I’ll check and measure tonight, and will post something.
Upgrading to a 200 series - First time owner (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter hockeycoach18
- Start date
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I measured both, back of front seat to front edge of 2nd row seat, in my normal sitting position. LC is 9”, 4Runner is 9.5”.
prwillard2
SILVER Star
Your second row of seats must be waaaay far forward.
I bought an LC in 2018 and I would have bought the LX but for the grill. My business bought the LC and fully depreciated it the first year so that after the tax savings it was net under 50k. You can't do that with a used vehicle and 50k would have gotten me a 5 year old truck with 60k miles.
If you are in the used market, a 2015 LC and LX have the same grill and I would go with the LX. Used an LX is cheaper than an LC. Most of my driving is on the road and although the sound deadening in the LC is pretty darn good it is much better in the LX. In the LX the stereo is better, the fit and finish of the interior is better, the window glass is thicker, the leather is nicer, etc...
If you buy an LX you will have to change the AHC hydraulic fluid every 60k miles, which is like every 5 years. Shocks in the LC are good for 75k miles under normal use which is about 6 years worth. So, there are suspension maintenance expenses either way you look at it, and the shock replacement might be higher cost than the fluid change.
It is true that if you want to change the suspension (springs, shocks, coil overs, and UCA's) to get some more clearance or change the ride it is harder in an LX than and LC. However, with AHC you can get some additional clearance and a different ride feel at the touch of a button in the LX and may not need to do anything to the suspension. In a 2016+ LX replacing the front bumper or sliders gives you less options than an LC. If you don't see those things in your future, get an LX.
The LX dealership and service department experience is far superior. I'd hazard a guess that a used LX has been better serviced and less thrashed on than a used LC.
LX body and interior parts are probably pricier for the brand name.
The LX engine is tuned slightly differently to get you 2 extra HP and that 'requires' premium gas, but many have reported no problems running regular unleaded.
If it weren't for the 2016+ grill, I'd be in an LX but I still love my LC.
If you are in the used market, a 2015 LC and LX have the same grill and I would go with the LX. Used an LX is cheaper than an LC. Most of my driving is on the road and although the sound deadening in the LC is pretty darn good it is much better in the LX. In the LX the stereo is better, the fit and finish of the interior is better, the window glass is thicker, the leather is nicer, etc...
If you buy an LX you will have to change the AHC hydraulic fluid every 60k miles, which is like every 5 years. Shocks in the LC are good for 75k miles under normal use which is about 6 years worth. So, there are suspension maintenance expenses either way you look at it, and the shock replacement might be higher cost than the fluid change.
It is true that if you want to change the suspension (springs, shocks, coil overs, and UCA's) to get some more clearance or change the ride it is harder in an LX than and LC. However, with AHC you can get some additional clearance and a different ride feel at the touch of a button in the LX and may not need to do anything to the suspension. In a 2016+ LX replacing the front bumper or sliders gives you less options than an LC. If you don't see those things in your future, get an LX.
The LX dealership and service department experience is far superior. I'd hazard a guess that a used LX has been better serviced and less thrashed on than a used LC.
LX body and interior parts are probably pricier for the brand name.
The LX engine is tuned slightly differently to get you 2 extra HP and that 'requires' premium gas, but many have reported no problems running regular unleaded.
If it weren't for the 2016+ grill, I'd be in an LX but I still love my LC.
And the front seat WAY far backward. You're measuring distance between 2 completely moveable parts. Edmunds lists rear legroom on an 2001 4runner as 34.9" and the LC200 at 34.4" Of note, the table below should help. While the legroom is shorter by 0.5", clearly the back seat is bigger. Not to mention that the seating is notably lower in the 4runner, bringing your knees up closer to your chest and not nearly as comfortable as the LC. Having owned both, no comparison on comfort.
| Measurement | Land Cruiser 200 | 01 4Runner |
| Leg | 34.4 | 34.9 |
| Head Room | 38.9 | 38.7 |
| Hip | 58.6 | 51.3 |
| Shoulder | 61.1 | 53.3 |
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- Thread starter
- #66
I certainly appreciate the concerns over getting the right vehicle from a group of strangers, the fact you even care enough to give your input is awesome to see a community come together and really educate new potential owners of all the nuances of the vehicle. Luckily I'm pretty familiar of the size, I became obsessed with these when one of my sons teammates pulled up in one to hockey, by the outside I'd guess it was a 14 or 15 but I'm not an expert yet and that thing was mint. Size was awesome, like mentioned earlier I know it's smaller than my Yukon XL but to be honest unless I'm bringing home full sheets of plywood or drywall (which happens less than once a year) there is a lot of wasted space I don't need on a daily basis. I like that the LC body is wider and feels bigger on the inside than a 4runner, the increased towing capacity is a nice bonus to have (looking at campers for next summer) and as a previous member mentioned the fit and finish on a Lexus is hard to beat. I don't love that you can't take out the third row in the LX like you can in the LC but again, the amount of times I would actually need that extra cargo volume can easily be remedied with my hitch storage rack or even utilizing the roof rack. Really hoping to secure one in the near future but I'm not going to jump until I'm positive.
prwillard2
SILVER Star
Believe people on here have taken out the 3d row on the LX. Heck, they even make a 2 row version of the LX now.
