I debated this very thing heavily the prior year while I was searching. These are largely opinions, but they are the things that tipped the scales for me. To cut to the chase, I opted for a '16 as I do hope to keep this for 10+ years.
1. To me, the drama over the mouse pad is a bit over inflated. I've been in my '16 for two months now and I have adjusted and have little to no issues with it. Not a deal killer at all. No vehicle of mine previously had it either and i've never used it in a rental.
2. The eight speed has many advantages and just seems to suffer from a hard shift from 1st to 2nd. As mentioned, it's resolved with a TSB. Based on feedback here as well, the ability to handle 35's and not necessarily needing to regear is a measurable savings if you eventually plan to build the truck.
3. I saw adding a throttle controller (pedal commander) as absolutely necessary for cure the mushy pedal of the '16+
4. Styling. I preferred the front end styling of the 13-15, but i preferred the rear end styling of the '16+ (including the cargo area window). I plan to do a front bumper at some point, so i knew the dislike of the predator grill would be temporary, but the rear end styling could not be changed. I knew if i got a 13-15 I would likely see the '16+ models and have a bit of envy.
5. Interior: This is where the time is most spent. To me, the pre-'16 dash/steering wheels has begun to look large, clunky and outdated (sorry!). I significantly preferred the dash and steering wheel of '16+ and 1-2 years from now I knew I'd wish i had made the leap earlier.
6. Seats: My parents have a pre-'16 LX570 and I find the later model seats to be more comfortable.
7. Leather color: I previously had an '09 LC and loved the grey leather. Unfortunately, the interior colors for 13-15 are black or cream. For a variety of reasons, I do not prefer black leather and the cream was worse. So, the '16+ offered cabernet which is a bit better than black to me and I hope will show less and be cooler in the summer heat. Ideally, I would have loved a dark gray exterior with gray interior but that does not exist.
8. Other than the 8-speed, heads up display and a few smalls things, the difference is really just styling but lets face it, we love that the 200 has not changed much other than styling and to me, the styling mattered for something i want to own for a decade or more.
9. I'm not a fan of having a lot on my roof so that was a moot point for me. I also have never experienced any of the apply carplay stuff or true integration of my phone into a vehicles. Ignorance is bliss for me on this topic and im just happy to have an integrated USB port
