ERC4

I'm going to be buying an LX or LandCruiser in the near future. It'll replace my wife's 07 Sienna Limited. She loves the van and doesn't want a new ride but every time I see someone running a red light or driving like a maniac I become more convinced I want my wife and kids in something heavier than the 4,300 lb Sienna. We'll miss the van's convenience and huge cargo area etc but my primary concern is safety.

To those of you who compared the LX to the LandCruiser- what do you believe to be the pros and cons of each vehicle? Thanks for helping me get up to speed.

pemarsh

I replaced my LX470 with the LX570. I thought the LX570 was much nicer luxury wise than the LC.
We also replaced our Sienna XLE AWD limited. My wife was screaming all the way--she hated to let it go. I wanted something a bit more fun, and safe. We purchased a Toyota Sequoia Limited. Very safe. Very big. Lots of room. Plus Toyota was offering $10,000 off MSRP---I just could not pass that up!!!
One thing you will NOT be happy with if you replace your Sienna with the LX570 is cargo room....the LX570 is MUCH MUCH smaller!! Trust me!! Even the sequoia really does not have the cargo room than the sienna it seems.

kalvano

They are the same basic vehicle.

The Lexus offers more gadgets, more luxury, and Lexus service. For $20K more.

Don't expect huge discounts on either one. Especially a black one.

syswei

Anyone who wants a huge discount just needs to wait until next year, as the economy tanks.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

The Sienna is very safe, even if it "only" weighs 4300lbs. If your wife enjoys it then you should keep it, especially in this economy.

People have the common misconception that bigger is safer, which is not always the case. The LX 570 and Land Cruiser are both very safe, but for the extra $50,000 you're going to pay over your Sienna, I think you should consider your options and look at crash test ratings.

ERC4

Funny you'd mention the Sequoia. The Sequoia Platinum is the only other vehicle on our list. Since you own both, could you give me your thoughts re the pros and cons of the LX vs the Sequoia. Relative to what your initial expectations were, which vehicle have you been happier with? We may be able to get around the issue re the LX's limited cargo area. My in-laws live less than 2 miles away and they may be interested in the Sienna if we get rid of it. Thus, we could borrow it any time we really needed that much room.

ERC4

MP, Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post but I don't agree with your thoughts re the safety issue. IIHS and NHTSA repeatedly say that weight is still the single most important safety factor. That's why they both emphasize that crash test scores can only be compared among vehicles of the same weight. They've even gone so far as to say that a heavier 3-star vehicle is likely to be safer than a lighter 5-star vehicle.

It's certainly a big difference in price but I'm in a financial situation that allows me to focus on the safety issue much more than the cost.

pagemaster

[QUOTE=ERC4;3951533]MP, Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post but I don't agree with your thoughts re the safety issue. IIHS and NHTSA repeatedly say that weight is still the single most important safety factor. That's why they both emphasize that crash test scores can only be compared among vehicles of the same weight. They've even gone so far as to say that a heavier 3-star vehicle is likely to be safer than a lighter 5-star vehicle.

QUOTE]

I would like to see the data about larger vehicles being safer.

As for the LX570 vs Sienna debate. Both can be had in AWD. I think the Sienna will be safer, less likely to tip.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I think that you need to focus more on the whole picture than just this issue. If you are most worried about your family's safety, then perhaps you should be looking at something like an LS 460 or S550.

While it seems like being higher off the ground would be safer for your family, you also have an increased risk of losing control and rolling in something as big and top heavy as an LX. If someone slams into your wife from the side or back, there is a much greater chance of the car rolling than there is in a sedan or even minivan.

I am not saying that the LX is a bad 'ute or an unsafe truck because looking at the safety features, I am sure that it's built like a tank. However, with anything that has 9 inches of ground clearance, you are looking at a whole other set of safety issues IF an accident were to occur. All of the airbags would probably keep your family safe but it just presents an additional safety hazard.

Last year there was a video floating around here about an LX 470 that got rear ended on the highway and started rolling and wound up in a median, right side up after several flips. If I recall correctly, everyone exited the vehicle with minor injuries due mostly to the curtain airbags and other features, but rolling and flipping is a pretty significant threat to safety, no matter what type of vehicle you're in.

lexusscturbo

iTrader: (12)

Toyota Sequoia + TRD supercharged I think we're pushing close to 570+ hp...:P hmnn

capture1

I looked at the Sequoia Platinum vs. LC200 and went with the LC. Never looked at the LX. Pros of the Sequoia were its adjustable air suspension which was smoother than the LC and its much greater cargo capacity (dwarfs the LC really). But the sheer size of the beast and difficulty parking for my wife led us to the LC. The ride of the LC though not air suspension like the LX and Seq Plat is very smooth and takes up the bumps nicely while leaving enough road feel. THe air suspension felt too "floaty". Also, the Sequoia 4x4 though capable offroad is not as capable as the LC. Lastly, the Sequoia was very nice but the LC felt even more solid in fit and finish and felt like it was carved out of a single piece of granite. Even my wife noticed the difference which is saying a lot. We also are coming from (sold) the current model Sienna and do miss the overall utility and space. Nothing beats a minivan for space but we were aware of the tradeoffs and I have never been more excited to get out and drive period. On safety, the rollover risk vs safety with size/weight was a consideration but suffice it to say that I feel much safer in the LC than I did in the Sienna by far. In the event that some loon in a truck comes screaming through a red light and hits me on the rear passenger side where my 5 year old sits, there is no question that the LC would fare better in this scenario than a Sienna would have. Just my 2 cents worth.

