if you raised your child right, they would never do such a thing., such as trading it in for a used 250Prado.
If you raised them right, and they still did, that behavior should lead to disowning.
Looking for opinions on Land Cruiser for a teenager
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If you raised them right, and they still did, that behavior should lead to disowning.
The only 200 series I got to drive when I was 16 was a $200 Ford Tempo.
wow that was pricier than my 1981 Subaru DL Wagon that was bought in exchange for a 6 pack.
It didn't have 3rd gear.
So it was a 1,2, 4, 5 shift.
Drove it 67K miles. Sold it for $3,000.
Safety and reliability are good main concerns, but also factor in money. Considering gas, insurance, maintenance and the occasional repair, a 12 year old LC could be quite a financial burden for a young guy just starting out in life. I’m glad my 2 sons started out with a used Honda CR-V and a used Honda Civic respectively. Those vehicles didn’t hold my sons (or me) hostage to high fixed and operating costs. I still miss my 80 and my 100, but I think it was a good decision to sell them rather than pass them along to young budgets. And of course I’ll make arrangements to be buried in my 200.Okay, I realize this is sort of a loaded question, or really just a way to justify to myself that I'm making the right choice.
So I think I've decided to move on to the dark side (well, not really dark side, since I'm still staying in the Toyota family), and have been kicking tires to get an LX 600 F-Sport in the next couple months or so. I would absolutely get a LC 300 if they brought them to the US, but that's not an option, and I really kind of hate the new LC, so the LX it is. Believe it or not, I actually think the F-Sport looks pretty sweet with the right wheels and tires...but that's beside the point. My real question is what to do with my 2013 LC. I really don't want to get rid of it, so my wife and I were discussing giving it to my son when he turns 16. I had originally considered letting him drive it before, but then I started thinking about how bad the gas mileage is (for a teenager), how large it is to drive, and is it really an appropriate vehicle for a teenager...meaning is it just "too much." We had thought about getting him a used Tacoma or 4Runner, but dang, no shocker, but the prices on those are crazy high. So he's now been driving for a few months now, and has surprised me with how well he drives, so it kind of brought me back to thinking that maybe the LC would be a good option after all. My two main concerns are safety and reliability, and of course we have two check marks there, and he doesn't seem too bothered by the size, but I guess I'm having a little hang up about giving a kid what was originally a $70,000 car...and yes, I realize it's old and not worth anything close to that now, but it's still something I think about.
So I guess I'm really looking for your thoughts and opinions on what I should do here. Anyone of you in a similar boat or done the same thing? If you think I'm being stupid for doing this, or even just overthinking it, let me know...I promise you won't offend me!
Oh boy, an opportunity to offer my 2 cents! OK, my advice is to keep the 200 for yourself, don't buy a new LX, and get a staid used car for the kid.
No need for a tacoma, 4runner or Cruiser. Also, a teenaged boy driving a lifted, behemoth Land Cruiser could be a bad look from the perspective of his peers. You know-"that there boy is spoiled".
We got our kid an old Subaru when she came of age for driving.
A colleague of mine a few years back had their two kids drive one of their 80 series as they came through HS. The girl dinged it up just a little bit. The boy rolled and destroyed it in a round a bout. Stock suspension, no lift.
No need for a tacoma, 4runner or Cruiser. Also, a teenaged boy driving a lifted, behemoth Land Cruiser could be a bad look from the perspective of his peers. You know-"that there boy is spoiled".
We got our kid an old Subaru when she came of age for driving.
A colleague of mine a few years back had their two kids drive one of their 80 series as they came through HS. The girl dinged it up just a little bit. The boy rolled and destroyed it in a round a bout. Stock suspension, no lift.
The best thing about Subaru ownership and 200 ownership is both need HG replacement. I have been teaching my kids the HG replacement, so they will be ready.
The gas and insurance on a 200 would be crushing.
The right answer is some generic four door, fully depreciated, that gets 35 mpg and has a bunch of airbags in it. Insurance will be cheap, gas will be cheap. And it will probably last long enough they mishaps to bridge to the next.
The right answer is some generic four door, fully depreciated, that gets 35 mpg and has a bunch of airbags in it. Insurance will be cheap, gas will be cheap. And it will probably last long enough they mishaps to bridge to the next.
I'm in camp just depends on the individual kid. But whatever car is given you just need to have some amount of coming to terms of it might get trashed regardless of how good or not that kid is.
