Still hunting... now looking for an LX!

[coleAK]

Like many others I was in the same boat. Although I was’t going to mod it (I’m a functional guy and don’t see the need). I ended up with a 2013 LX that I bought in 14 as a dealer demo. I paid for my LX 1 year old with 7k miles about what I would have paid for a 4-5 year old LC with 50-70k miles. I tow a almost 7k camper all summer, use it close to its capacity off road, it’s been to the arctic circle multiple times.

I know this is a sensative topic but I love the AHC and think it gives the stock LX vs stock LC an edge off road to the Lx.

 

[grinchy]

I believe Slee has had the LX sliders available since last year. They're just not on the website as with some of their other available 200 series products (rear bumper).

Oh I've talked to them and am on the backorder list. If anything, I guess it could be said it isn't a volume product. When the volume is 0, it is not available. There are a few kits near release; these may not even meet the Colorado based demand, let alone shipment demand like mine.

This isn't an indictment of Slee at all, more so of the fact that LX owners are viewed as poseurs in the TLC aftermarket community, and perhaps we are ATM. I hope this changes in the next 2-5 years, as the volumes of 2nd, 3rd hand LX ready to begin life in the wild will equal or maybe exceed the TLC, simply based on original number sold / availability. The reality is that TLC and LX combined are still very boutique. The volume, and thus money, is with JK, Tacos, Runners, etc.

So we wait . . .

 

[Noah Miller]

Advice from a recent LX570 buyer. I grabbed an 15 LX570 27K miles 5 hours away on lucky break with the Lexus site. I drew an 8 hour circle around Atlanta and subdivided that area into 3 160 mile sections. With then I divided the east west into sections and found zip codes for intersecting lines 90-180 miles apart. Ok here's why. On the Lexus CPO site you enter Zipcodes. So for me I entered a zip code roughly straight 120 miles away and that includes Atlanta, 240 miles away includes the 8 hour distance and inside to the first zip code. I played on the site for about 10 minutes a day and finally a CPO 15 LX570 showed up 5 hours away. I called and discussed it, drove 2 days later to pick it up. CPO warranty better than new and you can get the Platinum warranty for pretty cheap insurance. Included 4 services at the time of pickup 30, 35, 40, 45K miles as well.

OK the car. Best riding road vehicle I've driven period on Comfort @ 70-100MPH. Over 100 most cars are better than SUV's. Eats road trips for lunch. AHC is critical to this, although cannot explain the technical details. ML stereo is amazing. So good I broke out my iPod classic and upgraded to 120 GB drive and new battery for lossless music. AMAZING. Essentially I got a 98K flagship SUV for less than half price, but it's still a Japanese built flagship SUV.

For what it's worth I wanted a Land Cruiser, but not 1 used one anywhere in the US when I was shopping worth the risk. Wasn't going to get a 75K mile + SUV, although now I know I was mistaken in that line of thinking.

As for ditching AHC for upgraded suspension, nope, not a chance. AHC proved itself to me in the first week of ownership for my needs. The height control for maintenance, and easy of entry. The Sport/Normal/Comfort settings (Comfort >60 Normal <60, Sport rarely) provide excellent body control for what is a 3 ton whale of a vehicle. Light fire road, trail offroading sure NP. Rock crawling, not my cup of tea, will be a passenger in someone else's vehicle. Snowmageddon in Atlanta this winter, bring it on.

 

[prez1967]

Advice from a recent LX570 buyer. I grabbed an 15 LX570 27K miles 5 hours away on lucky break with the Lexus site. I drew an 8 hour circle around Atlanta and subdivided that area into 3 160 mile sections. With then I divided the east west into sections and found zip codes for intersecting lines 90-180 miles apart. Ok here's why. On the Lexus CPO site you enter Zipcodes. So for me I entered a zip code roughly straight 120 miles away and that includes Atlanta, 240 miles away includes the 8 hour distance and inside to the first zip code. I played on the site for about 10 minutes a day and finally a CPO 15 LX570 showed up 5 hours away. I called and discussed it, drove 2 days later to pick it up. CPO warranty better than new and you can get the Platinum warranty for pretty cheap insurance. Included 4 services at the time of pickup 30, 35, 40, 45K miles as well.

