Does the GX550 actually have a smoother engine and a more powerful engine?
Specifically with re to towing capacity?
Specifically with re to towing capacity?
GX550 V6? Is it smoother and more powerful? Towing?
- Thread starter Esquire
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I have a new LC and also a Tundra with the same engine/transmission as the GX. Power-wise, there's no contest - the twin-turbo V6 is a beast, and the two extra gears make a difference too. But "smoother"? Hands down the LC with the hybrid is much, much nicer to drive. Of course the GX may have different software than the Tundra that changes the throttle response etc... but I doubt it'd make that much difference. I think it's the hybrid and the way it's integrated with the 4-banger that makes the LC so nice to drive.
OP
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Thank you for the reply. I have not driven the GX as of yet.
I have been very impressed with the LC considering the fact it is a 4 Cyl. Very quick and smooth. The idle seemed a hair rough to me furing the first 1,000 miles. However, since I had the first service at 1k, it has really smoothed out. I almost hate to say it for a 6,000 pound SUV, however, it is actually enjoyable to drive in the City as well as the highway.
Welcome to the forum and I appreciate your response.
I evaluated both before deciding on the LC. It's hybrid gives it near instantaneous power delivery under 50MPH and responsiveness in all power bands. Those dynamics make it a lot of fun to drive and very suitable for city/suburban/off road environments.
The GX power train seems better for towing larger payloads and highway cruising long distances at over 65 MPH. The trade off is gas mileage and it is less responsive until the RPMs spool up.
Many people comment on the LC not being as smooth but I am not sure it is the vibration. A fair criticism is that there is probably too much engine noise. That is baffling becuase it is easily solved with a little more sound dampening, and exhaust tuning. There are also reports in this forum that the LC uses synthetic noise reduction and engine notes piped into the cockpit.
Personally, I like to actively drive the vehicle so appreciate a lot o mechanical feedback. However, if Toyota would have put a little more attention to the engine noise I think it would have addressed the refinement concerns for most people.
The GX power train seems better for towing larger payloads and highway cruising long distances at over 65 MPH. The trade off is gas mileage and it is less responsive until the RPMs spool up.
Many people comment on the LC not being as smooth but I am not sure it is the vibration. A fair criticism is that there is probably too much engine noise. That is baffling becuase it is easily solved with a little more sound dampening, and exhaust tuning. There are also reports in this forum that the LC uses synthetic noise reduction and engine notes piped into the cockpit.
Personally, I like to actively drive the vehicle so appreciate a lot o mechanical feedback. However, if Toyota would have put a little more attention to the engine noise I think it would have addressed the refinement concerns for most people.
Ah, I see. Some people may be referring to "smooth" as vibration. I was thinking "smooth" in terms of power delivery, or more accurately how well it translates the movement of your foot to torque at the wheels. Which, as you say, is great for daily driveability as well as off-roading.
For 17 mpg (It would be more like 14-15 mpg for many here) they’d better be smoother and more powerful. Lexus customers are not as forgiving as Toyota customers
The LC250 has no 'piped-in' engine sounds like in the Tundra and Tacoma, and presumably the impending 6th Gen 4Runner. There is apparently noise cancellation, and I'd love to be able to turn it off to hear the difference.
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OP
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- #9
What, precisely, is noise cancelling? Piped in white noise?
Apparently there are settings accessible through the Carista app for active noise cancellation and engine sound enhancement. Original thread linked below.
www.landcruiserforum.com
Active Noise Cancellation
No, it's just ON/OFF for now. is there a engine sound enhancement ? I'm assuming the default is off right ? LC is so quiet, hard to believe there's any other sound being pumped in...
www.landcruiserforum.com
\
Been there, done that. If there is a detectible difference I can't make it out. Maybe someone with better ear drums or a spectrum analyzer can find out if/what this mystical ANC is doing...
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I think the only way to hear a discernable sound difference on any vehicle is either through open/close muffler flaps (as in Porsche Sport Exhaust) or an entirely different exhaust system (Motorwerks, Fabspeed, Borla, etc.).
More or less, microphones in the cabin listen to whatever noise is there and a speaker issues an equivalent sound but with phase reversed. In other words, a given sound seems the same to our ears whether the sound waves are presented one way or in the precisely opposite way. But if that sound is presented simultaneously in phase and also 180 degrees opposite to phase, the two soundwaves cancel each other out and we hear the sound more quietly.
Totally oversimplified. But this is also the concept behind noise canceling headphones.
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I’ve driven mine around for a week now. The LC engine has more than adequate power, especially at lower RPMs where most of us drive. Sort of like a diesel. Notwithstanding Doug Demuro clickbait, there is no issue with power delivery in this vehicle.
It is a 4 cylinder and sounds like one. It’s not an engine you yearn to wring out, just so you can enjoy its fury. I haven’t heard the V6 but I suppose it sounds a little better.
I don’t mind. My other car is a naturally aspirated flat 6 cylinder demon that sounds like Chris Cornell at wide open throttle. If I want to enjoy an engine note I drive that one.
But, not for nothing - there aren’t that many opportunities to wring that car out, at least not without risking jail time or worse. So there is something to be said about a utilitarian engine that works well in the normal operating range.
It is a 4 cylinder and sounds like one. It’s not an engine you yearn to wring out, just so you can enjoy its fury. I haven’t heard the V6 but I suppose it sounds a little better.
I don’t mind. My other car is a naturally aspirated flat 6 cylinder demon that sounds like Chris Cornell at wide open throttle. If I want to enjoy an engine note I drive that one.
But, not for nothing - there aren’t that many opportunities to wring that car out, at least not without risking jail time or worse. So there is something to be said about a utilitarian engine that works well in the normal operating range.
Info below taken from other Toyota cars that use Engine Sound Enhancement and Active Noise Cancellation systems. The ESE apparently uses a dedicated speaker and the ANC needs multiple speakers from diferent locations to cancel out the sound. Some in the GX community believe they are used in different modes like Performance+which is consistent with other models.
The LC obviously has at least some of the infrastructure to broadcast the hybrid sounds. Still unconfirmed if used for anything else. Carista could simply be displaying the configuration settings even though they are disabled or inherited from other Toyota vehicles.
My question would be if the LC does have these systems why don't they work better to address the engine noise complaints?
ESE Diagram
ANC Diagram
The LC obviously has at least some of the infrastructure to broadcast the hybrid sounds. Still unconfirmed if used for anything else. Carista could simply be displaying the configuration settings even though they are disabled or inherited from other Toyota vehicles.
My question would be if the LC does have these systems why don't they work better to address the engine noise complaints?
ESE Diagram
ANC Diagram
Just curious how do you even “wiring out” the hybrid powertrain? That sounds like as if somebody is trying to make an IED from Toyota vehicle. I smell something utterly stupid if anyone try to do it
maybe means "ring it out" ?
“Wring out” (not “wiring”) means to push your engine to the maximum of its capability, in the automotive vernacular. Sorry I wasn’t clear.
How often to you "wring out" your vehicles?
I was out driving yesterday and decided to give the Accord an Italian tune up. I eased onto the gas from a stop then floored the pedal and got up to around 80 MPH hitting the max rpm (auto) at every shift point. It had about 5-6 miles to warm up before I did it, I also dropped it down to 3rd...
bobistheoilguy.com
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