Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives $85,000?

Toyota Landcruisers, why are they so expensive?

Because some people are crazy enough to pay it.

Hell of a vehicle and I've seen Ford pickups near that price.

Because Toyota turned them into luxury SUVs to compete with Range Rovers

Why are they so expensive? I ask that everytime I go to a car lot.

This! Blame it on the soccer mom's and metro's.

Because Toyota can get it for them. Because they are built in Japan, to the very highest quality standards. Because they hold their value compared to other SUVS. Because they will go darn near anywhere.

Must be a market for them.
There must be a market for these also !!

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/09...imited-is-fords-first-100000-pickup.html

Yeah, that Ford truck is "limited" alright....limited to how many they can make of them!!

Drivetrain
Leather Interior
FIt and Finish
Made in Japan build Quality
Demand

100,000 pickup nice way to lose 30-40K in equity in one year.

A fully loaded Tundra 1794 has all the same features and is $30k less so I'm not buying any of that.

Hell I saw a new Raptor that the dealer had added another $15,000 on top of the sticker. Yes, someone will buy it!

Who builds an equivalent vehicle? Pimped out Escalades are in the same price range and pale in comparison in terms of a solid capable offroad vehicle. I don't know what the breakdown is by country but apparently Australia has been the biggest market for the Landcruiser and they certainly have a presence in the Middle East and Africa.

Does your Tundra have:?

8 passenger seating
Fulltime AWD with a Torsen differential
8 Speed Auto Transmission
Kinetic Suspension System
HID headlamps

and are really going to tell me that American fit and finish is better then Japanese fit and finish?

For instance Have you ever compared a Japanese Camry with a American made Camry? I have and there is no comparison.

And yes Toyota does not make a whole lot of these so there is a large demand for them. They don't last long at the Dealer

Vehicles are priced at what the market will bear, not what it costs to build them. The Landcruiser is marketed as an upscale SUV here in the U.S. so it's priced accordingly. As mentioned you can easily get to the same price with a Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator. I'd much rather have the Landcruiser, there's no comparison in the quality.

I don't have a Tundra, so no. What I'm saying is there isn't $30k worth of upgrades there but frankly it's all a matter of perspective. Obviously they're priced where they are because the market supports it.

They only sell 3100 or so Land Cruisers in the US and Canada. They sell a little more then 100,000 Tundras so that is where the market will support them.

Comparing a optioned out Tundra to a Landruiser is apples to oranges, totally different vehicles. A better comparison would be Tacoma to 4-runner. Totally different drivetrain and chassis and the only similiarity between a 4 runner and Landcruiser is that they are SUV's built by Toyota.

Most people simply don't understand the Landcruiser and are calling it a luxury SUV when in fact that's not what it is and what it's for. In much of the world well paved roads are an exception to the rule and the Landcruiser is designed as a vehicle for those conditions. It may be purchased mostly by upper middle class soccer moms in the US, but that's a small segment of the world wide market for the vehicle.

Young Neighbor has a new F150 Shelby.......I'm afraid to look up the price.

Horsepower galore!

my buddy spent 140k for his mercedes g wagon. 6 months later he went out and bought one for his wife. 280k in cars. i have no concept.

my kid has a Audi and just went out and got a 2018 souped up Camaro.....

I'll take "because they didn't have to sweat and bleed very much for their money"?

I am sure the 200 Series Cruiser is a really well built vehicle. I owned a couple of FJ40's, a 60, and a 62. All good off road hunting vehicles, well maybe not the 62, and all were reliable. The 80 series was too refined for me and I moved on to pickups.

Now I see that you can buy FJ40's that are restored and updated with newer engine options and a few interior items for a paltry $210,000.00 from a specialty shop.

TLC is another place that builds the Icon. A restored and highly modified original Land Cruiser. They cost from $140 to $260 K.
It makes the current Land Cruiser 200 seem like a bargain.

