Land Cruiser Target Market

lcfanboy said:
. But not looking for a family-focused crossover per se.
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I’d have to agree. Many SUV’s are really crossovers of some kind & too many midsize & up are family oriented with 3rd rows, etc. For those of us without families to haul around (my dog doesn’t really care what car she’s riding in, just that she gets to go…) there aren’t as many good choices as you might think.
 
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MJE said:
I’d have to agree. Many SUV’s are really crossovers of some kind & too many midsize & up are family oriented with 3rd rows, etc. For those of us without families to haul around (my dog doesn’t really care what car she’s riding in, just that she gets to go…) there aren’t as many good choices as you might think.
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Except for their Overtrail variants, Lexus puts a 3rd row in their 2024 GX. I have a feeling the hybrid battery prevented Toyota from a 3rd-row option. It will be interesting to see what happens when the GX hybrid comes to pass.
 
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Nuke said:
Except for their Overtrail variants, Lexus puts a 3rd row in their 2024 GX. I have a feeling the hybrid battery prevented Toyota from a 3rd-row option. It will be interesting to see what happens when the GX hybrid arrives.
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lcfanboy said:
I think another interesting market segment will be those who have loyally followed Toyota for a while (perhaps owning a 4Runner or FJ) and are ready to 'upgrade' to a slightly more expensive car that is way more in reach than the prior LCs have been. But not looking for a family-focused crossover per se.
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"the prior" LC in US was a different car. Landcruiser has three families:
1) Heavy Duty 20, 40, 70
2) Station Wagon 50, 60, 80 (LX450) 100 (LX470), 200 (LX570), 300 (LX600)
3) Light Duty - called Prado in some markets: a version of 70, 90, 120 (GX470), 150 (GX460), 250 (GX550)

Thus 250 will be the first LC PRADO available in US. It will be a game changer.
We will discuss which engine is best for such an amazing car... the 2.4T Hybrid in US or the 2.8L Diesel in Europe.
 
MJE said:
I’d have to agree. Many SUV’s are really crossovers of some kind & too many midsize & up are family oriented with 3rd rows, etc. For those of us without families to haul around (my dog doesn’t really care what car she’s riding in, just that she gets to go…) there aren’t as many good choices as you might think.
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Totally agree, there seems to be a revival in our market segment. Coming from a Wrangler, I was looking at the 2024/2025 Honda Passport based on the new Pilot; the LC 250 satisfies many more requirements for me. The RAV4 is not really a comparison but is the best value; I can’t buy a RAV4 knowing the LC 250 is coming.
 
MJE said:
I’d have to agree. Many SUV’s are really crossovers of some kind & too many midsize & up are family oriented with 3rd rows, etc. For those of us without families to haul around (my dog doesn’t really care what car she’s riding in, just that she gets to go…) there aren’t as many good choices as you might think.
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Looks like the only body-on-frame for 2+dog (what kind?) is the Wrangler Sport 2 Door. Everything else is big and expensive.

As you probably know LC90, 120, 150 had a 2-Door version. In Australia they did not sell LC90 and LC120 2-Door.

 
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LC-120 said:
"the prior" LC in US was a different car. Landcruiser has three families:
1) Heavy Duty 20, 40, 70
2) Station Wagon 50, 60, 80 (LX450) 100 (LX470), 200 (LX570), 300 (LX600)
3) Light Duty - called Prado in some markets: a version of 70, 90, 120 (GX470), 150 (GX460), 250 (GX550)

Thus 250 will be the first LC PRADO available in US. It will be a game changer.
We will discuss which engine is best for such an amazing car... the 2.4T Hybrid in US or the 2.8L Diesel in Europe.
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I'm aware of the LC families and how different the previous LC was. It still holds true that the new LC is an upgrade from the T4R even though it's different than the previous LC available in the US.
 
LC-120 said:
Looks like the only body-on-frame for 2+dog (what kind?) is the Wrangler Sport 2 Door. Everything else is big and expensive.

