Sold 5th Gen for new Land Cruiser 250

I called my local Toyota dealership and to my surprise, they had one 1958 edition on the lot for sale. Took it for a spin to see what the fuss was all about and 2 hours later, I am driving home with a brand new LC250. The horsepower/torque and 8 speed transmission upgrade is night and day difference from the 4runner and what ultimately sold me. Im looking forward to not straining my tranny traveling through the CO mountains, and of course, better MPG will be exciting. Im still learning all the tech, but its crazy how well the drivetrain and electronic steering work. It is so easy to maneuver at low speeds into parking spaces, and also weird hearing the electric motor.

First mod is to get some sort of roof rack/bars for my Thule cargo box and then tires. Also thinking of wrapping the roof in white - depending on cost. I'll keep yall posted with how it does on road trips, light trail rides and carrying a bunch of cargo.

More pics to come

 

I saw one at the dealership today for the first time and it was a jaw dropper. It was a sandy brown color and already had a full roof rack installed.

does it take premium?

 

How's the cargo space comparing with 4Runner?

 

Cool! I'm unlikely to ever see a Land Cruiser at a dealership around here. I wouldn't even see a 4R except for trade-ins and the occasional SR5.

 

Inside the fuel door it clearly states premium fuel is required. Ive seen on other forums where somee people have been using regular fuel, but I dont plan on doing that considering how much $$$ i just dropped. Im gonna be eating Ramen for a few months...

Edit: Manual also states premium fuel

 

Cargo space feels quite a bit bigger/roomier even with the raised cargo floor from the hybrid battery. I havent really explored it much, but plan on doing a full dive-in tomorrow and ill post some pics of what it looks like. I will say, I dont have to duck my head getting in and out compared to the 4runner

 

Another reason why I decided to go ahead and purchase it. Dealer was saying their next 60 or so LC250's have already been sold - around 2-3 month wait time before I could get my hands on one. I feel very lucky to stumble on one by chance. Black isnt my favorite color but whatever

 

Congratulations, I’m surprised it requires premium!

Wonder if the manual concurs or says recommended.

 

I saw one recently and holy cow was it a nice looking vehicle. I was impressed. Looking forward to any and all thoughts you have about your experience with your new truck! Congrats and hope you enjoy it.

I'm particularly interested in how it drives at interstate hiway speeds with a headwind. Please let us know!

 

Congratulations.
I too looked at it at Autonation Toyota Arapahoe got it few months back. Even though I'm not interested to buy one I do like the new tech this Land Cruisers have compared to 5th gen 4runners.

 

Great looking vehicle! Please keep us updated with your thoughts throughout your ownership.

 

Looks great but it sure is screaming for new tires .

 

> better MPG will be exciting

To achieve higher mpg number, you are embracing - much higher priced vehicle, on-going higher registration fees.. premium gas..

did you calculate when you will come out with net $ savings, driven by the improved mpg? How many miles you need to put on the odo to get out of the red?

 

Very nice! Congratulations on the purchase.

 

Congrats! I'm really digging the new LC. This might be my next vehicle.

If you don't mind answering, did you pay MSRP or was there a dealer markup?

 

Congrats man. I actually was thinking the same watching the car care nut video this morning. ( To see how it was in Person)

 

Have you considered perhaps not stomping on a guy's brand new ride? Sheesh.

 

Precisely why there is an ignore button.

Congrats on your beautiful new Land Cruiser.

 

FWIW, my last 2 Lexus GX460’s required premium fuel, but I’ve been running regular in them for years. Your computer will adjust timing to compensate. You’ll lose a couple of hp, but it won’t be enough to notice.

 

Here in Denver CO at mile above sea level OP can technically run 87 due to less air density. When I check my recent refuel history 87 is around $2.76/gal to $3.19/gal at Sinclair station that I go to, so pumping 91oct won't be too expensive here in Denver CO ( atleast Centennial/ Englewood area).

 

Looking good! It is a massive upgrade over the archaic 4runner every which way.

 

Looks nice! Does the manual say anything about the weight capacity of the cargo area? Someone posted a car care nut video and they mentioned 120 lbs max but I was curious if that was for the entire area (because of the batteries) or just the little hidden cargo cover panel (which he had popped off at the time). I was confused by the video

 

Thanks everyone for the congrats. I'm still in shock I have a new Landie. I took it out to Red Rocks this morning (about a 15 min drive from my place) and snapped a few pics.