You hit the nail on the head, the Japanese made products by Toyota and Lexus have way better fit and finish than the US made ones. It’s not just the fit and finish that’s superior even the components used are of a higher quality material. I believe the 4Runner is the only Toyota branded vehicle being sold in the US these days , all other models have plants somewhere in North America.

There must be an awful lot of money in vehiclular gingerbread, or so it seems. Every now and again you see sales on new Cummins/Dodge Tradesman pickups...4x4 diesel 6sp manual for $40k or a bit more, equipped with PW/PL/AC/CC/Tow. Same truck with auto, touch displays, cameras, chrome, alloy wheels, fata$$-assist stepper tailgate and back-seat bidet tops 60k.

Maybe I'm missing the train here. I can't fathom paying that much for the add-ons.

It's a brand you are paying for.

Nice trucks. If you're looking used, the Lexus models are often a better deal.

Any new Ford truck that I have bought has been a XL ( with hand crank windows )
Used trucks I have ponied up for some power options

Saw one at the local Ford garage a few months back...$110K

Our highways have been covered with an inch of ice since a freak December rain.
That 750 HP F150 should be able to spin the wheels.

Or...they did and they can appreciate what they have.

They make huge amounts of money on overpriced add-ons. So, they load up the cars with them, usually in packages. They'll include some item that everyone wants in a package along with a bunch of other stuff that nobody wants but you have to get the whole package to get the 1 item you want.

I'm looking for a replacement for my 06 2500 cummins. Would like a couple add ons, but man the option packages are insane! To go from a tradesman to big horn is $10k adder, and all I really want is the heated seats and mirrors. Added rostra seat heater to my 06 base model for a bit over $100 and a couple hours work. Never had an issue with manual crank windows and manual door locks. I figure the less "features" the less things to break.

Just bought a basic SR5 4runner for $34,000. Put some black TRD wheels on it and should last a few hundred thousand miles. Landcruiser is nice but not $51,000 more nice.

Bought a 92 LC in 94 with 18k miles which in addition to the awesome off road capabilities and ride, was equipped with about any feature any reasonable person could want and some that were way beyond that.
It cost the same in the ballpark (about $24K) as a new Ford Exploder, Bronco, or Chev Blazer at the time, with mid-level equipment. I followed the ads for used ones of the same year and we could have sold it for the same money or better, for 4-5 years after we bought it.

We loved it. 8 passenger with better than good comfort, even in the 3rd row seats. Always put the kids back there. Decent storage behind the seats.
Put 125K fairly trouble free miles on it until my son was in a wreck with it in 2005....he walked away unharmed ( We thanked God for that.), but pretty much destroyed the Jeep Cherokee he tail-ended.
The heavy and strong chassis of the LC took it, but needed a complete new front wrap around...even the radiator was still good. Couldn't find used parts in the state and/or surrounding, to repair it so my insurance totaled it. I almost cried.

The engines and drive lines were supposed to get then about what we expect from the diesels today.
Only downer was the fuel economy....11 to 12 mpg when gas was super expensive.
Except for fuel economy....Still wish I had it.

They all just sit on the lots and look stupid to me. Drive one of those $85K -$100K trucks off the lot and what's it worth? I'm not knocking any particular brand, I just think that's nuts to pay that much for an item that depreciates like all vehicles do.

What happens if you want to carry 8 people in it ? I looked at and really considered a 4 runner before I bought my Tundra. We drove it but the back seat room left a lot to be desired, Especially when 2 adults are sitting back there or our Bull Mastiff . 4 Runner is a Bulletproof Truck with tremendous resale Absolutely.

