Wow....to end my part of the topic, I received my 1K refund today and it's back in the bank! I drove a 6th Gen 4runner, but even then the LC is more comfortable and still my choice between the two. I am very pleased with my decision and will enjoy the hell out of the Land Cruiser.
Just put a deposit down on a TRD Pro 4Runner
- Thread starter Proyota
- Start date
I shopped 4runner to LC and your comparison is SPOT ON for the seating position and handling.
I went LC - it felt more mature and grown up; something I could wheel on the weekends and yet my boss and I can drive to lunch during the week. The 4Runner felt boy-racerish to me which I still really like and respect.
I went LC - it felt more mature and grown up; something I could wheel on the weekends and yet my boss and I can drive to lunch during the week. The 4Runner felt boy-racerish to me which I still really like and respect.
Hey guys - Just wanted to close the loop on this thread. I picked up my Mudbath Pro last Friday (April 11) from Toyota of Newport (Newport Oregon) and drove it home on Saturday (I live 25 miles north of Seattle). I took backroads home; it was 325 miles and took about seven hours.
I wanted to share my thoughts on the new TRD Pro 4Runner compared to the Land Cruiser it replaced. My Land Cruiser only did a little over 2,000 miles before it was written off in a crash (footage in a different thread). So, while I only had my LC for 6 months, and I've only put 500 miles on my new truck, I have seen enough to make some general comments.
These thoughts are neither positive nor negative, just observations:
You sit lower in the 4R. Almost like a bathtub. In the LC it's more like a stagecoach, you sit higher, and it feels like you are riding on it
The 4R is much nimbler on its feet. It changes direction much quicker. Maybe because it is not fulltime 4wd? On a related note, I haven't seen any of the "nose dive" that was present in my Gen 5 TRD Pro 4R
A 14" Nav screen is ridiculous. I preferred the 12" screen in the LC. I do like the digital displays in the HVAC controls. The heated seats seem to be hotter in the 4R than in my LC
The 4R seems quicker off the line, like the throttle tip in is a little more aggressive. The Pro comes with a "TRD Performance Exhaust" and a "TRD Performance Air Intake." The end result is more noise. You hear the turbo more which I don't mind, but the exhaust does drone a bit. One thing that is kinda cool, when the engine kicks on from the battery the exhaust makes a cool "barking" noise.
The digital rear view camera on the 4R sits way lower than the LC. It makes a Jeep Patriot look like a monster truck. Hahaha it's wild. But it is mounted outside, I never liked how the LC camera was mounted behind the rear glass. And I am so glad I am back in a 4R for the ability to roll-down the rear window.
The start button on the 4R isn't down near the drive mode button like on the LC. I do prefer the flat phone charging service on the LC vs. the angled surface on the 4R.
Things I am going to miss from my LC: Heads-Up Display, Color Changing Fog Lights, and of course fulltime 4x4.
I am super happy with the 4R, I don't like the gloss flares, but those are in the process of being taken care of. I am happy to answer any questions. I think the LC is a more mature, refined, higher end product. But I am a 54yo guy going on 18, so the 4R is a good fit for me
Congrats on the new new 4R! That color looks sharp! Great choice! I am sure you'll create lots of memories with it!
I have a LC FE, the dealership wants it so bad they’ll give me a 25 Trd pro and eat the 30 K I still owe on the Land Cruiser.
Land Cruiser 30k better in your book? Honestly curious..
I agree with what you said, although there is something to be said that you can jump a railroad track in the Trd pro and barely feel the landing.
What do you think about the front seats?
Are Land Cruiser seats noticeably more comfy? Especially after four hours driving, I going to be mad to get back in the 4runner for the next four hour leg?
I only got to drive the 4runner around the block, I can’t argue any of your points, but honestly give me an inch more ground clearance and same shocks as the pro and I’d consider the LC a perfect vehicle for me.