OK the car. Best riding road vehicle I've driven period on Comfort @ 70-100MPH. Over 100 most cars are better than SUV's. Eats road trips for lunch. AHC is critical to this, although cannot explain the technical details. ML stereo is amazing. So good I broke out my iPod classic and upgraded to 120 GB drive and new battery for lossless music. AMAZING. Essentially I got a 98K flagship SUV for less than half price, but it's still a Japanese built flagship SUV.

For what it's worth I wanted a Land Cruiser, but not 1 used one anywhere in the US when I was shopping worth the risk. Wasn't going to get a 75K mile + SUV, although now I know I was mistaken in that line of thinking.

As for ditching AHC for upgraded suspension, nope, not a chance. AHC proved itself to me in the first week of ownership for my needs. The height control for maintenance, and easy of entry. The Sport/Normal/Comfort settings (Comfort >60 Normal <60, Sport rarely) provide excellent body control for what is a 3 ton whale of a vehicle. Light fire road, trail offroading sure NP. Rock crawling, not my cup of tea, will be a passenger in someone else's vehicle. Snowmageddon in Atlanta this winter, bring it on.

Im considering going CPO but dont think I “need” warranty coverage. Just figure Lexus looks over the trucks with a fine tooth comb in order to certify them.

Of course the CPO truck im considering also has its share of frame
Rust...

 

[SWUtah]

Im considering going CPO but dont think I “need” warranty coverage. Just figure Lexus looks over the trucks with a fine tooth comb in order to certify them.

Of course the CPO truck im considering also has its share of frame
Rust...

If they try to tell you the rust is just surface and not a problem, tell them to include in the deal their body shop eliminate all the rust and rust proofing as part of the deal.

 

[bloc]

No offense, but this would be more than a bit misdirected. Until one gets to experience AHC first hand, with its huge breadth of competencies, it's hard to convey.

To retrofit a passive KDSS system, in place of AHC which is KDSS on steriods x 10 doesn't really make sense. AHC itself can be modified to do just about anything one would want to do, save for the truly specialized race application. Also, AHC is probably more reliable than any aftermarket suspension out there.

"KDSS on steroids".. RTI scores would beg to disagree. Unless we are talking about things other than lack of body roll on-road vs ability to flex off-road, which is all KDSS claims to do.

Don't get me wrong.. AHC does have advantages, and so far it seems reliability is not a disadvantage.. I don't disagree with your statement about reliability vs aftermarket. But those advantages matter (or not) to owners on an individual basis. What also matters as more people buy these trucks and use them off-road, is can the owner modify the stock suspension if they see fit to do so? So far with AHC other than adjusting the position sensors, no. When someone starts doing these 'about anything one would want to do' modifications, let us all know. The same person would likely be able to come up with a good delete solution for that market.

In truth a LX with sliders, 18s, ATs, and a sensor lift would likely do any trail I'll want to do. But the fact that I am limited in my ability to modify it in the future, if I want to, was enough to push me toward a LC, and I don't regret it one bit.

 

[TeCKis300]

"KDSS on steroids".. RTI scores would beg to disagree. Unless we are talking about things other than lack of body roll on-road vs ability to flex off-road, which is all KDSS claims to do.

Don't get me wrong.. AHC does have advantages, and so far it seems reliability is not a disadvantage.. I don't disagree with your statement about reliability vs aftermarket. But those advantages matter (or not) to owners on an individual basis. What also matters as more people buy these trucks and use them off-road, is can the owner modify the stock suspension if they see fit to do so? So far with AHC other than adjusting the position sensors, no. When someone starts doing these 'about anything one would want to do' modifications, let us all know. The same person would likely be able to come up with a good delete solution for that market.

In truth a LX with sliders, 18s, ATs, and a sensor lift would likely do any trail I'll want to do. But the fact that I am limited in my ability to modify it in the future, if I want to, was enough to push me toward a LC, and I don't regret it one bit.

