As some of you may recall - I wanted some pointers on preparing myself and my 2014 LX for the 3,700 mile trip in the dead of winter with 93,000 miles on it. I had to bump my trip up a month earlier than expected and did not have time to fully execute all the PMs on the truck that I wanted to. Instead of doing brakes/pads/rotors/belts etc, I was only able to complete an oil change.
This is my wife’s DD so this was really the first time I had ample seat time behind the wheel.
I did want to share some thoughts and, most importantly, some pictures of the journey.
Truck Performance/Driveability/Operation in Extreme Temperatures
- I was unbelievably impressed with how well insulated the truck is from not only road noise, but ambient conditions. The LX had absolutely zero issue keeping the cabin nice and toasty - even at -36F (Yes NEGATIVE 36F). I felt no unusual drafts, even at 85MPH, through the door seals and had to actually turn down the heat with the amount that was being distributed throughout the cabin at minimal fan speed. I work in the arctic and the F-150s we drive never fully warm up or keep the inside warm enough to only wear base layers.
- I was fortunate to have a garage the night it reached well below -30F, however it had no issue starting at -12F without being plugged in.
- Coming from a 100 and a V8 4Runner - torque delivery is amazing. The power to weight ratio of the LX is ideal. I was able to cruise at 85MPH into a 30MPH headwind in 6th gear with minimal downshifts. The torque converter remained locked and the truck never seemed to struggle.
- I was also impressed with how unaffected it was in severe (+40 MPH) perpendicular crosswinds. My 100 and 4Runner would have been a pain to control on the highway. The LX seemed to just cruise through it.
- Cruising around mountain roads/passes, power delivery in S-4 was perfect. The car was never hunting or lacking power.
- The truck was 100% reliable during the 7 day trip. The only issue I had was a complete puncture on one of my Nokian Hakapelitta 9 studded tires. Luckily it happened in a hotel parking lot. I was able to plug it with my tire repair kit and continue on remaining 2,000 miles. These tires are the real deal.
- AHC is no joke. It’s a seriously comprehensive and impressive system. Comfort setting was incredible cruising over the icy roads. Normal and sport were great when I felt like playing around. Functioned flawlessly in the extreme cold, although I did not want to play with the height adjustment.
- Cupholders are worthless (BH3D mod did not arrive in time for trip).
- The fairing on the tailgate is pathetic. The back of the 200 becomes disgusting from road debris. My 100 and 4Runner stay significantly cleaner due to the addition of the fairing that directs airflow down the tailgate to prevent/minimize debris accumulations.
- Windshield was smoked due to rocks. Replacing with OEM this week at the local dealer courtesy of State Farm.
All in all it was a pretty easy trip and I was very impressed with how the 200 did.
Pics to come.....
This is my wife’s DD so this was really the first time I had ample seat time behind the wheel.
I did want to share some thoughts and, most importantly, some pictures of the journey.
Truck Performance/Driveability/Operation in Extreme Temperatures
- I was unbelievably impressed with how well insulated the truck is from not only road noise, but ambient conditions. The LX had absolutely zero issue keeping the cabin nice and toasty - even at -36F (Yes NEGATIVE 36F). I felt no unusual drafts, even at 85MPH, through the door seals and had to actually turn down the heat with the amount that was being distributed throughout the cabin at minimal fan speed. I work in the arctic and the F-150s we drive never fully warm up or keep the inside warm enough to only wear base layers.
- I was fortunate to have a garage the night it reached well below -30F, however it had no issue starting at -12F without being plugged in.
- Coming from a 100 and a V8 4Runner - torque delivery is amazing. The power to weight ratio of the LX is ideal. I was able to cruise at 85MPH into a 30MPH headwind in 6th gear with minimal downshifts. The torque converter remained locked and the truck never seemed to struggle.
- I was also impressed with how unaffected it was in severe (+40 MPH) perpendicular crosswinds. My 100 and 4Runner would have been a pain to control on the highway. The LX seemed to just cruise through it.
- Cruising around mountain roads/passes, power delivery in S-4 was perfect. The car was never hunting or lacking power.
- The truck was 100% reliable during the 7 day trip. The only issue I had was a complete puncture on one of my Nokian Hakapelitta 9 studded tires. Luckily it happened in a hotel parking lot. I was able to plug it with my tire repair kit and continue on remaining 2,000 miles. These tires are the real deal.
- AHC is no joke. It’s a seriously comprehensive and impressive system. Comfort setting was incredible cruising over the icy roads. Normal and sport were great when I felt like playing around. Functioned flawlessly in the extreme cold, although I did not want to play with the height adjustment.
- Cupholders are worthless (BH3D mod did not arrive in time for trip).
- The fairing on the tailgate is pathetic. The back of the 200 becomes disgusting from road debris. My 100 and 4Runner stay significantly cleaner due to the addition of the fairing that directs airflow down the tailgate to prevent/minimize debris accumulations.
- Windshield was smoked due to rocks. Replacing with OEM this week at the local dealer courtesy of State Farm.
All in all it was a pretty easy trip and I was very impressed with how the 200 did.
Pics to come.....
