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Garry
No - wouldn't have asked the question on the forum.
Had a prejudice against Toyota ... just from walking into any dealership ... treat everybody like wood ducks.
I'd never driven a Cruiser that I liked, and wasn't too afraid to buy British - we have owned a succession of Lotus.
Thanks for all your help ... see you guys on the road sometime.
Jeremy
"Float" on a D3 with air suspension - sorry, but that's plain rubbish. If you drove the first one with the air suspension fully raised (at the off-road height) then that would certainly account for it, but you clearly didn't get above 50kmh which is the speed at which the air suspension will lower to normal level - in the interests of safety. The Terrain Response (TR) knob setting of "normal / on-road" will not affect the suspension height setting in the circumstances you describe, so if the suspension setting was at "off-road" height then that's probably what you test drove it in.
Perhaps when you drove the 2nd car you were looking for the same "fault"; it's human nature. Similar to when you hear an unusual engine noise on a new car and you focus on it, so you're sure it's getting worse!!
These cars work great on the road, I can honestly say that for a 2.7 Tonne vehicle they handle amazingly well and eat up twisty roads - cornering flat with no wallow.
I had a good look over the LC200 at the Perth 4x4 show last weekend as I'm due to change my car soon.
What put me off was the cramped interior, Toyota have squeezed massive leather "armchairs" in the front with a huge centre console, it made a big car seem small inside. It also seemed cramped in the rear (2nd row seats) with intrusive styling where the sides curve into the roof. The 3rd row seats take up most of the rear luggage space and tilt up & sideways like in a D2 (so there's progress for you), they too would not look out of place in a Harvey Norman furniture showroom, so even when out of the way they are enormous.
I'm not even going to comment on the LC200's exterior rear end styling, other than to say it's the single biggest reason I wouldn't be getting one.
In fairness, I do like the front end styling of it though and love the new V8 Diesel :D
For Jeremy and any others considering a D3, in fairness, it is important to get a good test drive of the D3. It does get taking used to, but once hooked....
I took the D3 out for 3 hours the first time, and 4 the second, and this is why I now own one (took it through the car wash before returning the second time :eek: !!!!). A D3 is not a car to test drive with a Salesman sitting next to you. I took the car everywhere I could think of with SWMBO keen to prove the choice a bad one. She loves it as much as I do now. Only problem...... She wants her own now!!!!!!
Wonder if I can get a test drive like I got in the D3 in a LC 200? hmmmm.....
The LC200 2nd row seats are movable fore and aft. Its not on the brochures but I got a copy of the salesman's DVD training material. Could explain the reason for thinking the 2nd row was cramped.
Styling is a personal thing. I liked the D3 - wife thought it looked like a hearse esp in black. The LC200 looks like the designer played around with the LC100 and quickly gave up. You also cannot see the edge of the bonnet on the passenger side which will not help offroad - but expect one will get used to this. I don't like the front end that much - but you won't be able to see it behind the bull bar and driving lights. I'm OK with the rear and the spoiler should make a nice weather shield for the reversing camera.
On the interior the leather on the D3 is a plus - and you cannot readily change the LC seats as they have side airbags fitted. For us the Bluetooth is a big plus - and in this day and age when everybody has a telephone should not be an extra on the D3.
The 3rd row seats will be coming out and we will have to make a cargo blind as Toyota amazingly still do not fit one ... and can't because of the 3rd row seat height.
Think we should all agree to differ on the air suspension. I'm happy that I researched it properly and after many years in motorsport am used to analysing car behaviour. The KDSS - for us - is the better solution.
The D3 just does not get off the line. Suspect this is engine management limiting torque at take off. May be a benefit offroad, but is a real pain on road and makes the D3 feel sluggish and slow.
Ultimately though - you can't argue with 650nm of torque and a huge 139 litre tank when your primary requirement is to two a 2 ton van!
Jeremy
If the D3 is cold, the engine ecu will prevent fast take-off. Furthermore, the car is adaptive. It learns driving style. If you want quicker acceleration, then you need to accelerate hard a few times first to get the system to learn you now want speed.
Alternatively, pur her in 'Sand' mode and then use the command shift!:D
As for the LC200: HTere are rumours in abundance about melting cylinders; and the torque figures are being disputed.
If you decided about a D3 by following one down the road, then I'm with garry; you'd already made your mind up before you got here.
From which I can only draw one conclusion: Troll.