To answer some questions and also initial reaction/feedback:
-I paid MSRP-->no dealer markup. I got a great price for my 4Runner and also a new set of tires (of my choice) as part of the trade in. My insurance went down $15.00 though I upped my deductibles from $1k to $1500. Sales tax and registration is going to hurt next month when I go to the DMV, but i'm happy with the tradeoff of having a new ride.
-Costs were considered like any smart financial decision, but decided the premium fuel isnt a big enough of a deal breaker for me. My thought process is since the LC250 has a 17.9 gallon fuel tank and the 4Runner has a 22 gallon (?) - that 4 gallon difference will offset the premium fuel. Also, living in CO, we have some the cheapest fuel prices
-From 0 to 30mph this thing is FAST. It drives/rides just like the 4runner, though the handling is a lot more responsive and tight with the steering being electronic - its effortless to turn at low speeds
-Im still getting use to the technology, but Im not really one to have to the premium tech so having the base model tech is just fine for me. I will say, the factory 6 speaker system is absolute garbage...something ill definitely upgrade in time.
-The rear trunk area is probably my biggest initial complaint. It feels cheap and plasticky with the battery compartment and other small storage compartments. THe way the top panels fit and lay to each other is flimsy and weak. Its soemthhing that can easily be damaged if not paying attention when trying to get your gear in/out. The plastic clips are just begging to be broken. I wish they were metal clips. THe storage compartments are not attached to each other, so each compartment has a little wiggle/play in them that is noticable when removing the top panels. It is concernig that there is a warning sticker stating that there is a load limit, though i can see an aftermarket option being a solution to this.
-The seats are a 1000 times more comfortable/plush than the 5th gen. I do miss having the softex for my lifestyle (I have a dog) that makes it easier to clean dirt, etc compared to the cloth. Not having a lumber support is kinda annoying and makes me wonder why Toyota skimped out on that. I dont mind manual seats, but the overall ride feeling/comfort is night and day difference. My seats are heated and they a lot warmer, too.
-All the doober dabber electronic functions are pretty sweet, though its still a learning curved to get use to the toggle style switches compared to knobs.
-The interior roof/ceiling height increase is noticeable and feels so much more spacious and like i can 'breathe' better - looking forward to this on road trips. My 5th gen had a sunroof so I felt like a giant (i'm 5'9")
-The blind spots are a little more noticeable for two reasons: the rear seats are a bit taller than the 5th gen. The glass height from pillar B to C is quite noticable, leaving me to look twice before I merge over. The rear glass feels smaller in height too when driving, so I just feel like I have less rear visibility to the 5th gen.
-I already miss not being able to roll down my rear window
-As the Car Care Guy video mentioned (which is excellent and spot on) - the drivetrain tends to buck a little when slowing down (at a slower speed than faster) from 30mph to 10mph with the electric engine engaging and regenerative brakes kicking as well. Hopefully a flash upgrade will cure this issue. This is probably my biggest complaint at the moment, but nothing that cant be fixed.
-The AC system is amazeballs, especially with the rear system and roof vents - it gets cold QUICK!
-The side-view mirror are an adjustment to get use to the vertical 'square shape' shape compared to the 5th gen's round/rectangular style
-The headlights are a welcome change from my 2016 with the basic halogen style

-I took it for a spin to Red Rocks and got a round trip MPG of 30.1 mpg, with hitting highway speeds of 77mph. I havent gotten it past 4k RPM with it having less than 200 miles on it. Im gonna wait until the 750 -1000 mile mark before I take it on my first road trip. I am a photographer by trade so I do quite a bit of traveling (highway and trails) so I am eager to see how it does going thru Eisenhower pass.

Cause we all love photos - here are some but I plan on taking more and posting as I get out and use it. Hope this helps for those who are thinking about getting their hands on one. I am happy with the Toyota brand and think they have done a great job with this new LC250 and see reliability not being an issue.

 

@TheColonelJLK congrats on the new truck! I drove a similar 250 yesterday. I've had a 100 Series for 14 years and recently bought a 2020 Limited 4R - which was supposed to be a temporary car (long story) but the 250 was/is supposed to replace the 100. But that temporary 4R has really (!) grown on me. Until I drove the 250 yesterday, I'd kinda assumed I'd keep the 4R.

I liked the 250 more than I thought I would. Early reports described it as, "it doesn't feel like a Land Cruiser; it feels like a Toyota"). And there's a bit of that. Shutting the door on my 100 Series does feel more solid. And some of the interior surfaces are clearly a bit lighter/thinner on the 250. But, the 250 definitely feels more substantial than the 4R. It may not "feel like a Land Cruiser" but it feels like higher end Toyota. And, that is pretty damn good.

But driving it - not even close. The new engine feels like a V8. No. That's not fair to the new engine. It feels better than the 4.7 and 5.7. ZERO turbo lag (thanks to the hybrid) and then just keeps pulling.

So yeah, the 250 may find its way in the driveway after all. Although, I'm going to pass on the dash cam. ;-)

 

I think in time i'll transition to regular fuel, but for now, def gonna put that premium sh*t in it

 

I was thinking about having a factory dashcam installed because of all the crazies in Denver, but that thing is obtrusive like no other - def will go with an aftermarket option. Thanks for sharing that pic!

 

$$$$????

 

Congrats. Awesome find! I love the dashboard layout and interior up in the front.

I too was wondering about that 60k weight limit on the “board”. Thanks for posting the warning placard. In context, I’m reading that limit applies to the small board that covers the storage area. I’m really hoping that’s the case, because otherwise a 60kg limit load floor would be pretty bad.

It makes sense that they would put that warning on it, since the elevated floor means it’s going to be a threshold when heavy objects are being loaded in. We just loaded up a 2 stage electric snowblower on the 4runner, and needed to position it on the bumper, and then threshold, before doing the final slide into the back. Something heavy like that would require a little consideration and planning before loading in the LC’s case, but I bet it only applies to the board itself (not the plastic structure under it). Easy enough to cut out a piece of plywood to replace the board if it’s being used in a utility role like that.

 

Thanks for the pics. It looks great!

 

You do know that these mods will decrease your MPG, which you stated as one of the reasons to trade-in your 4Runner?