As you probably know LC90, 120, 150 had a 2-Door version. In Australia they did not sell LC90 and LC120 2-Door.

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Yes just about anything 2 door is largely gone away. But what kind of dog? Erm.. your guess is as good as mine.. whatever wandered by the farmyard that day I think. Here’s Keeley on our outing to the mountains last week.
 

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Nuke said:
Yep, the smart money would be to purchase a 4Runner NOW, prior to phase-out. However, our daughter purchased a Limited a couple of years ago, and I cannot get over how loud it is compared to our recently-sold (A BIG mistake) 2005 4Runner Limited with only 50K miles logged. With the V8 and port injection, it was much quieter than the daughter's machine. Cannot recall, but it seems the new Taco has standard trailer brakes? Possibly I am thinking of the Land Cruiser? Last, but not least, sure wish there was a Lexus dealer close, and I would be spending the kid's inheritance on a GX550. In fact, that still may happen. :)
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At least they could get that GX550 one day. ;)
 
lcfanboy said:
I think another interesting market segment will be those who have loyally followed Toyota for a while (perhaps owning a 4Runner or FJ) and are ready to 'upgrade' to a slightly more expensive car that is way more in reach than the prior LCs have been. But not looking for a family-focused crossover per se.
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This describes me exactly. Was planning to wait for the new Tacoma or 4Runner, but when this came out, my decision was made - even knowing it'll likely be $10k - $15k more.
 
I think the LC is a Defender or "smaller" 4Runner alternative or smaller Grand Cherokee alternative. It doesn't compete with road-only crossovers like the RAV4, Tucson, Santa Fe, etc. no matter if they have so called AWD. LC would probably steal some Outback owners away too.

I know Wrangler and Bronco have been named but the removable top and/or soft top is a big selling point - especially in warm climates. I'm sure some of those owners (being a Bronco owner myself) may switch but the lack of open top pushes it more towards "pavement princess" territory or "cold weather vehicle"
 
Nuke said:
Our 2005 Limited had full-time 4WD, and with the 4.7 V8 was one quiet-running vehicle. However, as mentioned, the verdict is still out, and am anxiously awaiting some driving reviews and a personal test drive. For sure, it will cost more than a comparable 4Runner. Sadly, no 3rd-row option, presumably as a result of the location of the battery.
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For an older Toyota it is quiet but new Toyotas like Grand Highlander and the 3-row competition like Telluride, Palisade, etc. are definitely quieter.

I drove my friend's 2012(?) and his wife's 2019 4Runners... both relatively quiet on the highway at 70mph. I measured mid/high 60 dB but that's loud compared to how close to luxury level the newer 3-row SUVs are. The engine is only part of the NVH equation. Wind and road noise are the biggest factors.
 
voxel said:
I think the LC is a Defender or "smaller" 4Runner alternative or smaller Grand Cherokee alternative. It doesn't compete with road-only crossovers like the RAV4, Tucson, Santa Fe, etc. no matter if they have so called AWD. LC would probably steal some Outback owners away too.

I know Wrangler and Bronco have been named but the removable top and/or soft top is a big selling point - especially in warm climates. I'm sure some of those owners (being a Bronco owner myself) may switch but the lack of open top pushes it more towards "pavement princess" territory or "cold weather vehicle"
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I'm not sure if I'm mis-reading. Are you saying the Land Cruiser is smaller than the 4Runner & Grand Cherokee? Looking at the dimensions, the Land Cruiser is about the same size as the Grand Cherokee (GC is 0.3" longer), but the LC is little taller than the GC. LC is also bigger than the 4Runner in every dimension, though not by much. As I understand, the LC is supposed to be a bit larger than 4Runner. It's almost equivalent w/ the current 4Runner but I think there's a case to be made the new 4Runner (speculated '25) may be a bit smaller than the current 4Runner to give the LC some space but that's just speculation I've come across though it seems reasonable.

