This is probably going to be very unliked, but this is just like my opinion man. This is my issue with the LC250

[Jetboy]

That might be conceivable for the US but Toyoda’s point is that most of the world does not have the electrical power infrastructure to support EV and probably never will (or at least not in any of our lifetime’s.) And if you project out that far, Toyoda imagines other technologies will arrive that will compete with that of EV. So the Global rate of EV implementations will remain at 30%. I know that Americans tend to confine reality to the borders of their state or country, but as a European I can assure you there is intelligent life of a human kind elsewhere on this planet. (Not making any representations about how intelligent that life is in the EU sometimes given what goes on in Brussels.) But Toyoda makes reference to the worlds’ realities and so far he has been correct in guiding his company towards a variety of power solutions applicable across a wide variety of those realities.

I suspect the opposite is going to be true in the near future. It's easier today to install a solar array and batteries in remote Australia or Africa than it is to put in a fuel station and the infrastructure to operate it. The cost of the batteries is the primary driver of not being cheaper overall if it's not already cheaper. If that changes, EV charging in most remote places will be cheaper and easier than gas or diesel. It's the urban high use locations that are more challenging because of the high demand and low capacity factor. Cheap on-site energy storage solves both problems.

I think the high use

I'm obviously moderately pro EV. But I drive a Tundra. Lol. Obviously EV doesn't work for me either. But I think it will. At least for most people doing most of the miles. It's just coming slower than the extremists would like.

Edit: I'd love a 25+mpg hybrid tundra or Sequoia PHEV. I even think a PHEV version of the turbo 4 would be great in a Sequoia. If it has 10 or 15 minutes of battery output for the electric motor, that fixes the towing shortfall of the 4cyl for me. It'll out pull the v8s pretty easy at that point.

 

[dbbowen]

I suspect the opposite is going to be true in the near future. It's easier today to install a solar array and batteries in remote Australia or Africa than it is to put in a fuel station and the infrastructure to operate it. The cost of the batteries is the primary driver of not being cheaper overall if it's not already cheaper. If that changes, EV charging in most remote places will be cheaper and easier than gas or diesel. It's the urban high use locations that are more challenging because of the high demand and low capacity factor. Cheap on-site energy storage solves both problems.

I think the high use

I'm obviously moderately pro EV. But I drive a Tundra. Lol. Obviously EV doesn't work for me either. But I think it will. At least for most people doing most of the miles. It's just coming slower than the extremists would like.

Edit: I'd love a 25+mpg hybrid tundra or Sequoia PHEV. I even think a PHEV version of the turbo 4 would be great in a Sequoia. If it has 10 or 15 minutes of battery output for the electric motor, that fixes the towing shortfall of the 4cyl for me. It'll out pull the v8s pretty easy at that point.

Im just not a fan of the less user serviceability of the new electrified vehicles. Thats the big sticking point for me. I saw a tech video from lexus talking about a guy losing his arm because he arced the wrong wire on an electric vehicle. On a normal vehicle you can connect positive to ground on your battery with your face and it not hurt you at all

 

[Jetboy]

Im just not a fan of the less user serviceability of the new electrified vehicles. Thats the big sticking point for me. I saw a tech video from lexus talking about a guy losing his arm because he arced the wrong wire on an electric vehicle. On a normal vehicle you can connect positive to ground on your battery with your face and it not hurt you at all

Ideally there is no servicing needed. For most evs there's nothing but rotating tires and annual brake lube/check because often the brakes used so seldom that they seize up the calipers. No service is better than easy service in many cases. I don't lose any sleep over not having to replace points or setting spark timing. I can't recall the last time I needed to adjust valves or tune a carb. I'd be fine with never needing to change oil again.

