Hey y’all,
New member checking in from TN. Currently in a 17 Taco SR Access Cab, 2.7L, 4x4, MT. Looking to move up to a LC 200.
I’ve looked at the ‘20 Heritage, but it’s a bit out of the budget as we just got the wife a new Highlander. Started looking at ‘17 and ‘18 models instead. Would you choose one over the other? Should I consider any other years?Mileage under 50k.
Don’t plan on wheeling this one for a bit, more of a family hauler. I’ve got an ‘86 Land Rover 90 RHD
Thank you for the info and look forward to finding the right 200!
Welcome! Glad to have ya!
I have only looked at $25k and below ones mostly, so i can't tell you 17 or 18, since you are on another budget. I can, however, tell you that mine runs like a new car at 182k. That's honestly the best way i can describe it but i will say that i have not driven one of these new yet. I have driven other new cars though (not mine, i only buy used). I'll probably go see a dealer soon and do a comparison though as i am really curious now. I can't imagine that it could be any better than how mine rides now but we will see.
Regardless, i have seen many on here echo the sentiment that you do not need to worry about mileage with these vehicles, as long as they have been properly maintained. I agree with those people after buying one for $18k and driving it for over 2,000 miles over past couple weeks. I had a 2-week return period so i tried to test it best i could, and everything single thing worked perfectly.
I think anything 2015 and up will have the 8-speed transmission, and 2015 was the last face-lift. You could broaden your search by including 2015 and up, and just narrow it down to 1 owner no accidents and etc. Focus less on mileage unless too high. For a vehicle that has a potential to last as long as an LX, I'd rather have a 100k vehicle from a good owner, than a 50k from a bad one. Look for the mall crawlers and grocery getters and soccer mom SUVs, and then make sure it has a good Lexus/Toyota maintenance record. With these, it is much easier to find one that has not been off-road/ridden hard.
If you have kids, then maybe look for one with the in-headrest DVD players. I think if you are buying this to use as a family hauler, then your family will fall in love with it. It will be perfect for the job, while still being super capable as stock in case you do want to get a little mud on your tires. It's nice to know she can juggle, almost seamlessly, between the two very demanding, but very different tasks.
I would honestly be less concerned about which one you end up with, and more concerned about the fact that you will be stuck with the Highlander once your wife test drives it.
