Early M.Y. 200 Series LC vs LX - Which is the better deal now?

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LandyAndy

LandyAndy

Joined
Apr 30, 2017
Threads
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Location
Roswell, NM
Been shopping for a couple months now for a 200. I'm noticing a pretty big discrepancy in price between the LC and LX 570. The LX seems to be the much better deal as they're usually cheaper and come packed with more goodies. But, is the LX a maintenance nightmare? How reliable is the AHC and other superfluous systems? Why has the LX depreciated at a more rapid pace than the more modest LC? Typical luxury brand depreciation vs one of the most synonomous names with reliability-Land Cruiser?

I think my best move is to get into a '08 or '09 LX with about 100k miles and service history for under $30k then a similar model year LC with over 100k miles for $35k+... Thoughts?
 
LandyAndy said:
Been shopping for a couple months now for a 200. I'm noticing a pretty big discrepancy in price between the LC and LX 570. The LX seems to be the much better deal as they're usually cheaper and come packed with more goodies. But, is the LX a maintenance nightmare? How reliable is the AHC and other superfluous systems? Why has the LX depreciated at a more rapid pace than the more modest LC? Typical luxury brand depreciation vs one of the most synonomous names with reliability-Land Cruiser?

I think my best move is to get into a '08 or '09 LX with about 100k miles and service history for under $30k then a similar model year LC with over 100k miles for $35k+... Thoughts?
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I agree with you 100%. There are no maintenance issues all on the LX. AHC on the 200 has proven to be extremely reliable. Get a rust free LX, and you are getting a great deal.

The LX is more new, but there are more of them. LX owners tend to want the latest and greatest. LC owners tend to want a classic ride. Heck, the 2020 Heritage is basically a 2008 LC with a different front end.

You are accurate in your analysis that you are getting more truck for less money. It should be a no-brainer.
 
LandyAndy said:
But, is the LX a maintenance nightmare? Most definitely not.
How reliable is the AHC and other superfluous systems? Very reliable.
Why has the LX depreciated at a more rapid pace than the more modest LC? Supply and demand.

I think my best move is to get into a '08 or '09 LX with about 100k miles and service history for under $30k then a similar model year LC with over 100k miles for $35k+... Thoughts? If price/luxuries are tipping point then 100% The move.
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LandyAndy said:
Been shopping for a couple months now for a 200. I'm noticing a pretty big discrepancy in price between the LC and LX 570. The LX seems to be the much better deal as they're usually cheaper and come packed with more goodies. But, is the LX a maintenance nightmare? How reliable is the AHC and other superfluous systems? Why has the LX depreciated at a more rapid pace than the more modest LC? Typical luxury brand depreciation vs one of the most synonomous names with reliability-Land Cruiser?

I think my best move is to get into a '08 or '09 LX with about 100k miles and service history for under $30k then a similar model year LC with over 100k miles for $35k+... Thoughts?
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I’ve just caught the Cruiser bug and am also in the market for my first rig. I have also noticed the seemingly counterintuitive phenomenon of LXs being cheaper than LCs.

I’ve come to at least one conclusion; there are simply more LXs on the market, which puts downward pressure on prices. For instance, at the moment CarMax has 20 LX 570s available and only four 200-series Land Cruisers.

I’ve pretty much been focusing my search on LXs as a result.
 
LX is a great deal. You can also factor in that you will not have to spend any money upgrading the suspension as well.
 
The primary reason not to get an LX is that no vendor is selling sliders/ steps for it at the moment.
 
The 08-15 LX is great. The 16+ are not for me. Horrible angles for offroading, ugly front end, joystick control is awful...

That said, I like to fly under the radar, and prefer a Toyota badge on my rigs.
 
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Especially true for the early model year 200-series, you'll find a bigger delta in standard equipment between the LC and LX. The LC as it progressed in later model years, got some of the niceties that trickled down to the LC. Whether that is a liability to you for an older vehicle is for you to decide.

My '09 is as minty fresh and fully working as the day I bought it. No maintenance nightmare and I frankly wouldn't have it any other way as all the small and big baubles absolutely makes the 200-series experience in my mind.
 
Several reasons

1- Supply. There are 3-5 times more LX's out there. If you are looking for 2010-2011 LC, the US sales numbers were less than 2K those years

2 - Luxury. Luxury cars always depreciate quickly. Luxury car buyers can afford to take a hit when trading out and generally don't like to be outside of factory warranties. This drives down the price, especially after warranty expires.

3 - Perceived Maintenance. AHC is a good example. It's a system that is only in the highest of high-end vehicles (Mercedes, Rolls Royce) and there is a genuine lack of knowledge (even at the Lexus dealers). People fear what they don't know. Truth is, it's a proven, serviceable, system that will outlast any conventional suspension system.

4 - Financing. Unless you have 30K sitting around it's hard to finance a used vehicle with over 100K miles. 30K is still a lot of money for the average guy and banks don't think about reliability when loaning, they just see a car that's 5-8 years old with over 100K.

I wanted an LC, now I'm glad I got the LX! However, I do feel a little dooshie with the big "L" on the back. Wheels and tires fixed a lot of that. :)
 
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tincan45 said:
Several reasons

1- Supply. There are 3-5 times more LX's out there. If you are looking for 2010-2011 LC, the US sales numbers were less than 2K those years

2 - Luxury. Luxury cars always depreciate quickly. Luxury car buyers can afford to take a hit when trading out and generally don't like to be outside of factory warranties. This drives down the price, especially after warranty expires.

