needing 200 series advice

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Todom711

Todom711

Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Threads
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Location
Canton
hey everyone,

I'm a big LC fan and currently on my 4th 100 series and love it to death. Long story short wife and I had our 3rd child and we need a bench seat for 2nd row. The wife drove a 2018 LC and looooved it. My question is are there any issues with the 200 series that I'm aware of? is there a year that's better than the other? I've had 3 100's and 1 80 series but the 200 is something I don't have much knowledge on. Any inputs on this would be much appreciated.
 
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Get the 200, sell the 100.

200 is better in almost every possible way. I prefer 2008-2011 models but others prefer 2013+. They are all good from reliability standpoint. Rust is the biggest issue. Some people say there is a radiator issue, others say water pump.... I haven't experienced either in 100k miles (vehicle is at 200k). It's been more reliable than my 2002 LC.
 
The 2nd row similar 100 to 200. Third rows similar too.
I have 3 kids too and depending on the car seat requirements you’ll likely have better access and enjoyment in a minivan. Getting to the third row is troublesome with car seats in the 2nd row. Captains chairs for 2nd row on minivans much better.

I got a 200 because it was hard to find a 100 with third row air bags then stumbled onto a high mile 200 for a low price.

The size is similar to a 100 just a newer iteration of everything. Like any vehicle things can go wrong but in general it’s a newer design so time related issues are fewer. One thing is it has many more ecus.

Our other car is a minivan. Had a 5 seat sedan but it proved too small when the kids got a bit older.
 
There's no functional difference between the seating in the 100 vs 200. Layout and setup is practically identical. The 2nd row in the 200-series can be moved forward/aft. So it does allow a bit more leg room in the 2nd row if you are not using the 3rd. From a car seat/latch (if you have a later gen 100 series), same as well.

All model years of the 200-series are great. Some minor detail differences, but no major capability differences like there was in power, front diff durability, 5speed in the 100-series. 2016+ 200-series get an 8 speed tranny over 6 in previous years. It's not the huge drivability difference that the 100-series saw between the 4 to 5 speed. Though the 8 speed does have great great low end ratios allowing it to lug 35"+ tires practically without gearing mods.

The major huge difference in my mind is between the LC and LX, with the LX in all model years being decked in just about all options. Only later year LC's got some of the niceties, but not all. With AHC suspension being the biggest differentiater by far.
 
Thanks for the input I noticed the truck is slightly bigger overall than my 100. I didn’t get a chance to drive but my wife did and was blown away. I understand the minivan concept but she won’t give in just yet and the plan is to have all 3 on the bench seat and the back seats folded up for room.
 
Do a little searching and looking around here for common issues. The same question about what to look for/avoid gets asked over and over so there is a lot of information easily found. If you want to upgrade from a 100 to a 200 for more space, you’ll be very disappointed as there’s little difference in space for the big difference in price. There are myriad reasons to upgrade from a 100 but interior space isn’t one of them.
 
I hear you about minivans. The reality is they are designed for moving families around and all the stuff, like double strollers and huge diaper bags and six changes of clothes. It’s built for that. Ride space and utility for family is all way better than any suv, even the best suv made which is a 200.

Minivans aren’t built for gnarly Offroad.

I’ll move along out here but before I go I suggest you rent a minivan and then a 200 for the weekend, and see what works best for you.
 
We already rented a minivan and my 100 is staying. The minivan concept works trust me I guess I’m having a hard time talking the wife into making the plunge. I know the 200’s are pricey decisions decisions.
 
I have a 200 and a Honda Odyssey. I wouldn’t give up either. It’s hard to make the jump to a minivan, but once you’ve done it, it’s harder to give one up. So, so practical!
 
My two kids were raised around cruisers. They're in no way damaged from the experience. They do think vans are cool though, especially with their dual "magic" sliding doors. The LC tailgate worked wonders as a changing table, with the upper hatch shielding sun and rain.

Fact is, we rely on the cruiser as the be it all vehicle: for vacation, camping, towing, off-road. If it has to be wrapped up in one vehicle, there's arguably none better.

Not to be sexist, but for your wife, the LC may be a bit HD for day to day use. If not a van, a unibody 3-row may suit her better. While my wife does use my LX on occasion, she just prefers the smaller, lighter weight nature, of her RAV4, EV (she never needs to get gas!). If it's going to be your wife's primary vehicle, an LX makes some of the day to day use easier. From the power everything rear hatch, 3rd row, side mirros, to AHC lowering for ingress, soft open tailgate, and many others that make using the heavy built functions easier. Note that the newest LC's did get some of these niceties.
 
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Yea same here she loves the lc’s as much as I do we test drove a 2018 and man it didn’t seem to ride harsh at all
 
Todom711 said:
Yea same here she loves the lc’s as much as I do we test drove a 2018 and man it didn’t seem to ride harsh at all
Click to expand...

HD in the fact that all doors, hatches, folding seats, etc. are built heavy. Example is folding the 3rd row seats. Most people will have to jump in the back and fold the heavy seats up against the side. On the LX, it's powered and push button. The vehicle is also just larger and taller overall making simple things take a tad more effort. If your wife is above average in height, she'll have no problem.

It does ride great and smooth out of the box. No problem there. It's when upgrading the LC suspension, that striking a balance between payload, handling, lift, and ride becomes tough. This is where AHC on the LX excels.
 
We traded in the Honda Odyssey van for the LC 200. Having gone back to back. We mainly haul 2 dogs and 1 grown kid. There is more room in the van. The 200 is a winner elsewhere.
 
my .02cents

You buy a LC/LX because you want one or simply feel you need one. No one technically needs an $80k Toyota. Once you determine if you're a mall crawler at heart or otherwise, then you'll know. A van, sienna/odyssey is better all around for space utilization, ease of use along with general cruising comfort, not to mention fuel economy. Van kills just about everything else with passenger placement. They also have rear windows that wing, where the $85k 200 LC/LX doesn't, unlike the previous iterations.

All this said, a van vs LC... they are both winners, just depends on needs at the time. The 200, too me feels smaller inside than the 100. Keep in mind the back seats are bolted and not quickly removed (as in the past), along with no oem rear open handle(as in the past) and NO opening rear windows (as in the past), which at $85k-95k, I still don't get why you'd remove those option, when a $30k van has them standard.

I'm LC regardless, but if I had to rent a vehicle for a cross country road trip, it'd be a van all the way.
 
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If you go for a 200 I'd chose a used 2016+. I'm biased of course however the body styling, and the tech upgrades make the truck much more refined. Many considerations need to be made however. Daily driver? Plan to really build it up? Cost? etc. There are endless threads/comments in this sub covering all of it. Either way, 200s are amazing.
 
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