LX570 #4 Worst Car of Decade

[rick312]

I have a 13 LX and love it. I knew what I was getting, I wanted an LC but they are 8-10K more for the same year. Mine is not a daily. I bought it for over landing with my sons and wife if I can get her to go. It has 69K miles on it and runs like a top.

 

[Cruiser Jimmy]

Well let's face it. Most SUV's on the market, lux or otherwise, are just a 1970's Pontiac station wagon with 4WD capability and distractions of tech for the driver.

 

[Chrisleduc1]

Honestly I don’t understand how people pay what they do for an LC when they could buy an LX. The LX is superior to the LC in every category, unless you really want a significant lift. Other than that, it’s a substantial downgrade when it comes to the interior and features and ride and.... While I understand the desire to blend in, and know of brands that sell top of the line products that really do blend in, however they don’t sacrifice being truly top of the line in for the sake of blending in, which the LC does. But that just my .02

 

[Madtiger]

Honestly I don’t understand how people pay what they do for an LC when they could buy an LX. The LX is superior to the LC in every category, unless you really want a significant lift. Other than that, it’s a substantial downgrade when it comes to the interior and features and ride and.... While I understand the desire to blend in, and know of brands that sell top of the line products that really do blend in, however they don’t sacrifice being truly top of the line in for the sake of blending in, which the LC does. But that just my .02

wow you really took the ball and ran with it right through the stadium doors, didn’t you?

LC: namesake. Resale value and collectible value. Looks better. Much lower cost of ownership (fuel cost, maintenance and parts). Easier to mod (tires, sliders, etc). Better off road angles without needing to jack suspension sky high and limit articulation. No ***king mouse UI. Better headlights. Less gaudiness. Less attraction from unwanted crowd.

All the while, LC is luxurious enough with good audio system, semi aniline leather, quietness, and half decent interiors materials.

And everything just works in a simple manner.

 

[milellie111]

wow you really took the ball and ran with it right through the stadium doors, didn’t you?

LC: namesake. Resale value and collectible value. Looks better. Much lower cost of ownership (fuel cost, maintenance and parts). Easier to mod (tires, sliders, etc). Better off road angles without needing to jack suspension sky high and limit articulation. No f***king mouse UI. Better headlights. Less gaudiness. Less attraction from unwanted crowd.

All the while, LC is luxurious enough with good audio system, semi aniline leather, quietness, and half decent interiors materials.

And everything just works in a simple manner.

My 13 Starfire Pearl LX570 definitely looks better than it’s comparable model year LC from the front AND especially the rear. The Land Cruiser looks like a very nice Toyota. The LX fits in with the luxury SUV crowd without being overly flashy. The wheels on the LX are much nicer. The ride on road is nicer with the AHC. The interior materials are of higher quality and there’s totally no comparison of the vastly inferior JBL sound system in the LC to the Mark Levinson Reference audio the LX has.

Resale value is moot. The wealthy aren’t paying cash for these trucks brand new with a 25 year service life to wonder how much they’ll be able to sell it for 10-20 years later.

If you’re spending 90k, the LX offers the same off-roading abilities as the LC while giving you much more for your money. In the used market, the LX is the no brainer choice considering they are slightly less than the LC.

And yes, the LX is a very capable off-roader as well:

 

[Madtiger]

My 13 Starfire Pearl LX570 definitely looks better than it’s comparable model year LC from the front AND especially the rear. The Land Cruiser looks like a very nice Toyota. The LX fits in with the luxury SUV crowd without being overly flashy. The wheels on the LX are much nicer. The ride on road is nicer with the AHC. The interior materials are of higher quality and there’s totally no comparison of the vastly inferior JBL sound system in the LC to the Mark Levinson Reference audio the LX has.

Resale value is moot. The wealthy aren’t paying cash for these trucks brand new with a 25 year service life to wonder how much they’ll be able to sell it for 10-20 years later.

If you’re spending 90k, the LX offers the same off-roading abilities as the LC while giving you much more for your money. In the used market, the LX is the no brainer choice considering they are slightly less than the LC.

And yes, the LX is a very capable off-roader as well:

Wheels? Personal taste. AHC and electronic shocks? When has anyone complained about LC ride? None. But there are threads here that complain about LX ride...just one this morning. AHC leaks...isn't that the first thing anyone says when someone complains about LX ride? Electronic shocks cost over $1k to replace.

Interior...oh yeah, LX is much better!! Fake wood in LC is an abomination!

As for JBL being "vastly" inferior...i agree that it is lesser unit...but vastly? That's stretching it. I wrote on the ML system pros recently...ML is better in clarity and tonality throughout due to same combo of speakers in all its surround.

