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200 series

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Huw
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Joined: 28 Sep 2009
Posts: 195
Location: Near Aberystwyth, W. Wales

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 19:44    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 200 has been available in the UK for nigh on two years now. Unfortunately it is a car that fails on several grounds.
Firstly circumstances have conspired against it in that we have gone into one of the deepest recessions in living memory just as it was ramping up.
Then we have fuel costs.
There is the decidedly oriental bulky styling that is not considered attractive by many people
The competition have moved up a gear while the Land Cruiser has really only moved up a quarter of a gear.

The end result is that only a handful have been sold in the UK while at the same point in 100 series production they were as common as cowpats. Toyota can put any spin they like on this but the fact is that it has bombed in Europe and in the UK in particular. Today the news is that the Lexus version, which apart from the engine is about the same as the UK Land Cruiser, has been reported to be unstable by some test or other in the US, that jusdged that the stability control is inadequate and that potential customers should avoid the product.

It does seem that Toyota can do nothing right these days.

My personal view is that I do not like the styling of the 200 and am not impressed with the equipment or the dynamic ability compared to the alternative products available. Toyota have misjudged this product badly and will continue to pay the price in lost sales until a more competitive product is introduced.

On the bright side, anyone who owns one will be in a rare position. He will seldom see another on British roads.
It will only sell in volume if they drop the price by £20k IMO.
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1998 100 series diesel 1HD-FTE with about 170,000 miles and counting. Active suspension.
Pioneer touchscreen sat-nav and entertainment system fitted.
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Nuclear Chicken
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Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 561
Location: Nordy Land

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree, the price new is mental. I'm sure a good price second hand

I was cycling past one the other day that was sitting waiting at a junction to pull out and the diesel was whisper quiet. Sounds really nice.
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pje92
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Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:34    Post subject: Reply with quote

Huw, dont slag it off because You cant afford one, Have You actually driven a 200?
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Huw
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Joined: 28 Sep 2009
Posts: 195
Location: Near Aberystwyth, W. Wales

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 21:16    Post subject: Reply with quote

pje92 wrote:
Huw, dont slag it off because You cant afford one, Have You actually driven a 200?


Oddly I could afford several if I chose to do so. Since I bought my current Land Cruiser in 1998, trading in a year old Jaguar XK8, I've had two new Range Rovers, an ML270, a BMW X5 and my current drive, an Audi Q7. Also run several other SUV's and a new model Ford Ranger TDCi.
I have briefly driven the LC200 and quite a bit of a friend's GL320, so I think I can make a fair comparison with most current rivals. What is your experience of the competition?


Oh! By the way, Toyota have today removed the US version from sale pending further safety tests. It is probable that the same will happen to the LC200 imminently. It would be surprising if they held European lives to be less important than American. Yes, I know they make a drama out of a crisis and that Toyota now have to be seen to be pro-active but that is the current situation.

BBC business news
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Pioneer touchscreen sat-nav and entertainment system fitted.
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Ilyak
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Joined: 22 Nov 2010
Posts: 7
Location: Uk

PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:00    Post subject: The 200 is very impressive, just done 1600 mile round trip Reply with quote