As far as too nice/spoiled brat/daddy's money car/etc I think the LC would fly under the radar for the most part. The general public thinks these are Highlanders most of the time after all haha. I recall in high school the only vehicles that got that kind of attention were the sporty cars or really nice SUVs. Some kids had BMW M cars, AUDI RS cars, G wagons, AMG Mercedes, Nissan Z cars, Subaru WRXs, Mustang GTs, etc.
IMO there's always some amount of showing off so the kids with the bigger or nicer/faster cars usually drove places. Of my friends, one had an older model Lincoln Navigator. We almost always rode with him because you could fit 8 passengers. That is where problems are more likely to happen. Young teen driver driving more young teens that might egg them on or make them feel the need to show off for their friends. IMO that's where most the risk lies. Orrr more space to fit people to smoke in the parking lot lol.. Another friend had a Porsche 911. It was wrapped around a telephone pole our junior year. As far as the Lincoln itself, a vehicle similar price bracket to a LC, we all made fun of him for driving an old man car. No perception of value there so I think the LC would be find.
Me, I had a $500 1990 Honda Accord LOL. I drove people maybe only like twice that I can remember lol. Nothing exciting enough to get me in trouble.
I guess what I'm thinking is for a good kid the LC might be fine. It's big and safe for sure. Might fly under the radar enough to not get the attention of the other kids.
As far as too nice/spoiled brat/daddy's money car/etc I think the LC would fly under the radar for the most part. The general public thinks these are Highlanders most of the time after all haha. I recall in high school the only vehicles that got that kind of attention were the sporty cars or really nice SUVs. Some kids had BMW M cars, AUDI RS cars, G wagons, AMG Mercedes, Nissan Z cars, Subaru WRXs, Mustang GTs, etc.
IMO there's always some amount of showing off so the kids with the bigger or nicer/faster cars usually drove places. Of my friends, one had an older model Lincoln Navigator. We almost always rode with him because you could fit 8 passengers. That is where problems are more likely to happen. Young teen driver driving more young teens that might egg them on or make them feel the need to show off for their friends. IMO that's where most the risk lies. Orrr more space to fit people to smoke in the parking lot lol.. Another friend had a Porsche 911. It was wrapped around a telephone pole our junior year. As far as the Lincoln itself, a vehicle similar price bracket to a LC, we all made fun of him for driving an old man car. No perception of value there so I think the LC would be find.
Me, I had a $500 1990 Honda Accord LOL. I drove people maybe only like twice that I can remember lol. Nothing exciting enough to get me in trouble.
I guess what I'm thinking is for a good kid the LC might be fine. It's big and safe for sure. Might fly under the radar enough to not get the attention of the other kids.
The kid might not even like 200s and could see it as a punishment. Not many other people in my life are as 200 obsessed as I am….
I think yall think that normal people consider a Land Cruiser a rolls Royce. Most people say nice Highlander and move on….
I think yall think that normal people consider a Land Cruiser a rolls Royce. Most people say nice Highlander and move on….
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200 insurance is dirt cheap and with gas prices - means your teenager will not go anywhere
My teenage son was gifted our old Odyssey. At first he was embarrassed and wanted nothing to do with it. But as soon as I handed him the keys…he was in love. It was his. He babies it. Keeps it super clean. Changes the oil etc.
He gets to “borrow” the 200 for special occasions like homecoming or prom. He’s a good kid. He gets good grades. He just earned his Eagle rank.
I don’t know that it’s super practical for him as a daily driver. I’m not worried about the fuel. But I do want to preserve it.
My daughter just got her permit. She thinks she’s getting the wife’s new Volvo V90 wagon. Kids.
My first ride…1980 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Diesel.
Guy
He gets to “borrow” the 200 for special occasions like homecoming or prom. He’s a good kid. He gets good grades. He just earned his Eagle rank.
I don’t know that it’s super practical for him as a daily driver. I’m not worried about the fuel. But I do want to preserve it.
My daughter just got her permit. She thinks she’s getting the wife’s new Volvo V90 wagon. Kids.
My first ride…1980 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Diesel.
Guy
Compared to a newer Outback, Corolla, or anything modern an LC200 is not ‘safe’. Safety systems on a 2013 are ancient compared to anything newer. The brakes are nowhere near as a good as a lighter car. I have driven Land Cruisers for 40 years and would not choose one for a kids first car (at least in an urban or high speed driving environment). I bought mine a new Subaru Crosstrek and a new Mazda CX5. I am the first to understand that not everyone can afford new cars for their kids but anything built in the last 10 years will be better for a young driver than a LC200, IMHO.
