LC200 vs HDPickup

[Grumpy328]

Hi guys... first post, but long time stalker of forum.

I’m looking for feedback from anyone that can speak to LC 200 comfort and off road ability vs HD Pickups.

I drive a lot of highway miles, 30,000 miles/year, and I also spend a lot of time off road in Michigan and Colorado. I’m on my third Ram 2500 diesel; generally put 200k on them, get out with only routine maintenance and recover about 40% of original cost. That’s all good. Downside is rough ride, noisy interior, and domestic fit and finish.

Life is changing and I don’t need towing capacity, and I have always wanted a land cruiser... but I will still be making 24-36 hour straight through trips quarterly, and then need serious off road ability.

I‘ve seen LC’s very deep in the CO back country, so I know that is solid on rock and grade. I don’t know, and could not get a feel in a 30 minute test drive, how comfy LC seats and driving position are compared to a 3/4 ton living room on wheels. Does it have ground clearance to navigate midwest swamp and deep sand two tracks? What about all the nanny sensors- seems great for highway, but what about off road? Any frustration with fuel range?

Lot’s of questions- hoping you guys can compare/contrast, throw out something I’m not considering.

 

[Fisher23]

Hi guys... first post, but long time stalker of forum.

I’m looking for feedback from anyone that can speak to LC 200 comfort and off road ability vs HD Pickups.

I drive a lot of highway miles, 30,000 miles/year, and I also spend a lot of time off road in Michigan and Colorado. I’m on my third Ram 2500 diesel; generally put 200k on them, get out with only routine maintenance and recover about 40% of original cost. That’s all good. Downside is rough ride, noisy interior, and domestic fit and finish.

Life is changing and I don’t need towing capacity, and I have always wanted a land cruiser... but I will still be making 24-36 hour straight through trips quarterly, and then need serious off road ability.

I‘ve seen LC’s very deep in the CO back country, so I know that is solid on rock and grade. I don’t know, and could not get a feel in a 30 minute test drive, how comfy LC seats and driving position are compared to a 3/4 ton living room on wheels. Does it have ground clearance to navigate midwest swamp and deep sand two tracks? What about all the nanny sensors- seems great for highway, but what about off road? Any frustration with fuel range?

Lot’s of questions- hoping you guys can compare/contrast, throw out something I’m not considering.

I had a ram 2500 with a 98 gallon transferflow.com auxiliary tank in the bed and it was excellent off road and on long trips. The clearance was great and I could just slide a 5 gallon bucket under it when changing the oil. It was lifted with lockers.

The LC200 is way more comfortable especially off road. It does not have near the clearance even with a BP51 lift. HOWEVER it does handle better and not get stuck like the RAM would. I was really surprised. Guys I run with have jeeps running 37's and they have issues where this LC200 just cruises on through.

Long Range America make an aux 40 gallon tank which I put in the LC200 and is very handy for long trips. Triples the range.

The LC200 handles way better on and off road, and the comfort is way better. PLUS stupid little things don't break. The RAM is better for the dirty stuff in the truck bed. For serious off road when I need a truck bed I bring my M1101 trailer and I installed matching wheels and tires so no need for a special spare.

For Camping this is hauling a Jeep Extream Camper and I also swapped out the wheels to match the LC200.

 

[Sandroad]

Probably no one person will be able to take on all your questions, but I'll do my part. The LC has no problem with deep, loose sand 2 tracks in Michigan. I've done lots of dune and back-country driving in sand and it's stellar if you air down and let it do it's thing. It's great even with street psi too. The transmission sensors are uncanny good. In either low or high range on the TC, the transmission seems to always know better than me what gear to be in. Using low range in deep sand help keeps the trans temps cool, but I've never had an overheat problem of any sort. And this is with highway (Michelin Defender) stock size tires. I've never owned a 3/4 ton diesel and never will, but I can attest the LC is a long-hauler that holds it's own with the best SUVs and trucks. Comfy and powerful and smooth on the highway, especially stock. I've taken mine (while towing) on many multi-thousand mile trips with to drama and arriving very happy.

Edit: Yes, of course frustration with the range while towing. As soon as mine is out of warranty, I'll be looking for a LRA tank.

 

[99Cruiser]

We use our 200 as the trip vehicle. Last year we drove to FL from Austin, TX four times. We drive straight back and these are 16-18 hr straight only stopping for fuel over 1,100 to 1,200 miles. The fuel tank is no big deal since someone usually needs to stop for the restroom. I drive all but 2-3 hours of trip and the seats are very comfortable. When I bought the 200 used as a ten year old vehicle I drove it up to CO and then Moab with no concern. I did drag my rear bumper but I think the luggage and family might have contributed to the rear end being weighed down. It also does well in the soft deep sand at the TX beaches. The weight and awd make it feel planted plus it is very stable in the rain.

