Thoughts and Ramblings on my 1 year anniversary

[Esquire]

I've had my FE 250 since October of 2024 and it now has nearly 26,000 miles, including multiple off-road trips. I came to this from a long series of BMWs and Yukon Denalis. I traded an X7 for this. I enjoyed my BMWs and GMCs but have never missed any of them for one second. This is the first time I have owned a new car (30 or so in the last 30 years) that I have no intention of selling and cannot imagine parting with. I love mine, despite its warts (small tank, lack of interior storage, single pane windows). This is a fantastic vehicle and I love being in it.

Also, to TheMightyGoose, I like the 4 Wheel Drive badge and its correct, off-center placement. I have the Full Time 4WD badge, that I had painted piano black to match all the other piano black bits, and it is similarly placed. Great write up!

I bought mine in October 2024 and have been very impressed with it. I've had a long list of vehicles as well and the Land Cruiser is definitely at the top.
Toyota hit is out of the park with this Land Cruiser across the board.

I have slightly fewer miles on mine though.....I just turned 4,700 miles. Ha

 

[Nor Cal Cruiser]

I bought mine in October 2024 and have been very impressed with it. I've had a long list of vehicles as well and the Land Cruiser is definitely at the top.
Toyota hit is out of the park with this Land Cruiser across the board.

I have slightly fewer miles on mine though.....I just turned 4,700 miles. Ha

Damn! Wish I could keep mine low mileage but it is the daily driver and gets every family trip mile.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

I've had my FE 250 since October of 2024 and it now has nearly 26,000 miles, including multiple off-road trips. I came to this from a long series of BMWs and Yukon Denalis. I traded an X7 for this. I enjoyed my BMWs and GMCs but have never missed any of them for one second. This is the first time I have owned a new car (30 or so in the last 30 years) that I have no intention of selling and cannot imagine parting with. I love mine, despite its warts (small tank, lack of interior storage, single pane windows). This is a fantastic vehicle and I love being in it.

Also, to TheMightyGoose, I like the 4 Wheel Drive badge and its correct, off-center placement. I have the Full Time 4WD badge, that I had painted piano black to match all the other piano black bits, and it is similarly placed. Great write up!

I feel like I should have gotten the badge from the 60 series, considering the 250 is closer to a 60 series. But I just like that badge from the 40’s. . Thanks for the compliment

 

[Scrappopatamus]

Nice. Great read, really enjoyed

 

[LCOceans]

Very nice story and write up. I feel we are living parallel lives with all the 4Runners and how we feel about this land cruiser. Mine is a surf vehicle too but on the east coast. I would love to have this truck out in San Diego with better surf and fun places to drive it!

 

[TheMightyGoose]

Very nice story and write up. I feel we are living parallel lives with all the 4Runners and how we feel about this land cruiser. Mine is a surf vehicle too but on the east coast. I would love to have this truck out in San Diego with better surf and fun places to drive it!

I love it. Here's a little shot of what you missed today. LOL. Small day. But super clean and fun.

 

[Scrappopatamus]

I resided in PB and La Jolla right after college from 82 thru 84. Loved the beach life.

 

[LCOceans]

@TheMightyGoose and @Scrappopatamus -You guys are killing me. La Jolla first place I surfed out of east coast. College 1987 I am in business school and in the best bar for music in Norfolk VA when I run into this girl who gave off some kind of unusual vibe and I was attracted like a magnet. Got to talking and sure enough, she was in Norfolk for medical school after graduating from UCSD, and loved surfing. So much so that she had surfed on the surf team, and had a key to the Blacks Beach parking lot at bottom, which back in the day came with being on that team. In time I would make my first trip to CA and stay with her in her home in La Jolla Shores. I would walk to the beach and to Scripps Pier from the home while she worked. Would get these insane tacos in the little restaurants and markets in the neighborhood. Those were the days!! 35 years later we are still friends and still talking surf.
This is a long story with nothing to do with the LC - but if one thing has priority over the LC it is surfing. There is nothing like it.