But on modern LX, you have to deal with the mouse....so.....

Wealthy don't care about resale? Hmmm, why are there so many LX on sale on the USED market? Because MOST wealthy folks keep their cars for a few years (3-5 years) and move on when the new model comes out or when other brands offer something flashier...NO MATTER service life of a vehicle. MOST owners of LC/LX are NOT on this forum. Service life is irrelevant to 99% of LX owners.

Same off-road capability? True. But there are limitations that affect how much damage you're willing to incur off-road. How about angles? How about articulation when you're jacked up?

Much more value if you are looking to buy used? I agree 100%. But why is resale value significantly better on LC and bad on LX? There must be a reason for that, right? IF more people want the flashy look and luxury and more for your money, then wouldn't LX on used market fetch more because of more demand? IF LC has poor sales (it does), then why such high resale? Name me one other car that has piss poor sales yet has excellent (nearly iconic) resale value? I cannot.

While that video is cool...how much $$$$$ went into that truck to make it THAT capable? The same (and probably less $$$$) can be done on LC too. Take a stock LX and stock LC out off-roading. Which will come back with more battle scars and needing more bodywork done? Which will cost more down the road to maintain (fuel, maintenance, parts) if you take it off-road or make mods?

 

[PDoyle]

Ok. Time to close this thread......................................

 

[Madtiger]

Ok. Time to close this thread......................................

Sorry, i never intended to go down this road. Actually, i have ALWAYS defended and respected the LX if you search my past posts (and earlier in this thread post #8). I won't comment anymore. Sorry guys.

 

[fogby]

Honestly I don’t understand how people pay what they do for an LC when they could buy an LX. The LX is superior to the LC in every category, unless you really want a significant lift. Other than that, it’s a substantial downgrade when it comes to the interior and features and ride and.... While I understand the desire to blend in, and know of brands that sell top of the line products that really do blend in, however they don’t sacrifice being truly top of the line in for the sake of blending in, which the LC does. But that just my .02

I just bought a LC last year and never even considered the LX - just can't get over the front end. I'm not going to spend this kind of money on something I really dislike the looks of. I know some like the front, but for me any many others this is a complete no-go.

 

[FinallyGotOne!]

Well, I both love my 2011 LX and I lust after a new LC every time I see that front end. Looks awesome! But my LX was cheaper when I bought it and still drives like new, so I'm more than happy.

Back to a thought regarding the original comments and the Jalopnik article: I continue to be amazed at the importance so many folks assign to the "UI" and interior design particulars. My first car was literally worn out and rusting before my eyes at only 60K miles and six years old back in 1980. My second was a '49 Chevy pickup with optional heater and oil filter. My third was a '70 GMC which was also rusting away as I looked at it. And the story goes on...

So now I am on my second LX in 20 years and it still looks like new, drives like new, is perfectly reliable, is an outstanding performer and - you know where I am going with this - will quite possibly last me another 20 years with very little worry. The design and engineering of the drivetrain and mechanicals, the quality of interior and exterior materials, and the functionality of the vehicle as a complete package intended to get me reliably and safely, no matter the road or trail conditions, to and from my destinations for many years is what I value in these vehicles.

As soon as I read a review that discriminates vehicle value and performance based on the UI in any large measure I think "Wow - we've come a long way! I remember when a vehicle's value was based on it's vehicular abilities!"

(Whew - reads like an old man rant, but I feel better now)

 

[tincan45]

Posting this here

Ok. Time to close this thread......................................

Let's close it with a short instructional LX video (s)...these guys have more russian mob money than brains. However I do kindof like their LX bumper designs and their willingness to tear it all apart after they break it.

 

[tacoduck]

the 570 refresh in 2016 is where Lexus s*** the bed. The stupid mouse. the grill. the 21 inch tires. Personally, I hate where lexus and toyota are taking their exterior vehicle designs. they are "bold" and "different" in very bad ways. give me the looks of the land rover with the reliability of a toyota and you have a winner.

This is coming from a guy who bought a 2015 LX and loves it. My mom has driven a new LX ever 2 years since 2013.

 

[Madtiger]

give me the looks of the land rover

THIS??? No thanks.

 

[tacoduck]

THIS??? No thanks.

Yeah, Land rover s*** the bed on that redesign. I am a big fan of the big boy range rover.

 

[Phalen302]

570 stock is far more capable then what it looks, ppl think. I’ve seen them operate next to LC in pretty bad conditions in Asia. LC is great for mods, however stock to stock LX>LC. I’ve both.
also Many LX 470 examples with over 200k miles on original AHC.

