In Praise Of... The Mis-Cast and Misunderstood LC250

[Altitude]

I have driven BMW turbo 4s and agree that those are smoother sounding (and running) and get why even just a smooth sound vs one that sounds clattery probably appeals to more people overall. But for me, that sound and smoothness is appropriate for a German sports sedan but absolutely out of place in a rugged BOF truck if it has to be coarse and clattery vs smooth and angry. Given the personality of a Land Cruiser, the more agricultural and diesel like sound suits it fine, but I'm likely in the minority with this opinion given I am an enthusiast vs. the plain down the fairway buyer who doesn't care about lineage, purpose, etc and just thinks "this is a somewhat expensive car and I could have bought a _______ (fill in the smooth crossover) for the same price and its got a smooth and quiet engine".

Fair enough. I also think the engine sounds fine in the LC. Many don’t though, and every review I’ve read mentions it. Just saying that had Toyota made it a priority, it would have been possible to refine the engine sound a bit.

 

[The Duke]

I feel compelled to write a review for the LC250 after seeing so many negative or mixed reviews and having recently had a loaner Tundra non-Hybrid with the GX550 engine for 5 days. I have sit in the Lexus GX550 at the dealer and in a neighbor's and have now driven (in the form of the Tundra) that drivetrain (albeit the North American produced version and not the Japanese assembled version) and came away with several take-aways. For starters, that Tundra engine is butter smooth and accordingly, the soundtrack is deep, throaty and akin to the sound of ripping velvet. It's a lively motor with a relatively linear response and you can clearly feel the hole-shot acceleration from a dead-stop in a way the LC250 does not have. While it was a loaner vehicle, I never drove it like it wasn't my own and in the 5 days of mixed highway and local driving, I was getting 12.4 MPGs. The car was on Falken Wildpeaks and they were 3-ply 35" but the mileage was abysmal. Fun sounds and smooth power delivery but those MPGs are not for me.

People often say, given the price and similarities, the GX550 is the clear winner over the LC250. It's not for everyone, but for me, that is definitely not the case. I don't need to consistently tow over 6k lbs. The LC250 iForce Max powertrain is coarse and it sounds gruff and clattery... like a turbo-diesel. One of my neighbors drives a BMW turbo-diesel wagon so I hear that clatter often and it reminds me of many adventures abroad where diesels abound. I often read people complaining about the LC250 not offering the twin-turbo 6 from the GX550 or that they wish the non-U.S. market turbo diesel drivetrain was an option in North America. For the former, I feel like you should just buy the GX550 and be happy and for the latter, the existing powertrain offering is pretty much the sound, feel and delivery of a turbo diesel in the form of a gasoline engine. In fact, it very much reminds me of the power and sound of the prior gen turbo diesel Prados I rented and drove in Costa Rica and Iceland over the years... not super quick but powerful and with lots of grunty low-end which suits their use case in those environments and most rugged terrain driving. The styling of the Land Cruiser, it being a Toyota and not a Lexus and the interior materials (real leather for higher trims vs Nu Luxe) and layout (more buttons), upper rear passenger air vents (better for rear-facing kid car seats) much better suits my tastes and needs. The Land Cruiser feels like a very nice but still utilitarian tool car vs a more opulent and overtly stylized (but still handsome) car like the Lexus. I really dislike how wide and low the front grill of the GX550 sits but think the colors they offer it in are nice.

My LC250 is sitting on E-Load rated 285 70 R18 tires and when I drive it in Eco mode and drive smoothly, I am still averaging 18-21 in the city and 22-24 MPGs on the flatter highways. Today I did an hour drive (44 miles in each direction) to the mountains and was getting 14.72 MPGs (corrected for tire size) on the way out and climbing up the mountain to the lake and 42.26 MPGs on the way back down for a round trip average of 28.49 MPGs. Anytime I need to call on power to keep my car moving (even at higher elevation) or to overtake others, it has plenty of power. To me, the diesel like power delivery, clattery sounds... all if it has character and the drivetrain seems fit for purpose if you want a rugged and utilitarian go-anywhere BOF SUV. I think many of the most critical reviews of this car come from people who have very different needs and expectations which isn't entirely their fault, since the LC 200 and LC 300 are much more comfort focused offerings, but to me this LC250 is plenty nice while still remaining functionally utilitarian and nimble and I think Toyota hit it out of the park.

Very enjoyable read. Well written and comprehensive.