 

[JoeDirt]

Today marks exactly one year, and 16,804 miles with my 2025 Land Cruiser. I picked it up from Toyota of Manhattan Beach in California on 12-10-2024.
View attachment 54804

If you're in the market for one of these, or a fairly new owner, I'll share a little about my first year of ownership. If you've already had one for a bit and you've got your own opinions, I'm not trying to convince you of anything otherwise.

In the past 27 years I've owned three 4Runners (the '99 was my favorite), a 2014 Tundra, 2016 Tacoma, 2023 RAV4 Prime, and now this. The Land Cruisers were always my dream vehicle, but by the time I was earning enough money to buy what I really wanted, the LC's were into the 100 Series. Once LC's hit the 100 series, I felt like Toyota started chasing the G-Wagon and Range Rover crowd/demographic and kind of lost their way with the platform. The 100 series Land Cruiser's were out of my budget, and didn't really appeal to me anyway. Then the 200 series came along and I just couldn't understand why Toyota was chasing the luxury market. We do a fair bit of off roading and I never saw a 200 series on the trail. Fast forward to the last year and a half of watching the forums, and I can maybe understand why Toyota was chasing the luxury market with LC platform.... MANY people in the LC crowd are SOFT! Over the past couple years I've seen nearly every forum, YouTube video, and all other discussion on the 250. I won't rehash any of it, but I just have to say, I don't agree with ANY of it! I've been on the 4Runner forums longer than my squirrel-brain memory can compute, and I've never seen the same complaints, whines, or otherwise. And this LC is MUCH nicer than any of the 4Runners. We still have a 2019 with 110k miles. The LC drives nicer, tows better, rides smoother, corners better, has MUCH more power and torque (especially when towing our off road trailer) and gets better MPG. Am I really supposed to find something to complain about???

Immediately after purchasing, I switched out the tires to Yokohama Geolandar G018 in stock size in preparation for a winter trip to Yosemite. The stock Michelin's were nice but I wanted the comfort of the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake. The guy at Discount Tire gave me $600 for the take-offs! And I thought I would be on the hook for a disposal fee. LOL. I also switched out the center caps for the "TOYOTA" ones from the 200 series LC Heritage Edition.
View attachment 54805

Also came up with a cool little storage solution for the Ice Box center console. I guess it's true that necessity is the mother of invention:
View attachment 54883
View attachment 54882
In January 2025 we took our first trip in the LC, up to Yosemite from San Diego. Averaged 22-25MPG the whole way there on the Yokohamas. Probably would have been a tick higher on the Michelins. Drove like a dream. Up over the Grapevine was absolutely nothing for the LC, and it pulled like my old Tundra with the 5.7L. Inside, we kept so nice and warm between the heated seats and steering wheel. The full-time 4WD never gave me cause for concern on the icy mountain roads. It was truly a peaceful refuge from the harsh Sierra Winter.
View attachment 54880
View attachment 54881
We tent-camped one night using our backpacking gear. A bear even came through at night to admire the LC, and knock a few of our dishes on the ground. LOL. I think the nighttime low was somewhere around 10 degrees. That's Fahrenheit! LOL.
View attachment 54809

The drive back to San Diego was smooth, averaging 24-25MPG the whole way. Win!

Our next trip was to the desert. I got the LC properly fitted to tow and charge our 2020 Patriot X1. Love that thing. Here's proof that Las Vegas isn't all just casinos and buffets!

View attachment 54811

Our first night was in a bit of a canyon. The weather was good and wind was non-existent. If you've ever tried to tent camp in the desert, you know how much it's appreciated when the wind isn't howling.

View attachment 54813

We only stayed here one night, as there isn't much to keep busy during the day. We drove out to Lake Mead and were able to find a spot right on the water's edge.

View attachment 54877
View attachment 54878
After a night of insanely brutal winds, we bailed on this spot. The winds were absolutely abusive. At one point we had to get into the LC because it seriously felt like the tent wouldn't hold up. Mountain camping is something I like better. LOL

If you haven't seen the Valley of Fire outside of Las Vegas, it should be on your list. It's absolutely amazing, but there isn't any dispersed camping. You'll need reservations at one of the few campgrounds, but if you do score one, you won't regret it. The area is stunning
View attachment 54879

Between trips, the LC pulled duty shuttling me between MTB rides and as an every day beach shuttle. My wife says the exhaust makes it sound like a surf mobile. I like that.

