Subarus have developed the stigma as being a lesbian vehicle. But I gotta say that the Subaru Forester I had for a while was an excellent vehicle. And Im a dude. I only discovered the lesbian slant after I sold it. I didn't feel less masculine driving it.
Thoughts/questions going from 200 to LC250/GX550 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter waydownsouth
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We had at least one Subaru from 2009-2023. My extended family first bought a Leone in the mid-70s, and we probably have close to a dozen now.
Despite having friends say the "it's a lesbian ride!" comments, I always loved driving my Forester. Boxer 4, 5MT, 50/50 torque split with viscous center differential - super easy to work on - at least the old ones were total gearhead vehicles. Fun to blast down dirt roads and soft-road in.
I will say that real masculinity is determined by actions and attitudes far more consequential than dropping $90K at a posh dealership in the burbs. If a man's masculinity is defined based on the vehicle they are driving (or their masculinity feels threatened by seeing a different type of person than them driving the same type of vehicle), that man didn't really have a lot of masculinity to start with.
- Thread starter
- #23
Decision is over for me. Traded the ‘15 200 on a 2025 LC in LC trim yesterday. Going in I thought 1 more test drive would probably eliminate the LC250 for us as the wife was really digging the GX550’s smooth power. We took it for a 15 minute test drive and Did some 65mph cruising and that really helped to seal the deal. Wife gave me the green light (will be her DD) and the dealer was very fair on terms.
We are looking forward to getting to know this Land Cruiser.
We are looking forward to getting to know this Land Cruiser.
Congratulations 
and would love to hear more your comments 2015 LC200 in comparison to the 2024/5 LC250 whenever you have time. Here or DM me,
Congratulations again !
and would love to hear more your comments 2015 LC200 in comparison to the 2024/5 LC250 whenever you have time. Here or DM me, Congratulations again !
Not really. You are weird for being so worked up about a simple observation.
- Thread starter
- #26
Congratulations
Congratulations again !
Thank you.
If the hybrid powertrain lives up to the Land Cruiser expectation of quality, it will be an absolute upgrade in terms of driving experience and fuel efficiency. The hybrid will take some getting used to, but from what I've observed so far it's very intuitive/logical on the way it swaps between gas/electric motor combo to solely electric mode while in motion. I wasn't aware until after we got it home that you cannot disable the auto stop/start. I'm not a fan of that. But again, the operation here is seamless relative to other hybrids I've driven.
I know with the 80/100/200 series, I've always read (and believed 1st hand) that the Land Cruiser was engineered for a 25 year service life. I don't have the connections to know if this is the case with the 250 series, but the apple can't fall from the tree... right??
I'm a simple man in terms of what I need in vehicle gadgets (navigation / radio / speakers / etc). The LC250 is light years ahead of the 200 series in terms of in-cab tech.
The interior size & feel of the LC250 feels more comparable to that of the 100 series. I've always thought the driving position in the 100 series was the best of any SUV I've driven. I'm about 1/4 of the way through reading the owner's manual....
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Nope it’s weird. Your opinion carries no sway for me. Don’t like it ignore me.
Throw it in Tow/Haul mode to disable the auto start stop feature. Granted, you need to do this every time you startup the rig, but that’s the same on all auto start systems.
I would also recommend turning off most of the driving nanny's if they start to bug you. There’s one system that starts to auto brake for you if a car is slowing down, and once I figured out how to turn that off permanently, it got rid of a lot of the silly conservative tuning Toyota implemented in Safety Sense 3.0. It makes the car feel much more natural and predictable for its driving dynamics.
Edit - it’s the PDA system. 100% would recommend turning that permanently off.
You’re weird for saying 90% of 200’s are driven by women. What does it matter weirdo?
Congrats.
Given your LC ownership history, I'd be interested to hear your impressions once you've had some time with it.
I had the same question, but gave it up already.You’re weird for saying 90% of 200’s are driven by women. What does it matter weirdo?
How is the LC 250 treating you so far? Did you get it with or without the premium package? In terms of ride quality and comfort, how is the LC250 compared to the 200? Are the seats comfy?
I also noticed the LC250 is a bit more cramped compared to the 200 (ie. the center console is wider and buts up against the right knee). Do you feel that to be the case?
I'm debating on trading my 09 LX570, narrowed down to between the LC250, 6th gen 4R, and even the new Passport.
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- #33
We are about 3k miles in now. We did get the premium package. Ride is excellent and comfortable. Has a relatively lighter feel to it versus the 200. The hybrid powertrain takes some getting used to. But I have come to understand and accept this is the way the automotive world is moving. My wife gets to put 90% o the miles on it, and she loves it.
To me the front seats are plenty spacious. I'm about 5'10", 225lbs. The console is not noticeable to me in terms of seat comfort. The 2nd row feels narrower than a 200. We would used the 3rd from time to time in the 200, so we do miss that.
Of the 3 options you mentioned, the LC250 would be my pick everyday of the week. The 200 series is an awesome machine, but there was no way to make a 2015 (in my case) new again.
What mpg are you getting with the LC250? I get ~13.5mpg in my 200, almost 200k miles. My 2009 200 does have a cool box option, but it came without the cool box, so it actually has a nice big center console for storage. I have a lot of junk in there. Interior storage for the 250 is less for sure, esp with the cool box.
The seating position in my 200 is comfy (I can man spread) but the seats itself are not, after ~45min-1hr, my butt and legs hurt and feel sore. I'm 5'11" 170lbs.
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- #35
I've hand calculated around 19 mpg in mixed driving (75% city; 25% hwy; female). We haven't really taken any longer trips in it yet to get a feel on real HWY mpgs. Ours has the Nitto A/T's, so I would imagine better mileage could be achieved. I agree, the 250 inside storage needs help.
To me the LC250 seats are more contoured and supportive, and more comfy than the 200. They really remind me of how a 100 series seat feels/fits.
