The Future of Toyota Body-on-frame vehicles.

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Toyota tax is the only reason they're going to get away with selling them for that price. Both the ZR2 and Ranger Raptor are more capable for what Americans use them for, trail riding - they both have front lockers which the Toyota doesn't offer at all - although their traction control tech isn't as good as Toyota's. The Chevy in particular is better equipped to be trail rig and crawler, with its warrantied winch and slider options as well as the Bison upgrade including 35-inch tires. The Ford is the highest performance of the bunch, really living up to that California desert running nameplate, while also having the hardware to slow down and crawl if needed.

The Toyota looks cool and apparently has great tech but the mechanical bones aren't there. No sliders and no winch, although the Trailhunter seems to have both as options. None of the Toyotas offer a front locker at all which is pretty ridiculous in my opinion. I feel like this must be some sort of warranty-related decision.
 
No front locker diff is a non issue for me, that would be the thing that gets used the least. I wouldn’t be taking something like this rock crawling.

The only thing more useless are the shock absorbers in the seats, another feature to drive up the price.
 
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No front locker diff is a non issue for me, that would be the thing that gets used the least. I wouldn’t be taking something like this rock crawling.

The only thing more useless are the shock absorbers in the seats, another feature to drive up the price.
Those seats are part of the reason I think Toyota is just gouging people with money. The vast majority of people I know are more interested in the Trailhunter because that's the type of off-roading we like to do. But the lack of a front locker even as an option is a big oversight - sure it might not be necessary for most of us but out West in the US and Canada people traverse terrain that almost requires it routinely. The aftermarket for front lockers is healthy in the Toyota world because none of the vehicles have ever offered it besides the 80. Fact is, all of the real modern competition offers it - Jeep, Bronco, ZR2, Raptors. The only other truck in this market that doesn't offer a front locker is the Frontier Pro-4X/Hardbody, but that truck maxes out at around $50,000.
 
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The TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, and Platinum have made an appearance. No SR5 as of yet:
 
Not a fan of the grill area tbh. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had problems like the Tundra or Tacoma early on too.

I’d wait for the refresh in a few years before picking one of these up.
 
Digging all those. Especially kudos for the fabric seats! They straight up look like Tonka toys. Love that green with the gold wheels.

I’m not a fan of these bigger 4x4s(can’t wait to see the mini LandCruiser FJ), but if I were in the market I’d get one.
 
I think it's fine but in certain colors it does look like it's got mutton chops.
 
So 96k CAD if I want to replace my 5th gen Pro with a new one, this is around the same price as a full size GMC Yukon AT4. Toyota is just pushing me away from their brand.
The only reason the old ones like yours hold their value so well is because they're tried and true technology, known reliability and maintenance cost etc. I have a feeling in five years we're going to see resale values of the newer trucks tank. People are buying them for stupid money and are going to lose a lot, meanwhile I think the older ones will stay steady. I'm sure you can find better things to spend your money on than an unreliable new truck.
 
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The only reason the old ones like yours hold their value so well is because they're tried and true technology, known reliability and maintenance cost etc. I have a feeling in five years we're going to see resale values of the newer trucks tank. People are buying them for stupid money and are going to lose a lot, meanwhile I think the older ones will stay steady. I'm sure you can find better things to spend your money on than an unreliable new truck.
Yeah I have no intention on trading it in any time soon, I owe maybe 13k on it and it only has 48000 km. The car industry is in a weird place right now anyway.
 
Drove down from Newcastle to Melbourne for the holidays and as I was getting close to the Victoria border, Land Cruiser Prados literally started popping up. Seriously, on the highway, must have passed three every couple kilometres. Looks good and the front looks futuristic, but tough.
 
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, based on the Hilux Champ platform


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Toyota has unveiled its new Land Cruiser FJ ahead of this year’s Japan Mobility Show. The highly anticipated baby off-roader is nearly 11 inches shorter than the Land Cruiser 250, giving buyers a smaller, more affordable option—except for those of us in America.

The new Land Cruiser FJ shares a platform with Toyota’s Hilux Champ, that's not available in the United States, and it’s about 11 inches shorter than the LC 250. The SUV measures 180.1 inches long, 73.0 inches tall, and 77.2 inches wide, with a 101.6-inch wheelbase.

It features the same 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine as the pickup, making 161 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, which delivers power through a part-time four-wheel-drive system and six-speed transmission.

Those aren't impressive enough stats for America, and it's not coming here anyway. Masaya Uchiyama, the chief engineer, told Automotive News, “There are no plans for America or Europe."
 
DK
I can't see any problems with that C-pillar...and neither can the driver.
Reverse camera.

On the road, people do two things they shouldn't do: They whip their head like Willow Smith to look behind them, and they also don't adjust or use their mirrors properly so it's irrelevant.

I'm tired of the "visibility" myths which ignore the fact that drivers are morons and it literally doesn't matter in any situation.
 
old news but that is the final nail in the coffin when it comes to me getting a Tundra.
As far as I'm aware, this is the only public teardown of a V35A-FTS and he doesn't find anything resembling "machining debris" anywhere in the engine. Was he does find are nuked and spun main bearings, very worn rod bearings, and unusual wear to the sides of the rod big ends, but no "machinging debris". Maybe it was pulverized as well, but the fact that a considerable number of the engines are having the exact same failure at similar time periods suggests to me that some design aspect of this engine simply can't handle it. There was no evidence of serious wear in the heads which suggests that whatever caused the failures did not flow through the oil passages.



So, whether or not machining debris was ever present in the engine, the direct cause of engine failure is spun main bearings which appears to lead to the connecting rod wear. Strange that machining debris would know to only target the main bearings.

Of note, the Toyota technician community (and the recall) say that the hybrid versions are not effected yet but we also know that the hybrid system assists the engine, lowering its power loads, reducing stress and heat throughout the system.

I think Toyota simply made a terrible design or manufacturing mistake. Either something with the crankshaft's oiling system is bad, or the bearings are bad, or something to do with the design of the block itself are bad.
 
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