3 - Perceived Maintenance. AHC is a good example. It's a system that is only is the highest of high-end vehicles (Mercedes, Rolls Royce) and there is a genuine lack of knowledge (even at the Lexus dealers). People fear what they don't know. Truth is, it's a proven, serviceable, system that will outlast any conventional suspension system.

4 - Financing. Unless you have 30K sitting around it's hard to finance a used vehicle with over 100K miles. 30K is still a lot of money for the average guy and banks don't think about reliability when loaning, they just see a car that's 5-8 years old with over 100K.

I wanted an LC, now I'm glad I got the LX! However, I do feel a little dooshie with the big "L" on the back. Wheels and tires fixed a lot of that. :)
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If you actually don’t like the L on the back, you can swap it for a T. Same with the front. The L oval and the T oval are interchangeable. Some guy has done that on the 150 series.
 
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dnh1 said:
That was all I had.

I can’t help you if all of the badges make you feel douchy.
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Ha! I'll get over it. @LandyAndy don't let the L scare you either...the LX is a great vehicle.

...Strange, my wife fits in perfectly with her GX and all the other Moms in the school pickup line. Perhaps it's because I'm in Oklahoma and it's far more acceptable to be in an 80K F250.
 
LX is no less reliable then LC, if they were, it will be highlighted on this forum.

LX supply is far greater than LC in domestic market hence lower price point in pre owned space.

A typical new premium/luxury (I.e. Lexus, BMW) car owner tends to upgrade often, so more supply in pre owned space. I’m on 2nd LX570 vs. still on my first LC. Purchased all of them new.
 
After having AHC in my 100, ripping it out and replacing it with OME suspension 1.5" lift and getting used to springs again I chose LC over LX even though it was an extra $8k. Springs make the 200 a drivers car (not as nice for passengers), AHC is a passenger friendly car but very dull and boring for the driver (too disconnected from the road). I don't think I could have driven 100,000+ trouble free miles in last 3 years without feeling the road. Somehow the racing coil over suspension feels bomb proof and I take as many jumps as I possibly can, hit every pothole/curb with speed, and run over everything in sight (I grew up watching dukes of hazzard as a child).

If I had to do it again now, I might consider an LX but I would be constantly playing with the AHC ride height and would try to have two sets of tires (35s AT offroad friendly that rub and 34s AT highway friendly that dont). Also, I would spend the money to get an LC side panel so I can put on sliders. I still don't know if I have the heart to devirginize the LX. I did to my LX470 but somehow it seems antiquated compared to the LX570. I think the boxier 100 frame made it look rugged and less Lexusy. I might be one of the few that like the spindle grill on the newer LX and leave everything stock. To me there is no difference between a 2008 200 and a 2020 other than later models have nicer grills.

I don't service my vehicle at the dealer but had to go into Toyota for the recall and could not believe the mess Toyota has made with their customer service department. Coming from BMW/Mercedes it was a total nightmare. I imagine Lexus wouldn't have that problem but IMHO there is no reason to service the vehicle at the dealer. My indy can handle AHC better than Lexus.
 
Question for the group; I’ve got my sights on a few LXs. Should I just wait till January? Do used prices drop that much more when the year changes out?

It would stand to reason that the 2014 LX with 77k that I have my eye on for $41k will drop in price once it’s 6 years old vs. 5...right?
 
Doomstar said:
Question for the group; I’ve got my sights on a few LXs. Should I just wait till January? Do used prices drop that much more when the year changes out?

It would stand to reason that the 2014 LX with 77k that I have my eye on for $41k will drop in price once it’s 6 years old vs. 5...right?
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It won't drop much. Mileage and overall condition will have a greater impact. The range on a 2014 right now is 37k-44k depending on condition. I think the 2013-2015 is the way to go. You pay a little bit of a premium over the 2008-2011, but you got a lot more in terms of tech and 'looks'. Not to mention, the subtle improvements they made to the platform. Your depreciation should be minimal maybe 2-3K a year depending on how many miles you put on it.

I see you are in the midwest....After a rather lengthy search this summer I'm still getting notifications on a bunch of saved searches. Did you see this one?


I'm doing my factory recall at this dealer on Tuesday if you want me to check it out.
 
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Doomstar said:
Question for the group; I’ve got my sights on a few LXs. Should I just wait till January? Do used prices drop that much more when the year changes out?

It would stand to reason that the 2014 LX with 77k that I have my eye on for $41k will drop in price once it’s 6 years old vs. 5...right?
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I bought 2013 LX with 71K for $37k. Seems but to much for 2014 especially since there is not much differences
 
13+ gets you xenon headlamps and a color MFI in the gauge cluster. These make a big difference in the day-to-day experience.

I got my LC a year and a half ago and was more than comfortable with the premium paid for that badge vs an equivalent LX. By now that gap has closed a lot, but I’d still lean LC. And mainly for the same reasons.. personally I prefer the simplicity of a coil suspension and the less “blingy” styling, even if 13-15 cruisers are pretty cartoonish in their own right.

A big factor when I bought was the ability to put tundra arms on a cruiser (but not an LX) for a long-travel setup. I wasn’t sure I would, but knowing my history with modding vehicles I couldn’t rule it out. That has since been conquered on an LX570 so is essentially not a factor anymore.
 
I just recently bought a new LC, and we never even looked at the LX solely due to the front-end. I may be wrong, but I think that front-end really impacts the value of LX versus the LC. The LX front-end limits demand for those vehicles much more than any characteristic on the LC would limit demand.
 
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