Repairing is not very user friendly though. And that is a real concern I have. There's no question it's an issue when Teslas are the most expensive cars to insure. A lot of that isn't directly EV driven though. It's the manufacturing. They are not built to be repaired. The great efficiency improvements of the gigacast structure also means that the structure is not repairable in many cases and a minor collision results in a total loss. I don't think that has to be the case though. Toyota or others could sell modular components that are easy to swap by the owner. I suspect Toyota will do that with its EVs. I'd guess that all of the EV components on the new LC250 are relatively easy to swap out.

The danger is real, but should be fused and relay switched so that it's generally safe unless you do something pretty unusual and probably pretty stupid. The GM car fires are harder to accept. Those are poor manufacturing and engineering results. But they're still dangerous and still a real concern for me. The owners did nothing wrong but still ended up with cars that were unsafe and no support from GM. The most dangerous circuit on a LC250 is probably the inverter 240v output because of the creative ways people will find to create some version of the toaster in the bathtub. However - I agree that there are real safety concerns and it's something to consider.

My personal biggest concern for safety is the EV running out of charge leaving me stranded in a life threatening situation.

 

[VentoGT]

Sweet baby Jesus in a manger has this thread derailed

 

[Cold Iron]

Sweet baby Jesus in a manger has this thread derailed

So I got "the" call last week been #2 on the list for a 250 since August of last year. I said no and took a pass in large part because I agree with the OP of this thread.

I'm keeping the GX460 for another 4-5 years and will see what is available at that time plus have a better benchmark for all the current changes.

After all the 460 already is a land cruiser...

Watched Tinkerer's Adventure interview with Lexus Chief Engineer Koji Tsukasaki last week as well and almost spit coffee through my nose when the CHENG said the LC 300 is a luxury vehicle and the GX is designed from the ground up to be taken off road

 

[Rednexus]

The VA35A main bearing failures are very disconcerting. One number I've heard - cost for a shortblock replacement - is $32K for a Tundra and requires removing the cab from the chassis. It will be interesting to see if this is a short-term issue caused by a minor and correctable design/manufacturing defect, or more of a long-term design deficiency where motors that are OK today eat main bearings at 80K, 120K, etc, after the warranty is out and the vehicle value is around that of shortblock replacement. Since this engine appears to be very complex it will be much more difficult to DIY a shortblock replacement (or anything else) compared to a UZ or even a UR.

Regardless - to the point that @Cold Iron made - I'll be keeping my GX for a very long time as I can do 99% of the servicing and repairing on it myself - with perhaps a transmission rebuild being the only thing I would not attempt.

 

[M1911]

The VA35A main bearing failures are very disconcerting. One number I've heard - cost for a shortblock replacement - is $32K for a Tundra and requires removing the cab from the chassis. It will be interesting to see if this is a short-term issue caused by a minor and correctable design/manufacturing defect, or more of a long-term design deficiency where motors that are OK today eat main bearings at 80K, 120K, etc, after the warranty is out and the vehicle value is around that of shortblock replacement.

It wouldn't concern me if it had just been the 2022 model year. But it seems that failures have occurred in 2023 and 2024 model year vehicles.

That said, I'm still likely to buy one and roll the dice, simply because I need to replace my 200 ASAP.

 

[Rednexus]

It wouldn't concern me if it had just been the 2022 model year. But it seems that failures have occurred in 2023 and 2024 model year vehicles.

That said, I'm still likely to buy one and roll the dice, simply because I need to replace my 200 ASAP.

The fact that it is still going on leads me to believe they do not yet know the cause and have not corrected it. I am sure it is a fire drill at Toyota HQ as they are tearing into these motors and doing root cause analyses. At some point they'll need to speak to their enthusiast community and tell them what the problem actually was and that they fixed it.

On paper, I'd pick a GX550 over a LC250 for the power, 9.5" diff, etc. Based on these problems I'd buy a LC250 today. I did see a truckload of GX550s on I-80 yesterday - and they sure look good in person.

 

[M1911]

On paper, I'd pick a GX550 over a LC250 for the power, 9.5" diff, etc. Based on these problems I'd buy a LC250 today.

I understand your viewpoint.