View attachment 54868View attachment 54869

In June we made a trip to the Eastern Sierras. I prefer mountain camping, but the Eastern Sierras in Winter isn’t an option. Knowing we’d be hitting some moderate trails, I upgraded the armor to the the OEM rock sliders and transmission skid plate. The dealer package already had the upgraded engine skid plate. Those OEM rock sliders were super easy to install, lightweight and perfect for my needs, as I primarily need them for insurance. We don’t seek out rock-crawling trails.

View attachment 54870

Our travels were going to take us pretty deep into the Eastern Sierras, so a simple fix for the range-anxiety prone:

View attachment 54871

A quick fill-up before we headed into the mountains, and we never came close to worrying about range. And we were pretty deep into the woods on rugged terrain.

The drive into Kennedy Meadows from Hwy 395 is long and up a VERY steep mountain road. The LC never struggled pulling the trailer. You get way, way up there. I think we were close to 11,000 feet at one point. There is a ton of stuff to see up there, but we headed to the more popular area known as Monache Meadows. Once you’re in the meadows, the trails are fairly tame. But the drop in and the climb out can be challenging. The LC ran like a champ pulling our Patriot.

View attachment 54872

The area could seriously be used by Toyota as an advertising campaign. It looked like a festival for heavily modified and customized Toyotas. We were one of the few running close to stock. It was fun being able to disconnect from the trailer and spend the day exploring.

View attachment 54873

The climb out had me worried due to the trailer. We got caught in a bit of a caravan of HEAVILY modified 4Runners and Tacos. That last climb out is heavily rutted, and running over some huge boulders. Some guy in an '87, 2WD Ranger couldn't make the climb and had to be winched up. I watched as the Tacos and 4Runners bounced around, trying to find traction. Pretty sure not one of them was under GVWR. A bit of anxiety started to set in considering the 2500# anchor. I disconnected the sway bar, put it in 4LO and she climbed right out. I could actually feel the LC giving me that look like, “You actually thought that would be tough for me?” The guys in the 4Runners and Tacos stopped me later and said they were all quite impressed.

The rest of the trip went without a hitch and we found a few other places to make for a nice camp.

View attachment 54874


After returning to San Diego, LC went back to service as my daily surf mobile, shuttling me enjoyably to my surf sessions, and post-session fish tacos. If you can afford early retirement, I highly recommend it. I count my blessings every day. It’s a good life.

So today marks one year, 16,804 miles. I love this rig more every day.

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking about getting one, know this: It’s a body-on-frame 4x4. It drives nicer and smoother than anything I’ve ever driven. It’s not a G-Wagon. It’s not a 200 series LC. It’s not a Lexus LX. Be honest with yourself about what kind of car you want. Considering some of the numerous complaints and whines I've seen repeated ad nauseam, I’ll say only this: You bought the wrong car. You would have been happier in a Highlander. To some of the early owners who’ve had catastrophic failures? I have nothing. I feel bad for you. But this is my seventh Toyota and not one of my other six ever gave me any reason to worry about Toyota’s commitment to Quality Dependability, and Reliability. If the turbos need to be rebuilt at 200k miles, so be it. The adventures this will take me on up to that point will be worth it. I grew up in the era when domestic cars were basically thrown in the dumpster after 100k miles. Toyota changed that.

If you think you'll be doing a fair bit of off-road driving, get the disconnecting sway bar. It's worth it. Never even thought about using the rear lockers. Didn't even really need crawl control.

What this is, is a proper off-roader with all the road handling comforts you’d expect from a modern vehicle. And I think it’s priced correctly for what it is. I will defend my claim that it is the perfect Toyota vehicle. This is the vehicle that convinced me to part with my ’99 4Runner, which was the car I swore I’d never sell. The LC has ensured that I’ve never had a day of regret.

I look forward to the many more years, miles, and adventures I’m sure to have in my 2025 LC!

