I was told the LC250 isn’t a real Land Cruiser.

Bad1975 · May 20, 2026

Stalactically Gupid said:
Isn't it externally the same size or bigger than previous cruisers? At least externally.

112.2 in. wheelbase since the 80 series in all Wagons outside the 70 series (which varies from 106ish to 117ish), 55 was ~106 and 60 was ~107. Toyota considers the 112.2 the best dimension for on road handling and off road maneuvering and approach/breakover/departure.

The 250 is the exact same as my 80 in all dimensions minus the A pillar angle (windshield). Once they got it right for the wagons they've stuck to it,

LCDakota · May 20, 2026

Sugarloafer80 said:
I had my window of time and had a few Range Rovers. All were great vehicles. All had stellar drivetrains and comfort, but shortcomings in the stuff you touch and use daily that you want "to work everytime".
Examples
2015 Evoque 2dr Dynamic. Great looking, loads of fun but the 9 speed tranny SUCKED/. Thanks german ZF
2016 Range Rover Sport . 90% great, 10% percent harsh on winter frost heaved state roads. Surprise, a Range Rover too sporty for its own good..NO ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION at that price point! Inexcusable esp with air suspension.
2021.5 Range Rover Westminster. Brilliant ride, brilliant powertrain, wonderful comfort...Lousy interface between driver and vehicle meaning touch screens that worked 50% of the time. We also learned it was to us, TOO BIG, not weight wise as it was 450 lbs lighter than LC, but ws too imposing for my 5 2 wife to enjoy wheeling around town.
The new 460 and 461 have become obese, overpriced, and frankly, to my eyes, unattractive like they tried too hard to modernize what they had done so well.
Final nail in the coffin. When we retire to Maine, closest dealer would be 2.5 hrs away and do we really want to beat the hell out of what is now $100-125K be it L460 or L461?

We were learning about the dealerships within 1-1.5+ hrs of our to be home. Didn't even know a new LC was being built. Lexus dealer also 2.5hrs away....Then I went to Toyota website..... Dam that LC looks great and at a price undercutting the Brits by 20-50k depending on model. My sister had owned Sequoias for past 15 years and loved them. We figured, hey, the dealer is 65 minutes away. It is a Land Cruiser so it should be bullet proof. It will seem right at home on the side of Sugarloaf Mountain Maine. I drove Monteros, Troopers, etc for years. We will deal with the step down after a 15years with X5s and Rangies.......AFTER 6+ MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP I CAN HONESTLY SAY THE LANDCRUISER LC250 HAS EXCEEDED JUST ABOUT EVERY CRITERIA I HOPED FOR....BY A LONG SHOT. It is quiet (I expect a bit of windnoise at 80 mph from a truck) but nothing that makes me speak loud, crank music, etc. I drive a CF tubbed 4C with zero sound proofing..... IMHO grossly overplayed complaint. Ride quality is far better than expected. Sure on washboards at 25, rebound would love some magnetic suspension bits so no biggie, pick the speed up to 40, problem solved and now LC is being driven as god intended. She drifts great!!!! Mileage is as good as any RR I owned and can be better if I behave. I have NO issues with the sound of the 2.4T. She pulls smooth like my 2011 X5d. Seats are actually more comfortable than my full sized RR for my body! My wife loves it and finds it shockingly comfortable.!!! It is supposedly hers... hehe. First white vehicle I have owned in 35years and shocker, on the dusty dirt road I live on it hides a lot of dust!!! Screens and controls in general are excellent. A few minor logistical niggles but I will live.
Now the You tube look at me comments. EVERYONE THAT SEES IT LOVES THE LOOK even the Euro fanboys acknowledge it looks like the real deal. Easy to find in a parking lot when you can't tell the difference between a Jag F pace, or was that a Mazda? half the 3 pointers, bmws have redefined hideous lately, Korean copycat of the month club... It has not needed a trip back to dealer. 100% perfect. It holds a ton of stuff, sectionals, snowblowers, 8 snow tires, etc.....