 

[milellie111]

Wheels? Personal taste. AHC and electronic shocks? When has anyone complained about LC ride? None. But there are threads here that complain about LX ride...just one this morning. AHC leaks...isn't that the first thing anyone says when someone complains about LX ride? Electronic shocks cost over $1k to replace.

Interior...oh yeah, LX is much better!! Fake wood in LC is an abomination!

As for JBL being "vastly" inferior...i agree that it is lesser unit...but vastly? That's stretching it. I wrote on the ML system pros recently...ML is better in clarity and tonality throughout due to same combo of speakers in all its surround.

But on modern LX, you have to deal with the mouse....so.....

Wealthy don't care about resale? Hmmm, why are there so many LX on sale on the USED market? Because MOST wealthy folks keep their cars for a few years (3-5 years) and move on when the new model comes out or when other brands offer something flashier...NO MATTER service life of a vehicle. MOST owners of LC/LX are NOT on this forum. Service life is irrelevant to 99% of LX owners.

Same off-road capability? True. But there are limitations that affect how much damage you're willing to incur off-road. How about angles? How about articulation when you're jacked up?

Much more value if you are looking to buy used? I agree 100%. But why is resale value significantly better on LC and bad on LX? There must be a reason for that, right? IF more people want the flashy look and luxury and more for your money, then wouldn't LX on used market fetch more because of more demand? IF LC has poor sales (it does), then why such high resale? Name me one other car that has piss poor sales yet has excellent (nearly iconic) resale value? I cannot.

While that video is cool...how much $$$$$ went into that truck to make it THAT capable? The same (and probably less $$$$) can be done on LC too. Take a stock LX and stock LC out off-roading. Which will come back with more battle scars and needing more bodywork done? Which will cost more down the road to maintain (fuel, maintenance, parts) if you take it off-road or make mods?

Ok I agree looks are a matter of personal taste.

Concerning AHC, I have not read of too many problematic issues with the system which is what I was researching when I bought the truck. Air suspensions in the German makes seem to have problems around 100k, however everything I've read about the AHC is that it is a huge improvement in the 200 series, robust, reliable and can easily go 200k+ miles with just the regular fluid change intervals. I hope this will be my experience. Genuine Toyota shocks are only about $200 48510-69355 - Lexus Parts Now

I assume the limited amount of people that buy LandCruisers brand new are buying these vehicles for the specific purpose of what they were designed for (which is why so few are sold in the states with paved highways) and not strictly as people carriers and mall crawlers. They are buying to keep long term which is why they chose Toyota. The LC holds its value better because there are fewer being sold new and the original owners keep them for years so there are fewer on the used car market.

Disregarding personal opinion of exterior looks or suspension/ride quality, the LX offers higher quality interior materials, a better sound system (if that matters to you), and a better dealership experience. All with the ability to be almost as capable as a Landcruiser off road if needed (however most who lease and trade in an LX after 4 years do not buy for this purpose). To me, the LX is a luxury SUV that is cross shopped with the Escalade Mercedes GL and Range Rover, however is cheaper to maintain and is similar in reliability to a Landcruiser as they share most parts. Both the LX and LC are great trucks.

 

[Madtiger]

I stand corrected about shock replacement costs on LX570. My experience with brother’s LX470 shock replacements x 4 = around $4000 at dealer (labor and parts). And when i had my GX 460, the forum members all mention that $1000 was the cost of each shock.

 

[99toylc]

The biggest problems with the Russian LX in post #31 were :
- Missing inner RF fender liner that covers the air intake (pulled off when they cut the bumper off and never addressed the issue)
- Total "rookie driving style" thru the deeper sections of the trail
- Completely "bone head" move of trying to restart the truck multiple times and running it with water and mud in the air filter / intake area that only continued and multiplied the damage.
That entire adventure was asking for trouble and they received it by design for the glory of You Tube clicks...

 

[Chrisleduc1]

Well, the pot was definitely start on that one!

Definitely a lot of misconceptions about the LX - headlights, wheels, suspension... but that’s fine.

I will say that were it not for LC owners this form wouldn’t exist. Despite my slightly below as a belt comment, the LC people make the LX what it is. Not only does the LC crowd provide the knowledge base, but there would be no aftermarket support for the LX were it not for the LC.

And to be clear I’m talking about when they cost the same new, and especially when there is a 10K premium for a used LC with significantly less features. If they brought over a base LC that was 30 K less than it would be a no brainer.

 

[UCrazyKid]

From reading that middle paragraph, it almost seems like he was talking about Escalade. Sorry, i don't see too many LX570 owners in bomber jacket with gold chains.

I love my LX, my gold chains and my bomber jacket.