Sold 5th Gen for new Land Cruiser 250

Yes I did. It was 4 screws per side and took a total of 5min to remove both

 

How are your mpgs with the roof rack and new tires?

 

So I can understand these comments. I respect your knowledge and I enjoyed reading reviews of the latest Land Cruisers sold in Australia. I enjoy the on road comfort of my 4R and I use it to get to canoe launches and trailheads for hiking and even with my soft use case it has gotten me through obstacles that I would not have attempted in other SUV's on the US market. When I worked in automotive I experienced the performance of a 4R that had completed 150000 miles of truck durability and I would have bought the vehicle while the domestic body on framers were totally used up and had used up multiple transmissions among other major repairs. I just didn't understand your comments about Lexus parts since I don't think any Lexus sold in the US had more strict durability requirements than other Toyota trucks. You'd get good use out of a Unimog and I'm fine with a 4R...but I have no interest in a GX550.

 

Mine has been perfect so far. Out of the 1000s in that LC forum, only 3 of them have had problems. 1 ended up being the gas cap not closed and another was the 12V battery dying that caused the issue.

1200 miles and I’m averaging 25.1MPG

 

that is yet to be seen, the archiac 4runner has the best reliability and this new redesign of the LC is completely unproven. hopefully it pans out better than the new turbo engine in the tundra. I personally would never consider a first year of any new generation.

 

My 4runner is not any more reliable than my old camry, Corolla, sonata, innova, Hilux or Suzuki. There is only so much one can harp on reliability.
The current 4runner is massively outdated and has no place as a 2024 vehicle. It drives like crap on the highways and is a noisy, uncomfortable bread box. It astonishes me that people are spending 50k plus on this 2010 model vehicle in 2024.
The new ones will take a few years to iron out the chinks be it the 4runner or the smaller LC and they will be as reliable eventually.
It's common knowledge to avoid first few years of a new model. Even Toyota is not immune to this practice.

 

Mine drives like a dream on the highway. Not sure what you’re talking about, and my point of reference is my S2000 and Miata as alternative vehicles.

 

Dude has a very old 5th gen. I’m sure it’s beat to sht

will say however, the needle bearing issue keeps my 4r from driving like a dream.. fking rumbles

 

What is outdated about it? Not having gimmicks and a ridiculous space ship looking interior? Also how how do you expect a heavy, body on frame SUV to drive? It’s not a sports car or cute Ute.

 

There is an appeal of this vehicle that makes owners look past its outdatedness. In fact, that itself could be the charm of it. The look in my mind is timeless, but I may be biased . And I prefer to drive this vehicle on the highway over my Tesla. I think it is quite comfortable, has a nice high riding position. I enjoy the drive as I look down on other vehicles, literally and figuratively

 

The appeal is similar to a Jeep Wrangler. It’s not supposed to be a luxury car. I’ve driven a lot of rental SUVs and almost all the time would have preferred a 4Runner. The only exception so far is a Grand Cherokee. It’s better driving and more comfortable but I would prefer to own the more reliable 4Runner.

 

Annually selling 100k+ trucks that have been on the market for 15 years (chassis circa 2003…) is a phenomenon that has very few comparables within the automotive industry. So we can safely conclude that people buy the Gen5 to embrace its “proven” systems that are frequently bashed as outdated, often by auto (social) media hacks who apparently know better than we do.

But isn’t it curious how so many “experts” are now applauding the return of actual buttons over various touchscreen controls? And since when are hood struts “outdated” versus prop rods?

I really like the new LC, but I just can’t yet see the value over a better equipped, stone cold reliable 4R for less money. Funny thing is, if Toyota magically installed a 4.0 V6 into the LC, I might be at the dealer this morning signing the paperwork.

 

There is no doubt it is a beautiful machine. The new tech and the premium fuel requirement is what ultimately pushed me away form the LC and into a 24TRD Pro. I couldn't justify the expense in comparison. Not to mention in the LC forum owners have been complaining about falsely advertised MPG most of the new owners are citing 17-19mpg. The $58k price point with clothe seats, premium fuel, very hard plastic interior left me wanting more and the TRD Pro provided everything I wanted and more. I honestly wish you the best of luck and hope that the new platform proves to be worthy of the LC flagship name. Looking forward to watching your journey. I must say, I drove the exact 1958 at my local dealership and the power delivery was incredible and I might ad the platform is very nimble.