What RTI source are you referencing? Both LC and LX put up excellent, practically identical scores. LX 570 misconceptions: RTI myths and ARB bumpers

Another misconception is that AHC doesn't work well off-road. That couldn't be further from the truth. It is specifically because of its dual (many) nature that it works well off-road. Whether articulation, clearance, bombing down washes.
Or whatever load (as it's constant height and doesn't sag). Yes, I use mine off-road and it's seen all of those situations.

It's always dialed in for the situation. That's the beauty of AHC.

 

[grinchy]

For me the only drawback to AHC are slider fitment and max tow. There are easy workarounds for the GVW issue, the same exact workaround the TLC uses (stiffer spring rate). For these minor issues, you save the $1.2k to $2k upfront for a lift, and the lift is reversible in 15 seconds when you're off trail. The other big bonus is easier fitment of 34"+ tires (no KDSS). Not too mention mild ride adjustability for actual road comfort.

There are plenty of off-road hydraulic based machines, we call them dump trucks, bulldozers, backhoes, etc. It's not like hydraulics are complicated or unreliable or prone to failure, anymore so than shocks get blown and springs lose their elasticity. What is a problem is that no vendors are pushing the AHC aftermarket. There aren't any max psi pumps, or super accumulators, or chromed out external nitrogen reservoirs, or super-tunable adjustable computer overriders. There isn't much tribal wisdom on it, and every once in a while there's a failure, and no one knows how to fix it (except to swap parts), and then oh and ah over the $500 - $2000 fix. Which is the entry fee for any TLC lift anyway.

 

[coleAK]

I’ve never actually looked into it but isn’t there heavier AHC struts that they use on the armored rigs? Anyone know how much they are? If they are less than $7-10k then if/when mine goes that is the amount more I would have had to pay for a similar used LC when I bought my LX

 

[bloc]

What RTI source are you referencing? Both LC and LX put up excellent, practically identical scores. LX 570 misconceptions: RTI myths and ARB bumpers

Another misconception is that AHC doesn't work well off-road. That couldn't be further from the truth. It is specifically because of its dual (many) nature that it works well off-road. Whether articulation, clearance, bombing down washes.
Or whatever load (as it's constant height and doesn't sag). Yes, I use mine off-road and it's seen all of those situations.

It's always dialed in for the situation. That's the beauty of AHC.

The nearly identical scores are my point. AHC isn’t KDSS on steroids times ten. In terms of flex vs on-road stability they are very close in performance, (and that’s all KDSS claims to do). AHC’s big advantage being adjustable clearance or seamlessly adapting to weight changes. KDSS isn’t supposed to help those things.

Who is saying it doesn’t work well off-road? I mean other than it reverting to standard ride height if you make the mistake of going above certain speeds. I’m not. I AM saying some owners might want to put an aftermarket suspension on their rig that does work better off-road, and cleanly removing AHC and adding KDSS for the disconnecting sways in that scenario is impossible at the moment.

 

[bloc]

I’ve never actually looked into it but isn’t there heavier AHC struts that they use on the armored rigs? Anyone know how much they are? If they are less than $7-10k then if/when mine goes that is the amount more I would have had to pay for a similar used LC when I bought my LX

So far people haven’t been having problems with the stock AHC equipment.

 

[TeCKis300]

The nearly identical scores are my point. AHC isn’t KDSS on steroids times ten. In terms of flex vs on-road stability they are very close in performance, (and that’s all KDSS claims to do). AHC’s big advantage being adjustable clearance or seamlessly adapting to weight changes. KDSS isn’t supposed to help those things.

Who is saying it doesn’t work well off-road? I mean other than it reverting to standard ride height if you make the mistake of going above certain speeds. I’m not. I AM saying some owners might want to put an aftermarket suspension on their rig that does work better off-road, and cleanly removing AHC and adding KDSS for the disconnecting sways in that scenario is impossible at the moment.

But it is on steroids. You're only understanding the tip of the iceberg. I'll agree that articulation is the same. There are other measures, despite it being able to RTI the same on 20s.

BTW, I don't mean to come off as argumentative. I do like to get into more specific details. I've had this same discussion enough times, that its old to many here. We're all learning a bit more each time.

