What has your land cruiser been mistaken for?

[Rando Kuruza]

So I drive the Fj and my wife drives the Land cruiser. I get like a compliment on my team trails weekly people tell me all the time my car is awesome and that it's there dream car etc etc. When I take the Land cruiser out people are like "hey did you trade in your fj for a highlander?" " nice 4runner" "is that a land rover?" "I have the keys to your lexus at the service counter" I swear the general public doesn't even know what a land cruiser is lol.... Gotta admit though that's one thing I like about it, its incognito. but it still makes me laugh

what have you all ran into?

 

[Tripledave]

No one really has a clue. It is fun to pull next to Highlander owners and watch the quizzical look wash over their faces. That is, if they have a clue what they're even driving. Only drivers who really notice the LC are jeep drivers it seems in dfw area.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[chilibit]

the general public doesn't even know what a land cruiser is

Perfect! That is one of the reasons I have the LC. That and a sentimental attachment spanning nearly forty years and forty states. There are a raft of other reasons to own one.

 

[THEROK]

Ahh, the Porsche 911 of the truck world!

IIRC they sold ~1.5K US LCs and ~5K LX570s in 2012. They sold a crapton more 100s. They sold craptonton more 4Rs, Highlanders, FJCs, etc. I like that I drive a very rare vehicle which will help keep value so long as they don't release a 300 body-on-frame diesel model for US consumption. Even then many will want a gas-model so I ain't worried about nothin.

You're going to continue to get confused looks as they all relatively look the same to the general public because, end of day, they don't care like we do. Toyota spends zilch marketing dollars to prop up the LC nameplate because it's already got ~60 years of credibility. Land Rover are wizards in this game because they have to since the product itself isn't quality and is only designed to last as long as lease end. James Bond. Victoria Beckham. Hollywood ad placement. How does it make you feel? Fancy like Vicky? Powerful and mysterious like Bond? A MILF like Kardashian running errands in W Hollywood?

In the Toyota world, people who buy LCs, in particular the 200s, do so because they *enjoy* the heritage which is founded on unequaled durability and ruggedness at the cost of efficiency and *some* luxury (i love my radar cruise). This is the image. The overlander. The adventurer. The builder. The tough guy.

For $80K, I could buy a leather-lined German/Indian marque, but you miss out on the 250K+ mile design goal. Unprecedented even for Toyota, a 5-year dev cycle 200 only. 1,800 of Toyota's top engineers fully committed.

On other side you play the card of having to upgrade to the newest to have the best whereas with the LC, many roll a 100 series because it still rides awesome. Can you imagine owning same gen LR product? lol I'll pass.

I get looks and inquiries from people who are in the know and that's all I really care about these days. I have owned the fancier brands and you get a different set of stupid/wonderful questions in that segment. Like most things in life and engineered goods, there are these things called concessions.

So long as you know what you want and work hard for it, you won't become that guy asking dumb questions at the car meet or gas station.

 

[Rando Kuruza]

Range rover resale suck ass too!!! Look at an 08 RR vs an 08 LC big difference people who buy land cruisers are also financially smarter

My biggest regret was selling my 1998 LC 270,000 miles, it was a baby!!! a baby!!! And I let her go

 

[THEROK]

I can commiserate with ya, Rando. We all have one or two or three that we regret. Women and trucks.

 

[uzj100]

The craziest thing is all the folks that think a rover and a cruiser are the same thing. Clueless. Same sheep/folks that buy a Chevy/ford Every 3 years.

Most call my 100 a 4runner.

 

[texas]

My friends first thought I bought a Highlander. The LC is sort of forgotten as there is zero advertisement for them from Toyota USA and they are rare.

 

[Sinister]

Well said therok. I love the fact that most people don't know what it is. And I love that it is not all blingy and very unassuming. I bought it because like you said 60 years of heritage and being a prior owner of 4- 4runners I knew that this truck would exceed every expectation I had, and it has. This by far is my favorite vehicle I've owned to date and I still smile when I walk outside and see it the driveway. It makes me happy that my 7 year old says he loves it and wants daddy's truck when he gets his license. I've had people ask me at the beach "is that the sequoia?" No it's a Land Cruiser ...."damn they still make them." Ugh, Yes.......retarded jeep owners.

