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Land Cruiser. The End.

Muleski

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Take a look at almost any "What vehicles will go 200K plus" list. Every one has Land Cruisers and Suburban/Yukon/Silverados on them. IMHO, American vehicles aren't as bas as they used to be and the Japanese ones aren't as good.


I think that's very fair and accurate, too. I do know, well, that the mid 90's Suburbans were hit and miss, and I had heard that from friends who were dealers. What never made sense to me was that the GMC's seemed to last longer, and in almost every sense be better vehicles, than the Chevy with the bowtie on the grill. One of those friends is both a Chevy and GMC dealer and he felt the same, though had no good answers.

Right now, present time, I know a lot of people driving that platform, often with a lot of miles. I have friend who runs one through his business, then passes it to his wife as soon as his finance guy says to, then she passes the one that she had been driving to one of their sons. Right now, there are five in the family. So, yes, like many vehicles, taken care of and maintained, they are easily good for 200K+ miles.

And Japanese cars not being the ultra reliable things that they were. With the exception of some Toyota trucks...AND THE LC....I tend to agree. We have a number of friends whose kids are driving around town in first and second generation Hylanders. They look almost new, and they go and go. 300-400K. My 60 year old sister in law has never had anything but a Honda, and she is "not great with cars." The old ones just went on and on. The newer ones need to be taken care of. Even her last two Pilots.

One of the best most durable bullet proof cars that we had in our family was a 2002 Subaru Outback H-6 with VDC. Man, it ran like a sewing machine. Till the subframe rusted out. Two of the absolute most expensive and "needy" were a 2005 Legacy GT wagon, and a 2007 Outback 3.0. Great looking cars, and awesome in snow, but wow....expensive to maintain. Maybe we were unlucky.

We are just two of those strange people who love our Landcruiser{s}. Long term relationships. And the soul.....

Our son has a Tacoma with 300K+ on the clock. The thing is amazing. Original clutch. He's taken good care of it, and will own it, maybe as a third or fourth vehicle, forever. In looking at new trucks, would he buy a Tacoma or a Tundra? No, it will be an American Truck. No question. And probably a diesel to drive 500K miles.

Like skis, lots of good vehicles out there!
 
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JeffB

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Take a look at almost any "What vehicles will go 200K plus" list. Every one has Land Cruisers and Suburban/Yukon/Silverados on them. IMHO, American vehicles aren't as bas as they used to be and the Japanese ones aren't as good.
Undoubtedly true across the board. I just happen to think the LC is in a different category altogether. Sure, it’s been updated, but it’s still a throwback. I remember the MB 300Ds, the W123 chassis. And the Volvo 240Ds. I’ve had one of each and regret, in particular, parting with the MB. I have a modern MB (2016) but it’s not the same. Those particular cars were truly built for a lifetime. I happen to think the LC still is, though as I admitted some posts ago, I’m a starry-eyed nostalgic and quite biased.
 

Muleski

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I had a 1995.5 S6 Avant, and THAT was a car that was built to last in terms of everything. Build quality, engineering, materials. I regretted selling it, to get a C6S6 {2002 model year} Avant. Huge mistake. I regretted selling the C4S6 the minute I took delivery of the newer car. To the point that I tried to buy my car back, putting quite a bit of cash in the buyers pocket {his having owned it for five days!}. Our son bought one many years later, and that was a great car once he was done doing a lot of updates. Put his heart and should, a lot of money and hours into it. But it was not a greta vehicle for him to have at that point in his life. He too regrets selling it, and feels that he should have kept it, stored it into winter, etc. He is always looking of another, sending me kinks, and I'm doing the same.

I am right there with @JeffB, very nostalgic and starry eyed about our LC's! And maybe not so rational!

Funny, when I was in junior high though college, my mom drove a series of Wagoneers. Like the good older sister of a Jeep dealer, she rolled them over every two years. Never more than about 40K miles. Heck, I liked them, I thought they were pretty neat, we towed a bunch of boats and went to a bunch of ski races, but I have never had any interest in getting one. No interest in any of the restorers, and their products. It's that LC addiction, I guess!

Cheers!
 
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JeffB

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I had a 1995.5 S6 Avant, and THAT was a car that was built to last in terms of everything. Build quality, engineering, materials. I regretted selling it, to get a C6S6 {2002 model year} Avant. Huge mistake. I regretted selling the C4S6 the minute I took delivery of the newer car. To the point that I tried to buy my car back, putting quite a bit of cash in the buyers pocket {his having owned it for five days!}. Our son bought one many years later, and that was a great car once he was done doing a lot of updates. Put his heart and should, a lot of money and hours into it. But it was not a greta vehicle for him to have at that point in his life. He too regrets selling it, and feels that he should have kept it, stored it into winter, etc. He is always looking of another, sending me kinks, and I'm doing the same.

I am right there with @JeffB, very nostalgic and starry eyed about our LC's! And maybe not so rational!

