Doug isn’t a fan of our baby

[bluebullet]

Everyone complained that the Land Cruiser had become too big, heavy, luxury-focused, and expensive. This one is smaller, lighter, somewhat less posh, and cheaper. So, to the extent that was the rubric, it’s a win.

It’s also a notable player in an interesting market segment. These are popular right now and people are buying them without knowing much about them, but an informed cross shopper would be looking at Jeeps, Broncos, Defenders, and not much else unless you go substantially upmarket. (I’ll deliberately set aside internal competition like the 4Runner and the GX for now).

In this competitive cohort it seems pretty obvious what the Toyota’s differentiation model is - it’s more luxurious than the Bronco, rides better than the Jeep, and more reliable than the Defender. Or some permutation of those points.

So…what is DeMuro talking about? Mainly he’s griping about the powertrain. But complaining about 0-60 on these is akin to complaining about slalom speed in a Suburban - it’s not completely irrelevant but not really what people care about when they’re shopping the car. The powertrain is stupidly powerful at low speeds and has a torque feel like an electric vehicle - that IS relevant to the LC’s purpose.

Again, then - back to what I said above. DeMuro is a well-known car critic who understands his job is to draw attention to his work. He does that by being contrarian - not only about the Land Cruiser but about a lot of vehicles (watch his saga with a Defender). If you want a credible, grounded, objective review of the mechanicals and design on the LC, watch the Car Care Nut.

Car Care Nut is credible for sure. Takes his time and explains things quite well.

 

[Colin_MKV]

Just had chance to watch it. I am a fan of Doug and have been for many years. Opinions are to each their own. Sad to see his initial thoughts didn't really carry over into this later review.

Did a little edit here. I get a little aggravated when people say its not a real "Land Cruiser". I feel that US customers are familiar with the model Land Cruiser and not the brand. I mean there are Three current Land Cruisers being built globally. We just so happened to only get the 250 series in the states. (Id love a 70 series)

 

[PACruiser]

If it is any consolation, this is a guy whose favorite cars of all time are station wagons.....

 

[RUN-8]

Nothing wrong with a nice station wagon.

Doug is just a typical auto journalist hack. He is only wowed by unobtainable exciting cars that 99.9% of buyers can’t afford. His reviews are therefore pretty useless beyond entertainment purposes for people to live vicariously through him.

If you want more grounded reviews watch The Car Care Nut and SavageGeese.

 

[PACruiser]

Station wagons are great. But they only count if they have rear facing seats and fake wood paneling.

 

[trek805]

Im not gonna click on tard vids

And yes, its not a wagon unless it has the rear facing 3rd row. Classic!!!!! Bring those back

 

[RUN-8]

Mercedes-Benz wagons still have rear facing seats.

 

[LandcruiserNut]

Chevy Chase loves the new LC Doug.

 

[LCNorth]

I've generally enjoyed Doug's content, but my wife cannot STAND his voice and makes me turn him off when she walks in the room.

As many auto YouTubers of late, Doug is leaning into click-bait with ever greater desperation. His hot takes have to be contrarian to get the views.

 

[MtBiker19]

Dougie,

Can I call you Dougie? You've done a great job sharing your opinion of the new LC, even if your opinion was more about what you felt the LC should've been, than what it actually is today. Having said that, you are 100% correct about the tinny sounding doors.

Let's start with dimensions:
2021 Land Cruiser 200 - 195" x 78" x 74", wheelbase = 112.2", 5715-5815 lbs curb weight
2024 LC 250 - 196.4" x 77.9" x 76.1" wheelbase = 112.2", 5038 lbs
2014 FJ Cruiser - 184" x 75" x 71.5" , wheelbase = 105.9", 4079-4343 lbs
2024 Lexus LX (300 series) - 201" x 78" x 75", wheelbase = 112.2", 5665-5945
2024 Toyota Sequoia - 208" x 80" x 74-78", wheelbase = 122", 5620-6185 lbs


Wait. What? The new LC is almost exactly the same size as Doug's beloved 200 series? Umm, yes. But smaller than the 300 series LC/LX beast? Yup. And, much smaller than Doug's beloved Sequoia? Yup. I'm sure Doug has tried explaining this to someone before, but bigger isn't always better. Either way, the LC250 seems to hit the sweet spot with respect to size for most of us. I don't want or need a third row taking up space in my cargo area. If you do need a third row, then the LC isn't the right vehicle for you. Plus, the LC is the least bloated of all of the big boys.

Is the GX550 Overtrail better? Not for me, and it's not particularly close. The only thing I prefer on the GX is the powertrain. The V6 is just a better sounding and smoother engine than our hybrid 4. But, I love that I'm getting about 50% more MPG than the V6. I drove the Sequoia, too. It's a bloated boat with an awkward third row and minimal cargo space when using all three rows. I did not drive the LX because it fit into the same category for me - just too big and expensive to use off-road. The LX is a luxury fashion statement more than an off-road beast.

Dougie, my excitable friend, just because the new Land Cruiser 250 isn't the $120,000 machine you envisioned, doesn't mean it's less of a Land Cruiser. And, for those of us who bought it so that we'd have an incredibly capable off-road machine to complement the on-road driving we do, this is exactly the right product from Toyota.

FWIW- the LC250 weighs 5550lbs. Glad I took the time to weigh it (at different scales)because that's the reason I had to upgrade from. Quickjack 5000 to 7000.

 

[D-mac]

Mercedes-Benz wagons still have rear facing seats.

The current US model E450 All Terrain is 5-seat only, just like the LC250

 

[NJ2VT]

I find it comical too when people downplay LC250 and say “not a real Land Cruiser” regarding the 250. However when you look at the current LC300 I would argue that the LC250 is way more capable off road, on the beach, snow, trails, etc. The 200/300 series got WAY ahead of itself through the years and became a luxury wagon with off road goodies. I am definitely not knocking those vehicles, but the current Land Cruiser has simply gone back to its original roots.