I can't answer if the LC front seat is better than the 4R (as I have not sat inside the new 4R TRD Pro myself). However the deciding fact for me was:
1. Taller head room in the LC (I am 6'2)
2. I like the dash layout better in the LC, feels more refined and design language flows better.
3. I like the exterior of the LC much better.
I drive quite a lot for work, and so far after 3500 miles in my LC, I gotta say the seats are very very comfortable for my anatomy.
The fact that they want it, that bad, says a lot. You will rue the day you let it go.
You neglected to mention the expert design work on the trailer hitch cover on the LC. The lack of storage space could have been partially addressed by keeping the cubby holes beneath the front door latches as in the 5th gen.
It is expert, the trailer hitch cover also functions as a rooftop carrier, you know you’re backtracking correctly when you see it laying on the trail, you can use it as a watering trough for cattle. It also functions as a helmet for hail.
That being said, I pulled it off before I drove out of the dealership, It did look good in the recycle bin at home. Little bit of a new car smell to your recyclables.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #52
I jumped in the 4R and drove it 7 hours with only a couple of quick stops. I wasn't sore or uncomfortable at all. The seats are definitely different between the two. One thing from the LC was I found myself trying to sit more upright, or else I couldn't use the HUD. Given my 4R doesn't have that, it's no longer a problem
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #53
Dude, they are basically offering you 100k for your FE? What color is the 4R Pro? I don't really see your choice as "is the LC FE 30k better than the 4R Pro" but more of a "FE with 30k in debt or 4R Pro free and clear."
In reality the MSRP on the FE was about 11k more. You can still find new FE's for around 90k and low mileage examples go for between 73-77k. I was shopping used FE's as replacement for my LC P+.
I love 4Runners but I do think the 6th gen looks a bit like the guy that spent too much time in the gym. It's a small quibble but aesthetically I like the look of both the LC 1958 and LC Land Cruiser trims more. I think the pricing options on the 4Runners are better and no question 4Runners hold their value. We paid $45K for a 4Runner Limited in 2014 (for a 2015) and we got $23,500 for it ten and a half years later.
My 2012 Trail Edition was $37K back in 2013. I was offered 15.5K towards a new 2025 TRD Pro which I put money down and which had a sticker of $75,995 with dealer markup and other add ons. I drove the 2025 4runner Off Road Premium (non-Hybrid) and was impressed.
2 weeks later the Tariff's were coming and I test drove a 2025 LC/LC with premium package and some other goodies. THAT sold me on a Land Cruiser and the dealer offered 16K for my 4runner which had 103K miles on it. The 4runner is a great vehicle hands down, but a LC properly equiped can do the same thing any 4runner can do and it is a far better driving vehicle. I got my deposit back after I threw down on my LC. I love it, and I actually saved over 5K over the TRD Pro.
Not sure why any dealer would eat 30K on a used vehicle, sounds odd. Of course an FE is not 'worth' 30k more than a TRD Pro (although apparently it is to them?), but the right vehicle is the right vehicle. The 5th Gen TRD Pro was close enough for me, the 6th Gen, not so much, although the suspension is interesting.
Someone needs to take a LandCruiser on that course and jump it, I'm guessing it would survive just fine. Of course, Toyota would not want anyone to know that.
Sounds like you got a solid deal. I would hate to be shopping under tariff pressure. We got a 2024 and a 2025 in pre-tariff January and they were somewhat willing to deal. Now I don't see a lot of lower priced 1958s on the lots, mostly higher priced LC/LCs. Thankfully I like the look of both and if the fabric seats need replacing down the line I can add leather then.
Once the tariffs were announced, people like me who were on the fence jumped to buy now causing all of those low cost based models and 1958's to sell ASAP.
Yes and I think those dealers I talked to then would have told me to pound sand now. There's a search feature on that Car Edge site that I find interesting, I don't know how accurate it is but it shows the inventory of various vehicles and I've saved the Land Cruiser query and refresh it a couple of times a week. I've seen the nationwide inventory (I think this might include in stock, transit and production) go from as high as over 10K vehicles down to 6300 in the last couple of months. I just find that interesting and probably helpful if the car you're negotiating for has a high inventory.
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