 

[TimCFJ40]

You'll likely find that the 200 series at 200k miles has less squeaks and rattles than your Ram does at 50k. It would not be unreasonable to consider you might comfortably keep the 200 series to 300k miles...

 

[krice118]

Like others have said, install an AUX fuel tank and rock out. Your only disappointment will be that you didn’t switch sooner.

 

[GordJ]

I have over 200,000 miles on my LC and 60,000 on my LX. I fit the seats excellently and find the trucks to be a dream on the road. If you use the electronics the cruise is awesome, the dimmers are perfect, rain sensing great and the only thing I miss is the blind spot warning, which isn’t on either, but I guess the newer trucks have it? The suspension in the LX is useful, speed bumps and off road call for soft and normal takes the rest while having the truck drop down for access and egress becomes addictive.

 

[bloc]

An HD pickup is possibly the only common road going vehicle that is actually heavier than a 200. Throw some good tires and sliders on and you’ll be amazed at what happens when toyota decides to build the best vehicle they can for off road travel. It’ll go many places that pickup wouldn’t, but you’ll need to put it on ramps to fit a bucket underneath for oil changes. The trade-off? It’s pretty damn good cornering and braking on-road as well for the capability it has on trail.

I sold my bad ass triple locked part timed lifted MTd 80-series with a L92 & 6spd because I had to acknowledge that I have to travel 900 miles on road to get to the good trails. This 200 will do all of those road miles in ten times the comfort, and then do about 90% of the trails that 80 was capable of when I get there.. oh and do those in more comfort as well. And yeah yeah, comfort is for lightweights, but discomfort causes fatigue and I’d rather not spend the first few days at my destination recovering from the drive.

If you are like most of us and really don’t need to tow heavy often you won’t look back..

 

[mooneywa]

If the HD pickup's difference over the 200 was only in towing, which you said you don't do anymore, then the 200 is a perfect switch.

I will say however that I miss the bed from when I had a pickup. The ability to throw brush, large items, dirty items and whatnot and haul it to where it needed to go is missed. I can mitigate this with a $25 trip to U-Haul for a trailer but it's still a pain in the neck.

Absent the towing, if you can go without the bed, the 200 is great. You'll also find the 200 to be much more enjoyable around town than an HD pickup in parking and maneuvering.

The Tundra would be an obvious mid-ground, but the 200 just fits my personality a little better.

 

[grinchy]

It's a 200 forum. We love our trucks.
If you use the bed a lot for dirty cargo, SUVs don't have a good solution for that beyond trailering.
I park at a weekly daughter activity next to a modded out power wagon. It's a lot bigger than my LX. Not a lot more ground clearance at the diff though. He's got 37s and maybe 6" of lift on it.
These trucks are very comfortable for long trips. Middle row has lots of leg room. Front row has very adjustible seat. Good Viz.

 

[CharlieS]

I've had lots of pickups, and the 200 doesn't make up for not having a bed handy when you want to haul. These days I hardly miss it based on how I use my vehicle. The compromise I made was to get a 6x10 aluminum trailer with 24" sides and a folding tailgate/ramp. There isn't much I can't haul if I need to. Then again, it isn't always there for spur of the moment stuff.

 

[TeCKis300]

I've always considered the 200-series an HD SUV masquerading a family SUV. It's build and architecture has more in common with HD vehicles than passenger vehicles. As @bloc mentions, its weight alone suggests big bones, and is heavier than certain configurations of 3/4 HD trucks. While being much more compact in overall dimensions.

I can't find the reference, but it's been said that wheel and hub bearings are sized similar to 3/4 ton trucks. We know the suspension and driveline on these suckers are stout. Stock payload weights are just okay, but that's rather a function of the stock spring comfort and articulation focused rates. With chassis capacity to be uprated when fitted with load carrying spring rates. I've done 2000lb payloads on the stock AHC suspension and she handles fine with still solid stability. There's many armored and overland builds with high rate springs that stand the test of time on rigorous off-road tracks in the US and around the world.

As for no bed - I use similar strategies to others here. I have a small utility trailer in my yard that I often use to carry bigger, dirtier stuff.

I also use a hitch carrier on occasion for camping and hardware store runs. I really like this accessory for its ease of use. Folds up nice and tight when done.

 

[Grumpy328]

I appreciate the thoughtful insight! Prices are right, so it’s time to pull the trigger.