Farewall Land Cruiser?
- Thread starter kalieaire
- Start date
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Where I live LCs are a dime a dozen as are new Lexus LXs, 911’s, Teslas are more common than Honda sedans. But when I go camping, do road trips the places I like going no those vehicles are rare very rare and attract the wrong kind of attention. Especially when left parked at remote trail heads un attended. Same goes for the over the top expedition trailers with high dollar stuff bolted all over them.
The best rig is the under stated rig that goes unnoticed. If you want to be noticed in BFE so be it. But you’ll have far more negative experiences than the guy who plays it low key. My LC was cool had it 8 yrs burned a hell of alot of dinosaurs with that pig. And yes even the J80 attracted un wanted attention.
The best rig is the lowly full sized plain pickup with a couple of cowboy stickers on the bumper. LOL sadly my wife insists that this stay at home dad have a 8 passenger bus capability which leaves me with less than interesting options. I’m done with Toyota 25yrs 4 trucks/Toyotas and honestly my domestics were better in the cost to run dept.
So we’ll see. GM is redesigning the Suburban platform going independent rear suspension which I don’t care for so perfect time to get a great deal on a really nice loaded Yukon with a yummy 6.2L v8 and 10spd transmission lol?
99.9% of the owners of all 4x4 vehicles aren’t going expeditioning.
nickw
Adventurer
You think Toyota is concerned that the 79 is going to rob sales from the 4runner? Not a chance....
I'd bet they'd sell less than less than 500 79 series to a handful of enthusiasts. There is simply no market for them domestically outside of folks on this website and IH8 mud....of which, only a handful would be willing to drop the ~$60k+ for a rig that is essentially 1980's technology.
I work with a guy from Africa, he shipped an Acura SUV and Mercedes ML back home from the US, spending thousands doing so for rigs that are cheap and common here. I showed him a pic of a 79 and told him he can get these back home easily, he just laughed and said I was nuts, they don't drive well, they are slow and uncomfortable and wasn't sure why anybody would drive them.
nickw
Adventurer
I've never heard of this guy but he's being a bit dramatic. It's not as easy as just "marketing" the LC more so more people buy it. Well all know how big businesses operate, it's all about the bottom line and $$. These are complex decisions and involve a lot of research and considerations like...where do we need to take the company in the future, how are we going to meet future economy mandates and more importantly, what are people going to BUY....among others. If Toyota thought they could make big bucks on the LC, they'd pump the marketing dollars into it.
Business decisions like this are reactive to perceived demand.....unlike what this guy is suggesting, lack of demand is due to lack of marketing, completely backwards.
I wish Toyota would do more - I was a big fan 15+ years ago, but they've sadly lost some of their market appeal to me (an many folks)....doubly wammy of not giving us much to be excited about and other manuf. more than catching up...
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
The Land Cruiser has never exactly been a huge seller in the U.S. Not a 4Runner, Truck/Tacoma, Corolla, Camry sort thing anyway. It's surely not a coincidence that the 4WD Hilux/Pickup was introduced in 1980 and there's an immediate dip.
I've read that since 1951 there has been a total of 7 million Land Cruisers of all models sold globally. Which if that's true means in 67 years that averages about 104,477 per year around the whole world. There's models that do millions in sales every year globally. Toyota sells between 1 and 2 million Corollas every year in the U.S. and has done so for decades.
You'd have to look at Australia and the Middle East since the lion's share of Cruisers go to those two places. The U.S. has probably never bought the majority of them and now these types of SUVs are targeted as a segment culturally and politically here so it probably shouldn't be surprising that Toyota doesn't really market them. They are sold to people who know them and want one otherwise a shopper is surely directed to a Sequoia.
We're talking about a pretty basic relationship. Toyota makes as many Cruisers as they can sell in a market at a price. It's a marquee model, like a Corvette or Ford GT or several other models for major companies that don't necessarily fit their regular business model. The Land Cruiser I'm sure has to be profitable and that's about it.
