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- #21
The point is - there is a significant enough difference that it could sway someone’s decision, no pun intended.
My Perspective: 200 Series LX vs LC, As an Owner of Both
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The point is - there is a significant enough difference that it could sway someone’s decision, no pun intended.
very true. But I wonder if handling and/or body roll may also be important in emergency evasive maneuvers, which is important in a 6000 lbs body on frame SUV.
Battleship
GOLD Star
You're not wrong. Just when we start critically evaluating the handling of these things I always think of that scene in Spinal Tap where Nigel tunes the violin he's using to play his guitar.
Can you offer more thoughts on the 8 speed transmission? I was specifically looking at getting a 2016+ Cruiser because of the 8 Speed. My thought was that regearing wouldn't be needed with bigger tires. Mainly because with the 8 speed, 1st gear is great for crawling and 7th is good for the highway with a 34-35" tire. Most likely 8th gear wouldn't be very usable at highway speeds with a larger tire.
If you drive your truck off road, the article below might be relevant. It compares the suspension of the LX570 and the Land Cruiser. Spoiler, the Toyota has much better articulation and approach angle. Both models in the comparison were 2020s.
www.autoblog.com
If you drive your truck off road, the article below might be relevant. It compares the suspension of the LX570 and the Land Cruiser. Spoiler, the Toyota has much better articulation and approach angle. Both models in the comparison were 2020s.
Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus LX 570 Suspension Flex Test | Measuring suspension articulation on an RTI ramp - Autoblog
We compare the Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus LX 570 on an RTI ramp, which measures suspension articulation.
www.autoblog.com
I think people are spot on about the LX esp. opinions on 2016 LX front that are Predator hideous.
I found the LX Sport mode to be slightly firmer than comfort but of course I am rolling on 20s and I am overdue for an AHC flush.
I believe someone stated elsewhere that reflush will transform AHC feel? Just a thought.
I found the LX Sport mode to be slightly firmer than comfort but of course I am rolling on 20s and I am overdue for an AHC flush.
I believe someone stated elsewhere that reflush will transform AHC feel? Just a thought.
I’d also like to hear more on this. I just bought a 2016 and it does not have the software update to smooth out gear changes. I assume newer 200s come with the update from the factory, but I’m figuring out if I should do it.Can you offer more thoughts on the 8 speed transmission? I was specifically looking at getting a 2016+ Cruiser because of the 8 Speed. My thought was that regearing wouldn't be needed with bigger tires. Mainly because with the 8 speed, 1st gear is great for crawling and 7th is good for the highway with a 34-35" tire. Most likely 8th gear wouldn't be very usable at highway speeds with a larger tire.
If you drive your truck off road, the article below might be relevant. It compares the suspension of the LX570 and the Land Cruiser. Spoiler, the Toyota has much better articulation and approach angle. Both models in the comparison were 2020s.
Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus LX 570 Suspension Flex Test | Measuring suspension articulation on an RTI ramp - Autoblog
We compare the Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus LX 570 on an RTI ramp, which measures suspension articulation.
It doesn’t seem too bad on a warm engine and at elevation here in Utah though.
I did it, and the lower gears shift much better. Only running 33's with no armor other than skids, but I can definitely see how the 8 speed could help a bit to avoid regearing.
I'd highly recommend the update. The 8 spd on older calibration drove me nuts and had me wanting the older 6spd. Like others have said, smooths out the lower gears and doesn't have as much of a kick down feel.
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Can you offer more thoughts on the 8 speed transmission? I was specifically looking at getting a 2016+ Cruiser because of the 8 Speed. My thought was that regearing wouldn't be needed with bigger tires. Mainly because with the 8 speed, 1st gear is great for crawling and 7th is good for the highway with a 34-35" tire. Most likely 8th gear wouldn't be very usable at highway speeds with a larger tire.
If you drive your truck off road, the article below might be relevant. It compares the suspension of the LX570 and the Land Cruiser. Spoiler, the Toyota has much better articulation and approach angle. Both models in the comparison were 2020s.
Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus LX 570 Suspension Flex Test | Measuring suspension articulation on an RTI ramp - Autoblog
We compare the Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus LX 570 on an RTI ramp, which measures suspension articulation.
I am still undecided on the 8 speed. To be honest I only have 1500 miles on the truck in 10 days, 950 of which were on a trip down South.
