LC 200 versus Lexus LX 570

[rhllc]

It is still astonishing that the LX does not have an IRS. Everything from the middle seats forward is just outstanding for a luxury vehicle. Third row seating and rear hatch or horrible power folding rear seats are where the Lexus loses a lot of points.

Leave the solid axle for the LC.

Toyota/Lexus has been one of the few manufactures to at least partially avoid turning all their SUV platforms into what are really just mini-vans with some SUV styling clues.

Unfortunately there seem to be too many people out there like pagemaster who really should be driving mini-vans, but buy something else solely for the image it projects. Then when the JD Power's survey arrives, or they discover the internet exists, they whine that the vehicle they chose to buy isn't the Honda Odysesy that would have suited their actual lifestyle better with its easy access, large, third row seating and plush independent suspension.

 

[pagemaster]

Toyota/Lexus has been one of the few manufactures to at least partially avoid turning all their SUV platforms into what are really just mini-vans with some SUV styling clues.

Unfortunately there seem to be too many people out there like pagemaster who really should be driving mini-vans, but buy something else solely for the image it projects. Then when the JD Power's survey arrives, or they discover the internet exists, they whine that the vehicle they chose to buy isn't the Honda Odysesy that would have suited their actual lifestyle better with its easy access, large, third row seating and plush independent suspension.

Dude! Seriously, nice cheap shot on the mini van.

Here's the thing. The competition such as the Range Rover, QX and even the Sequoia all offer world class IRS. The Lexus is stuck with the Escalade and the rear solid axle. My big issue with the LX is the rear seats, rear IRS, and horrible rear hatch. Having an IRS would make it compete better with Audi/Merc as well.

Nobody takes these LX570's offroad.

 

[rhllc]

Dude! Seriously, nice cheap shot on the mini van.

Here's the thing. The competition such as the Range Rover, QX and even the Sequoia all offer world class IRS. The Lexus is stuck with the Escalade and the rear solid axle. My big issue with the LX is the rear seats, rear IRS, and horrible rear hatch. Having an IRS would make it compete better with Audi/Merc as well.

Nobody takes these LX570's offroad.

I take my LX570 offroad.

If I had wanted a four door luxury sedan with lift kit and stationwagon body I would have seriously considered the Audi or possibly the Porsche thingies. The GL is a nightmare worst of all worlds. How can something be too much large SUV and too much stationwagon/mini-van at the same time? I did seriously consider the G Series. But they don't have enough front row leg room for me to feel comfortable on long drives. I've done my time in old school (Defender and Wrangler) type 4x4s and am not going back without a serious tow rig and trailer setup. A GM vehicle, no thanks, trading in a car every 2 years to make sure you have a reliable one is so '70s.

IMHO it would be a serious mistake for Toyota to consider any of the vehicles you mention as benchmarks or competitors to the current LX/LC.

 

[pagemaster]

I take my LX570 offroad.
I

Unpaved parking lots don't count, isn't were see all those mini vans you talk about?

 

[rhllc]

Unpaved parking lots don't count, isn't were see all those mini vans you talk about?

LOL - I know what off-road means and what it doesn't more than most.

I drove *my* D90 in Four Wheelers Top Truck Challenge. I've been on my back, under my truck, replacing broken front axles from rock crawling, in the field, at 1:00 AM. (think empty axle/differential housing, disassemble hub and brakes, lots of parts that should fit back together again, a flashlight and dirt) I've spent hours winching through 4 foot snow drifts, wheels literally inches from from 100ft+ cliffs. Delivered mail to the hermit like types living in the remote box canyons of the Panimint Mountains near Death Valley. I've forded streams deep enough to have water coming out of gap between the hood and body of my truck. I have driven most of the hardcore and less Moab and Sierra, and S. California trails, along with a smattering of Oregon, Nevada and Colorado options.

Yeah this was few years back, late 90s and then into mid 00s, until my job took me to the east coast for a while. But I'm not that senile yet as to confuse parking lots with off-road. I'm not that stupid as to imagine doing the same in my LX570 as my very modded defender. But in the LX I have forded a large, 2+ foot deep, rocky creek crossing, managed to take out a sidewall on rocky fire roads, driven 10's of miles on unmaintained, winter run-off damaged fire-roads, needed four wheel low to get through a large snow bank to a campsite, completely cross axled the LX getting to a shooting range far off the road on BLM land, etc. and I've owned the LX for only about 6 months. In addition to the D90, over the years I've also owned, and off-roaded, a Jeep Cherokee (classic), Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee, an FJ80 and a Ford E350 4x4 Sportsmobile Camper conversions.