Toyota Land Cruiser US car sales figures
Car sales statistics for the Toyota Land Cruiser and all other auto models in the US from early 2000's to 2017 by year and 2014 to 2018 by month.
carsalesbase.com
- Year....Units Sold....Series / Models
- 1973......11,218........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1974.......8,204........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1975.......9,050........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1976.......9,236........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1977.......9,924........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1978.......8,858........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1979.......5,716........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1980.......3,058........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1981.......2,027........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1982.......3,088........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1983.......4,805........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1984.......4,037........FJ60
- 1985.......4,740........FJ60
- 1986.......4,475........FJ60
- 1987.......5,008........FJ60
- 1988.......5,993........FJ62
- 1989.......5,064........FJ62
- 1990.......6,128........FJ80
- 1991.......8,446........FJ80
- 1992.......7,865........FJ80
- 1993.......8,886........FZJ80
- 1994.......11,007.......FZJ80
- 1995.......14,208.......FJZ80
- 1996.......12,816.......FZJ80
- 1997.......11,502.......FZJ80
- 1998.......14,327.......UZJ100
- 1999.......18,602.......UZJ100
- 2000.......15,509.......UZJ100
- 2001.......7,591.........UZJ100
- 2002.......6,752.........UZJ100
- 2003.......6,671.........UZJ100
- 2004.......6,778.........UZJ100
- 2005.......4,870.........UZJ100
- 2006.......3,376.........UZJ100
- 2007.......3,251.........UZJ100
- 2008.......3,801.........UZJ200
- 2009.......2,261.........UZJ200
- 2010.......1,807.........UZJ200
- 2011.......1,662.........UZJ200
- 2012.......2,895.........UZJ200
- 2013.......3,082.........UZJ200
- 2014.......3,158.........UZJ200
- 2015.......2,687.........UZJ200
- 2016.......3,705.........UZJ200
- 2017.......3,100.........UZJ200
- 2018.......3,235.........UZJ200
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nickw
Adventurer
Well said..The Land Cruiser has never exactly been a huge seller in the U.S. Not a 4Runner, Truck/Tacoma, Corolla, Camry sort thing anyway. It's surely not a coincidence that the 4WD Hilux/Pickup was introduced in 1980 and there's an immediate dip.
I've read that since 1951 there has been a total of 7 million Land Cruisers of all models sold globally. Which if that's true means in 67 years that averages about 104,477 per year around the whole world. There's models that do millions in sales every year globally. Toyota sells between 1 and 2 million Corollas every year in the U.S. and has done so for decades.
You'd have to look at Australia and the Middle East since the lion's share of Cruisers go to those two places. The U.S. has probably never bought the majority of them and now these types of SUVs are targeted as a segment culturally and politically here so it's probably shouldn't be surprising that Toyota doesn't really market them. They are sold to people who know them and want one otherwise a shopper is surely directed to a Sequoia.
We're talking about a pretty basic relationship. Toyota makes as many Cruisers as they can sell in a market at a price. It's a marquee model, like a Corvette or Ford GT or several other models for major companies that doesn't necessarily fit their regular business model. The Land Cruiser I'm sure has to be profitable and that's about it.
View attachment 535429
Toyota Land Cruiser US car sales figures
Car sales statistics for the Toyota Land Cruiser and all other auto models in the US from early 2000's to 2017 by year and 2014 to 2018 by month.