 

Calm down! I am closing in on 200k on mine. It's in pristine condition with all new suspension parts, upgraded head unit, sound deadening all around , regular 5000 mile oil changes , not an iota of rust etc etc. You don't have to sell me a 4Runner.
But to just humor a fanboy like you. Poor NVH levels, poor mileage, poor performance, abmysal highway handling , uncomfortable seats.Wait, just remembered few more, quality of paint, thin sheet metal, the perpetual steering wobble and hard to do alignments.

 

Good on you mate but you are confusing ride comfort with handling. Sure it has a magic carpet ride and is smooth as butter but it's a damn boat on highways. But I knew what I was buying in a body on frame vehicle so i am okay with its limitations. I like it no more no less than any other previous car I owned

 

They either can’t drive right or they are going 80-90 constantly on the highway.♂️
I, along most others, are getting 25+ MPG with over 1200 miles

 

Im getting low 20's for total average with the new tires, roof rack and cargobox. Ive probably suffered a 1-2 mpg difference with the tires being LT rating and the cargobox. I had the rack on without the cargo box for 4 days and it didnt do anything to my MPG. Roof rack has zero wind noise, with or without the cargo box.

 

As more and more real-world tests get posted and videos to YouTube, etc, it’s quite apparent that the platform radically undershoots its published figures for MPGs and power when actually driven. People are really tired of looking at an unchanged 4Runner (essentially unchanged in substance since 2010) so the novelty around the Landcruiser and new looks and paper stats definitely stoked a ton of hype. I feel bad for the people who bought one during the window where dealers were able to capitalize on the hype and sell for premiums to MSRP or even MSRP to buyers who didn’t get to even test drive one. I am very thankful I was able to drive one and have the questions go off in my head as to what exactly I was getting. Vs existing ancient 5th Gen 4Runner platform - smaller cargo space, worse ground clearance, worse approach and departure angles, negligible improvements to MPGs fully offset by requiring premium gas, slower acceleration, much smaller gas tank and driving range. I mean… if a digital dashboard with animated graphics that some owners are complaining goes out or blank in high temp climates is super compelling, so be it. Who objectively thinks a 1958 edition Land Cruiser is a better car than a TRD Pro 5th Gen that costs the same? Also, who objectively thinks it can possibly be AS reliable? It may prove reliable, but AS reliable as a super simple-borderline tractor of a car? It has a giant naturally aspirated 4.0 V6 that barely gets out of bed and is less stressed than a sedated sloth, a 5 speed transmission. It’s literally the simplest and least fussy car there is.

 

The 1958 trim is terrible.

no MTM camera system (woah high tech!) . I use the MTM on my 4r for around town driving and off-roading. wtf was Toyota thinking to not even make it optional on the base trim?

it looks terrible - crappy tires, low to the ground, and poor use of space, around the small infotainment screen.

 

I honestly haven’t noticed any of those issues. And while the fuel mpg isn’t great I knew that going in and never would expect a heavy 4x4 SUV to get good mileage. That’s not at all why I bought it.

 

Low 20’s aren’t too bad.

 

Everyone has a different reasons to get one. There is no right or wrong reason. For me it was only reliability. And there were few options in the segment . If I could afford it, I would have gotten a LC200.

 

The fact that some of these are already being sold at around invoice so quickly after release tells you the hype didn’t last long. If it delivered on all its promise, as word spread of how amazing they are, sales momentum would spread. Instead, the paper hype that doesn’t translate is waning quickly. Anyone who wants one for invoice plus $399 catalytic converter etch, should go grab them from Ammaars Toyota in CA. Just saw some some posted on the no markup FB group.

 

I’m sure the high price, high interests rates and high inflation pricing for everything else in life is playing a pretty big role too. Not exactly the greatest time to buy an expensive vehicle.

 

For someone who has sworn off the new LC, you sure pay very close attention to prices, sales numbers, and dealerships that have the best deals.

 

I do… because I am a car enthusiast… but not delusional and allergic to facts and reality. Not scared to call a dud a dud.

 

I spotted a new LC at my local dealership in Arlington Texas: Vandergriff Toyota.

They want $72k! It is fully loaded, but only a few add ons. 99% of that high price is from Toyota.

I do love the way it looks though. The interior is very nice.

 

The pinstripe from 1982 and the nitrogen filled tires for $499 sounds like a great deal.

 

That's the cost of inflation. Get it? Get it? INFLATION! HA, I crack myself up.

 

I can not get past that grill, the cost is close enough that you’d want the 550. I have seen these on roads and personally, Gx is better looking than LC.