Buy an extra one and you'll still be $17K ahead of the game

Now that's funny

Never understood bashing things I can't afford or don't have a need for. Whether it's a $1 million house or $100,000 vehicle, or whatever the threshold. Haven't dropped much over $40k on a vehicle yet, but could see in the future possibly dropping $70-100k. If it fits my needs and I can afford it, I'll pay what it cost. High priced vehicles aren't a priority for me for the sake of being high priced, but if I'm looking for a certain combination of features and it cost a certain amount I'l pay it if I can afford it.

well, if nobody bought new vehicles, there wouldn't be used ones for people like you to buy. so you are welcome.....bob

I've been driving a 96 for the last 3 years. It is a tank. Maybe the perfect winter vehicle. It has ~200K on it, and leaks nearly every fluid, but its still going. I'm considering consolidating vehicles and getting rid of it, but its tempting to just rebuild the motor and keep it rolling.

Just sold my '97 and bought a '08 200 series (for a lot less than $85k, BTW). Loved my '80 series and had it for 14 years and a lot of miles. That being said, driving the 200 is an eye opening experience. For instance, I can actually hear the radio in the 200. It gets better fuel mileage than the '80 and has 150 more HP.

The thing is that a Land Cruiser in many (most?) other countries is a different animal in at least part of the line up. It is still available as a truck (ute) in Australia in the form of a Land Cruiser 70. They are actually being built and bought for work and off road use. It's not that a U.S. market version isn't capable, I'm sure it is, but it is built and sold as a luxury suv. In Australia it has a solid front axel and a pick up bed if you want and the price is more like $50-60,000.

While I don't own a Land Crusier, I did buy a $85,000CDN GMC Denali. Spending that much money on truck was my biggest financial mistake.....well not including my ex-wife. Never again. Next truck will be a mid-grade Tundra and it will likely last years and cost far less. *sigh

I like my pickups old & my combines new.

There is a good story in the new TDR magazine on how to buy a Dodge diesel pickup for around $42K.

W/O the Cummins, you're down in the mid 30s.

Won't impress you neighbors, but under the skin, it's the same truck.

Link to the story?

Don't need to read a story, you can get a tradesman cummins 4X4 from Dave Smith motors for $42. Just go on their webpage, pick a truck you like and send them an email. Real world price will be ~$8k less than the sticker.

The difference between a basic truck and an $85,000 truck is a bunch of way overpriced add-ons. If you don't need heated seats (or even leather seats), Sirius radio, and all that other fancy stuff, you can knock the price way down. The problem is that a lot of add-ons come in packages. To get the 1 thing in a package that you want, you have to pay for a dozen things you don't want.

Among Toyotas, I have a newer Tundra, and had an older (94) LC and 4Runners(2000, 2008).

IMO if you want a really high end SUV that will run for 20 years relatively trouble free, the LC is your huckleberry. Is it worth $85K? That's up to you. Competition?

Sure you can get a high end 4Runner for half the money, and that's a nice truck that will be just as durable, but a LC it is not. Heck, even new Escalades are in the $80's, and the ones I've driven were rattle traps and no where close to the LC in quality. Pickup trucks - not the same vehicles. While I love my Tundra, it is not in the same class as the LC in features, materials, refinement, or quality.

For $85K you get arguably the best SUV on the planet that will be safe, durable, luxurious, and will hold it's value. I know a couple of LC guys, and they both buy new and keep them for 10-15 years before getting another.

There is a reason you see LC's all around the world. If you want the best transportation available where the roads are few and repair facilities scarce, it's a number one choice.

If I had a spare $85K I'd have one in my driveway!

I don't know man....I wouldn't have ordered it. But I have it on my truck and it's wonderful. Along with the heated steering wheel. Damn near don't even need the heat on in the truck.

I wouldn't say heated seats are a necessity, but they sure are nice!!! Even with the radiator covered and 10-15 minutes idling my cummins wouldn't get up to operating temp on my 20 mile commute when the ambient temp was below zero. Having heated seats makes a huge difference in comfort when the engine doesn't get hot enough to keep the cab warm.

Then again for about $100 and a few hours labor you can install rostra heaters



Best money I ever spent on an automotive accessory!

