius/LC to the other dealer down the street and they were happy to accomodate. the proof will be in the pudding when i walk in with my exact vehicle printout from edmunds.com with a sticker of 66K+ and the invoice of 57K and tell them i'll give them 57250. no trade and hopefully 10-15K down so it shouldn't be too hard to get them to order a sold unit... time will tell.

saw the two grey 06 LX's at cerritos this morning. they had one of them with the AHC all the way up and i would've sworn that it had a lift of some sort. that AHC is really impressive.

 

[a990dna]

and just remember there's more on the table... insist on invoice less "Hold Back" and they also throw in Sirius and OEM hitch. Make them print out their invoice as well... it should show all costs including "Hold Back"... in your case they won't lose a dime on advertising, dealer trades and inventory tax.

Also you may want to negotiate a deal to have the LC serviced at a Lexus dealer at WILL... my experience with Toyota thus far is not good. I firmly believe the Land Cruiser doesn't belong in the hands of mainstream Toyota service.

It's good to know the 2 month thing.. I may be ordering a new one in Thunder Cloud or trying to snag a '06 LX in the color I can live with. I really don't care for the two-tone effect on the 2006-07 LCs.. Thunder Cloud is the same color as the trim.

Good luck... report back with your results.

 

[_JP_]

there are 3 06 LX's at cerritos lexus. 2 in g grey. would like to see one in TC metallic. no one seems to have one.

is the sirius integrated into the touchscreen with the rest of the controls or is it a separate control device? no one at these dealerships seems to know the LC very well at all.....

 

[a990dna]

It appears Thunder Cloud is the first to leave the dealers... my 2005 is TC and I like it more than the others. As far as Sirius, yes it's integrated into the Nav system. I couldn't go without it now... I'd miss my Classic Vinyl station in the morning.

 

[_JP_]

could you post a couple of pics of your truck, or email them to me at

joelpepper@mac.com?

i'd love to see a couple of decent pics to get a better idea of what that one looks like.

thanks.

jp

 

[a990dna]

could you post a couple of pics of your truck, or email them to me at

joelpepper@mac.com?

i'd love to see a couple of decent pics to get a better idea of what that one looks like.

thanks.

jp

I haven't taken pics since mine is stock -- it'll be history soon anyway.

I'm sure you will appreciate this more... the pics are hard to find on the attached Man-A-Fre Web site.

This shows one just like mine but with an OME lift:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/pa/100seriestorsionbarsome.htm

Upper right corner shows a LC in Thunder Cloud with a Arb Bull Bar:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/arbbullbars.htm

You may want to browse this site for aftermarket stuff...
they're located in Simi Valley:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/default.htm

 

[_JP_]

scratches in the clear coat are going to be a lot less visible with the silver or TC than they will in that galactic grey, don't you think?

i really like the darker grey, but i have visions of polishing compound for hours after every fishing trip.... and those damned swirl marks....

jp

 

[a990dna]

Yes it will be less visible ... in fact mine doesn't really show the dirt -- and small dings and scratches are inconspicuous.

I wish the LX was sprayed in Thunder Cloud ... the Classic Silver is too light.

 

[_JP_]

does the TC color have a hint of grey to it? is it somewhere between silver and galactic, or is it more like a champagne type color?

the pics look different on different monitors.

jp

 

[a990dna]

yes it's more on the warm grey side or more appropriate pewter... definitely not champagne or beige. It changes color depending on the amount and type of light. In the bright sun it looks more on the silver side... a shade or two darker than the Classic Silver.

 

[_JP_]

finally found some decent pics of the TC. sweet color. i may have to request that one... never see them on the road????? seems like its always either silver or grey mica. that TC color is just dark enough to not be silver, but still not too dark to show all of the clear coat scratching......

love it.

jp

 

[Morbo]

JP

Maybe I can help you or give you a few points that I learned when buying my '04 Cruiser on Jan.2, 2004.

I followed the 100 series before it was available for sale and knew I wanted one from the git.

The first one I drove was an '02. My impression was underpowered compared to the Tahoe I was driving at the time.

When I drove a '04 with the 5-speed trans, what a difference.

I, like you I assume, knew the exact options I wanted. A fact of life with an LC is you are limited as to what you can get, or not get.

All LC's comimg to the US have cartain options such as Nav, third row seats etc..

What I was able to do is get one in port coming to a dealer that my dealer could trade with that could be configgered to my specs.

I was able to do this and got the options I wanted (less third row seats, running boards ,etc..)

IMHO you will not be able to order a LC from Japan. A dealer just won't do it. Not that it couldn't be done, they just won't do it and it would take six months if you could find one that would.

A last thought on invoice pricing. IMO you will not find a dealer that has an invoic e that matches the online Edmunds. Toyota adds advertising to all invoices. I understand this is a non negotiable item. When I bought mine I had a hassle with this.

I waited until Jan. 2 to save a full year property tax in the great state of Kentucky.

Regards,
Morbo

 

[_JP_]

completely agree that i won't be able to get an LC directly from japan. luckily, what i want is more or less a standard vehicle... as long as it has AHC and no rear spoiler and comes in thunder cloud and has 3rd row seats and has nav i'll make it work.... hahaha

as for invoice pricing. there are a lot of dealerships and i intend to really play hard ball on this one. we're gonna put a bunch of cash down and there's someone out there that wants to sell a sold ordered unit... more or less they're buying my service business and i'm going to make that abundantly clear. at a 5 year buy the couple hundred to 1000 bucks isn't gonna make that much difference, it's simply principle.

jp