I have a 1998 4.7 Amazon (with lpg) and bought a 2008 4.2Tdi Audi Q7 last year which I chipped to about 360bhp mainly to take myself, partner and 5 kids skiing. Q7 was great doing 140mph down autobahn and handles really well for something that size, like a car but obviously it's not meant for off road and with sculpted shape was a squeeze for 7 plus bags.  I bought a supercharger on e bay a few months ago for the 100 and was planning to get the 100 sorted for long family trips then just after I ordered was in California and checked out sequoia and Lexus 570. Tried a diesel 4.5v8 in uk but it seemed a bit lethargic and not great to drive.  I then saw a 2008 5.7 US model 200 in uk and took gf to see that and a sequoia (just too big for uk roads and not great to drive), she loved lc200 (with coils, not adjustable suspension, it was almost as new, apart from 95000 miles running in in Colorado) and we bought it for a lot less than a newer diesel on the spot. It's 380bhp and does 0-60 in a little over 6 seconds and being a US market oriented model with a big exhaust silencer it is refined and virtually silent at idle (you have to check instrument panel to see with push start whether you did actually start it!) or low power and startles people when you leave cars standing with a V8 roar when you accelerate hard away at 90mph when the car in front they couldn't see that was holding you up moves over.  It's not a Prius but on the way back we consistently did 100-110mph and got 16mpg (which is what you're lucky to get at lower speed due to the torque converter lack of lockup issue mentioned elsewhere, which logically means there is no reason to drive slowly!, need to find a solution for us model as wiring apparently different on plug and kits for v8 don't have wiring diagram). On way out picked up a friend and we had 3 adults, 5 kids and luggage for a week skiing and were comfortable and I had power to overtake several cars going up winding mountain road at 2000m altitude.  With 8 people on board that's 128mpg per person(!) so it beats a smart car and the extra fuel on a ski trip is just the cost of a mountain lunch.  I drove it round a few bumpy fields at home to see what KDSS is all about and it coped in comfort with big bumps and with the mediocre all season tyres it was wearing when we bought it (hangkook ventus as 285/65/18) it climbed a muddy bank without any fuss which my 100 with much more aggressive mud terrain 16 inch wheels chewed up and slid on with centre diff locked.  On departure yesterday morning it had snowed a lot in the village and trucks with snow chains were slipping, lots of cars were blocking up roads and sliding and having to put snow chains on.  I thought I might have to engage centre diff lock and maybe even try crawl control in earnest to get up slope I'd parked on but I just got in and drove without even feeling the electronics biting (in those tyres) - that and my limited driving on field/mud suggest the basic 4wd distribution is well balanced unlike some cars which rely on electronics to compensate.  I can't personally comment on serious off road handling but there are some impressive videos out there.  As for comfort, the kids said they actually enjoyed the whole day drive yesterday (French Alps to UK).  Only snag so far was after about an hour at ~100-110mph it started to make a loud drill like vibrating noise, source unclear but possibly above, that kicked in from about 90mph.  Suspected exhaust or something bad with engine but note didn't change with revs, then prop shaft or bearing but didn't seem to change with road speed between 80-100, couldn't find anything amiss on stopping, provisionally diagnosed as some wind related vibration.  It stopped after a long couple of hours. Eventually found looking around on the shuttle that a bit of rubber trim in roof gutter between roof fixings was missing and suspect that got sucked loose when I briefly hit about 120mph and then vibrated until it finally baled out somewhere on the autoroute.  I am going to fit better suspension, probably old man emu with a 1 inch lift at front, and try to get an uprated roll bar and improve the brakes.  Not sure if it is worth getting a big brake kit for several thousand but having looked into will first try some yellowstuff pads and stainless lines to see if I get a better brake feel - they ultimately work ok, the seatbelt pretensioners annoyingly often grab you into seat as I brake as I normally do(!) approaching corners- but there is a lot of pedal travel (may need bleeding plus just out to measure pad and disc thickness) and due to standard soft suspension nose dives even more so it feels disconcerting compared to Q7.  A slight pain is I can't get European maps for the us navigation and as it is integrated and controls rear climate etc I can't swap for aftermarket.  Am wondering if a uk diesel head unit would work.  I don't know if it really needs the supercharger I bought for 4.7 but could get fitted to be honest, whilst 500+ HP (see you tube for supercharged lc200) would be something great, may well keep the 100 (which I've already spent money on sorting, snorkel, etc) for towing trailers through muddy fields and across ford and fit it to that and keep 200 more tidy.  We will keep the Q7 as it's more car like to drive (and RHD) and fine for us and kids without too much stuff and fuel economy of mid to high 20s with a heavy foot means fuel saving will just about cover cost of keeping it for driving kids around but, if we had to keep only one, I would sell the others to pay for fuel for the lc200!
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deltafive
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Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 86
Location: WARWICK

PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2016 8:35    Post subject: 200 Reply with quote

We are the converted, we know a LC 200 will go anywhere and last for ever but despite a lousy reliability record the opposition has more street cred. Luxury, handling and performance on Tarmac rules in the developed world where your friendly main dealer is just down the road to fix the gremlins, but only a very brave ( or foolhardy ) owner would take a RR or Disco on an overland trip in Africa or OZ.
The LC 150 and 200 are built for the developing world where get you home reliability and simple servicing matter, there they reign supreme and it is an unnessasary complication for MrT to offer the 200 in the UK. The same is true of the 70, even in Africa they last for ever, getting it to comply with UK safety and emission regs would not be worthwhile and let's face it the Hilux is a steady seller and is pretty tough.
So the old saying is still true " you can take a Landrover into the bush, but if you want to come back alive take a Toyota", because reliability of the LR product is now actually worse than the series 2 or 3
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LC120 V6 lpg x 2
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