Now, let me hear about your personal experience in your LX570, or similar vehicle, and/or some of your background driving other 4x4s, that might suggest that your comments on the LX570 and its capabilies are at all informed by any expertise or experience?

 

[WoodyCreature]

LOL - I know what off-road means and what it doesn't more than most.

I drove *my* D90 in Four Wheelers Top Truck Challenge. I've been on my back, under my truck, replacing broken front axles from rock crawling, in the field, at 1:00 AM. (think empty axle/differential housing, disassemble hub and brakes, lots of parts that should fit back together again, a flashlight and dirt) I've spent hours winching through 4 foot snow drifts, wheels literally inches from from 100ft+ cliffs. Delivered mail to the hermit like types living in the remote box canyons of the Panimint Mountains near Death Valley. I've forded streams deep enough to have water coming out of gap between the hood and body of my truck. I have driven most of the hardcore and less Moab and Sierra, and S. California trails, along with a smattering of Oregon, Nevada and Colorado options.

Yeah this was few years back, late 90s and then into mid 00s, until my job took me to the east coast for a while. But I'm not that senile yet as to confuse parking lots with off-road. I'm not that stupid as to imagine doing the same in my LX570 as my very modded defender. But in the LX I have forded a large, 2+ foot deep, rocky creek crossing, managed to take out a sidewall on rocky fire roads, driven 10's of miles on unmaintained, winter run-off damaged fire-roads, needed four wheel low to get through a large snow bank to a campsite, completely cross axled the LX getting to a shooting range far off the road on BLM land, etc. and I've owned the LX for only about 6 months. In addition to the D90, over the years I've also owned, and off-roaded, a Jeep Cherokee (classic), Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee, an FJ80 and a Ford E350 4x4 Sportsmobile Camper conversions.

Now, let me hear about your personal experience in your LX570, or similar vehicle, and/or some of your background driving other 4x4s, that might suggest that your comments on the LX570 and its capabilies are at all informed by any expertise or experience?

Hell yeah!

Now throw up some LX action shots

 

[Mtnbike]

LOL - I know what off-road means and what it doesn't more than most.

I drove *my* D90 in Four Wheelers Top Truck Challenge. I've been on my back, under my truck, replacing broken front axles from rock crawling, in the field, at 1:00 AM. (think empty axle/differential housing, disassemble hub and brakes, lots of parts that should fit back together again, a flashlight and dirt) I've spent hours winching through 4 foot snow drifts, wheels literally inches from from 100ft+ cliffs. Delivered mail to the hermit like types living in the remote box canyons of the Panimint Mountains near Death Valley. I've forded streams deep enough to have water coming out of gap between the hood and body of my truck. I have driven most of the hardcore and less Moab and Sierra, and S. California trails, along with a smattering of Oregon, Nevada and Colorado options.

Yeah this was few years back, late 90s and then into mid 00s, until my job took me to the east coast for a while. But I'm not that senile yet as to confuse parking lots with off-road. I'm not that stupid as to imagine doing the same in my LX570 as my very modded defender. But in the LX I have forded a large, 2+ foot deep, rocky creek crossing, managed to take out a sidewall on rocky fire roads, driven 10's of miles on unmaintained, winter run-off damaged fire-roads, needed four wheel low to get through a large snow bank to a campsite, completely cross axled the LX getting to a shooting range far off the road on BLM land, etc. and I've owned the LX for only about 6 months. In addition to the D90, over the years I've also owned, and off-roaded, a Jeep Cherokee (classic), Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee, an FJ80 and a Ford E350 4x4 Sportsmobile Camper conversions.

Now, let me hear about your personal experience in your LX570, or similar vehicle, and/or some of your background driving other 4x4s, that might suggest that your comments on the LX570 and its capabilies are at all informed by any expertise or experience?