I never wasted my time looking at prior Land cruisers. If I was going to pay 75K for my 2016 RRS v ??LC200 of the era, I went RR. Same with my Westie v Lexus LX?5570? final years price of around 100 K and a generation old motor and design, Yup Westie for the win....but at the MSRP of this LC, Toyota handed the pricier competition a slap upside the head. LOVE IT and I was wicked lucky with my timing. I can see this LC being the mountainside bruiser for the next 10-15years.......pretty and new now but after 5 years or so just keeper clean on occasion and let her do her job. Well done Toyota...the generous powertrain specs are a bonus. So yes, it is the real deal, idiot.....go play with your old toys....

Nicely put!

LCDakota · May 20, 2026

Blue Bear said:
Reading your post made me realize that some of the "it's not a real Land Cruiser" crowd prefer the station wagon branch of the LC because they'll never take it off road. I prefer the 250 because it is the best of both worlds - it works great as a daily driver and tackles even difficult off road trails right out of the box. I wouldn't want the 300 series station wagon, even with the addition of the front locker. It's a bloated beast that would be a lot less nimble than the LC250 off road. I also wouldn't want the 70 series because it lacks the creature comforts I want in a daily driver. 70/250/300 - all Land Cruisers aimed at different wants and needs.

Agreed on the station wagon and larger SUV look of other series. 250 is uniquely Land Cruiser- you know it’s different. I’m super impressed with how it blends on road and off road capabilities. I watched a YouTube video of a guy taking a completely stock on 20s through Hells Revenge in Moab. Also saw a Prado in Australia PUSH a stuck truck out of the Outback. Not sure how you see that and say it’s a poser.

Calokie · May 21, 2026

I wonder where the oligarchs gatekeepers are these days, they used to troll every LC250 post harping about how their LC was "the real LC" meeting strict criteria; only 5 lugs, v8, <16 mpg average

I miss those days, it's fun seeing people's superiority complex and wondering what emotional scars they might have endured

Sugarloafer80 · May 21, 2026

Jethro Tull "Living in the Past"

Marinna · May 21, 2026

Calokie said:
I wonder where the oligarchs gatekeepers are these days, they used to troll every LC250 post harping about how their LC was "the real LC" meeting strict criteria; only 5 lugs, v8, <16 mpg average
I miss those days, it's fun seeing people's superiority complex and wondering what emotional scars they might have endured

I would guess Toyota internally have a model to predict the revenue impact for every 1MPG gain/loss they have on the cars, as well as BOM cost impact. For US market this would be the sweet spot from their marketing team. So for people who wants a different car a better way is to buy somewhere else. Arguing what a LC build needs to be will not bring anybody to anywhere.

Calokie · May 21, 2026

Sugarloafer80 said:
Jethro Tull "Living in the Past"

Judas Priest “Victim Of Changes”

LCDakota · May 24, 2026

ptahkeem · May 25, 2026

The way I see it is this…

Land Cruiser is in the name. If the gatekeepers want to gatekeep and blab about their old reliable classic LCs, fine by me. The LC250 is tested to keep people alive better in crashes, and with all the idiots on the road nowadays, I am happy to have a statistically better chance of surviving, or even avoiding, a crash than the OvErLaNdInG diehard in their old reliable rig.

Except… the joke’s on them when they have to replace every maintenance item and rubber part until they basically have a new old vehicle anyway. If this 250 only lasts 15 years, then so be it. I’ll probably want newer and safer tech by then anyway, assuming I’m still driving at that age lol.

I don’t know about you all, but I’d like to outlast my vehicle. I am more than happy to pay the new car price premium knowing my car is designed to sacrifice itself to keep my family and me safe. Give me all the sensors, warnings, and nagging nannies if they give me even half a percent better chance of living, staying intact, or avoiding some life altering injury.