Right there with you. 1.5 years and loving every mile….recognize some North County shots in there, see you around town.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

@TheMightyGoose and @Scrappopatamus -You guys are killing me. La Jolla first place I surfed out of east coast. College 1987 I am in business school and in the best bar for music in Norfolk VA when I run into this girl who gave off some kind of unusual vibe and I was attracted like a magnet. Got to talking and sure enough, she was in Norfolk for medical school after graduating from UCSD, and loved surfing. So much so that she had surfed on the surf team, and had a key to the Blacks Beach parking lot at bottom, which back in the day came with being on that team. In time I would make my first trip to CA and stay with her in her home in La Jolla Shores. I would walk to the beach and to Scripps Pier from the home while she worked. Would get these insane tacos in the little restaurants and markets in the neighborhood. Those were the days!! 35 years later we are still friends and still talking surf.
This is a long story with nothing to do with the LC - but if one thing has priority over the LC it is surfing. There is nothing like it.

Cool story. Surfing is so beneficial on so many levels. I started surfing in the late 80’s, early 90’s. The lineups are much more crowded these days. It makes me wish for the old days. But most people are chill. Take the good with the bad. I don’t have to work anymore so I can choose less crowded times to go.

 

[LMiller]

Great read. I had a 2001 4Runner that I still miss. I tested the 4Runner, LC and Grand Highlander all on the same day, each with different engine options. Weirdly, the Grand Highlander was my second choice, but the LC just felt right.

My husband says they need to make it a little bigger and add storage. I said that’s what the Sequoia or LX are for. Yes, storage could be better (and maybe massage seats. ) but this is the vehicle I was looking for. I didn’t want something bigger living in the city. I’ve not regretted anything about my purchase.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

Great read. I had a 2001 4Runner that I still miss. I tested the 4Runner, LC and Grand Highlander all on the same day, each with different engine options. Weirdly, the Grand Highlander was my second choice, but the LC just felt right.

My husband says they need to make it a little bigger and add storage. I said that’s what the Sequoia or LX are for. Yes, storage could be better (and maybe massage seats. ) but this is the vehicle I was looking for. I didn’t want something bigger living in the city. I’ve not regretted anything about my purchase.

100%. I had the Tundra. And while I loved it, it was just too big. It was really nice on the highway. But around town or out on the trails, it was just too big. Storage hasn’t really been an issue for me in the LC. I’ve found some good solutions. The key is just getting organized

 

[PDundon]

Today marks exactly one year, and 16,804 miles with my 2025 Land Cruiser. I picked it up from Toyota of Manhattan Beach in California on 12-10-2024.
View attachment 54804

If you're in the market for one of these, or a fairly new owner, I'll share a little about my first year of ownership. If you've already had one for a bit and you've got your own opinions, I'm not trying to convince you of anything otherwise.

In the past 27 years I've owned three 4Runners (the '99 was my favorite), a 2014 Tundra, 2016 Tacoma, 2023 RAV4 Prime, and now this. The Land Cruisers were always my dream vehicle, but by the time I was earning enough money to buy what I really wanted, the LC's were into the 100 Series. Once LC's hit the 100 series, I felt like Toyota started chasing the G-Wagon and Range Rover crowd/demographic and kind of lost their way with the platform. The 100 series Land Cruiser's were out of my budget, and didn't really appeal to me anyway. Then the 200 series came along and I just couldn't understand why Toyota was chasing the luxury market. We do a fair bit of off roading and I never saw a 200 series on the trail. Fast forward to the last year and a half of watching the forums, and I can maybe understand why Toyota was chasing the luxury market with LC platform.... MANY people in the LC crowd are SOFT! Over the past couple years I've seen nearly every forum, YouTube video, and all other discussion on the 250. I won't rehash any of it, but I just have to say, I don't agree with ANY of it! I've been on the 4Runner forums longer than my squirrel-brain memory can compute, and I've never seen the same complaints, whines, or otherwise. And this LC is MUCH nicer than any of the 4Runners. We still have a 2019 with 110k miles. The LC drives nicer, tows better, rides smoother, corners better, has MUCH more power and torque (especially when towing our off road trailer) and gets better MPG. Am I really supposed to find something to complain about???