Rock on! I'm hittin' the Continental divide this summer. Hope I can find some other landis to join. No LX for me, just my beautiful 200. My wife might get an LX 570 next year. Love these rigs.

 

[rhllc]

Hell yeah!

Now throw up some LX action shots

Can't find any handy action shots of the LX570 doing something interesting. I'll have to fire the photo crew. But here is a picture and a link to show I'm not totally BS'ing my ealier post. The first is a picture taken up at Cedar Camp in Mendocino Nat. Forest in April (meeting up with some old LR friends) that I stole from one of the guys who attended and posted it later.

Here is a link to a video of me and my D90 from my 4x4 glory days in '98 playing in Moab. YouTube - ‪D90 in Moab‬‏

 

[Billfish]

That right there is layin' the smack down. Respect Mate.

Waiting now for a typically inane response from you-know-who.

 

[JBHorne]

I can't really tell in the photo, but my hunch is that you removed those hideous 20 inchers?

 

[rhllc]

I can't really tell in the photo, but my hunch is that you removed those hideous 20 inchers?

My LX570 is still stock, including the hideous 20 inchers. I would recommend that anyone who plans on taking theirs off pavement get them replaced with a LT tire with decent sidewalls. That picture was taken about a mile from where I took out the stock sidewall coming into camp on a fist sized rock. I plan to do some sort of wheel/tire upgrade after clearing a few other (non LX related) projects off my plate.

The photo is a bit blurry even at full resolution. But the optical illusion (I looked twice at the picture I first dug it up) of the wheel size could also be due to the AHC being set in high clearance mode. Makes the wheels look a bit smaller than normal as in this picture it is hard to visually seperate tire from fenderwell shawdow.

 

[BigDouggieDoug]

Here is a link to a video of me and my D90 from my 4x4 glory days in '98 playing in Moab. YouTube - ‪D90 in Moab‬‏

LR D series are so beautiful! Great vid!

 

[Lummie]

Mine goes off-road.

 

[Markuson]

Mine goes off-road.

Does that license plate mean Captain Solo? Or Captain Slow?

 

[jblatl]

I had to get a CAT loader to pull me out of the mud about five years ago when the G-wagon was my driver. The lockers just helped me get extra stuck. All of these trucks we just bug toys.

 

[jblatl]

Dam auto correct... I ment big toys.

 

[LCHardriver_02]

Does that license plate mean Captain Solo? Or Captain Slow?

I read Captain Slow, as in James May...

I'm more interested in HOW you were able to do the old black and yellow CA license plate on such a new vehicle that is probably getting more than a few miles per year?

 

[Markuson]

I read Captain Slow, as in James May...

I'm more interested in HOW you were able to do the old black and yellow CA license plate on such a new vehicle that is probably getting more than a few miles per year?

Just go to the California Personalized License Plate web page, and in the list of available plate styles, check that one.

I have two plates on the way of the same style.

There are some other specialty plates that are limited, but this is simply the same color combo of the old plates. I like em, and will be sportin one as soon as prisoners manage to stamp it out...

 

[LCHardriver_02]

I like it. Reminds me of my childhood.

 

[Markuson]

Dude! Seriously, nice cheap shot on the mini van.

Here's the thing. The competition such as the Range Rover, QX and even the Sequoia all offer world class IRS. The Lexus is stuck with the Escalade and the rear solid axle. My big issue with the LX is the rear seats, rear IRS, and horrible rear hatch. Having an IRS would make it compete better with Audi/Merc as well.

Nobody takes these LX570's offroad.

"Nobody" takes them off-road??
Lol.

Christo Slee will be driving an LX in Ouray in two weeks.
You know Slee, right? -A highly respected Land Cruiser specialist... who makes most of our sliders and much more...
-Currently many of us are patiently waiting on the LX/LC rear bumper he's working on....
And he's testing it on...and LX.

It's true that many LXs (especially in the US) never see dirt...the rest of the world has a much greater tendency to wheel them--especially in places that have nearly no choice but to "wheel..." But lets be frank... Most Land Cruisers aren't wheeled in the US either.

Should Toyota dumb down their LX just so that it can become as pedestrian and boring as other high-end SUVs? I sure hope they never do. -Some wouldn't mind one bit if Toyota offered standard FRONT axles for articulation...