I have butt warmers on one vehicle, and any new vehicle acquisitions will have them from now on. Not only do they warm you up quick, they sure feel nice on a old sore back!

Ok, you all like the heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc. You're not buying just a truck. You're buying a lifestyle. Add it all up and now you know why the truck costs $85k.

I will say, and I had a thread on the LC, I took the plunge and I use it as my daily driver. We have three kids and need a larger SUV for family trips as we drive rather than fly.
When I drive it, it makes me smile, literally. The fit and finish is superb, the feel of the vehicle is better than my wife's Lexus RX (only two years old).

People say that no one will take a 85k vehicle off road, well take 10k off for negotiations and I already have taken it off road.

My Dad had one when I was a kid, after he died I sold it for my Mom. I sold it for $500.00 less than he paid for it new, 12 years and 95,000 miles later.

Could I have made due with a another Expedition sure, and they last about 10 years, nothing negative to say about Fords. Still have my 06 F150 as my beater truck for hunting and my son's Boy Scouts. But this consolidates an in town vehicle, family truckster and an off road capable vehicle.

Only had it 4-5 months but love driving it.

Having a vehicle that fits your needs it what it's about. I've never regretted buying a quality vehicle, tool, etc.

If you could go down the options menu and just pick the ones you want, it would be great. As it is, you have to pay for a bunch of stuff you don't want and that runs the price way up.

Taking a course over at the Comm College this semester in the Auto Program..

we are going thru Brakes... I am doing so, as we are going to convert my son's 68 Cougar
to disc brakes...

the instructor works as a manager at the local Toyota Dealer...

he brought up day one, that brakes on a Land Cruiser go out all the time...
basically eating them....like every 12 to 15K they need new brakes..

a Prius on the other end... because of how the hybrids work, he was saying the brakes
seem to last forever on those little buzzards...but I still wouldn't drive one....
basically due to the image they give out....

It's not just Toyota Land Cruisers that are expensive now. The Ford Truck I was working on yesterday was over $90,000 with it's lift kit, Wheels, Tires etc. The guy who had it got 45k trade for his old truck and paid cash for the difference. He's one of the hardest working most skilled people I've ever met so I can't begrudge him buying whatever the heck he wants. :-) Not what I'd buy though!

+1 His money, but geez.

PRIUS, that's a Latin word. It means vagina.

Not the case at all with my '99 and 224k. I think vehicles needing brakes probably depends more on how they are driven.

Too Funny!! For whatever reason I feel the need to speed past every single Prius I see. Hopefully blaring out excessive noise from my side pipes and burning all the gas they are saving in my 400+ HP Tundra. Childish, silly, ridiculous and immature yes. But all being the ingredients of fun. :-)

It's amazing how many folks when discussing Cruisers confuse them with Rovers........a mile apart in reliability IMO.

Land Cruisers are built for a 25 to 30 year service life and most of the components are designed to be rebuilt iinstead of merely replaced. Get behind the wheel of one and you feel like you can go anywhere.

I have a 1997 I bought 3 years ago, I love that thing and will never sell it.

I been trying to get my wife to trade into a 200 series for the last two years. Now that her car is pooping out I got her to test drive one and she really likes it. Once the 2019s come out we are going to start looking for CPO 2017 or"18. I can't wait.

My 16-y/o daughter has her eyes on my daily driver 2015 4Runner. Once I'm sure she can handle it I may just let her have it. The take the money I set aside for a car for her, and find me a good 100 series. That would be awesome.

Ever notice that almost all the azzholes on the road drive pickups, mini vans, Subaru's or big expensive SUV's ? I think it's a requirement at the dealerships when you go to buy one. Go to a dealership and say "I want to buy a 4x4 pickup". Dealer says "are you a big azzhole" ? You say "nope". Dealer says "sorry, can't sell you one".

They do seem to think they own the road.