4Runner Owner: 1958 Test Drive Impressions
- Thread starter solidbrix
- Start date
I picked up a 1958 last week. 3rd one the dealer had. White - exactly like the one in your photo. I came from a Jeep GC Overland Diesel with 140K miles and tons of amenities. It will take me a while to get used to the sparseness of the 1958 interior, but I plan to break my own rules and only keep this for a year or 2 and then get either the '26 LC w/Premium Package or a 2026 4Runner. So far, I like everything about it, except the high step-in (I wish I had Airlift suspension like the jeep) and the cheaper looking interior. But it will suffice. It was $25K less than the Lexus GX550 I was originally going to order. BTW, It had been over 2 decades since I bought a brand-new vehicle. Was totally surprised the Dealer won't take a $50K check. Times have changed....
Well played!!* RcvrdOutback, when I say "digestible", I don't mean that I'm literally going to eat the vehicle. It's a metaphor like "breath a word" used in context of message boards.
Yes. I do want to know and I concur. I have an aluminum trailer made by Featherlite and they are capable and extremely easy to manhandle when attaching and detaching/moving around the garage.
- Jul 21, 2024
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- 2024 1958 Land Cruiser, 1979 FJ40 Land Cruiser, 2007 FJ Cruiser
Excellent review, solidbrix!! I agree with your comment regarding the hard plastic, especially on the interior of the doors. And, I definitely agree with your assessment of the "First Edition" model and its respectively ultra-high price.
Horses for courses. There's almost nothing in the First Edition I wouldn't add aftermarket. If your needs and wants are less then of course you wouldn't want the highest model.
I also think the 1958 is great for many buyers. I like the cloth. Manually adjusted seats are fine for one driver cars. Personally I would much rather have the 1958 than the same price 4runner.
In my market FE is the only way to get 18" wheels. So my least expensive path is to buy the FE, or fly to Denver where mid spec LC that do not have the 20 "upgrade" wheels. I assume it would be $4K ish to replace the 20" with 18.
Yeah, I was shocked I couldn’t write a check. Had to do a little dance with my bank to get a transfer through quickly. Are dealers no longer accustomed to people actually paying for most of a vehicle upfront?
- Moderator
- #51
I can understand their concern, so many shysters nowadays, dealers and customers. Possibly a cashier's check?
My dealership was ok with a personal check but they did require a hard credit inquiry.
- Moderator
- #54
Too funny, My salesman about choaked....... he asked how I will be paying, I put a fast food bag on his desk with agreed upon cash in it.
(edit) I also purchased an 11 yr, 120K extended warranty and asked how much ..... $2300 and change, I was reaching for my wallet when he asked could you please pay for that with a CC, I asked why...... his response So I don't have to carry this down stairs to get change, it makes me nervous.
(edit) I also purchased an 11 yr, 120K extended warranty and asked how much ..... $2300 and change, I was reaching for my wallet when he asked could you please pay for that with a CC, I asked why...... his response So I don't have to carry this down stairs to get change, it makes me nervous.
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They will take that, but then you have to go back to the bank once you negotiate the final number.
I wouldn't say orchestrated. If market research numbers came back saying that Toyota could move 30k First Editions for $76k or whatever they cost, they'd have built 30k. That would be a ton more profit for them rather than building 25k LC and 1958 grades. 5000 was basically the demand they felt existed for that spec at that price.
There are also some weird regulation things about advertised fuel efficiency regarding option packages. One of my Toyota corporate friends was telling me that they were only allowed to put mud flaps on a certain percentage of Tacomas because they'd have to put them in the fuel efficiency testing if they built over that percentage. Even silly things like mud flaps impact the aero efficiency.
Since the First edition is heavier thanks to the roof rack, skid plates, and sliders, they would have to use that version for the fuel economy testing if the build ratio was a certain threshold. Obviously, for CAFE considerations, they'd prefer to use a lighter, more aerodynamically efficient trim for the testing. So it all just sorta works out that 5000 units is the sweet spot for the First Edition.
I love the Land Cruiser, but I think the material for the 4runner interior panels, is better and durable. LC 250 interior materials feel thin and cheap. Of course, the land cruiser seats are not like card boards, if u compare with the new Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra.
The dealer my wife and I used said that if we were paying with a personal check they would have to use a third party to verify that the funds were in the account. The other option was to have the bank do a cashiers check. We are finalizing the deal on Tuesday, this week, and decided to just use a cashiers check. For us it made more sense and more secure.
In my case, I used a credit card. I got another 2% discount in the form of cash back
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I wanted the points and I asked my dealer to use a credit card for $10,000 and told him that I would pay the 3%. He told me all they would do is $500 for a deposit so I shoved the card at them and said well then do that. Then I stroked them a check for $19,500. It was just a personal check and they did not balk at it.In my case, I used a credit card. I got another 2% discount in the form of cash back