Funny, when I was in junior high though college, my mom drove a series of Wagoneers. Like the good older sister of a Jeep dealer, she rolled them over every two years. Never more than about 40K miles. Heck, I liked them, I thought they were pretty neat, we towed a bunch of boats and went to a bunch of ski races, but I have never had any interest in getting one. No interest in any of the restorers, and their products. It's that LC addiction, I guess!

Cheers!
It’s funny thinking back about poor car decisions. I still think about the W123 I mentioned above, but the worst car decision I ever made was trading in a Ford Explorer Sport Trac for almost nothing. I can’t remember the model year, maybe 2002 or 3. I bought it new when we were newly married and had more student debt than anything else, and I needed a cheap, reliable car. Traded it in for about 4K or whatever maybe 7 years later when we were in better financial shape and I was tired of bouncing around in a noisy truck. There was nothing special about the sport trac. Cloth seats, a few dents at that point. But it was mine, and in retrospect, it would have been a perfect forever weekend vehicle for all the soccer, baseball, and trips to the lake with the dogs. Oh well, live and learn.

F it. There’s now a 2021 heritage edition LC with my name on it, black with bronze wheels, 3rd row delete. If I’m lucky, it is likely my last daily driver and I’m only 45. As my late grandfather used to say, “Have you ever seen a U-Haul behind a hearse? You can’t take it with you, son.” Of course he was right.
 
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SBrown

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:geek:
Well, they shouldn't cost $90K. That's stupid. I guess I'm not surprised.

That said, I've owned a lot of vehicles, from Suburbans to Volvos to Audis to Saabs and other "iconic" types, and nothing matches the LC. Sorry. The combination of bulletproof luxury and off-road capability ... sigh. I would have another one except for $90K.
 
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Well, they shouldn't cost $90K. That's stupid. I guess I'm not surprised.

That said, I've owned a lot of vehicles, from Suburbans to Volvos to Audis to Saabs and other "iconic" types, and nothing matches the LC. Sorry. The combination of bulletproof luxury and off-road capability ... sigh. I would have another one except for $90K.
Agree that 90 is stupid. It’s unreal, frankly. Then I think about college. Roughly 25 years ago, I went out-of-state to one of the very best rated ACC schools for about 120 total, all in over 4 years, and got a degree. I made the mistake of looking at that school’s pricing now (my oldest is 15 and wants to go there) and it’s almost 70 per year out-of-state, which we are. Not saying that makes it right, just saying that we are taking it on the chin regardless. But if you buy it and have it for 20 years, maybe 25, it’s cheaper, or at worse, equal, to buying 4 cars off lease in the same time period. Anyway, I agree with you @SBrown. And this undoubtedly is a lot of after-the-fact justification.

It’s all stupid money.
 

SBrown

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And I'm not disparaging anyone's purchasing choices! I would spend 90 on an LC before 90 (that's a theoretical 90, because they are more) on a Gwagen. I just think they don't sell any because of that.
 
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And I'm not disparaging anyone's purchasing choices! I would spend 90 on an LC before 90 (that's a theoretical 90, because they are more) on a Gwagen. I just think they don't sell any because of that.
Oh, I’m not sure about a G. I haven’t owned one, but I have owned other MBs, to include a 84, 87, 89, 2006, 2014, and the current 2016. And some others. Mostly E class, but a couple SUVs. Last G that I saw at the dealer, new, was 183k on the window. And I thought - I could have 2 LCs for that, or 1 divorce if I drive the G home. I wouldn’t mind having one, but that really is stupid money.
 

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And I'm not disparaging anyone's purchasing choices! I would spend 90 on an LC before 90 (that's a theoretical 90, because they are more) on a Gwagen. I just think they don't sell any because of that.
We were killing some time a few weeks ago and stopped by the Benz dealer to look at the Sprinters. They had an GLE 65 on the floor for about $125K. Don't even get me started on the Maybach GLS 600.
 

Decreed_It

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F it. There’s now a 2021 heritage edition LC with my name on it, black with bronze wheels, 3rd row delete. If I’m lucky, it is likely my last daily driver and I’m only 45.
Congratulations Jeff, great call. Care for it meticulously and it will hold its value very well indeed.

Bought my Aunt's 2008 with 156k on it now 176k and plan on keeping it forever. We looked at 2021s, wife mentioned it as a next car but after the announcement prices are rising and they're hard to lay hands on. Already called dibs on the 2019 my Aunt bought to replace the 2008. Same color scheme, they're hard to tell apart!

The LX570 will continue here in US, same platform, more bells whistles and luxuries, same legendary capability and reliability.
 
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JeffB

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Congratulations Jeff, great call. Care for it meticulously and it will hold its value very well indeed.

Bought my Aunt's 2008 with 156k on it now 176k and plan on keeping it forever. We looked at 2021s, wife mentioned it as a next car but after the announcement prices are rising and they're hard to lay hands on. Already called dibs on the 2019 my Aunt bought to replace the 2008. Same color scheme, they're hard to tell apart!

The LX570 will continue here in US, same platform, more bells whistles and luxuries, same legendary capability and reliability.
Thank you. I guess I’ll come clean in the morning about what I have done. I won’t ever sell it and, perhaps with a little bit of luck, I can pass it down.
 