Here is what I have observed. My main complaint is the fact that it will downshift to 1st gear when coasting to a stop when it hits exactly 10MPH. Because I tend to roll through stops/yields, this behavior causes the truck to lurch forward as the drivetrain engages in 1st gear and then a subsequent clunky shift into 2nd. It is repeatable, 100% of the time. It can be abated with some extreme feathering of the throttle but I think the logic should be changed so that it shifts into 1st only when the truck is at a complete stop.
Upshifts on the highway when passing are firmer than both the 5 speed in the 100/4Runner (they’re identical), and the 6 speed in the LX. I will say that the 8AT is not afraid to downshift more than one gear at a time. In the 100 and 14LX, the car seems to drop a gear, engage, then drop another gear to wind out the full RPM range when the pedal is mashed to the floor.
Upshifts in the higher gear ranges are firmer. They’re not unsettling so but they are firmer than any Cruiser I have driven before.
Upshifts in lower gears around town can be clunky at times. What’s interesting is the sensation delivered to the passengers is identical across all Aisin truck transmissions I have ever driven. On low throttle acceleration from a dead stop, the truck seems to “lurch” into second gear. It’s as if it doesn’t know how to behave under low load situations. Again - this is identical behavior to the 100 and 14 LX. Think light acceleration in a parking lot or stop and go traffic.
Downshifts are more noticeable under certain situations as well. When coasting on an exist ramp and applying different levels of braking, the transmission feels like its clunking into gear and they are definitely noticeable - more so than the 100 and 14 LX.
Another behavior that is different than the 5 and 6 speed AT’s is that when applying more than average braking force at cruising speed, the transmission will downshift to a lower gear than necessary to aid with engine braking. For example, if driving at 85 and applying a decent amount of brake pedal, the transmission will downshift into 5th as if to either anticipate aggressive acceleration or assistive engine braking.
Cruise control is still retarded. The car will happily change gears for miles on ascents trying to maintain highway speed. I don’t know why manufacturers can’t correlate topographic data with GPS location to make the overall experience better and appear more intelligent.
I was surprised to see how well the truck held 8th gear. It has no problem maintaining highway speed, even into headwinds, in 8th gear. Application of a little throttle and the car will accelerate in 8th too - with the torque converter locked.
HTH. For what it’s worth, there were reports than the 8AT was only offered in the United States. That is false - browsing the Dubai, Oman, and Qatar websites shows that the top of the line 5.7L is offered only with the 8AT. Makes me feel better since this is not a completely one off transmission and that they are selling it to a market where it will be pushed to the limits in the desert. I do hope to see the exact same 8AT in the Tundra - again, just so that it’s not a one off run over a few production years in one vehicle.....
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This is interesting to hear as I've previosly read that the ride quality decreased with the E rated KO2's. I guess thats subjective as I enjoy the ride of my 14 LX and dont want to lose it when I get new tires.
Personally, i would not go from factory road-friendly P-metric to an off-road LT-E tire to get better on-road handling and/or ride. For LT-E, we’re talking at least 10-15 lbs increase in unsprung weight, much higher PSI needed, and ultimately less wet/dry traction (as is typical of most All–Terrains vs. factory tires).
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bloc
SILVER Star
To be fair that had much more to do with the chin spoiler than it did the suspension itself. The non sport package 16+ LX won’t have such a large disparity, but still has a front bumper that restricts approach angle and RTI.Can you offer more thoughts on the 8 speed transmission? I was specifically looking at getting a 2016+ Cruiser because of the 8 Speed. My thought was that regearing wouldn't be needed with bigger tires. Mainly because with the 8 speed, 1st gear is great for crawling and 7th is good for the highway with a 34-35" tire. Most likely 8th gear wouldn't be very usable at highway speeds with a larger tire.
If you drive your truck off road, the article below might be relevant. It compares the suspension of the LX570 and the Land Cruiser. Spoiler, the Toyota has much better articulation and approach angle. Both models in the comparison were 2020s.
Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus LX 570 Suspension Flex Test | Measuring suspension articulation on an RTI ramp - Autoblog
We compare the Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus LX 570 on an RTI ramp, which measures suspension articulation.