Immediately after purchasing, I switched out the tires to Yokohama Geolandar G018 in stock size in preparation for a winter trip to Yosemite. The stock Michelin's were nice but I wanted the comfort of the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake. The guy at Discount Tire gave me $600 for the take-offs! And I thought I would be on the hook for a disposal fee. LOL. I also switched out the center caps for the "TOYOTA" ones from the 200 series LC Heritage Edition.
View attachment 54805

Also came up with a cool little storage solution for the Ice Box center console. I guess it's true that necessity is the mother of invention:
View attachment 54883
View attachment 54882
In January 2025 we took our first trip in the LC, up to Yosemite from San Diego. Averaged 22-25MPG the whole way there on the Yokohamas. Probably would have been a tick higher on the Michelins. Drove like a dream. Up over the Grapevine was absolutely nothing for the LC, and it pulled like my old Tundra with the 5.7L. Inside, we kept so nice and warm between the heated seats and steering wheel. The full-time 4WD never gave me cause for concern on the icy mountain roads. It was truly a peaceful refuge from the harsh Sierra Winter.
View attachment 54880
View attachment 54881
We tent-camped one night using our backpacking gear. A bear even came through at night to admire the LC, and knock a few of our dishes on the ground. LOL. I think the nighttime low was somewhere around 10 degrees. That's Fahrenheit! LOL.
View attachment 54809

The drive back to San Diego was smooth, averaging 24-25MPG the whole way. Win!

Our next trip was to the desert. I got the LC properly fitted to tow and charge our 2020 Patriot X1. Love that thing. Here's proof that Las Vegas isn't all just casinos and buffets!

View attachment 54811

Our first night was in a bit of a canyon. The weather was good and wind was non-existent. If you've ever tried to tent camp in the desert, you know how much it's appreciated when the wind isn't howling.

View attachment 54813

We only stayed here one night, as there isn't much to keep busy during the day. We drove out to Lake Mead and were able to find a spot right on the water's edge.

View attachment 54877
View attachment 54878
After a night of insanely brutal winds, we bailed on this spot. The winds were absolutely abusive. At one point we had to get into the LC because it seriously felt like the tent wouldn't hold up. Mountain camping is something I like better. LOL

If you haven't seen the Valley of Fire outside of Las Vegas, it should be on your list. It's absolutely amazing, but there isn't any dispersed camping. You'll need reservations at one of the few campgrounds, but if you do score one, you won't regret it. The area is stunning
View attachment 54879

Between trips, the LC pulled duty shuttling me between MTB rides and as an every day beach shuttle. My wife says the exhaust makes it sound like a surf mobile. I like that.

View attachment 54868View attachment 54869

In June we made a trip to the Eastern Sierras. I prefer mountain camping, but the Eastern Sierras in Winter isn’t an option. Knowing we’d be hitting some moderate trails, I upgraded the armor to the the OEM rock sliders and transmission skid plate. The dealer package already had the upgraded engine skid plate. Those OEM rock sliders were super easy to install, lightweight and perfect for my needs, as I primarily need them for insurance. We don’t seek out rock-crawling trails.

View attachment 54870

Our travels were going to take us pretty deep into the Eastern Sierras, so a simple fix for the range-anxiety prone:

View attachment 54871

A quick fill-up before we headed into the mountains, and we never came close to worrying about range. And we were pretty deep into the woods on rugged terrain.

The drive into Kennedy Meadows from Hwy 395 is long and up a VERY steep mountain road. The LC never struggled pulling the trailer. You get way, way up there. I think we were close to 11,000 feet at one point. There is a ton of stuff to see up there, but we headed to the more popular area known as Monache Meadows. Once you’re in the meadows, the trails are fairly tame. But the drop in and the climb out can be challenging. The LC ran like a champ pulling our Patriot.

View attachment 54872

The area could seriously be used by Toyota as an advertising campaign. It looked like a festival for heavily modified and customized Toyotas. We were one of the few running close to stock. It was fun being able to disconnect from the trailer and spend the day exploring.