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F it. There’s now a 2021 heritage edition LC with my name on it, black with bronze wheels, 3rd row delete. If I’m lucky, it is likely my last daily driver and I’m only 45. As my late grandfather used to say, “Have you ever seen a U-Haul behind a hearse? You can’t take it with you, son.” Of course he was right.
Me, I'd get a Yukon XL Denali with the diesel for that money. But thats me...and I don't have that money. ;)
 

coskigirl

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I read recently that Toyota has trademarked a "Grand Highlander" which makes more sense to me now.
 

Ken_R

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I never got the "love" for these. I respect that they are durable and have longevity but so do many cars now-a-days. If I'm spending high five figures on a SUV, it damn well will have some "Utility" as in room to bring stuff along. Sorry.
:geek:
Well, they shouldn't cost $90K. That's stupid. I guess I'm not surprised.

That said, I've owned a lot of vehicles, from Suburbans to Volvos to Audis to Saabs and other "iconic" types, and nothing matches the LC. Sorry. The combination of bulletproof luxury and off-road capability ... sigh. I would have another one except for $90K.

I guess they will keep selling the Lexus variant. At that price most people bought the Lexus anyway.
 

Muleski

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That exists? I wonder how many there are. Five?

In 2008-2010, the six speed manual was actually standard equipment on the Cayenne GTS. Next generation it became an option, as I recall. The auto/tiptronic or whatever it was called was an option, in the first generation, though most that came to the US were outfitted that way. Ours was bought used, and had a short life with us. Probably the worst gearing and worst actually shifting {really long throws, etc.} that I've ever had in a car. The car had an incredibly short range in not just first, but second gear. Fifth and Sixth were highway only. Seriously trying to help with mpg. So you had to get out of second at about 25mph, and then you had two blah gear ratios for third and fourth. I bought it without driving it {long story}, and will never do that again. A SkiTalk friend {and a real car guy} years later told me it might be the worst transmission he had ever driven!

I've heard this same stuff from almost anybody who has driven one, or bought one, other than those who are defensively trying to justify the car! Like most, I was SO excited to have a six speed GTS. Wow! It sounds so great. In reality....not so much. I don't know exact numbers, but there were quite a few sold here. You can find them pretty easily on the used market.

It also got the worst gas mileage. Far worse than advertised. I never got more than 10mph around town, often a lot less, and on the highway was lucky to get close to 14mph. Lots of gas stops for premium gas. It was comfortable and had great paint, though. I had it well detailed, two months after we bought, and luckily it sold it for a pretty decent profit, fast.

Meanwhile my wife was driving her LC and loving it. We almost bought a second one, then, but thought owning two LC's would be kind of overkill and stupid. However, we may end up there!

Not rational, at all. Unless you have spent a lot of time in one, or have owned one, you don't get it. Now, I also know people {not many} who bought them and really did not like them. We have friends who bought a LX470 years ago, for Mom to drive and she protested heavily about "that truck". As I recall about two months later she was in a MB of some sort. Her husband had tried hard to sell her on an X5. Nope. She even thought that was a truck!
 
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SBrown

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I guess they will keep selling the Lexus variant. At that price most people bought the Lexus anyway.

That is what I found irritating -- why not continue to sell the LC as an mid-lux option? Leave some of the bells and whistles for the Lexus.

But when I think about it, I guess everyone has so many bells and whistles now. I bought a 2020 Tundra back in spring, and it's great. No LC, but I knew that. (I also paid about the same price as I did however-many years ago for a 2yo LC, which is crazy). The reviews always ding the Tundra for being "behind the times" "long in the tooth" etc. Well, I just want a reliable truck. It still has more bells than I'm accustomed to, or feel that I need. (The autodimming brights are amazeballs, though. My favorite thing ever.) So that argument I guess is kind of moot anymore, automakers have to keep up with the Joneses.
 

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That is what I found irritating -- why not continue to sell the LC as an mid-lux option? Leave some of the bells and whistles for the Lexus.

But when I think about it, I guess everyone has so many bells and whistles now. I bought a 2020 Tundra back in spring, and it's great. No LC, but I knew that. (I also paid about the same price as I did however-many years ago for a 2yo LC, which is crazy). The reviews always ding the Tundra for being "behind the times" "long in the tooth" etc. Well, I just want a reliable truck. It still has more bells than I'm accustomed to, or feel that I need. (The autodimming brights are amazeballs, though. My favorite thing ever.) So that argument I guess is kind of moot anymore, automakers have to keep up with the Joneses.
I'd rather get a car that is in the middle to end of it's product cycle than at the beginning.
 

coskigirl

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Well, I just want a reliable truck. It still has more bells than I'm accustomed to, or feel that I need. (The autodimming brights are amazeballs, though. My favorite thing ever.) So that argument I guess is kind of moot anymore, automakers have to keep up with the Joneses.

I love autodimming headlights. Also, rear cross traffic alert. Two bells that I never knew I wanted until I got my CX-5.
 

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