- Thread starter
- #68
On the last LX I posted in Fishers, IN everything looks good besides a couple of check engine lights per Lexus Drivers History. One thing does stand out and I wanted to see if anyone had any opinion, for reference the truck currently has exactly 100k on the odometer. In March 2020 with 97628 miles the owner took the truck in for service, requested the charging system to be checked and it was determined that they needed a new battery, in Feb 2020 they also had the truck serviced and the battery had failed the load test, thus making the March service make sense until I talked to the sales guy today and he was letting me know that they were also putting in a new battery, unaware the battery had just be replaced in March. To me that sounds like the underpinnings of an electrical gremlin but I wanted to know if owners or enthusiasts would have any idea or insight as to what may cause a battery to go bad in just 4 months, I haven't ever heard of that short of lifespan unless there was an underlying issue as to why it was draining. I requested an assessment as to why the battery needed to be changed but the service manager had already left for the day so they are going to get back to me on that tomorrow, wanted to see if I could be prepared before I hear back from them.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
- Thread starter
- #69
I should have been more clear, you can take out the third row but then you have inoperable buttons, as well as wiring harnesses to deal with if you take out the LX seats the LC seats come out in a more clean and efficient manner but you're absolutely correct with some effort I could get them out if needed.
it comes out just as easily, there is a power plug. Otherwise the same as tlc to remove. After your first time it is 5 min per side.
edit for post above at same time - ok.
Did it sit for four months? That could kill A battery. The not driving for COVID will kill a lot of batts this year.
- Thread starter
- #72
I'm hoping that is the case but I'm sure I'm over analyzing just to be sure I'm not getting swindled. Hopefully they get back to me in the morning about it, thanks for the input!
- Thread starter
- #73
I did not know that, everything I have read made it seem like a bit more of a daunting task than that. Am I safe to assume reinstalling if needed is equally as simple just the reverse order? Makes it even better! We use our third row 6-10x a year so I'd say we "need" it but the times we don't use it extra cargo space wouldn't be frowned upon!
Yes, it is dead simple to remove. Fold it up using power switch, but prevent latching to wall with finger. Listen to safety buzzer for 20 seconds. While listening to safety buzzer, Pull off two plastic vanity covers. This is hard only once, because once understood where they latch, easy to put the pressure on them correctly. Unplug the plug (easy to reach). Undo four bolts with your ratchet, impact, socket, teeth. Lift and clean seat out rear hatch.
No.
An 01 T4R is a 3rd gen.
We have a 97 and I've torn apart another 97 - sold the seats to an 01.... interior size is the same
, only main difference is the center console and center dash area.
With that said, we love our 3rd gen but it's smaller than all Landcruisers we've had between front and 2nd row (except our 40... which I never installed the jump seats... but recall as a kid out neighbors 76 had lots of room for fighting over leg room, but alas that's very different) has more room than our 3rd gen.
This includes the 88 FJ62, 93 FZJ80, 00 and 01 LXs and our current 11 Lx.
In fact, the 3rd gen is my wifes favorite car (it's a manual) we've had (a lot), but she always sits with her seat all the way back (long legs) - what she likes about the 200 vs the 3rd gen is our 6 yo isn't constantly kicking the back of her seat "accidentally".
@hockeycoach18, I didn’t mean to hijack your thread with a debate on legroom. My point was simply to make sure you are doing your research - as you clearly are. Looking forward to hearing what you settle on.
- Thread starter
- #77
No apologies necessary! It helped me get some more perspective, I thought I was going crazy for a minute tho the 200 series back seat seems significantly more spacious than our 16 4Runner back seat with all things being equal. It could be the extra width that accounts for the bigger feeling but I am confident in the size of the vehicle for my needs and wants, thanks for the input everyone!
Teck, thank you for your truthful input to set the record straight. I am wanting to do an AC fluid service and I’m wondering if I should have them do a flush at the dealer or a drain and fill. What do you recommend?
- Thread starter
- #79
Well after a long search and lots of uncertainty I ended up pulling the trigger on a 2011 LX with 101,000 miles on the odometer by time they delivered it. Photos and service records checked out, hardly any rust on the underside of the truck at all, interior is in better than advertised condition besides a few imperfections, and it drives like a dream! I've had it for a week now, put about 1000 miles on it during that week and other than the gas station visits we've had no issues. I know the mileage was not going to be very good and I knew the fuel tank was on the smaller side considering the economy numbers and size of the truck but I'm actually getting a bit better mileage from the LX than I was on my Yukon XL and it's right on line with what my wife gets in her 4runner, if they had put a 28-31 gallon tank on this bad boy there'd be no range issues at all! The day I got it I put it through its paces, Crawl works, 4LO works, AHC works perfectly from my inspection and experience, all electrical components hold charge and operate on the first command, touch screen could be more responsive but navigation and interface is acceptable in my mind. I'm really pumped about this new truck, my little guy thinks it's awesome if he plays his cards right this could be handed down to him in a decade when he's ready to drive and I can grab another one!
Huge thanks to all of you for pointing me in the right direction, and the assistance with the service history tips and tricks, photos, and just general conversation about these awesome series of trucks!