View attachment 54873

The climb out had me worried due to the trailer. We got caught in a bit of a caravan of HEAVILY modified 4Runners and Tacos. That last climb out is heavily rutted, and running over some huge boulders. Some guy in an '87, 2WD Ranger couldn't make the climb and had to be winched up. I watched as the Tacos and 4Runners bounced around, trying to find traction. Pretty sure not one of them was under GVWR. A bit of anxiety started to set in considering the 2500# anchor. I disconnected the sway bar, put it in 4LO and she climbed right out. I could actually feel the LC giving me that look like, “You actually thought that would be tough for me?” The guys in the 4Runners and Tacos stopped me later and said they were all quite impressed.

The rest of the trip went without a hitch and we found a few other places to make for a nice camp.

View attachment 54874


After returning to San Diego, LC went back to service as my daily surf mobile, shuttling me enjoyably to my surf sessions, and post-session fish tacos. If you can afford early retirement, I highly recommend it. I count my blessings every day. It’s a good life.

So today marks one year, 16,804 miles. I love this rig more every day.

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking about getting one, know this: It’s a body-on-frame 4x4. It drives nicer and smoother than anything I’ve ever driven. It’s not a G-Wagon. It’s not a 200 series LC. It’s not a Lexus LX. Be honest with yourself about what kind of car you want. Considering some of the numerous complaints and whines I've seen repeated ad nauseam, I’ll say only this: You bought the wrong car. You would have been happier in a Highlander. To some of the early owners who’ve had catastrophic failures? I have nothing. I feel bad for you. But this is my seventh Toyota and not one of my other six ever gave me any reason to worry about Toyota’s commitment to Quality Dependability, and Reliability. If the turbos need to be rebuilt at 200k miles, so be it. The adventures this will take me on up to that point will be worth it. I grew up in the era when domestic cars were basically thrown in the dumpster after 100k miles. Toyota changed that.

If you think you'll be doing a fair bit of off-road driving, get the disconnecting sway bar. It's worth it. Never even thought about using the rear lockers. Didn't even really need crawl control.

What this is, is a proper off-roader with all the road handling comforts you’d expect from a modern vehicle. And I think it’s priced correctly for what it is. I will defend my claim that it is the perfect Toyota vehicle. This is the vehicle that convinced me to part with my ’99 4Runner, which was the car I swore I’d never sell. The LC has ensured that I’ve never had a day of regret.

I look forward to the many more years, miles, and adventures I’m sure to have in my 2025 LC!

Thank you, and I will say that my 1958 trim 2025 LC is the vehicle that convinced ME to sell my beloved FJ cruiser. A word about retirement: I'm at the 10 year mark and it's great but life is long nowadays so keep truckin' safely.

 

[PDundon]

We had to take the Amtrak up from San Diego. It was the only place which had the build I wanted and no dealer markup. They were pretty cool.

Same, took the Altamont commuter train to Stockton ($7.50 senior rate) to pick op the LC. Love public trans!

 

[TheMightyGoose]

Thank you, and I will say that my 1958 trim 2025 LC is the vehicle that convinced ME to sell my beloved FJ cruiser. A word about retirement: I'm at the 10 year mark and it's great but life is long nowadays so keep truckin' safely.

My plan is to live long enough to bankrupt the retirement system

 

[PDPete]

Once LC's hit the 100 series, I felt like Toyota started chasing the G-Wagon and Range Rover crowd/demographic and kind of lost their way with the platform. The 100 series Land Cruiser's were out of my budget, and didn't really appeal to me anyway. Then the 200 series came along and I just couldn't understand why Toyota was chasing the luxury market.

Yeah, I was always enamored with 60 and 80 series LCs growing up, but never really aspired to own a 100 or 200 series...yes, part of that was the fact that I couldn't afford them, but also because I've always been more drawn more to vehicles with a rugged, purpose-built appearance...and while there's no denying that the 100 and 200 series LCs are more than capable, to me they just looked like vehicles meant for a suburban business exec or wealthy soccer parent type...more bells and whistles and focus on "luxury" than I'd ever want or need...to larger degree, IMO, than the 60 or 80 series that came before them ever did.

