My New 2024 Land Cruiser

Then we have the issue of the optional Emergency Assistance Kit. This is the black bag with reflective material on it.

Just what in the hell is in this bag? Is this a money grab by the distributor? Is there any worthwhile gear in here?

Let’s find out.





In the immortal words of the late Rick James: “I wish I had more hands… so I could give that shit four thumbs down.”

Aside from the jumper cables there’s not much there I find terribly useful that I don’t already have that is of much better quality.

 

Such a cool rig!

 

Thanks.

 

I hope you find it helpful if you’re still in the market.

 

If I came unto the lot and you were the salesman, I'd be driving it off before I left.

 

SUPER. Thank you very much for being this thorough. As said above- if you were my salesman I’d be in trouble.

 

Some other things I have discovered the last couple of days.

1.) The gauge cluster can be configured to display a variety of information, and you have 3 home screens you can set up with whatever you want displayed inside the tachometer and speedometer, and in the space between them. Each one will have the tach and speedo, but you can have a boost gauge, trip info, auxiliary gauges for various temps, hybrid boost, and all sorts of other stuff like the navigation map.

2.) The digital rear view mirror can be adjusted to zoom in or out and can be aimed higher, lower, or panned left or right. You can even cant the image. This is so much better than a conventional rear view mirror it’s tough for me convey it adequately. I set it up to be centered for left and right windage, panned down to overlap the backup camera a bit so I get more of a view of lower objects behind me, and zoomed out to render the widest field of view the system is capable of.

As an additional bit of info the camera for the digital rear view mirror is cleverly tucked up high in the back glass protected from the weather and it appears to be in the path of the rear wiper. So even in inclement weather, or dirty dusty conditions you should be able to clean off the rear glass covering it and gain a clear view.

 

Pretty neat, and enjoying your continued review.

Million Dollar ?....

When the new 4runnner comes out. Will you guys be tempted to look at that for a quick swap and some fun. Or are you a long term owner type and have no thoughts about that?

I am only asking because when I saw the new LC I really liked what I was seeing, but then I saw the new 4runner and thought there was some overlay. I think I like the LC better visually, but until I see the new 4runner in person I won't know for sure. They seem like you will be able to spec a top trim 4runner, relatively close to the higher LC trims.

 

Yep. I'd drive one. Love your observations.

 

You considered giving up your railroad job and take up writer's job? Damn, that's one big ass detailed reading I just had, but honestly, real good and in depth, not judging just because it is Toyota and all that....
I actually saw one up close one day when I dropped the kids off at a friend's HOA pool, I saw the owner and talked a bit, he was super nice and invited me to peak inside to see how it is.
Can't remember the trim, but it was leather and stuff, pretty nice, but unfortunately, I need a bigger vehicle, so the new LC would not fit the bill.... Might need to consider the new Seq or the older gen Seq for the space.
Not sure if I can trust the newer engine/transmission, but the old Seq is basically a Tundra with an enclosed back end.....

 

This is the kind of review people are looking for when it comes to new vehicles. It's what the auto magazines and websites used to do really well but have now become over glorified advertisements for the manufacturers. Youtube is even worse with all of the click-bait trash out there.

 

I read this entire thread again this morning to remind myself that there are actual humans in the world still and to cleanse my brain of all the youtube reviews and dramatic faces plastered with fire and clickbait titles. Thanks again lol- I want a LC 10x now

 

Personally I am not tempted by the new 4Runner. The Land Cruiser appears to have more practical room inside for a start, and the way 4Runners will end up being packaged I doubt you see one with full time 4 wheel drive, the iForceMax, a disconnecting sway bar, and a locking rear axle. There will be trim levels where you get some of those in combination but not all of them.

I predict the 4Runner will be offered in more off road capable suspension packages than the Land Cruiser on the high end while lacking the on road capability like full time 4 Wheel Drive. Other 4Runners like the Limited will have Full Time 4 Wheel Drive but lack the rear locker and disconnecting sway bar. Putting the Land Cruiser in the position of superior overall capability in a wider range of uses.

You can add a long travel suspension, and bigger tires to a Land Cruiser and do everything a 4Runner Trailhunter or TRD Pro can do for reasonable cost and time invested. You won’t be able to easily and cost effectively add a TORSEN center differential transfer case, switch gear, and programming to your 4Runner TRD Pro or Trailhunter. Same for beefing up a Limited 4 Runner, by the time you add the suspension, wheels, tires, disconnecting sway bar, switch gear, and a locking rear axle the cost will be prohibitive. In any of those cases where you want all the things, your best bet will be to start with the Land Cruiser even if it means suspension mods and tires.

