For Those Who Desire a Gentle Giant: The LX450d

by Thomas Mabson

 

hey, there's a name associated with the article -- thomas mabson -- a curated content editor first!

 

Think a Lexus diesel would sell well in a US market? I like it because it doesn't come with those massive 20-22 inch rims.

 

Agreed! Lexus should bring the LX 450d to the U.S. and Canadian market. More choices will be great and probably would cost less than the LX 570.

LX 570
LX 450d

 

Toyota management is convinced they can't sell diesel cars in the USA, or can't sell them at a reasonable price that includes a profit margin. Which given our regulatory environment with diesel emissions, I'd say management is spot on.

I know there are a lot of neat performance diesels over in Europe, and it would be nice to get 25-30mpg in a Land Cruiser, but then I see pictures of Paris smog and realize I'd rather be able to breathe than drive some sort of cool diesel car.

 

It would be cool to see this brought over to America.

 

If Dodge (Cummins diesel), Ford (Powerstroke diesel), GM (Duramax diesel) and now Nissan's Tital diesel (Cummins) can do it here in the U.S., Toyota can do it as well. Clean diesel technology has improved over the years and it's not like tons of diesels are sold anyway.

Lexus should increase variants to include the LX 450d and introduce an LX 570 L based on the Toyota Sequoia which will provide more room and make it more refined and luxurious.

LX 450d
LX 570
LX 570 L

 

The Landcruiser is a global architecture/vehicle....I'd love to see a LX570L but can't see that happening because an extended LC/LX may not have much takers outside of the US (and the US drives such a small percentage of sales for the LC/LX). I know they're coming out with the RX350L and RX450hL next year which makes sense given the volumes that RX provides for Lexus, but I figure Toyota is filling this niche with a (hopefully) redesigned Sequioa in 2019....
My wife and I test drove a Sequoia Platinum/LC/LX back to back a few months ago, the Sequoia was the most purposeful (in terms of room, seat comfort) but at $65k, it didn't take that much more to get a LC which rode significantly better with a superior interior. I think Toyota is addressing this with the upcoming redesign; with Volvo's announcement to have all vehicles hybrid/electric by 2019, I wonder how Toyota is going to do this with the large SUV's in their line-up.

 

I still contend that diesels are great for doing WORK. IE pulling a heavy load, like in those big pickups you listed and big commercial trucks/class 8 semi's. I still think they're crap for normal cars like a Land Cruiser, or if you are in Europe a VW Golf, etc. The fuel economy benefits are there, but the amount of pollution they spew is not worth it IMO.

It costs A LOT of $$$$ for pollution controls on diesel engines, and those pollution controls are a crapshoot at best in terms of reliability. When they do break, it costs A LOT of $$$ to fix them. Go on the duramax, Cummins, and Powerstroke forums, see how much it costs to replace a diesel particulate filter or the urea injection system. You can go on a pretty nice vacation for what it costs to fix those emissions parts, most guys just take them off their truck and have the ECU retuned. Look on the big rig, semi truck forums, you will see all kinds of hate for the emissions systems, because when they fail it can cost an operator several thousand dollars, not to mention a tow bill and down time on their rig.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. And it seems that after years of denial, the Europeans are coming around also. It is not just individual European cities like Paris banning older diesel cars from the city, and countries like France putting a deadline for getting rid of diesel-powered cars, but it is the European Union as a whole setting ever-stricter emissions limits on all cars (Euro 7). Euro 7 is forcing the European automakers (the Germans and Volvo have been leading the way) to pour R&D money into hybrids and electric vehicles.

It is getting increasingly difficult to clean the exhaust of diesels. It is perhaps not yet impossible but it is getting to the point where it may be too expensive for mass-market passenger cars and trucks. Commercial enterprises can still afford it but normal consumers cannot.

I was in Rome 2 years ago. The air was terrible. I will be in London this summer. I don't expect the air quality to be any better than Rome.

 

^ I was kind of in the pro-diesel camp, not gung-ho, but thought it was fundamentally sound technology, a better way to improve gas mileage, that maybe was maybe a few years away from becoming very mainstream in America, they'd figure out a cheap and efficient way clean up the exhaust.

That was until the VW scandal. After that, diesel is dead to me, VW figured out the cost to clean up diesel exhaust was uneconomical, so rather than innovate, they decided to cheat. Then I started to read more about how foul the air is in European cities, where most of the cars/trucks are diesel. Diesel isn't the way forward, Toyota is a company I'd invest in today, because they do have a leg up on hybrid technology vs the competition. I see all cars becoming like the Chevy Volt in the future, plug in hybrids are the future IMO.

I'd also say GM has a leg up on the technology of plug in hybrids and electric cars as well. The thing is they are totally clueless on how to market and sell them. I think the Volt and Bolt need their own brand, and need to be sold under the Buick/GMC dealer network. You mention Chevrolet to the average person, they think of trucks, Tahoes, Suburbans. If they do think of cars, they think of that pos rental Malibu they had, the cop car Impala, or that old POS Cavalier they had back in college if you refer to economy cars.

Chevrolet as a brand is very traditional IMO, from the way they make their trucks vs Ford, the way they market their cars as the every man in the midwestern get back and forth to work for as cheap as possible type of car. Chevrolet sedan and hatchback buyers are very conservative and very price sensitive. Stuff like the Volt and Bolt are not going to sell to the traditional Chevy car buyer, they're too expensive and too "out there" in terms of technology.

The people who might buy a Volt or Bolt, the name Chevrolet attached to it carries a huge stigma, they still remember all those crappy Luminas, Cavaliers, and Corsicas they grew up with. Then they also remember in the 2000's all those crappy Impalas and Malibus they were forced to rent on company travel. To them, for cars, Chevrolet is a dead brand. They'll keep buying, for cars/SUV's anyways, Honda, Toyota, Hyundia, Kia, if they have money Lexus, Benz, Audi, and BMW.

 

The smog or the car?

 

Can't be VW's fault. They didnt actually sell as many cars as they had claimed in France.

 

Its all the different countries in Europe's fault for giving such big tax breaks for diesel fuel.

 

[QUOTE=Aron9000;9924121]Its all
I am a previous owner of 2008 Lx570, sold it last year after great times of travelling.
This year I bought a 2019 Lx450d, glad I did.
A lot of saving, clean engine emissions, huge torque.
It could do 1200km or more on ful tank of 140 liters.
👍