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My wife drives the LX and I drive a 2017 Toyota Tundra for work. I asked the Lexus technician why one wants premium and the other doesn’t. He said, look at the emblem on the hood. That’s the only reason. The engine in my Tundra and the engine in the LX are exactly the same. The technician said if you like throwing money away, keep using premium. I’ve had two Tundras before this latest one and put over 250,000 miles on each one. I never had one issue with either one. Regular oil changes, tires and brakes is all those trucks ever needed. They ran just as good with 250,000 miles on them as the first day I bought them.
Tundra and 200 series engines are definitely NOT exactly the same. Tundras are produced in the U.S. with U.S. built engines. Land Cruisers and the LX are produced 100% in Japan with 100% Japanese parts, including the engine parts.
Originally Posted by REDHORSE
And this is just internet gossip until you can provide some form of documentation, other than the mud forum, that this is true. You have no way of knowing that I can think of what is in the computer code for either of the vehicles.
TIS shows same timing specs for both the LX and the Land Cruiser. Anecdotally, wife's LX has a bit over 100K on regular, my Land Cruiser has around 60K on regular, both no-ethanol. I will fill either with premium no-ethanol if regular is not available.
As to "internet gossip", I've never read about a blown or damaged engine issue due to running regular fuel in all the years I've been on ihmud.com and for the few years I've been here. That said, would you call anecdotal results reporting no issues due to fuel to be "internet gossip"? If not, why not??
OT...a very basic rule of logic notes you cannot prove a negative. I'm OK with you running any kind of fuel you desire.
That's interesting that the timing specs are the same. That's exactly what I would expect given the identical ECU, engine, and transmission year to year.
We will never know the truth. If Lexus admitted, that the engines are the same including the software, they would be in a risk of a class lawsuit.
2 questions...
Are you a practicing attorney? If so, on what grounds would a class action be filed?
Toyota has never denied the obvious fact that the LX is an upscale version of the Land Cruiser. As far as minute differences in torque, hp, required (oooops, recommended) fuel between the LX, Land Cruiser, Tundra, and Sequoia they ended up as what they are after CAFE testing. Any differences are low enough to suppose they're natural and expected variations in dyno testing. The HP and torque variations may indeed be from differences in octane, but I doubt anyone could feel the difference via seat-of-the-pants testing. Toyota also certified the octane numbers used during each vehicle's testing.
Toyota/Lexus possibly lies to its customers. I asked them a few times and they always answered that LX engine was engineered to be a high octane engine and using regular fuel may destroy the engine. So they force their customers to spend more for the fuel although it's probably not necessary (if these two engines are really the same including the software).
BTW, there is a similar thread on GX forum. I would bet that it will be similar to old threads. People on GX will mostly conclude that premium is necessary. We (LX owners) will conclude that regular is probably fine :-)
Quoted for truth.
I wonder why this is the case. Obviously it would seem just the opposite, that owners of the cheaper GX would try to find ways to justify regular while more affluent LX owners would simply pump premium without batting an eye, but your observation (and mine) seems to be the reverse.
Presumably LX owners spent more money on their vehicles, and presumably have more money and don't mind spending more money in general, compared to GX owners. People who have more money tend to be more frugal with their money, don't mind the spend on big ticket items but don't routinely like to overspend. So perhaps this would account for some LX owners, though initially spending more money (new or used), being smarter with their cash vs GX owners who are less affluent, less frugal and not quite as sure of themselves.
GX owners do seem to be a little more new money and LX owners a little more old money. A GX seems like a big luxurious purchase for the typical buyer, probably a bigger stretch to purchase, whereas the LX is less of a stretch (again for the respective typical buyer). I have nothing to back this up, but I would be willing to bet that an LX owner has a much smaller portion of net worth in his or her LX than a GX owner has in his or her GX. The GX buyer is more fearful for their investment, less comfortable with taking the perceived risk of running regular while the LX buyer is less concerned.
Alternatively LX and Landcruiser owners tend, more often than not, to be longer-term, repeat customers. There's definitely new buyers and repeat buyers on both sides, but someone buying a new LX seems much more likely to have owned one or more Landcruiser platform trucks in the past, whereas a GX is more likely to be the buyer's first GX. At the very least, an average LX owner is probably older, more sophisticated and a little wiser than a typical GX owner. Maybe the repeat LX/Landcruiser owner has a lot more personal experience and knows that these things run forever no matter what goes in the tank.
Or perhaps it's the fact that the basis for comparison is just so readily apparent for the LX (Landcruiser) whereas with the GX you have to look slightly harder (Tundra, Sequoia). The same vehicle with the same engine, vs slightly different vehicles with the same engine. The GX owner has to go to a slightly greater length to justify running regular as there is no Toyota Prado in the USA lineup.