- Year....Units Sold....Series / Models
- 1973......11,218........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1974.......8,204........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1975.......9,050........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1976.......9,236........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1977.......9,924........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1978.......8,858........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1979.......5,716........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1980.......3,058........FJ40 / FJ55
- 1981.......2,027........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1982.......3,088........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1983.......4,805........FJ40 / FJ60
- 1984.......4,037........FJ60
- 1985.......4,740........FJ60
- 1986.......4,475........FJ60
- 1987.......5,008........FJ60
- 1988.......5,993........FJ62
- 1989.......5,064........FJ62
- 1990.......6,128........FJ80
- 1991.......8,446........FJ80
- 1992.......7,865........FJ80
- 1993.......8,886........FZJ80
- 1994.......11,007.......FZJ80
- 1995.......14,208.......FJZ80
- 1996.......12,816.......FZJ80
- 1997.......11,502.......FZJ80
- 1998.......14,327.......UZJ100
- 1999.......18,602.......UZJ100
- 2000.......15,509.......UZJ100
- 2001.......7,591.........UZJ100
- 2002.......6,752.........UZJ100
- 2003.......6,671.........UZJ100
- 2004.......6,778.........UZJ100
- 2005.......4,870.........UZJ100
- 2006.......3,376.........UZJ100
- 2007.......3,251.........UZJ100
- 2008.......3,801.........UZJ200
- 2009.......2,261.........UZJ200
- 2010.......1,807.........UZJ200
- 2011.......1,662.........UZJ200
- 2012.......2,895.........UZJ200
- 2013.......3,082.........UZJ200
- 2014.......3,158.........UZJ200
- 2015.......2,687.........UZJ200
- 2016.......3,705.........UZJ200
- 2017.......3,100.........UZJ200
- 2018.......3,235.........UZJ200
cruiserdude80
Observer
The Land Cruiser will continue to be sold in the US.......as an LX.
What or if Toyota decides to replace their Land Cruiser nameplate with, in the US remains to be seen. If they do it at all.
My opinion.
What or if Toyota decides to replace their Land Cruiser nameplate with, in the US remains to be seen. If they do it at all.
My opinion.
Underneath it might be a Land Cruiser but it won't hold the same spirit, heritage or nameplate. Like with the current LX it's all glitz and glam. You have too much tech, lower hanging plastics, and the 300 series LX likely have some sort of hydraulic or air suspension. While the aftermarket has worked around the current LX570 it will never be as easy to work with as a Land Cruiser. If they axe the Land Cruiser then it will be critical to see what they do with the next gen 4Runner or if they have something else in line to take carry the full-size off-road market.
I think people and the market will adapt to whatever is put out there and make it their own but hypothetically if the LC is canned here in the US I don't think the Lexus LX can carry the heritage and even if it's a 300 series LC underneath there will be more challenges to overcome than there are currently. I'm guessing that's your LC in the photo. You could drop it off at Slee, get bumper work done, sliders, suspension done and she's ready to go. A little different when you have an LX. From my understanding the AHC is so tied into the electrical system that it makes changing the suspension in the LX very difficult. You could, a small handful have and it seems like that's the thing to do in Qatar when you are dune jumping LX570's but you get all sorts of electrical codes showing up on the dash when you do. I doubt many of us live like the Sultans in Qatar though. You can do the AHC "trick" lift but again that's a work around and not a solution. To date is there an official LX570 slider that's readily available? I know Slee had been working on one for the last 1-2 years but it's not in production yet. Same thing with the rear bumpers, you can get them to work but you really have to have a shop/mechanic that knows how to do it. If a LX570 is that hard to work on and produce aftermarket parts for I can only imagine a 300 series LX being even moreso.
I get your point. With each passing generation working and modding the LC becomes more difficult but it seems the LX is infinitely more difficult of a platform to just do a full out build on. Can you a do full LX build, absolutely but it's going to take a lot more time, money, know-how, and sometimes you just have to accept certain flaws. I feel like the 200 series is the tipping point for the LC. Just enough luxury and just enough off-road prowess. It will be interesting to see where they take the 300 series. My thoughts is that a 300 series LX will be more and more like a Range Rover even if it shares a Land Cruiser frame. The same battle goes for the Land Rover fans. Sure a new "Defender" is coming out but now way in hell that thing carries on the heritage and spirit of a 90 or 110 Defender and that's why they're all crying on that side of the forum.
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Pskhaat
2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
Todd780
OverCamper
Exactly. Toyota cars are bad for it now too....Lexus =