Would I have bought one if I could have easily afforded one? I dunno, maybe...but honestly the 4Runner or Prado (despite not being available in the US aside from the Lexus GX) was always more my cup of tea anyway. The FJ Cruiser was actually one Toyota I always regretted never owning, but I had a Tacoma that I loved at the time, and could not have have justified the trade...I just assumed they'd be around longer and would eventually be able to get into a new one.

While waiting around for news about the new generation of 4Runner a few years ago, I eventually caught wind of the plan to bring the 250 to the US, and once I saw the design I knew I was gonna jump on it.

So far, ZERO regrets. Here's to many more miles for the both of us.

EDIT: In other words, I get why some folks lament the loss of the flagship series of Land Cruiser in the US with Toyota's decision to not bring the 300 series here...but I was never gonna opt for that anyway

 

[TheMightyGoose]

Yeah, I was always enamored with 60 and 80 series LCs growing up, but never really aspired to own a 100 or 200 series...yes, part of that was the fact that I couldn't afford them, but also because I've always been more drawn more to vehicles with a rugged, purpose-built appearance...and while there's no denying that the 100 and 200 series LCs are more than capable, to me they just looked like vehicles meant for a suburban business exec or wealthy soccer parent type...more bells and whistles and focus on "luxury" than I'd ever want or need...to larger degree, IMO, than the 60 or 80 series that came before them ever did.

Would I have bought one if I could have easily afforded one? I dunno, maybe...but honestly the 4Runner or Prado (despite not being available in the US aside from the Lexus GX) was always more my cup of tea anyway. The FJ Cruiser was actually one Toyota I always regretted never owning, but I had a Tacoma that I loved at the time, and could have have justified the trade...I just assumed they'd be around longer and would eventually be able to get into a new one.

While waiting around for news about the new generation of 4Runner a few years ago, I eventually caught wind of the plan to bring the 250 to the US, and once I saw the design I knew I was gonna jump on it.

So far, ZERO regrets. Here's to many more miles for the both of us.

EDIT: In other words, I get why some folks lament the loss of the flagship series of Land Cruiser in the US with Toyota's decision to not bring the 300 series here...but I was never gonna opt for that anyway

Absolutely. Completely with you. I loved the FJ when it came out. But I had my ‘99 4Runner and was loving it. Couldn’t justify the FJ. They’ve skyrocketed in value. It’s crazy. Don’t know if you ever drive one, but they’re really hard to see out of. Those high windows make it hard to see

 

[PDPete]

Absolutely. Completely with you. I loved the FJ when it came out. But I had my ‘99 4Runner and was loving it. Couldn’t justify the FJ. They’ve skyrocketed in value. It’s crazy. Don’t know if you ever drive one, but they’re really hard to see out of. Those high windows make it hard to see

Never got a chance to drive one, but read/watched quite a few reviews, and that was one of the factors that kept me from trading in my Tacoma at the time, among other things (including good financial sense)...but had told myself the FJ would be high on the list for next vehicle...it just never panned out though.

 

[qberg]

Absolutely. Completely with you. I loved the FJ when it came out. But I had my ‘99 4Runner and was loving it. Couldn’t justify the FJ. They’ve skyrocketed in value. It’s crazy. Don’t know if you ever drive one, but they’re really hard to see out of. Those high windows make it hard to see

When I drive my FIL's yellow FJC, I feel like I'm driving a giant Lego head. The spacing to the dash, nose of the vehicle, and rear of the vehicle is very odd. Nothing is within reach. I like my past 4Runners and my brother's LC250 much better. Weirdly, I was OK back in parking the FJC. As long as the side mirrors are adjusted correctly, the short butt makes it pretty easy to move around.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

When I drive my FIL's yellow FJC, I feel like I'm driving a giant Lego head. The spacing to the dash, nose of the vehicle, and rear of the vehicle is very odd. Nothing is within reach. I like my past 4Runners and my brother's LC250 much better. Weirdly, I was OK back in parking the FJC. As long as the side mirrors are adjusted correctly, the short butt makes it pretty easy to move around.

If they made a full-size Lego FJ Cruiser, I’d be first in line.

I already got my Lego LC250!