Before the 16+ redesign a stock LX and stock LC are very close in articulation.. and the respective suspension systems haven’t changed substantially.
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- #35
Would like to hear the feelings of those with the 8 speed.....??
No issue for me...works invisibly 99.6% of the time. But then again, i don’t exactly drive aggressively nor do I shift it manually.
It does, and not all for the better. As you said, it's subjective. Part of it is a like for a certain feel from a rough a tough body on frame vehicle. I too like the more robust and truck like feel from AT tires. As with all things, take these comments with a grain of salt as like shouldn't be mistaken for better. Just different. There are others that have owned both models and contrasted differently.
I just made the jump from a 2008 to a 2016, and in the first few hours of driving the 8 speed, I missed the 6 speed. The throttle response was better in the 6 speed, and I feel like it knew what it was doing more than the 8 speed did. However, after a bit more time with the 8 speed, I have come to like it a lot. I can definitely feel the aggressive shifting in lower gears and it does do some searching for gears in the mountains where I am, but overall it is much smoother. I will probably do the TSB software update on it soon to smooth out the shifts. I think long term, the 8 speed is the way to go.
We have a 2019 LX570 with 33" E-Rated BFG KO2's on the stock 20's. I agree that the stock rubber was extremely soft and aided in the felt body roll and/or floaty feeling in corners. The stiffer sidewall of the E-rated tires definitely improved that aspect but at the same time we lost a bit of the comfort in the ride as well. That's a trade-off worth making IMHO and the truck still rides exceptionally well regardless.
I think it's kind of silly to be arguing these statistics on a 6000lb full-time 4WD SUV, it's no high performance sport tuned unibody wagon and no one should expect it to be. Personally I don't think there is enough of a difference there with how ours is setup versus a stock LC to even have a conversation about it. Lift the LC 2-3" and this argument is null and void the LX wins, so again, I find it kind of a moot point.
Looks are subjective and I agree that the 2016+ LX front end isn't for everyone and even though we own the LX I still prefer the looks of the LC. That said, the cabin is quieter in the LX, there's no arguing that and the headlights are better in the LX as well. Both interiors are "too much" in my opinion but the felt textiles of the LX are a touch better.
Had we purchased our 200 series with the intent of building an all out off-road touring rig then I would have gone with the LC simply for the aftermarket options. After 18 months and 14,000+ miles with our 2019 LX 570 we have decided that while we really like many aspects of the 200 Series platform, we don't think that it's "the vehicle" for us in the long run. When we weigh out the cost of a new 200 series versus what we actually want from the platform it just doesn't add up. If we didn't have a modded 150 series and a 4WD HD truck then we might feel differently about this but because we prefer the size and capabilities of the GX off-road and the towing abilities of a diesel 3/4-ton there leaves little middle ground for the 200 Series stuck in between. Odds are we will sell or trade the LX in the next 12-18 months.
Bingo. For what little it's worth, I've always found my LX to be incredibly flat, with little body roll and brake dive... for a 6000lb vehicle. I don't expect M3-type handling, and think that objectively, the handling of this behemoth is very, very nice.
Folks also need to keep in mind that driving styles will affect both body roll and brake dive. Take a narrow line into a corner, cut it aggressively at the apex, and you'll see a heck of a lot more body roll than you would have if you had entered that same corner on a smooth, wider line. Slam the brakes and the nose will surely dive, but apply brakes smoothly, progressively harder and you'll experience considerably less nose dive.
I suppose the same person will test both the LX and LC in the same manner and with the same driving style, and that's great, but there's certainly no guarantee that your driving style is the same, and that you will get the same results.
That's the problem with internet reviews of tires. No one actually explains what "better" or "worse" means to them. Some folks love the ride of a dump truck, others love to feel completely disconnected from the road, for others yet it's all about tire look.
Heavier load-rating tires will stiffen up the ride. If that's what you want, then it'll be a better ride. If that's not what you want, then it'll be a worse ride. And then you have to consider things like the effects of unsprung weight, noise, fuel economy differences, actual grip/performance in various conditions, (and even the fact that "snow" in one part of the country can vary drastically from "snow" in another part) opportunities for rocks to be flung at your doors and others' windshields, tire cost & availability, etc. All factors are incredibly personal to the vehicle owner, and this is why 99% of tire-related feedback on the internet is utterly useless.