pagemaster

The Sequoia Platinum uses a hydraulic suspension. This is the same TEMS suspension used in 100 series LX and 06/07 Land Cruiser. The Seqouoia TEMS is outdated as the LX570 uses a new generation.

I like the new 200 series LC ride better that the LX. It feels truck like but still smooth.

tigmd99

As stated above, Sienna vs. TLC is tough from the safety point of view. One thing to notice is that, in the Sienna, you're sitting relatively far from the door. In other words, the doors are carved out...so, there is a big space between the door and your body. This is NOT the case in a SUV. For example, my son rides on the driver's side 2nd row seat in my Sienna. Once you close the sliding door, there is a fairly large gap between his carseat and the sliding door panel.

Most cars nowadays have steel bars integrated into the side doors...so, most cars are equivalent in this aspect. Most cars have side curtain airbags. Yeah, the TLC/LX is higher off the ground and this can be looked upon as good and bad (as discussed by members above). So, lets talk about frame strength.

The body-on-frame design of the TLC/LX does NOT necessary mean better crash protection. As you may know, if you ask a structural engineer (esp. one who design cars), then you will see that he/she favors a unibody over a body-on-frame design in crash protection. Why? Body-on-frame designs suffer from having two large pieces of metal (body and frame) moving independently of each other. These two large pieces of metal are only attached together at 6-8 points (body mounts). Therefore, it is significantly harder to make a body-on-frame design to do well in a crash than a unibody. A unibody (e.g. Sienna) is nice because an engineer can design it to crumple in specific areas and at specific rate...the engineer can design it to divert energy in specific direction...because he/she is dealing with just ONE piece of metal. A unibody generally dissipates energy much more efficiently than a body-on-frame design. Thus, with some exceptions, a unibody vehicle will outperform a body-on-frame design in a crash test, given everything else being equal.

One more thing...a stout frame does NOT necessary mean better SIDE crash protection. As you may know, all frames on body-on-frame SUVs sit INSIDE of the perimeter of the bodyshell. Therefore, the frame does not get touched unless the other vehicle has intruded a great deal into the passenger cabin.

So, given all that, which is safer?? I don't know, but to my untrained eyes, i love the fact that my Sienna has a large gap between where i (and my family) sits and the doors. This gives more "breathing space" and "crush space" in the event of a side crash.

I think that moving up to the TLC/LX from Sienna simply for safety reason is your unconcious way of getting the TLC/LX for your own needs.

Good luck.

tigmd99

What are you plans with it?? Off-roading?? Cruising the streets?? Luxury?? Status/elegance??

If money is not object, then i would get the LX570 with all the options. The Mark Levinson system alone is worth it!!

The TLC is plain-jane (for good or bad)...the hideous fake wood and leather quality leave a lot to be desired! Actually, you will be hard pressed to see the difference between the leather in your Sienna (if equipped) and the Land Cruiser leather! And the fake wood is downright rotten in the Land Cruiser! Hell, even my Corolla's fake wood looks 100x better! It is downright insulting for Toyota to do that to its customers! I am still puzzled by Toyota (and Lexus) lack of privacy glass all around in 2008 and lack of privacy glass in the cargo window in 2009.

IMHO, the LX looks better aesthetically...more elegance inside and out. However, to be honest, i don't think that Lexus (nor Toyota) did a great job in designing it...the head turner still goes to the unreliable but elegant Range Rover.

If these are your only choices, then LX is the way to go. If you off-road, then it's a toss-up. Some prefer the TLC because you have KDSS and separate bumpers and running boards (thus, easily taken off). Some prefer the LX570 because you can actually raise it up for off-roading, but it has integrated bumpers and running boards. (Land Cruiser suffers from **** poor departure angle.)

If you want just luxury cruiser, then i think that there are a few other choices (BMW X5/X6, Mercedes GL, Infiniti FX, etc.).

tigmd99

If you were talking about the previous generation of either vehicle, then i would agree with you. In the past, the TLC was heavier than the Sequoia despite it being slightly smaller than Sequoia because we assumed that it was built better with HD materials.

However, with the new TLC and Sequoia, this is no longer the case. The Sequoia is now indeed heavier than the TLC by a significant amount. The frame looks very very similar and would not surprise me if they share the same platform. The Sequoia is just bigger, thus weighs more. So, it is harder to make the argument that the TLC is more HD than the Sequoia from the frame point of view.

I do agree with you that the interior bits are put together more solidly in the TLC, but not by a large margine either.