Considering selling the LC for a Grenadier

[Esquire]

If you use a non-mainstream vehicle to do a long road trip across the country and it fails you will be looking at the following choices:

1. A big hotel bill while you wait days for parts to be air shipped to you
2. If the parts will take weeks, then you will have a bill for storage or trailoring to the place that has the parts
3. Once it is fixed, unless the repair facility is near your home, you will have the air fare to go retrieve the vehicle and drive it back or face a 2nd trailoring bill.

All told, it is not uncommon to be out of pocket several additional thousands of dollars just for logistics and be without the vehicle for multiple weeks. So there is something to be said for service and parts network even for recreational vehicles.

Absolutely. Even driving basic mainstream cars like BMW, Mercs, LR, and Audi are a royal inconvenience when you are not in a somewhat metropolitan city. I can't imagine having to mess with a more red-headed step child branded vehicle.

This is why large trucking companies generally go with Freightliner. Every failed part anywhere in the country can be sourced in no time.

Same with Chevy pickups - Tahoes, etc. Parts are everywhere.

I even prefer having a Toro lawnmower / snowblower verses another brand since parts are available and absolutely everywhere.

 

[Marinna]

Absolutely. Even driving basic mainstream cars like BMW, Mercs, LR, and Audi are a royal inconvenience when you are not in a somewhat metropolitan city. I can't imagine having to mess with a more red-headed step child branded vehicle.

This is why large trucking companies generally go with Freightliner. Every failed part anywhere in the country can be sourced in no time.

Same with Chevy pickups - Tahoes, etc. Parts are everywhere.

I even prefer having a Toro lawnmower / snowblower verses another brand since parts are available and absolutely everywhere.

That is actually the primary reason I decided not to get a Rivian. I like the car and it is cool. But I need extraordinary exception handling capability.

 

[RUN-8]

I'm from the same school. Buy a nice main driver that checks 99% of the boxes. And then have a second vehicle which has absolutely no purpose other than to have fun, enjoy, polish, and look awesome.....

Don’t forget a second vehicle to bash, abuse, and use guilt free. Like a 15 year old pickup that is dented, has some rust, is already scratched up etc.

No hesitation to use it as the tool it was designed to be.

 

[RUN-8]

That is actually the primary reason I decided not to get a Rivian. I like the car and it is cool. But I need extraordinary exception handling capability.

The last sentence in your post makes zero sense.

Are you a bot, or are you using ChatGTP to write this nonsense?

 

[Stage7]

The last sentence in your post makes zero sense.

Are you a bot, or are you using ChatGTP to write this nonsense?

Perhaps they meant "extraordinary, exceptional handling capability".

 

[RUN-8]

Well if “extraordinary, exceptional handling capability” is what she needs from a vehicle, a 250 series Land Cruiser is not even remotely in the hunt for checking those boxes.

 

[Roonie]

One of my other cars. This is fun but SLOW!!!

 

[Esquire]

One of my other cars. This is fun but SLOW!!!

View attachment 21826

Outstanding looking vehicles and in the right color.
I had a law school classmate / friend who had a 90 2 door in green as well.
Slow is right. And it was surprisingly not problematic over the three years he drove in through law school.

I wouldn’t mind picking a well sorted red, green, or black hard top 2 door 90 as well.

 

[Roonie]

Outstanding looking vehicles and in the right color.
I had a law school classmate / friend who had a 90 2 door in green as well.
Slow is right. And it was surprisingly not problematic over the three years he drove in through law school.

I wouldn’t mind picking a well sorted red, green, or black hard top 2 door 90 as well.

Oh its been problematic!! Every year its something. I have replaced almost everything on it except the engine. But I have fixed a lot of leaks on the engine itself. I have had it since 2018. I also have an older 1988 landcruiser and that has been easy compared to this 1994 beast.

 

[Stage7]

One of my other cars. This is fun but SLOW!!!

View attachment 21826

What a beauty. Super cool!

 

[Ben]

After coming from an FJ Cruiser for the last 15 years and now driving an LCLC, I think that it is too refined for my tastes. I am considering getting a Grenadier. Anyone else thinking the same or have food for thought?

Ha ha!! I am too! No real reason except too much technology! But I’ve got the extended warranty and it’s paid for- so I’m staying

 

[HandyMan]

After coming from an FJ Cruiser for the last 15 years and now driving an LCLC, I think that it is too refined for my tastes. I am considering getting a Grenadier. Anyone else thinking the same or have food for thought?

I have about 4k on my LC First Edition. I subsequently looked at the Grenadier and ruled it out. The BMW engine was a hard pass. It sounds like you're a Toyota guy for a good reason and anything BMW is a total contrast to that concept. Plus, the Grenadier is still new and developing its car service support. I am not much of a risk taker - at least not with my car. My reservations about the LC are different. I like the refinement. I don't like the fuel mileage and feel Toyota lied about the expected bottom end of the MPG. I also dislike the lack of storage compartments and cup holders, but this issue is hardly a criterion for purchase. The mileage issue angers me because it lowers my range, and if I had known, my SUV options would have opened up exponentially. If you want something more raw and un-refined, consider a Ford Raptor Bronco - the only Bronco I would consider owning. I know the sticker is higher, but I hear, not confirmed, that Ford is dealing with the price on this model.

 

[Driftingcloud]

Have you been drinking heavily by chance?

Ha ha ha… This!

 

[YellowLab]

I had reserved a TrialMaster back in 2021, put a firm order in the 1st day the cue opened and it arrived at the dealer in December 2023. With the holiday I went to pick it up in January - a couple days after new years. Something made me VERY uncomfortable with the car despite being a fan since the first day it was announced. There were so many small items that were just not right - that collectively made me walk away. Then came the mad scramble for another car - and after waiting for 9 months my Lexus GX550 Overtrail+ arrived. I could not be happier - I'm getting a bullet proof vehicle from a bullet proof division of a bullet proof parent car company.

The Grenadier could be the most emotionally magnetic car in a long time to come out. My fears came down to a new model car, from a new car company - and all the issues that could present - and a tweaky privately held company that owner could pull the plug whenever he wants to. Plus for me the dealer is 57 miles across Los Angeles which could mean 2-3 hours to get there if traffic does not work perfectly. That alone would have made things pure hell for me.

Bottom line - everyone here will have an opinion - but pick what ever you want to live with and go in opened eyes.

 

[Buckfever]

Put some KO3's on the LC.

 

[LC250Trials]

After coming from an FJ Cruiser for the last 15 years and now driving an LCLC, I think that it is too refined for my tastes. I am considering getting a Grenadier. Anyone else thinking the same or have food for thought?

Hey @Rocket.
Since I have been waiting for my LC250 for just over 13 months, (and got it just a few weeks back).
I had a lot of time to contemplate getting the Grenadier as hardly any wait.
I went to test drive and looked it over with a fine tooth comb and came to similar conclusions as the others and in addition to those:
There is this funny foot rest-step-bump that makes no sense at all. Prepare for leg cramps on long journeys.
The driver seat is offset to the pedals so prepare for lower back pain over time (No idea what happened there???).
Loved the flight toggles and the fact that everything is pre-wired but then realised my garage would not allow clearance for roof mounted lights…
Admittedly there are more dealer and repair support in the UK but not keen to buy an expensive vehicle just to start planning for repair costs would have bought a Land Rover if that was the case.
Really like the mounted tracks to add all the stuff we may never use in off-road situations but still look really rugged and cool…
But all things said I quite like the look of it and the attempt to give the Defender the finger when they stopped manufacturing the classic which you can still repair with some wire and a pair of pliers…