As for Doug, it’s a shame that he feels this way. His comments are simply just another mans opinion. He has no more or no less car review qualifications than any of us.

 

[Wakesurfboy]

My response to him:

C’mon Doug!
1. The big boy in Toyota’s line up is the Sequoia and it always been since 2000.
2. The Landcruiser never was a large SUV. It was a small SUV since its creation (1951).
3. The powerplant deliver 460 lbs of torque, 60 more than the previous 5.7l V8 (401lbs).
4. With skinny factory tires, I was managing 25 mpg, pretty good especially when you pay $5 a gallon!
5. I own a new Tacoma, a new Landcruiser and a Grand Wagoneer 392, a Mojave and I use to own a Rubicon Diesel, a 4runner V8, a FJ Cruiser, an Armada V8, a Thundra V8 and many other trucks. The Landcruiser is the best overall for the price.

P.S. Good luck with your V6 that had 100k engine recall...

 

[LandcruiserNut]

Doug should leave the building. I see more “ what’s up with the LC “ vids on boob tube. Won’t get my$$. Every be thankful we have a LC, and enjoy your holiday!!

 

[Blue Bear]

FWIW- the LC250 weighs 5550lbs. Glad I took the time to weigh it (at different scales)because that's the reason I had to upgrade from. Quickjack 5000 to 7000.

Toyota lists the curb weight as 5360 lbs for the 1958 and 5445 lbs for the base. I'm not sure where I found the orginal number.

 

[BCBelstaff]

THHHISSSSSSSSSSS is a stupid clickbait review I wont be watching.

 

[Marinna]

I do not know this guy. But after watching what he has to say in his video I feel disappointed. What is the value he provides to the public? What is his credential? What is his differentiation from other 1 million YouTube car reviewers?

To criticize the critic, here is what I am seeing:

1. Too superficial
He claimed that he has finally driven LC for a week. I assume that is what his focus on this video after I watch it for 2 minutes. But then he just start to read all specifications from the paper and interpret in his own angle. Come on I have my own need and judgement, I can read the number myself. I don't need your opinion from specifications

2. Too subjective
You touched the car for a meaningful amount of time. Tell us what you find after you drives it. There are reviewers take the car out for a street drive, some does trail runs. Some does snow glide, some does rock climb. Not only you did not do any of this, but also you offers your "speculations" like "this look will get old fast", "this is not big enough", "this is too expensive". Dude doesn't even put the car into direct competitions with other comparable offers and breaks down the price into at least features/trims from other brands. To be a specification advocater I expected to see at least that.

3. Some of his "fact" are just his own fantasy
There are a few places, for example, the classification of Land Cruiser to be the ultimate biggest, beefiest badass stereotype is not correct. Land Cruiser is more like a family with at least three primary branches in it. The J-250 we have in US is a light duty truck. Not knowing his stuff makes his video illegitimate. He is not really that much of a Land Cruiser fan as he claimed. Otherwise he would know this. Even I am a newbie to the Land Cruiser and I knows this.

4. Hate the way he sells his video
Most car reviewers talks like normal people, some might add a bit artificial tone to catch more attention. But he talks in that totally fake tone is what annoying me the most. That tone makes him sounded less serious IMO.

For Christ's sake he needs to be more methodological to earn his credential.

 

[Meteor]

He was a small-time YouTuber for a long while, then one day went critical-mass for some reason. Like a lot of YT'ers, he fears loosing subscribers and will do almost anything for views to keep that ad revenue up. I watched his stuff in the beginning as I found it entertaining, but noticed a switch in how he reviewed cars. His shtick got old and felt forced. He's not a car-guy, not a professional one at least, so what he says now in his videos is highly biased toward creating controversy rather than being subjective. Don't watch, don't comment, and don't like/dislike; you're only feeding the algorithm.

 

[RUN-8]

The current US model E450 All Terrain is 5-seat only, just like the LC250

Guess they dropped them for 2024 because up to 2023 model year they still had them.

 

[TakaraLC]

Everyone complained that the Land Cruiser had become too big, heavy, luxury-focused, and expensive. This one is smaller, lighter, somewhat less posh, and cheaper. So, to the extent that was the rubric, it’s a win.

It’s also a notable player in a limited market segment. These off-road capable vehicles are popular right now and people are buying them without knowing much about them, but an informed cross shopper would be looking at Jeeps, Broncos, Defenders, and not much else unless you go substantially upmarket. (I’ll deliberately set aside internal competition like the 4Runner and the GX for now).

In this competitive cohort it seems pretty obvious what the Toyota’s differentiation model is - it’s more luxurious than the Bronco, rides better than the Jeep, and more reliable than the Defender. Or some permutation of those points.

So…what is DeMuro talking about? What’s not to like? Mainly he’s griping about the powertrain. But complaining about 0-60 on these is akin to complaining about slalom speed in a Suburban - it’s not completely irrelevant but not really what people care about when they’re shopping the car. The powertrain is stupidly powerful at low speeds and has a torque feel like an electric vehicle - that IS relevant to the LC’s purpose. Beyond that, it’s not notably fast but neither was the outgoing 4Runner people are so stressed out about losing.

Again, then - back to what I said above. DeMuro is a well-known car critic who understands his job is to draw attention to his work. He does that by being contrarian - not only about the Land Cruiser but about a lot of vehicles (watch his saga with a Defender). If you want a credible, grounded, objective review of the mechanicals and design on the LC, watch the Car Care Nut.

Complaining about the 0-60 time of a Land Cruiser is like complaining about the water fording depth of a Porsche 911.