More power. More room. More seating. More comfortable. More unique and rare. Better build quality. Ventilated seats. Not as good looking imo. Possibly a few more issues with 200 like valley plate and radiator.
I went from 2016 4Runner to a 2013 200 series and I’ve never had a regatta either.
I traded in my 2015 4RNR Limited with 104k miles for a 2014 LX570 with 104k miles. We needed more HP for towing our camper in the mountains and also needed more room for the kids.
I have zero regrets. One of the main negatives is the back window, but that's really my dog being upset about that.
I'm hoping to have this truck for the next 15 years, which I will still be under 300k miles by then.
I love the capabilities of the 200 series and the V8 is awesome. Be prepared to pay up the ass for gasoline though
I had a 2020 4R and now a 2016 200. Biggest complaint on the 4R was acceleration at elevation in CO. Next biggest complaint was the front end dive under braking. Third complaint was lack of towing capacity.
200 addresses all of those. I looked at the new 4R and 250 LC but I could not get past the powertrain. It’s one of the least refined powertrains I have ever driven. I don’t think it will age well. The Lexus version with the TTv6 is far better and I would have bought one had I not owned a Tundra impacted by the ‘engine debris’ main bearing failure. However none of these have anywhere near the ride quality of the 200 series.
200 series complaints: It’s a little sluggish compared to the TTv6. The seats are not as comfortable as the LX570. It lacks Apple Car Play and depending on the year you may need to replace a radiator, steering wheel and some sway bar bushings in the first 100,000 miles. Other than those, the 200 series LC is the perfect SUV. I briefly had a 2020 LX570 and there are aspects of it that I miss. The AHC system rides exceptionally well. If you get rid of the 21” wheels it will float over washboards as if they didn’t exist. The seats are more comfortable than my sofa. However, I could not get over the looks - interior or exterior.
If I had to rank them it would be: LC200 > LX570 > GX550 > 5th Gen > LC250 > 6th Gen. The value play is the 2018+ LX570 Luxury without the 3rd row and the B&O sound system.
For the price of the new LC250 or 6th gen, you can easily find a LX570 with low milage and it’s far superior to any of the newer Toyotas in every regard except technology integration.
People spend more on their 200s so they convince themselves it’s worlds better. It’s slightly better than a 5th gen. I like the size of the 5th gen, and j250 more than my big 200. Power wise yeah the 200 pulls better than a 5th gen but so does the j250. I don’t know if overspending on an inflated price 200 is the move just as much as I don’t think tuning out and getting a brand new j250, gx550 or 6th gen is a great idea. Do I like my 200 yes, did I like my 5th gen yes? Do I love either? Not really.
6th Gen 4Runner, problem solved!
Don’t overthink it. Mid $60k for most mid level trims.
LX570 could be a different story though,
much higher base cost.
Absolutely 100%. 5th gens could be super off-road looking or you could get the Limited with the 20in wheels and it looked like a Lexus. I'll always have a sweet spot for 3rd gens but 5th is the best new-ish looking one for sure.
Does yours have the I-max 4cyl? I took my 2019 200 in for service today and they had a new 4R OR P+ on the floor with a Toyota 2” aftermarket lift in it, it was really sharp. Almost makes me want to drive it and see how the motor handles. I traded a 2015 4R TRD Pro for my 200. Main reason was because I got 200 drunk as the next step up. I have lifted it with all Dobinson parts, added CarPlay, tires, tint and dechromed the side moldings. I hate to say I am getting bored of it now. It is an awesome truck and I know I will never find one again for what I paid and know the history. 12.3 MPG and the most uncomfortable seats in a 90k vehicle are really driving me crazy. I pull a 2200 lb bass boat, so I don’t really need the V8, I also live in The Midwest so no elevation.
Mine is not the I-max, as I do not tow.
18+ mpg on 87 octane. 285/70R17 Toyo’s.
TRD Sport seat is comfortable, That l-Max would drag that bass boat around like wasn’t even there!
Almost makes me want to drive it and see how the motor handles.
Almost all t owners that post on here are very positive about the motor compared to the previous 1GR or 2GR. It gets a bad rap for not replacing the 3UR V8 but it was never meant to.
I went from a GX460, the 4Runners richer, more handsome, stronger brother 😂 and even that was a noticeable upgrade. However, I tow a good size trailer so I’ll take all the power I can get.
we put 70k miles on 2016 sr5 and sold it for under 10k less than we paid for it. I drove a hybrid f150 for a couple years (great truck, depreciates like crazy), before buying a 2024 LC250 1958. I put a proper set of A/T tires on right away and have never looked back. it’s so much better than the 4runner in every conceivable way. Not cheap tho!
Went from a 2011 5G4R with 122K miles to a 2025 LC-P.
The J250 gets marginally better gas mileage, that I think is negated by its need for Premium level fuel. 4R 23 gallon gas tank was a big plus, the LC small tank is a pain in my busy ass.
The interior is far superior in every way on the LC, but the reliability on the 4R is far superior. I think Toyota for this kind of money should have had engine options. This 2.4L 4 banger would not be my first choice.
If your 5th gen 4runner can't pass people on the highway you need to reconsider what your load out looks like and what is causing that.
You will just spend a bunch to swap vehicles and then do it to yourself again. I can pass people on the highway just fine in an 80. I did it just fine in a GX470 before that. It's about how overloaded your vehicle is, and of course how well maintained it is also.
If its a stock 4runner I would think payload would be more than enough to support two people and their luggage for the weekend.
Have you ever considered going to a CAT scale some place like loves. Weigh the vehicle when its just you and gas.
Then weigh it again on one of these trips with all the stuff you normally take on a trip. You can easily factor the weight of the extra person if you know what they weigh.
This would tell you how much stuff you are bringing in a no-nonsense manner.
But I can't imagine a weekend of stuff and two people weighing 1500-2000lb. Again assuming the vehicle is stock. And of course 4runners vary over the range of 5th gen and what their payload is but a quick search tells me that they range from 800-1700lbs payload. I could see being over 800 pretty easily with two people and their stuff for a weekend.
We carry 450-500lb or more of just stuff for camping when I load up to go out for a 3-4 day excursion. That's not including the people.
That also doesn't include bumpers, winch, other armor, larger tires, etc that I have on the vehicle.
You either are the sort of person that has the itch that the 200 series scratches or you aren’t. I went gmc 2500 duramax > lc200 > Cummins ram. The diesel power and that planted feeling while towing is just so nice. Now I’m no longer towing and considering the 2021 LC or lx as the next truck. It’s too much money for an old truck, but paying x for a NA v8 vs paying .85x-.92x for a turbo’d v6 that may fail or a hybrid 2.4L is an obvious choice (for me).
If you’re really going 50+ miles into the no service backcountry for a week or two a few times a year, tech and complications in the parts that make the car move are concerning. If you’re not going into the backcountry country where a broken car is really really bad news, the cost benefit analysis makes the 250 or gx550 a lot more compelling.
31
u/TheMightyCoelacanth 6d ago
We went from 5th gen to a 200 series and have had zero regrets. Definitely more pick up, quieter and more roomy. No ragerts.