Interesting thoughts on the second paragraph. So a vehicle w/ a solid top pushes it toward a category of a "pavement princess" or "cold weather vehicle"? Does that also apply to 40, 60, 70, 80, and 100 series Land Cruisers or the countless other off-road capable vehicles made worldwide for decades that happen to have a fixed roof? I think making that significant of a categorization from a fixed top seems a little unreasonable especially coming f/ a Bronco owner because I'm assuming you're well aware the Bronco's are well equipped with off-road goodies without taking into account the removable top. Even the full-sized Broncos f/ '77-'96, which effectively had a fixed roof (you could remove the back shell but they were a PITA), were known as great off-roaders. I would think "pavement princess" category may have more to do w/ the owner than the truck (I'm excluding non-off-road oriented vehicles such as general SUVs or crossovers).
 
m1konrad said:
I'm not sure if I'm mis-reading. Are you saying the Land Cruiser is smaller than the 4Runner & Grand Cherokee? Looking at the dimensions, the Land Cruiser is about the same size as the Grand Cherokee (GC is 0.3" longer), but the LC is little taller than the GC. LC is also bigger than the 4Runner in every dimension, though not by much. As I understand, the LC is supposed to be a bit larger than 4Runner. It's almost equivalent w/ the current 4Runner but I think there's a case to be made the new 4Runner (speculated '25) may be a bit smaller than the current 4Runner to give the LC some space but that's just speculation I've come across though it seems reasonable.

Interesting thoughts on the second paragraph. So a vehicle w/ a solid top pushes it toward a category of a "pavement princess" or "cold weather vehicle"? Does that also apply to 40, 60, 70, 80, and 100 series Land Cruisers or the countless other off-road capable vehicles made worldwide for decades that happen to have a fixed roof? I think making that significant of a categorization from a fixed top seems a little unreasonable especially coming f/ a Bronco owner because I'm assuming you're well aware the Bronco's are well equipped with off-road goodies without taking into account the removable top. Even the full-sized Broncos f/ '77-'96, which effectively had a fixed roof (you could remove the back shell but they were a PITA), were known as great off-roaders. I would think "pavement princess" category may have more to do w/ the owner than the truck (I'm excluding non-off-road oriented vehicles such as general SUVs or crossovers).
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My bad. I thought the LC was slightly smaller than the 4Runner and GC.... if they are about the same size then they are basically the direct competitors then. The GC has a Trailhawk trim and in the past included various locking diffs and two-speed transfer case. Ground clearance isn't amazing on the GC/4Runner... but good enough. The Wrangler + Broncos + Rivians have more ground clearance and have various locking diffs and sway bar options.

Photo Jul 23 2023, 6 33 45 PM (1).jpg


In reality, most of these SUVs will never leave the pavement. Where I am... plenty Jeep folks do go to the beach and go mudding. Occasionally Bronco, Tacoma, 4Runner, Rivians owners join in the off-trail meets but I would guess a large majority of those owner never get their vehicles dirty.
 
How did you get the information that LC250 is a smaller 4Runner ?
The LC250 in US hasn't an optional 3rd row because of the hybrid battery but this is not making it smaller.
It is a more comfortable, more modern and more efficient 4Runner, with standard full time AWD like all the others Land Cruisers Prado.

The Grand Cherokee L is bigger, but not the standard Grand Cherokee.

I think LC 250 like the previous versions of LC Prado, is the best in terms of off-road & on-road performance (like the alpine skiing combined). It is a real off-roader designed to be very comfortable and efficient on road. Everything still coming for a reasonable price ... I hope :rolleyes:
 
Heard the rumor that the new LC is the same size as the current 4runner and the new redesign of the future (2025) 4runner will reduce in size with the hybrid train. Later part is alllll rumor, but it does make sense as it would scale the models similarly as they do with the highlander and grand highlander.
 
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