I wanted to give my thoughts on the 2011 and 2013 Land Cruiser since I’ve owned both and at some point in time these years will be as popular as the 100 series is. I’ve owned an 80 series, 100 series (still my DD) and a 2011 and 2013 200 series. Last April my wife’s 2011 was totaled. If you want to see how it did in the crash just look up my posts and you will see it. After the insurance was settled I decided to look for a new Land Cruiser since there weren’t many used 2011’s in the market. This is the 2nd time that I’ve bought my cruiser in May-June of the following model year and have gotten a great deal both times. So now for the good and bad.
2011 – I moved up from a 100 series when I got this and wow the 200 series is nice compared to a 100 series. The engine power compared to a 100 series is awesome. Overall an awesome cruiser. Granted I do miss the style of the 80 series but engine and interior are hands down better. Now for the things I didn’t like. The speedometer – I don’t know why they did this but on the 2011 (not sure about previous years) they only had the 2 mile split so if you were going between 70-80 mph they didn’t have a different mark at the 5 mile split so being that I tend to push going about 8 miles over the speed limit I really had to focus on this to make sure I set the cruise accordingly. The other thing that I found interesting was the backup camera did not have lines to show you where you were going. It just shows a camera. I still look out the back of the truck myself but thought this was an area that should have been addressed.
2013 – A couple great improvements. The speedometer was fixed and now shows the 5 mile split but the 2013 also shows your actual speed in digital so that you know your exact speed all the time. The digital screen next to the speedometer also shows your GPS turns if you are using navigation which was a nice feature not having to look at the center screen while diving. The backup cameras also show your trajectory so you know where you are going when you are turning your wheel backing up. There are also many different camera views forward/side/etc. I never use this but it is there. The side mirrors also lower when you put it into reverse so if you are backing into a space it does help. Don’t think the 2011 did that but I could be wrong. My favorite new option is the cooled/heated seats. The cooled on a hot summer day is really nice. The headlights are different and all LED I believe in the 2013. The cruise control has a radar feature which annoys the hell out of me. I know many people like it but I think I just like to be in control of my own vehicle and not have some computer system doing it. The system is controlled by the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you so if someone cuts between you it adjusts the speed and sometimes if someone going slower cuts in front slows down faster than I would in the situation. My fear with the system is that someone is going to rear end me b/c of the way the system acts. Also the distances can be adjusted by pushing a button which adjusts the distance allowed before your vehicle will slow down but it only has 3 settings far/medium/close. I’m sure this is the recommended braking distance but it is still a lot further than I would start breaking. I’m used to being able to just change lanes without having to take cruise control off but with the radar I feel I need to change lanes sooner before the radar catches the vehicle in front of me and possibly adjusts my speed if the vehicle in front is slower. I know it’s a safety feature but for the way that I drive I still haven’t gotten used to how it performs.
Overall though both cruisers are great and you won’t be disappointed in either. If I were to do it again I would just buy a 2013 as the cooled seats and digital display are great improvements and offset the cruise control which takes some time to get used to. Hope this review helps. If I missed something please feel free to add it.
2011 – I moved up from a 100 series when I got this and wow the 200 series is nice compared to a 100 series. The engine power compared to a 100 series is awesome. Overall an awesome cruiser. Granted I do miss the style of the 80 series but engine and interior are hands down better. Now for the things I didn’t like. The speedometer – I don’t know why they did this but on the 2011 (not sure about previous years) they only had the 2 mile split so if you were going between 70-80 mph they didn’t have a different mark at the 5 mile split so being that I tend to push going about 8 miles over the speed limit I really had to focus on this to make sure I set the cruise accordingly. The other thing that I found interesting was the backup camera did not have lines to show you where you were going. It just shows a camera. I still look out the back of the truck myself but thought this was an area that should have been addressed.
2013 – A couple great improvements. The speedometer was fixed and now shows the 5 mile split but the 2013 also shows your actual speed in digital so that you know your exact speed all the time. The digital screen next to the speedometer also shows your GPS turns if you are using navigation which was a nice feature not having to look at the center screen while diving. The backup cameras also show your trajectory so you know where you are going when you are turning your wheel backing up. There are also many different camera views forward/side/etc. I never use this but it is there. The side mirrors also lower when you put it into reverse so if you are backing into a space it does help. Don’t think the 2011 did that but I could be wrong. My favorite new option is the cooled/heated seats. The cooled on a hot summer day is really nice. The headlights are different and all LED I believe in the 2013. The cruise control has a radar feature which annoys the hell out of me. I know many people like it but I think I just like to be in control of my own vehicle and not have some computer system doing it. The system is controlled by the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you so if someone cuts between you it adjusts the speed and sometimes if someone going slower cuts in front slows down faster than I would in the situation. My fear with the system is that someone is going to rear end me b/c of the way the system acts. Also the distances can be adjusted by pushing a button which adjusts the distance allowed before your vehicle will slow down but it only has 3 settings far/medium/close. I’m sure this is the recommended braking distance but it is still a lot further than I would start breaking. I’m used to being able to just change lanes without having to take cruise control off but with the radar I feel I need to change lanes sooner before the radar catches the vehicle in front of me and possibly adjusts my speed if the vehicle in front is slower. I know it’s a safety feature but for the way that I drive I still haven’t gotten used to how it performs.
Overall though both cruisers are great and you won’t be disappointed in either. If I were to do it again I would just buy a 2013 as the cooled seats and digital display are great improvements and offset the cruise control which takes some time to get used to. Hope this review helps. If I missed something please feel free to add it.
