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I find it interesting everyone is commenting on the grill design, but ignoring the fact that Toyota is now including front AND rear lockers for the U.S. market, and including an appropriate off-road wheel and tire package. This thing is designed to tackle serious trails, or a revolution in South America, right from the dealership floor.
But the wrong audience. Who buys a $100k+ Lexus so they can do serious off-roading? The first time the lockers will be used is in 10 years when it has 150k miles and someone picked it up for cheap with the purpose of beating it up on the trails.
I don’t see a center locker for the transfer case.limited slip is not a locker. And I don’t really care about the grill because it would probably be replaced with a bull bar so it’s not important to me.
But the wrong audience. Who buys a $100k+ Lexus so they can do serious off-roading? The first time the lockers will be used is in 10 years when it has 150k miles and someone picked it up for cheap with the purpose of beating it up on the trails.
I don’t see a center locker for the transfer case.limited slip is not a locker. And I don’t really care about the grill because it would probably be replaced with a bull bar so it’s not important to me.
It has a center locking diff - as all landcruisers do. It’s triple locked.
But the wrong audience. Who buys a $100k+ Lexus so they can do serious off-roading? The first time the lockers will be used is in 10 years when it has 150k miles and someone picked it up for cheap with the purpose of beating it up on the trails.
I did. Not “rock crawling” or anything with a high risk of damaging the vehicle, but more than a subuaru could handle. Why buy a Defender if you’re not planning to go off-roading? Looks? Status symbol? At that point, it’s no different than buying a designer handbag, which is what JLR probably figured out about their target audience.
The Lexus / Toyota - you’ll regularly see these on the trail. Ouray Colorado no less.
I did. Not “rock crawling” or anything with a high risk of damaging the vehicle, but more than a subuaru could handle. Why buy a Defender if you’re not planning to go off-roading? Looks? Status symbol? At that point, it’s no different than buying a designer handbag, which is what JLR probably figured out about their target audience.
The Lexus / Toyota - you’ll regularly see these on the trail. Ouray Colorado no less.
My comment was directed at the new LX buyers... not the Defender or GX. For a Defender... I very much expect to see them offroad. Same for the next GX. But a new LX buyer doesn't seem like someone who wants to hit the trails. My wife won't even walk into the Lexus dealer to look at the GX because she simply didn't want a Lexus and didn't associate "lexus" with off road capabilities (yes, I explained it to her, but she didn't really care what I said :-O.) She liked the Defender for what it could do adventure wise, that it was well built, and still has some nice luxuries, and wasn't compromised on the road. We ended up with a V8 P525 because everything else was "slow"... but that is mainly because she is coming from an R1S... so even the P525 feels sluggish to her. The R1S was nice and capable, but really missed the mark on quality and drivability. I really didn't enjoy driving it and I was afraid to take it off road because it felt very fragile. First thing we did with the Defender was get it dirty in the hills and I am already planning a Telluride/Silverton/Durango camping trip with my son.
- Torsen® limited-slip locking center differential
- Electronically controlled front and rear locking differential
It’s a shame that Torsen is not a full locker (best it can typically do is bias 4:1). But on the other hand a geared limited slip is going to have far higher durability than the typical clutch pack style as a daily driver—Defender included.
First thing we did with the Defender was get it dirty in the hills and I am already planning a Telluride/Silverton/Durango camping trip with my son.
Been here for a month. One more week. Just like last year. Loved ours on Corkscrew in the mud and snow. This year has been dry dry dry. Wish Black Bear was open. But caught exploding colors. We do nearly everything except The Wall at Poughkeepsie. Enjoy!
On the way to Animas Forks. Looking towards Engineer Mountain. On the way to our RV spot north of Bayfield.
What people care about with Lexus/Toyota is not the design but the longevity and dealership service. Even in the era of turbo and electrification, the fundamentals that determine a vehicle’s reliability remain the same - precision manufacturing, quality control, and assembly craftsmanship.
What's interesting about the Lexus LX700h is that its Overtrail version is equivalent to (or maybe better than, due to its more powerful engine and adjustable height for higher clearance) the top off-road trim of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport, which is only available outside the U.S.
The LX700h Overtrail with three lockers seems to be a better off-roader compared to the Defender without a front locker, as seen in this video:
It's funny that as Land Rover has urbanized their offerings, Lexus has moved to make theirs more off-road focused through its 'OVERTRAIL PROJECT' as mentioned below:
Last edited by LandRoverCA; Oct 13, 2024 at 07:19 AM.
I've had my Defender for more than two years and 57,000 miles, and I don't have the rear locker. I've taken it places my triple locked vehicles of the past could never tackle.
The center lock plus the different driving modes are spot on. They have taken me across the Alpine loop, Big Bend, and lots of other remote places. At some point I'll add the air locker that Sarek builds, but not until I find something that stops me without it.
I've toyed with the idea of the new Land Cruiser or the new GX 550, but i know firsthand from friends that have made that choice that there are engine and driveline issues. Toyota / Lexus build quality isn't what it used to be.