What I’m seeing, though, is that I have a Lexus dealer selling GXs at MSRP and Toyota dealers selling the 250 at ADM such that a LC with premium costs as much as a GX Overtrail. In addition, every 250 premium that I see comes with the ridiculous 20” wheels. Not only do I not want to spend $1,000 on 20” wheels, I also don’t want to then have to spend another $2,500 on five 18” wheels and tires.

I expect that the GX will be quieter on the highway than the 250 (due to added sound deadening), so given that they will be similar in price, I’d rather have the GX.

 

[Specialeyes]

The VA35A main bearing failures are very disconcerting. One number I've heard - cost for a shortblock replacement - is $32K for a Tundra and requires removing the cab from the chassis. It will be interesting to see if this is a short-term issue caused by a minor and correctable design/manufacturing defect, or more of a long-term design deficiency where motors that are OK today eat main bearings at 80K, 120K, etc, after the warranty is out and the vehicle value is around that of shortblock replacement. Since this engine appears to be very complex it will be much more difficult to DIY a shortblock replacement (or anything else) compared to a UZ or even a UR.

Regardless - to the point that @Cold Iron made - I'll be keeping my GX for a very long time as I can do 99% of the servicing and repairing on it myself - with perhaps a transmission rebuild being the only thing I would not attempt.

After all the spouting off about how the TT V6 is the engine to get watch the I-4 Hybrid end up being the more reliable engine of the two.

 

[Rednexus]

After all the spouting off about how the TT V6 is the engine to get watch the I-4 Hybrid end up being the more reliable engine of the two.

On a power perspective, it is! But, reliability is what I care about. And, it's moot as my little N/A V8 has a lot of life in it.

 

[Zill]

After all the spouting off about how the TT V6 is the engine to get watch the I-4 Hybrid end up being the more reliable engine of the two.

I actually would not be surprised by this. The inline 4 that’s being used in the Grand Highlander is not having issues right now.

Even if it does, you actually have some room around the engine to easily work on it and the turbo is at the front side of the motor anyway. I don’t think it’s going to be a body off procedure to replace the turbo.

Compare that to the TTV6 and it’s packed in their tighter than a tick.

No thanks to a +30k repair procedure which Toyota is being silent on that can happen at any point with no sign of it failing.

 

[VamosHugo]

In addition, every 250 premium that I see comes with the ridiculous 20” wheels. Not only do I not want to spend $1,000 on 20” wheels, I also don’t want to then have to spend another $2,500 on five 18” wheels and tires.

These 20" wheels they're slapping on the LC trim is a big own goal for Toyota and makes me think someone over there didn't get the marketing memo about who they're supposed to be appealing to for the LC (vs the GX, where 20" wheels on certain trims makes more sense considering that market).

 

[TWILLY]

The VA35A main bearing failures are very disconcerting. One number I've heard - cost for a shortblock replacement - is $32K for a Tundra and requires removing the cab from the chassis. It will be interesting to see if this is a short-term issue caused by a minor and correctable design/manufacturing defect, or more of a long-term design deficiency where motors that are OK today eat main bearings at 80K, 120K, etc, after the warranty is out and the vehicle value is around that of shortblock replacement. Since this engine appears to be very complex it will be much more difficult to DIY a shortblock replacement (or anything else) compared to a UZ or even a UR.

Regardless - to the point that @Cold Iron made - I'll be keeping my GX for a very long time as I can do 99% of the servicing and repairing on it myself - with perhaps a transmission rebuild being the only thing I would not attempt.

The fact that main bearing failures are now shown on '22, '23, and '24 models suggests (ominously) that Toyota has not remedied the problem, and that they cannot easily do so because it is a problem endemic to the motor's design (which applies more force and heat than a V8 to a comparatively smaller surface area).

For that and other reasons, I expect the I-4 hybrid will prove to be the more reliable and long-lived of the two powertrains.

