The LC 70 is heavy duty in that it has a higher payload and physical capacity and can achieve its performance and durability when utilized @ its design load.
In the case of a 2024 LC70 GXL Wagon with Automatic (using the Toyota Australia data) the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is 3,510kg (7,757) with the Curb (Kerb) weight @ 2,300KG (5,083lb) giving a payload capacity of a whopping 2,674lb.
This crushes the 2024 GR300 capacity of 650kg/1,436lb (3,280kg GVM and 2,630kg Kerb).
Neither the LC300/200 station wagons nor the 250 light duty come close to the LC70 Heavy Duty.
I’m confident the Station Wagon and Light Duty Land Cruiser members are going to be durable. I don’t anticipate nor have I seen any credible evidence here or elsewhere that Toyota is relaxing/reducing their durability requirements or being less robust in their design process. If someone can show us that Toyota actually lowered their bar on the new models that would benefit all on Mud.
Will the 2024’s be less reliable? Time will tell, they certainly will be higher maintenance demands for the same reliability. Higher complexity (more gears, turbos, electronics and much higher features creates additional opportunities for required maintenance and reliability issues. I certainly expect the maintenance to maintain durability are higher. A good example is 40,000 spark plug intervals in the published GX550 maintenance requirements (cited as a requirement for the emissions warranty). If you don’t maintain this generation of vehicle then you will invite reliability problems.
If that’s an unacceptable risk then people should not buy any of the new offerings and should just spend their time buying spares and maintaining prior generations. If a user prefers to neglect or can’t/wont afford the their maintenance demands then this generation is likely not for them either.
For those in the US that need ‘Heavy Duty’ to load the crap out of their truck and can’t get a 70….Just buy an F250 or a Power Wagon, add a cap and load it up with all of your stuff and maintain it. Solid axles, big naturally aspirated V8’s, big brakes/tires and truly stout suspensions are they are on the lot today. Yes, they cost more to maintain and they depreciate, but they are capable and Heavy Duty.
Yes, I’ve owned several 3/4 ton’s when I needed ‘Heavy Duty’ payload and Heavy Duty towing. Nothing in the US Toyota lineup is ‘Heavy Duty’.