AHC has superior body control. It's not just roll resistance as KDSS. AHC will control roll to a higher degree as it has more tools at its disposal. Interconnected hydraulic circuits to simulate a virtual sway bar, increased damping to resist roll, and increased spring rate by way of separate hydraulic circuit in the front axle. This is all handled dynamically to suit the situation, or in response to the degree that the driver wants, per the use selectable suspension setting. These facilities also enable the system to control brake dive and squat.

It's not just the side to side and front to back body control of the system, which is already beyond the repertoire of a normal suspension. This dynamic eletrohydraulic system also has higher degree abilities of posture control. The compression chambers of the shock absorbers are diagonally linked by a center-control valve. Passing small body motions from front-to-rear increases overall vertical suspension damping, minimizing displacement motions to the body, and hence the driver.

The reverting to normal ride height is not a disadvantage. Consider that AHC owners can "sensor lift" their suspensions statically to at least ~1.5" higher with 10 minutes of effort. More if you want to modify the senor brackets, but it's not really necissary. Now that 1.5" lift turns into 4.5" lift clearance with AHC lift on demand. And this doesn't sag with weight. You can ask how many normal cruiser owners with lifted suspension really gets anywhere near that, especially when loaded for travel. 4.5" up isn't a great height to drive at since droop travel is completely compromised.

 

[coleAK]

I was referring to the AHC vs KDDS argument that gets brought up often on various discussions here when the KDDS side almost always mentions something on the line of: AHC is at some point going to need replaced and be very expensive so traditional suspension is better

I have no plans on replacing any of it unless needed.

 

[SWUtah]

I was referring to the AHC vs KDDS argument that gets brought up often on various discussions here when the KDDS side almost always mentions something on the line of: AHC is at some point going to need replaced and be very expensive so traditional suspension is better

I have no plans on replacing any of it unless needed.

Must be a couple of threads a week about members replacing springs and shocks multiple times looking for that perfect combination for their needs. For thousands of $$ per change. From what I've read for a rig with specific applications LC might be the way to go? I changed to OME on my LX470 after the AHC was having problems, it was a cheap way to go versus dealing with the old AHC, but the 200 series AHC/AVS is on a different level.

 

[ninety7lx450]

New to the board, but am in the market for a 2015 200 series. Debating to go with the LX or the LC. I probably wont be off-roading it for another 5 - 7 years; so I figure AHC shouldnt be an issue. Having a hard time gauging the pricing as it seems to be all over the place. 61K for a 2015 LX with 30K miles a decent deal?

 

[SWUtah]

New to the board, but am in the market for a 2015 200 series. Debating to go with the LX or the LC. I probably wont be off-roading it for another 5 - 7 years; so I figure AHC shouldnt be an issue. Having a hard time gauging the pricing as it seems to be all over the place. 61K for a 2015 LX with 30K miles a decent deal?

If it's CPO and rust free

 

[ninety7lx450]

If it's CPO and rust free

The CPO model is $58,200 with 48K miles.

 

[SWUtah]

The CPO model is $58,200 with 48K miles.

Buy it for $55k you get 2 years of additional unlimited mileage warranty plus 2 years of free maintance which will cover the big $$$ 60k mile service. I would require new pads and rotors when you buy it. Check service records and carfax and they are ok your good for as long as you want to drive it and maintain it.

 

[prez1967]

Buy it for $55k you get 2 years of additional unlimited mileage warranty plus 2 years of free maintance which will cover the big $$$ 60k mile service. I would require new pads and rotors when you buy it. Check service records and carfax and they are ok your good for as long as you want to drive it and maintain it.

What does the 60K service entail?

 

[SWUtah]

What does the 60K service entail?

All filters,engine air, cabin air,oil filter. Fluid changes engine, brake, AHC system. Lube drive shaft, retorque driveline, rotate tire's. If you paid for it about $600 plus.

On the non-CPOed 2015 with 30k miles for $61k. If it has good Lexus maintanance records and a clean carfax and they will clean up the rust give them $58k for the lower mileage one. The 2013-2015 are the classiest model years (my opinion)