Live in a more rural area? Anything will do.
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We bought a ‘97 Legacy for her in 2014, when she was 16. I finally sold it last year. It was a great car, never needed anything besides brakes and a starter. Of course, we don’t drive a helluva lot of miles around here.
She currently has 2016 Forester. We just changed spark plugs as a father/daughter project. Kind of a pain, those back plugs. They looked OK at 100K miles. Assuming they were original but not sure.
guess my kids will be dead then in their unsafe vehicles
since their choices are 2005 sportcross Is or 2008 200.
I have cars from the late 90s but they aint touching those
I would stick with the 200 and skip the new LX until Toyota gets their act together.
If the 200 is still running great, keep using it as your daily and see how many miles you can rack up on it. Enjoy it as you can’t buy rigs like these anymore.
For the kiddo, I’m of the mindset that you can’t beat physics. Mass is an important part of a vehicle collision, and I would want to be in a vehicle that is heavy in a collision. A few more gas mileage is insignificant compared to getting crushed being in a light unibody vehicle...
Find a 100-150k mile 1999-2006 Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon and let them drive that to beat on. Very safe, cheap insurance, cheap parts, reliable, etc… it’s really hard to beat the GMT-800 platform vehicles. If they damage it, welp, it’s a beater car and they will learn a lesson from it.
If the 200 is still running great, keep using it as your daily and see how many miles you can rack up on it. Enjoy it as you can’t buy rigs like these anymore.
For the kiddo, I’m of the mindset that you can’t beat physics. Mass is an important part of a vehicle collision, and I would want to be in a vehicle that is heavy in a collision. A few more gas mileage is insignificant compared to getting crushed being in a light unibody vehicle...
Find a 100-150k mile 1999-2006 Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon and let them drive that to beat on. Very safe, cheap insurance, cheap parts, reliable, etc… it’s really hard to beat the GMT-800 platform vehicles. If they damage it, welp, it’s a beater car and they will learn a lesson from it.
Get that kid something like a 4th gen 4Runner. Maybe 3rd gen or early 5th gen depending on market. All pretty reliable, safe, and not too fast. Cool and capable enough to catch the 4wd Toyota bug if they're liable to. Cheap enough to not cry about writing off. Old enough to find junkyard parts if/when there's a minor accident. Gas mileage bad enough they can't afford drugs. Good support vehicles for hobbies, if they get into skiing or mountain biking or something there's no way in hell they can afford drugs and they'll probably be fit too.
get your kid an Escalade or Ferrari.
I made my kids buy their own cell phones. My daughter broke her screen less than a month in. When I told her she had to pay to fix it she was shocked. Well I certainly didn’t break it! I did the repair myself but she had to buy the part. My middle kid is very careful with his phone. My youngest drops his all the time but bought a ridiculously thick case. They learned from their sister.
My daughter had to buy her own car, though I went 50/50 on it once she had $5k available because she’s not a car person and I have a lot more confidence in a 10k car lasting past college without issues than a 5k one.
I used the strategy with cell phones because they’re kids and they’re not always careful - if they bought it they’re more likely to be careful than if I bought it and they break it and need a repair. And after the first breakage, despite the fact I could have easily bought my kids phones or cars I was sure it was the right call.
Your kids and situation may be different. I wouldn’t judge you for passing on a 12 year old LC. My middle kid is 17 and has driven the truck sometimes to school or to take his girlfriend out or run errands. We live in the city and he prefers the wife’s Mini cooper for everything but highway trip, but so far he’s been a very careful driver and more responsible than I was and I trust him to not drive lime I did when I was his age. Only you know your kids
My daughter had to buy her own car, though I went 50/50 on it once she had $5k available because she’s not a car person and I have a lot more confidence in a 10k car lasting past college without issues than a 5k one.
I used the strategy with cell phones because they’re kids and they’re not always careful - if they bought it they’re more likely to be careful than if I bought it and they break it and need a repair. And after the first breakage, despite the fact I could have easily bought my kids phones or cars I was sure it was the right call.
Your kids and situation may be different. I wouldn’t judge you for passing on a 12 year old LC. My middle kid is 17 and has driven the truck sometimes to school or to take his girlfriend out or run errands. We live in the city and he prefers the wife’s Mini cooper for everything but highway trip, but so far he’s been a very careful driver and more responsible than I was and I trust him to not drive lime I did when I was his age. Only you know your kids
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See? I knew I'd eventually get a logical suggestion on here. Ferrari it is!