 

[M1911]

These 20" wheels they're slapping on the LC trim is a big own goal for Toyota and makes me think someone over there didn't get the marketing memo about who they're supposed to be appealing to for the LC (vs the GX, where 20" wheels on certain trims makes more sense considering that market).

You are assuming that most buyers are enthusiasts like us, but they aren’t. Most buyers won’t take their 250s off-road on anything more challenging than a forest service road. Most of my off-roading is on the beach, which is not challenging.

I don’t like 20” wheels because they make the ride worse, they are more susceptible to damage by potholes and rocks, are easier to curb, the tires don’t air down as well, and the tires are often more expensive.

But a lot of car buyers like the looks of big wheel, for reasons that escape me.

So I don’t agree that this is an “own goal for Toyota.” Putting these big wheels on the 250 is easy additional profit for Toyota, even as it pisses off enthusiasts like us.

 

[Jetboy]

Having not seen the internals side by side - it's hard to say if the ttv6 has more force on smaller bearing surface area than the v8. The v8s had 5 crank main bearings. V6 has 4. The turbo 4 has 5. But I don't know what the surface area is on them so it's hard to know how to compare if they are similar in size or not. Without knowing more - the turbo 4 has the best crank support design of the group with every piston force supported on both sides by a main bearing. And the unsupported span of the crank is likely the lowest. All else equal - the 4cyl probably has the best bottom end design for long service life.

Whatever the case may be - Toyota should be fixing whatever the issue is and I'd expect it to be rectified at some point. It is troubling to see trucks with 2 engine replacements in the first 50k miles. The cost of this happening after warranty is terrifying to me. Enough that it would require a pretty big discount on price to be willing to buy one after warranty ends until the engines are well known to last a long time typically.

 

[Rednexus]

You are assuming that most buyers are enthusiasts like us, but they aren’t. Most buyers won’t take their 250s off-road on anything more challenging than a forest service road. Most of my off-roading is on the beach, which is not challenging.

I don’t like 20” wheels because they make the ride worse, they are more susceptible to damage by potholes and rocks, are easier to curb, the tires don’t air down as well, and the tires are often more expensive.

But a lot of car buyers like the looks of big wheel, for reasons that escape me.

So I don’t agree that this is an “own goal for Toyota.” Putting these big wheels on the 250 is easy additional profit for Toyota, even as it pisses off enthusiasts like us.

You always could buy the 250 and add aftermarket 18" wheels and tires (I'm presuming a 17" won't fit over the brake calipers but have not verified that). I think the new platform shares the same 6-lug Toyota/Chevy bolt pattern that is decades old at this point. Might be overall a better investment considering the long-term reliability question marks.

FWIW I also despite wheels that are too big, for all the same reasons you stated. I am very glad our Highlander is not the Platinum trim - it has 18" wheels rather than 20's and rides pretty well. I bent several rims in my previous Mazda 3 with 18s and 45-series tires - they are just too weak for hitting anything more than a small pothole.

 

[malden]

Might be overall a better investment considering the long-term reliability question marks.

At this point, and if you do not have to tow and own a sports car for kicks, a '24 Gen5 4Runner starts looking pretty good or a GX460. Get them while they last.

 

[Rednexus]

At this point, and if you do not have to tow and own a sports car for kicks, a '24 Gen5 4Runner starts looking pretty good or a GX460. Get them while they last.

I successfully convinced one of my long-time friends to get on the GX bandwagon. Him and his wife picked up a 2020 GX460 on Monday with 64K miles on it for ~$37K in basically mint shape. Pretty attractive deal considering he can drive it for the next 15+ years and there are zero reliability concerns.

However, I doubt he goes wheeling with us any time soon as it would be a shame to scratch that pretty Atomic Silver paint.

 

[Specialeyes]

At this point, and if you do not have to tow and own a sports car for kicks, a '24 Gen5 4Runner starts looking pretty good or a GX460. Get them while they last.

After getting hands on, albeit no test drive with the 550 I honestly prefer everything about the 460 to it except for the predator grill and the needless (for me) third row seats.