Mangled body parts, concussions, and life altering injuries are not worth pretending old simplicity and “reliability” matter more than modern crash engineering. That’s straight up Darwin Award status. Humans are fragile AF, and I am happy my car has had the shit scienced out of it to keep me safe. At the end of the day, who really cares about lifts, tires, rooftop tents, suspension, or whatever else if you can’t even get to your destination in one piece? That ain’t cruising the land…

BoredomFestival · May 25, 2026

Anecdata: currently vacationing in Iceland and seeing a lot of LC250s, but not a single "classic" Land Cruiser. Given that winters here are, uh, harsh and the interior roads are often problematic even in summer, I see this as a clear indication of "worthiness".

(We didn't try to rent one because we're not doing anything harder than the occasional gravel road, and gas is quite expensive here, so a small hybrid made a lot more economic sense. As the saying goes, "Welcome to Iceland, where the weather is cold, but at least everything is expensive")

basicxj said:
The 4Runner isn't a Land Cruiser but it has its share of diehard fans. Whether the new LC250 meets others' criteria of "real" or not, the fact that it shares as much DNA as it does with the current 4Runner isn't a bad thing, and when you factor in that Toyota tweaked that platform to make a unique global platform that (IMHO) makes it better.

Whether Joe Random thinks the LC250 is worthy or not doesn't get in my way of appreciating ours.

BoredomFestival · May 25, 2026

Sugarloafer80 said:
The unfortunate land of Hollywood and those most fd up people in the country that influence the rest.....rarely for the bette

Take the politics to another forum, please.

FirstEditionLC2024 · May 25, 2026

I’ve had a 2020 LC 200 series and now two LC 250 series (2024 First Edition and 2026 LC). The 250 series is hands down a better drive. A smaller size is better on trails. The hybrid powertrain is smooth and full of torque. The 250 feels more nimble and agile. The ergonomics on the 200 series were dated. It felt like the steering wheel was in my lap. You definitely need trail turn assist on the 200 series. It’s a big boat to navigate off-road. I loved the 250 series so much that I ended up buying another one. The new electronic features and driving position are great. Most people whining about new LC 250 series “not being a real Land Cruiser” have never owned either of them.

Calokie · May 25, 2026

FirstEditionLC2024 said:
I’ve had a 2020 LC 200 series and now two LC 250 series (2024 First Edition and 2026 LC). The 250 series is hands down a better drive. A smaller size is better on trails. The hybrid powertrain is smooth and full of torque. The 250 feels more nimble and agile. The ergonomics on the 200 series were dated. It felt like the steering wheel was in my lap. You definitely need trail turn assist on the 200 series. It’s a big boat to navigate off-road. I loved the 250 series so much that I ended up buying another one. The new electronic features and driving position are great. Most people whining about new LC 250 series “not being a real Land Cruiser” have never owned either of them.

unfortunately I’ve never driven a 200 series but I’ve driven many high end cars. The 250 is by far the most comfortable and least fatiguing vehicle I’ve driven.

Sugarloafer80 · May 25, 2026

BoredomFestival said:
Take the politics to another forum, please.

Your flag suggests otherwise as it is a political statement. I was using (bitter) sarcasm in case you missed it.

RideWithYanu · May 25, 2026

Sugarloafer80 said:
Your flag suggests otherwise as it is a political statement. I was using (bitter) sarcasm in case you missed it.

The flag auto-shows for everyone and is based on the country of the IP address you’re connecting from. It’s not a statement at all as it’s involuntary. Now can we get back to arguing important stuff like which vehicle deserves what name?

Sugarloafer80 · May 25, 2026

Cuse my moment of sarcasm ....and you topic derailer that you are.

.......I agree. BTW, not calling a Land Cruiser a real Land Cruiser is pretty lame. End of discussion.

basicxj · May 25, 2026

RideWithYanu said:
The flag auto-shows for everyone and is based on the country of the IP address you’re connecting from. It’s not a statement at all as it’s involuntary. Now can we get back to arguing important stuff like which vehicle deserves what name?

I know, right? I tried to get the forum to fly the Jolly Roger in my profile but that was a no-go