Plus I don’t personally like the way the 4Runner looks, but that is pretty subjective.

 

Thank you for the details, keep them coming in the future. Your reviews on this are much more detailed and down to earth than anything else you can find.

We're kind of in the same boat we have a 14 GX 460 and like it but nearest dealer is 3.5 hrs away, have a small toyota dealer local. Mrs loves the new land cruiser, but asked her to wait till the newn4 runner is out and look at that too.

Sucks about service at Lincoln Lexus, that's where we bought ours and they delivered it to us 5 hrs away for a test drive and at least the sales team was very helpful.

Again thanks much for the info, we also have Sioux Falls as an option for toyota and that's only 1.5hrs away.

 

For the most part automotive “journalism” is a sad state of affairs.

YouTube is generally pretty bad. Clickbait and dumb intros is apparently what gets views and revenue.

The movie “Idiocracy” isn’t a comedy, it’s a documentary that was ahead of its time. Change my mind. Go ahead, I can wait.

 

Did the LC keep its headlight spray washers?

 

I sometimes contemplate doing something else.

However I’m 1/2 way through my career, and I can retire on time at age 60 with 30+ years of service making me eligible for full Railroad Retirement. I might go until I am 62-63 so both my wife and I start collecting Tier 1 and Tier 2 benefits; when she turns 60 her RRT benefits will be 48% of mine. If I had to project out rough income that would be around $80,000-$90,000/year retirement benefit today depending on the average of my best 60 months of income. With COLA increases who knows? That is 15 years away.

I’m also currently on track with my 401K and Roth IRA to get out of here with over $1M in retirement account assets. Based on my 10 year rate of return on investments, should that trend line average out over the next 15 years I could completely cease contributions today and still hit that target. My sights are set a bit higher, so the 16% of income dump into retirement accounts will continue until my morale improves. I hope to leave generational wealth to my son. That doesn’t happen without planning and effort. My ship isn’t coming in, I’m swimming out there to board it….one more or less consistent stroke at a time.

This is a long way of explaining that it’s late in the race to change horses.

 

Unfortunately no it did not. I believe the Lexus GX550 has them still.

Same for the 300 series twins.

 

I feel you, I am also in a similar boat that I want to change career but I am short on time as I am approaching 45......
I do want to make the move within the year or two, and that would be my retirement spot, whenever that is.

 

Similar almost identical boats. I’m 1 year older than you.

 

And much like you, you drive trains were as I am in marine transport, boats, or super-sized vessel, if you will.......lol
Maybe I should be land-bounded......

 

I was in the same spot needing a three row SUV and we were leaning 2nd gen sequoia until a 200 series land cruiser popped up - it’s the perfect size for our family of 5.

 

Trust me, I want an older gen Land Cruiser, but they are either super hard to come by, or super expensive to the point that it is costing more than a new LC, with over 100K miles..... somehow the math doesn't add up for some reason..... I blame the market.

 

I hear you - but similar to the last run of FJs, I do think the last run of v8 land cruisers will always be desired and should be a safe investment. I picked up ours with 70k miles and have put on another 50k with no issues. Plan is to keep the 200 and Tundra at least another 10 years.

 

We considered a 200 series but prices for a low mileage example are bonkers, and we don’t have a consistent need for a 3rd row.

 

1000% agree- I like you am a grumpy 80 year old man at heart at 30 and also dream of the days of yelling at kids to get off my lawn

 

I remember that one, it was drop dead beauty, seriously.

I mean, they are asking for almost MSRP of it's self back in the days, and most with close if not well over 100K miles. No. No. No. It doesn't add up. It is a good investment, but not at that price.

 

lols at blindspots. Lc stand for large cod, cause it looks like fishsticks.



j/k congrats! Wheres the flex pics? Does it 'bounce'?

 

I agree, your writing and review is top notch. I was thinking you should start doing more of it, too.

But, being a fellow trainman, I understand that situation well, too.
Yup, hardest part of leaving the RR is losing that damn RR retirement. People not in the RR don't usually know about it, haha. And our health benefits are pretty hard to beat, too. Oh, and basically just show up to work and make $90-$200k+.
Of course our attendance policies of the last 5 years are total BS.
I'm a yard guy (I like a schedule), I truly don't know how the road guys survive these days. Especially the extra boards. Working off rest for days, sometimes weeks with out on actual calendar day off (I don't count 24 hours as a day off). I'm sure the $15k-$20k+ months are nice, but it's blood money.

Definitely hard to walk away from. I contemplate it almost daily myself, haha.

Maybe we should start a RR life thread!