Who can honestly say they'd spend $40k - $50k on a dedicated expo rig like a LC70? It's easy to say yes, but when you really think about it would you? A rough riding, low power, manual tranny with limited practicability. It's basically a toy for the weekend much like a sports car would be.
It's easy to say yes when not confronted with the immediate decision and when passion is involved. But when it came down to signing those papers, I bet Toyota would sell only a handful of them and 98% of the guys that wanted them wouldn't be partaking.
A cool rig loses its luster when you're making a $600/mo payment. Not to mention, start adding aftermarket parts, winches, tires, lifts you get into warranty issues. Now you have a $50k rig, with a payment (for the average person) that may not have a warranty anymore and your planning on wheeling it? Makes more sense with a new $25k Tacoma, but even then. I'd like to think most of us here actually use our rigs more than most, but ‘most' guys modifying Toyotas are on the road 95% of the time. Again, makes sense when your rig is comfortable and easy to drive (Tacoma, Jeep, etc), not when it has 150 hp, shifts like a truck and rides like a dump truck.
Grass is always greener – the Aussies LOVE the FJ cruiser and they don't get it in diesel. Additionally, from what I have seen, they only get it in Automatic! So we actually get a rig the Aussies want but can't have, go figure!
