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Supposedly 21-22 mpg has been “quoted”
So if… built and loaded with larger tires I’d bet 17-18 realistically
Better yet not spectacular
Guy can’t confirm who told him. Toyota had their marketing team and a 3rd party hired there. None of those individuals would have confirmed the mpg rating prior to an official announcement by Toyota nor would they even know at this point.
22 mpg combined would probably be something like 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway, which is drastically better than the 14/18 out of my GX and 13/18 (15 combined) of a 200, so basically a 50% increase in fuel economy. 27 mpg combined is probably not achievable with a BOF SUV unless it's very underpowered or has a massive battery. Toyota might be able to hit something closer with the N/A 2.5 and hybrid powertrain, but many folks would be very unhappy with only 247 hp and 175 ft/lb combined.
In stock trim, I don’t think there’s any reason to assume it will clock in mpg too much worse than the Grand Highlander Max AWD (26/27/27). The powertrain isn’t identical but very similar (2.4T but different tune based on the listed output numbers, and mounted transverse; not sure it’d it’s dual motor or single like the LC); Grand highlander is physically larger, but I think the LC being BOF means they both will be pretty close to same weight; LC gets 8AT instead of 6AT; not sure exactly what the AWD system in the GH is, but it might disconnect the rear when not needed which will net slightly better fuel economy than the true full time AWD of the LC. So, a little bit of pros and cons in both fields, I expect it will be very similar.
While they rescinded the 27mpg claim on the website at launch, I don’t think there is any reason to assume it was out it the ballpark. More likely, it’s still undergoing epa testing and they don’t want to state something until it’s official.
27 mpg combined would be awesome, I'd just be pretty surprised if it was that instead of 27 mpg highway 
. Aero really makes a huge difference in MPG as well, identical-weight BOF 4x4s usually get a few MPG worse than a unibody crossover of the same weight and HP. I think driveline losses also add to that, with the BOF vehicle having a driveshaft, TC, and rear differential.
Either way - 27 mpg highway or 27 mpg combined, it's still a drastic improvement and would vastly improve range and save money .
. Aero really makes a huge difference in MPG as well, identical-weight BOF 4x4s usually get a few MPG worse than a unibody crossover of the same weight and HP. I think driveline losses also add to that, with the BOF vehicle having a driveshaft, TC, and rear differential.Either way - 27 mpg highway or 27 mpg combined, it's still a drastic improvement and would vastly improve range and save money .
No 3rd row seating due to batteries. The 4cyl is VERY pushed back in the engine compartment. Curious to how that will effect front/rear weight bias.
Front seats were very comfy, controls seemed well placed.
Quite a few things are obviously pre-production, so curious to what actually makes the final build list.
Front seats were very comfy, controls seemed well placed.
Quite a few things are obviously pre-production, so curious to what actually makes the final build list.
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Engine pushed rearward combined with battery over the rear axle should mean weight distribution will likely be very good, close to 50/50! Not that this is a sports car, but even weight distribution is always good.
Most AWD vehicles end up with heavy front bias due to having to stick the engine forward of the front axle, resulting in understeer
On the comments about the powertrains and hybrids specifically. I have high hopes for the 250 hybrid or future 550h.
We had an RX500h which is same Direct 4 hybrid powertrain architecture as the GH Max. There is no mechanical connection to the rear axle. The rear axle is an e-axle powered exclusively by battery. It got 28MPG driving it easy, hard, in town, on the highway. It performed very well with 366hp/400ftlb torque and the 6-speed transmission. Seamless integration of the gas and hybrid powertrains. I say ‘had’ because our very early VIN had some recurring problems and we now have an RX350h. This unit has been flawless and the gas/electric integration is spot on. Doesn’t have the zoom, but has good drivability and consistently gets 36MPG.
The 250 and future 550h use a different architecture with a single 48hp electric motor in series at the transmission input. It should work very well mostly for the instant 150lbft of torque it adds into the transmission @ 0RPM. My guess is real world will be ~22 to 23 MPG with great drivability.
We had an RX500h which is same Direct 4 hybrid powertrain architecture as the GH Max. There is no mechanical connection to the rear axle. The rear axle is an e-axle powered exclusively by battery. It got 28MPG driving it easy, hard, in town, on the highway. It performed very well with 366hp/400ftlb torque and the 6-speed transmission. Seamless integration of the gas and hybrid powertrains. I say ‘had’ because our very early VIN had some recurring problems and we now have an RX350h. This unit has been flawless and the gas/electric integration is spot on. Doesn’t have the zoom, but has good drivability and consistently gets 36MPG.
The 250 and future 550h use a different architecture with a single 48hp electric motor in series at the transmission input. It should work very well mostly for the instant 150lbft of torque it adds into the transmission @ 0RPM. My guess is real world will be ~22 to 23 MPG with great drivability.
To be fair I was already surprised they offered a front locker on the 300 to begin with. They claim it is based on owner feedback. I just hope it doesn't get discontinued in a few years in favor of some other off road gizmo they introduce.
17 inch wheels should fit because aftermarket 17 inch wheels fit on the 300 no problem and I am expecting the most basic 250 to be available with some sort of 17 inch steel wheel, if the 300 is anything to go by. I know the base 300 17 inch steel wheels don't clear front of mid/top spec 300s but after market 17 inch wheels do..so keep that in mind.
Lack of trd pro model or something similar is probably to avoid getting too close to GX price range my guess but once these things are on sale for a few years and have gained enough of a base for each model, I am guessing we will start seeing them getting more comfortable with adjusting to the specific market needs and requirements.
17 inch wheels should fit because aftermarket 17 inch wheels fit on the 300 no problem and I am expecting the most basic 250 to be available with some sort of 17 inch steel wheel, if the 300 is anything to go by. I know the base 300 17 inch steel wheels don't clear front of mid/top spec 300s but after market 17 inch wheels do..so keep that in mind.
Lack of trd pro model or something similar is probably to avoid getting too close to GX price range my guess but once these things are on sale for a few years and have gained enough of a base for each model, I am guessing we will start seeing them getting more comfortable with adjusting to the specific market needs and requirements.
Re: TRD Pro models, to some degree they are kind of not that great of a buy. They usually have shocks that are mid-level at best; the lift is maybe 1" over stock. Skid plates are aluminum. TRD Pros look great, but to be honest for actual use of one of these rigs they leave something to be desired and most owners would end up replacing the TRD Pro stuff with better aftermarket components later on. It's not as much of an "out of the box" solution as something like a Ford Raptor, GM ZR2, etc. It'd be a better value to pick up a used lower-tier model on the used market in a few years and do a better suspension upgrade.
Agreed, not bad at all, but something a heavy user would be upgrading before too long.
Seems like the TRD Off-road models in the Tacoma and 4Runners are the best buy. They come with an E-locker, some of the offroad assists, and the looks of the TRD pros. Like you said, most of us would replace everything anyway but the lockers are a big item off the list.