 

[uzj100]

Clark Kent of the SUV / 4x4 / Luxo vehicle world.

 

[crazy1323]

My LX gets mistaken for an LX........

My friends see it and think I bought the "dad-mobile". I am 26 and married (no kids), my friends have no idea that this thing is any good off road. I get asked a lot "is that even 4 wheel drive". It is fine though, as normally 30 minutes later I am pulling their Z71 Tahoes (the pinnacle of off road vehicles in their minds) on down the trail. They think the LX is the Lexus version of a 2WD Sequoia.

We now agree, for hunting trips when we know we will see some bad roads, the Tahoes stay behind and the LX is the vehicle of choice. If it is really bad, the 97 LX that is lifted, locked, and armored always gets us there and back.

 

[THEROK]

IMHO, there's no need to cast aspersion on Y brand to make the X brand (LC) be somehow better. Again, let's not play down to the diq measuring contest that clouds of minds of the average joe. The LC is hardly impervious to getting stuck as the Z71 is plenty capable.

The thing is way bigger than the LC. End of day, though, it's a USA marque. It's a mall crawling, kids towing, cheap to keep truck. It stands on its own merits for many families and even single guys like me who owned a Tahoe Hybrid at one point (incredible feat of engineering).

But it's hard to love like the LC because you don't have a community of ardent fans sharing the love. It lacks this: pedigree. I'm talking about a brand of truck that people used to help rebuild entire nations post-war like Japan and to some extent Korea... conquered the Outback... and they dare to continue to make it better every gen to prep for the next. How frgn cool is that?!

 

[cederholm]

I find that many Americans have no clue what it is but many of my neighbors for other contries know exactly what it is. Many have tales of LCers blasting through their countries - unstoppable. And more than a few have confessed dreams of owning one.

~ Carl

 

[uzj100]

The real interesting thing down here is all the trust fund folks stick with chevy's and gmc's. They can't believe anyone would spend that kind of money on a vehicle. They forget that they go through 3 or 4 trucks before 1 LC is even close to worn out. They see Toyota and they think Corolla.

Luckily some have made the switch and a nice 2013 may be waiting on me one day. (if I don't get a 1HD-FTE installed in the 100 and spend the rest on a GT3. ) ;<)

 

[crazy1323]

I re-read my comment and it came off as snide. I apologize, I like the lC/LX because it avoids that since most people do not know what it is or what it is capable of.

There are plenty of other SUV's that are very capable off-road.

However, the Z71 "off-road package" lost all of my respect when you started being able to order on on 2WD cars.

IMHO, there's no need to cast aspersion on Y brand to make the X brand (LC) be somehow better. Again, let's not play down to the diq measuring contest that clouds of minds of the average joe. The LC is hardly impervious to getting stuck as the Z71 is plenty capable.

The thing is way bigger than the LC. End of day, though, it's a USA marque. It's a mall crawling, kids towing, cheap to keep truck. It stands on its own merits for many families and even single guys like me who owned a Tahoe Hybrid at one point (incredible feat of engineering).

But it's hard to love like the LC because you don't have a community of ardent fans sharing the love. It lacks this: pedigree. I'm talking about a brand of truck that people used to help rebuild entire nations post-war like Japan and to some extent Korea... conquered the Outback... and they dare to continue to make it better every gen to prep for the next. How frgn cool is that?!

 

[THEROK]

I dunno fellas... I could've easily put 100K+ miles on my Tahoe Hybrid without a hitch even with its hybrid components which are covered for 7-years. I also see a ton of old Tahoes that still get driven/beaten on by plenty of negligent drivers who couldn't care less when they pull up to jiffy lube. Additionally, the full-size GM truck is rated as one of the most reliable trucks on the road next to the LC.

While it may not meet the rigors of the UN/NATO, it is still a well built USA vehicle imho. I like them, but I like my LC way better.

 

[texas]

The new Tahoe and Sub are actually smart looking.

 

[tempestv8]

Mine was confused for a Highlander (aka Toyota Kluger for the Australian market)

 

[THEROK]

To date hasn't been mistaken for anything but a "wtf is that?"

 

[Tancruiser]

I drive a fj45 every thing else looks the same to me.