LC outsells 4Runner in the US through May. What Toyota expected?

[AlexGates]

4R sales will overtake LC sales and end up selling 3-4x as many. The 4R is a very popular vehicle, everyone knows what a 4R is. A lot of people, you say "Land Cruiser" and they ask why you bought a British vehicle, they think you are talking about Land Rover if they are non-car people. IMHO the LC is a more "mature" vehicle, the 4R is "sporty."

I'll be honest, I'd like a 4R and hang a bunch of stuff off of it. I honestly like my LC just the way it is. Also, the 4R doesn't have a driver's grab handle and the pax grab handle is junk (same with the Taco). If you get, or someone you know is interested in a 4R, get the $400 aux switch package if you get the hybrid, it comes with an alternator and starter, just like the 700h. I saw a completely blacked out one the other day, it's looked good, aggressive.

But, as people have mentioned, the 4R is new and spooling up.

 

[D-mac]

This would be a departure to the strategy that Toyota has used for Land Cruisers in the USA historically, so I’m not sure why they would change that now.

I think way back in 2024 in the USA there was a special First Edition Land Cruiser, and before that a Heritage Edition 200 series, and also a 40th Anniversary Edition 80 series. Not sure why Toyota would change selling special editions of Land Cruisers in the US.

 

[RideWithYanu]

I think way back in 2024 in the USA there was a special First Edition Land Cruiser, and before that a Heritage Edition 200 series, and also a 40th Anniversary Edition 80 series. Not sure why Toyota would change selling special editions of Land Cruisers in the US.

We weren’t discussing special editions, we were discussing trims like TRD, which are standard trims, not special editions. The 250 series already has a special edition: First Edition.

 

[BlueCruiser]

Now that the dust has settled on the new generational releases with the 4R and Honda Passport, I think the 1958 model has comparatively moved up on the list of best value for the money.

What else can you get in the low to mid $50s with such good design and capability?

 

[DeepDive]

I think this is the key point. If Toyota could stack 30k + LC units on top of 100k to 120k 4R units ($1.8 B in revenue), I don't think they'll turn away from that given the premium on the LC. If LC cannibalizes 4R sales, then I think Toyota has a different but not necessarily bad problem - i.e., LC is the upper trim level for the 4R and does it make sense to keep LC and all the 4R trims?? I think people who want the LC are probably more like 4R buyers than Lexus GX buyers, but that's my working assumption and that could be wrong. So, the other play could be to get rid of the LC and drop a GX light model that has the same underpinnings as the LC. Personally, I don't like the GX styling, but maybe I'm an outlier.

I’m not sure you are an outlier. I would be more likely to purchase the Lexus than the 4Runner. Didn’t love the styling on the GX or the fuel economy, although the interior is definitely nicer. Ultimately, as an occasional off roader, the LC just made more sense to me.

Little doubt in my mind that the 4Runner will ultimately outsell the LC. Too entrenched in the marketplace as a dependable mid-level off road vehicle. Think it’s more about Toyota’s ability to ramp up production.

 

[brian254]

Hard to know how much of 250 sales since launch has been pent up demand that would have chosen a 4Runner if the new gen had been released sooner. (I’ve been surprised by the poll in this thread that shows that relatively few of us replaced a prior LC when buying our new 250.)

The LC has more subtle styling than the new 4Runner and that will pull some buyers to the 250, regardless of price.

Good point — I’m one of those buyers.

I originally planned to wait for the 2025 4Runner Limited with the hybrid powertrain, but a few things changed my mind:

1. Pricing and availability: When I bought my Land Cruiser in early May, there were very few 6th-gen 4Runners on the market — and the ones I found had steep markups, anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. Only one of them had the hybrid powertrain, and it was the one with the $15K markup. I don’t mind paying a bit more to get what I want when I want it — but not that much.
2. Tariff concerns: I was also worried that tariffs might push the already $62K+ MSRP of the '25 T4R Limited (and that's before dealer markup) even higher, possibly by another $5K–$15K. That would’ve put it well outside what I was willing to pay.
3. Land Cruiser deals: Local dealers were offering 2025 LC 1958s with markdowns in the $4,000–$4,500 range — and as we all know, the advertised price is just the starting point for negotiations.

So yes, I think quite a few of us ended up with an LC because the new 4Runner wasn’t available yet. But I have no regrets — I’m very happy with my decision and loving the Land Cruiser so far.

 

[ET2041]

Through May, the LC sold 24,451 units vs 24,358 for the 4Runner. Although May sales for the 4Runner at 6,662 units versus 4,508 for the LC suggest that the 4Runner might pull away in the back-half of the year. Numbers don't break out trim levels, which would be interesting to analyze (e.g., how does the 1958 do vs TRD OFF Road Premium).

The outgoing 4Runner regularly sold between 100,000 and 120,000 units. Outgoing LC (different beast) sales were in single digit thousands, Sales aren't necessarily evenly distributed through the year, but let's assume the sales rate is constant and each model's sales are consistent, this would land the combined sales at somewhere around 117,000 units. So the annual market for this type of vehicle appears to be pretty consistent. That said, the addition of the LC to the US Prado Platform vehicle likely increases the unit purchase price significantly. The question is whether that increased profit offsets the additional product costs - maybe.

It will be interesting to see what Toyota does with the two vehicles. LC sales are significant enough in the US that I don't see them discontinuing the LC, or even the 1958 for that matter. But, depending on how the experiment plays out, I could see them eliminating trim levels on the 4Runner, and possibly introducing a higher end LC with beefed up suspension and powertrain - possibly a TRD version.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Sales Figures

Toyota Land Cruiser monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales and statistics in the United States. Including data and interactive charts for the latest model year 2024 and crossover/suvs segment.

carfigures.com

2024 Toyota 4Runner Sales Figures

Toyota 4Runner monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales and statistics in the United States. Including data and interactive charts for the latest model year 2024 and crossover/suvs segment.

carfigures.com

That’s only because Toyota was so damn late bringing in the Gen 6 runners.

 

[chris_in_phx]

i think the biggest takeaway from this data is that the LC is doing well and probably will continue to do well. Its here to stay.

 

[what_have_they_done]

Not surprised considering how soulless new 4runner is.