Finally, maybe it's simply the fact that the LX gets worse fuel mileage than the GX, and it saves LX owners more to run regular than it would for a GX owner. And they're having to make that choice more often since the tanks are about the same size. Even though gas isn't that big of an expense for me, I know if I was driving an LX, it would be that much more painful putting premium in.
There has to be a psychological explanation for this.
I started the most recent thread on Mud on this exact question, I've run Premium in my 100 LX's and my 200 LX's and it pisses me off that we can't get a definitive answer! Bottom line Lexus in the 200 series LX570 states in the owners manual "Premium fuel REQUIRED". Even if all the 200's use the same parts the ECU programming is different to increase the performance of the heavier LX570. I've read all the posts on this on Mud and on this site for the last 10+ years and I'm still using Premium Top Tier fuel. The LX570 is so well insulated that there is no way I would ever hear it pinging. I also can't bring myself to abuse such a high quality vehicle. I over maintain my vehicles 5000 mile oil changes, other fluid changes at 1/2 the recommended interval and no off road BS.
I started the most recent thread on Mud on this exact question, I've run Premium in my 100 LX's and my 200 LX's and it pisses me off that we can't get a definitive answer! Bottom line Lexus in the 200 series LX570 states in the owners manual "Premium fuel REQUIRED". Even if all the 200's use the same parts the ECU programming is different to increase the performance of the heavier LX570. I've read all the posts on this on Mud and on this site for the last 10+ years and I'm still using Premium Top Tier fuel. The LX570 is so well insulated that there is no way I would ever hear it pinging. I also can't bring myself to abuse such a high quality vehicle. I over maintain my vehicles 5000 mile oil changes, other fluid changes at 1/2 the recommended interval and no off road BS.
I started the most recent thread on Mud on this exact question, I've run Premium in my 100 LX's and my 200 LX's and it pisses me off that we can't get a definitive answer!
The definitive answer is in the manual. The problem with the internet is all the experts that want to argue with the manufacturers recommendation. Octane requirement, oil type, sealed transmission service interval, brake fluid type, PS fluid type, which oil filter, blah blah blah.
It's the internet and we will never be satisfied unless everyone agrees with us, but in the end Lexus is correct on all it's recommendations even the ones that changed for no reason or was wrong on. WHY, because they built the vehicle, warranty the vehicle and finally they said so in the 6 inches of customer vehicle manuals and 12 feet of service manuals.
The real answer is move on with your lives, it's a $98K truck you spoiled babies, who cares what gas you put in it and how can you be sure the gas is really the right octane anyway? I don't even look at the price of gas driving my BBB (Big Black Beauty), that would be stupid like checking out the calories in a donut. Also like driving the BBB to an Earth day celebration......killing the environment one tank at a time.....Wohoo.
No, it's not in the manual. We are not sheep. Look at some service intervals, like AHC fluid, transmission fluid (really lifetime???) etc.
Come on it's in the gas door, thought it was in the manual as well (never read the manual, not sure if I even have one). Please do what you want with the internet's blessing, just stop trying to preach Lexus engineers are wrong to justify your decision.
FWIW, I use whatever gas/maintenance/oil/filters/maintenance/etc that is cheapest almost never look at manufacturer recommendations, except tire pressures (not sure why) on all my cars and motorcycle. But I admit I am wrong most of the time and Lexus (and BMW for motorcycle) is right.
Come on it's in the gas door, thought it was in the manual as well (never read the manual, not sure if I even have one). Please do what you want with the internet's blessing, just stop trying to preach Lexus engineers are wrong to justify your decision.
FWIW, I use whatever gas/maintenance/oil/filters/maintenance/etc that is cheapest almost never look at manufacturer recommendations, except tire pressures (not sure why) on all my cars and motorcycle. But I admit I am wrong most of the time and Lexus (and BMW for motorcycle) is right.
Lexus engineers are not usually wrong. The problem is that sometimes, the recommendations are written by marketing departments, not the engineers. Based on my experience, when I use my own brain, I get better results than following the manuals. Of course, it's up to you, but at least, I would reconsider some fluid replacement intervals and replaced the fluids much earlier than recommended in the service manual by Lexus engineers (if you want to keep the SUV longer) :-)
We took a cross country summer road trip on our LX570 and rolled up to a truck stop earlier this afternoon just west of Rolla MO on the interstate and got premium gas for the price of regular at $2.53!!! Much higher in SoCal. Too bad the gas tank in the LX570 is not any BIGGER!!!
Originally Posted by ClaytonW
Lexus engineers are not usually wrong. The problem is that sometimes, the recommendations are written by marketing departments, not the engineers. Based on my experience, when I use my own brain, I get better results than following the manuals. Of course, it's up to you, but at least, I would reconsider some fluid replacement intervals and replaced the fluids much earlier than recommended in the service manual by Lexus engineers (if you want to keep the SUV longer) :-)
^^ Have to give that gas station credit for offering premium at the regular price. Meanwhile, were you filling up gas cans and throwing them in the back of the LX??!!
06-03-18, 05:02 PM
