AgentWD-40

Hey, I was wondering the difference between the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus LX 470. I'm curious about both new 2005 models and models back to 2003 when side airbags became available. More or less, what does Lexus offer for the price premium?

Anything from dealership experience, to better nav system, to more air bags, etc are things that would intereste me. Does the Lexus have a smoother ride than the TLC? Is it quieter?

So when will the LC or LX 470 get the 470 HP VVT-i 4.7? I read on models produced in december will get it. Is this still ture?

Thanks!

AgentWD-40

I noticed on their web site they list "Driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags and front- and second-row side curtain airbags". Has this always been the setup for the side air bags or is this new for 05?

chip99

basically they are the same vehicle except for special options on the lx (shocks are different for a smoother ride and then interior stuff seats etc but under neath the skin all the same now as for your question of the vvi lx and the land cruiser will not get it because it does not help with enough torque and 2006 the lx is done; lexus is going to the seqouia platform i have not heard much about the land cruiser for the us it may still be available both are to expensive to build in japan and then ship to the us i have heard lexus pays 15k tariff on each one

Gohawks63

As mentioned, the Lexus has the height adjustable suspension, rain sensing wipers and the side mirrors tilt down when dgoing in reverse. In addition, there are some features offered on the LX that are not available on the LC. Some of those are...

Nightvision
Mark Levinson audio

That's it.

Engine, trans, nav, etc. are all the same.

The side impact and rollover side curtain airbags were introduced with the interior update that took place in '03. Both vehicles have that.

chip99

there are probably more which we cant think of ; for the money i would definetly go for the land cruiser but in todays economy i have actually seen new lxs cheaper or about the same price as land cruisers we came so close to gettin a 2004 land cruiser a few months back but its just not the right time now for us.

Gohawks63

No that's pretty close to being it.

I actually went on the Lexus website and compared it to the LC.

Now understand that the differences are bigger if you're comparing a "base" LC, but recently, most Land Cruisers come pretty much loaded.

Almost all come with Nav, along with the side and curtain airbags. When we bought ours last December, the only true option was the Rear Entertainment system (which we got).

tigmd99

LX over TLC in additiion to above: mark levinson, MEMORY SEATS, wood, leather paneling on the doors, projector headlights, adjustable suspenson, auto-dimming mirrors, and lexus service.

I love memory seats! I will never buy another car without this.

If you off-road, then LX is better because LX470 can raise the body via electronic height control. This allows you to avoid body panel damage...thus, letting the frame take the hit rather than the plastic body parts. Also, by raising it up, you can improve approach and departure angles.

PitBull

Big difference in warranty coverage (length of coverage) and dealer service (better and more expensive)

Gohawks63

I agree, memory seats are the only thing I miss. The LC has an auto dimming mirror as well, but I think the LX also has auto dimming side mirrors.

As for clearance, departure and approach angles (according to the respective websites).

LX w/AHC
Clearance 9.8
Approach: 30 degrees normal/32 degrees high
departure: 26 degrees high/23 degrees normal
breakover: not listed

Land Cruiser
Clearance: 9.8
approach: 31 degrees
departure: 24 degrees
breakover: 24 degrees

dougjohn

the difference between the experience at a Toyota dealership compared to a Lexus dealership is like night and day.

I would buy a Lexus over the Toyota based on the dealership and customer service experience alone.
With Lexus, they will provide a loaner vehicle for all warranty work and the people have a much better attitude as it relates to customer service.

Lexus does charge more per hour for labor and more for parts. So...if you're paying for something that's not covered via warranty, you might want to have the work done at a Toyota dealership rather than at Lexus.

As for the vehicles, they're pretty much the same mechanically except for the suspension system available for the lx 470 (not avail for the LC).

ShadyJC

iTrader: (2)

Enough cannot be said about this difference... When you walk into a Toyota dealer for sales or service, the person who is "taking care" of you is just as likely to sell a $55K LC as a $10K Matrix... and will approach the sale as such - when you're going to drop $50-60K or more on a vehicle you want them to treat you with a little respect - the car buying experience at the "luxury" brands is so much less frustrating, and (it would seem) so much more rewarding.

rcf8000

I have experience with shopping for cars at three different Toyota dealerships in AZ. In all three cases, their cars in stock have dealer installed options, like "sealants" or "protection packages" or after-market wheels. I consider this to be a sleezy practice. The local Lexus dealer never does this. He never asks more than MSRP, either, unlike most of the Toyota dealers when dealing on a hot new product. More reasons to shop at the Lexus store.

howiedoit

iTrader: (9)

It's so true about Toyota vs. Lexus customer service.

I recently walked into a local Lexus dealer to take a look at some used LX470's. I was greeted immediately and offered water, coffee, anything. About an hour later, I walked over to the neighboring Toyota dealership (which is owned by the same group). I spent some time in the showroom, lookin at the new Siennas and was completely ignored by the salespeople.

AgentWD-40

I'm not concerned about the purchase treatment at a Toyota dealer. Dianne in the internet fleet department at Carson Toyota is great to deal with and has great prices. No haggling, no BS, she just quotes a low price and sticks with it.

Thanks for the info everybody. Quite frankly, I like the looks of the TLC better than the LX. The option differences are not a major concern either. As I mentioned above, I know a great place to get Toyota's too. My experiences with Toyota dealers service has been hit and miss thuogh. So that will become an important factor.

Here are my questions:

What is a good Lexus dealer to buy from in the SoCal area? Is there one that will have treatment like I described above (low price up front, no haggling, godo price, etc)? Perhaps going through the fleet department at one of these places?

I have another question, how is the GPS Navigation in these vehicles? Is it a voice activated system and does it speak the directions to you? Or does it beep at you when it is time to look at the screen? Has this changed over the years? Is this different between Toyota and Lexus?

tigmd99

I meant that the Lexus has auto-dimming on all of it's mirrors.

As for approach and departure angles, the LX in low-range (under 5 or 10 mph) can raise up even more than what is listed in brochure. My brother has an '01 LX...we have tested this out and it's true. It goes higher in low-range...higher than the highest setting. So, i am sure that it's angles are a bit better than the brochure. The owner's manual does mention this as well.