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Toyota TACOMA vs Ford RANGER - VII
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Comments
Yeah, I was going a bit too fast. . .
But the Ranger plowed through fine at about 10,200 feet.
How high did you say you got in Mich. 1,200 maybe?
The highest elevation is 1,960. But we also have a lake up there that would swallow up most of the state of Colorado...........not to mention one of the last truly wild wolf packs left in the lower 48.
" They wolves survived in that country because the woods were big, dark and deep"
-Jim Brandenburg
Very hot in Col now, 90s in the 4 corners, 70-80's where I am going tomorrow, in the mountains.
Tastey in the pan too. . .
They are ugly, tacky, and made of very,very cheap parts.
But I guess thats expected of a compnay that lays off thousands of American workers 2 weeks before Christmas, then moves to mexico to pay mexicans 5 dollars an hour to build their trucks.
Tacoma. It's apples and oranges people. They are
both pickups of approximately the same size. Well, a Casio a watch of about the same size as a
Rolex. Doesn't mean you should compare prices in a
meaningful way.
The Toyota Tacoma is the most reliable compact
truck made in the world, followed very closely by
the Nissan Frontier. None of the American trucks
are even close for reliability. So says the raw
data of every independent consumer reporting agency like Consumer Reports, based on the maintenance records of all major systems on each vehicle.
Thats fact, people. No room for debate. You might
argue about certain performance advantages or
features in other trucks like the Ford Ranger, but
there is no disputing that The Toyota Tacoma is the best quality compact truck in the world, and by a margin that justifies the price difference.
The numbers are not to agree or disagree with. It's pure data reporting regulated by law , straight from the manufacturers, based on repairs done under warranty. No opinion involved here.
The Tacoma and Ranger still do the same thing, don't they? Which is to get you from point A to point B.
Some people just value different aspects of the truck more or less than others. To say these trucks can't be compared??? It seems a bit simplistic to me. Where do you think these thousands of posts came from?
Also, I don't get the "buy american" excuse Toyota/Nissan owners are always waving around for poor sales figures. By far the majority of automotive purchases out there know that the line between "domestic" and "import" has long since blurred and merged. Odds are good, if you buy a "domestic" vehicle, it may have been built in Canada or Mexico. On the other hand, that "import" was probably built somewhere in the US.
As for reliability:
For a Toyota, the Tacoma's reliability just plain sucks. You just didn't hear things like head gasket failures and other stuff from Toyota trucks ten years ago (lots of rust, though). I don't know why, but it's decreased quite a bit. Maybe from moving production to the US? Maybe using lower grade materials to try and reduce production costs? Who knows.
The Ranger's reliability is still above average, and it's been improving over the past 10 years (unlike Toyota). It is still behind the "imports" but not by much. The S10 follows in fourth, and the Dakota (should you consider it a compact) falls into a very distant last.
Just wondering. Where did you get information for repairs performed under warranty?
See you in the hills, better yet Cascade range!
I applaud Toyota for repairing all head gasket victims. It was quite in their best interests to do so. Do you think Toyota would have a single repeat buyer if "the most reliable compact pickup" had a frequent occurance of catastrophic engine failure at only 50-75K miles?
As for driving around a Tacoma that has not had the repair, I'd feel like I'm driving a ticking timebomb. That is the exact reason I dumped my Quad4 Olds. Who'd want to drive a vehicle that you can't have confidence in?
My point is that 10 years ago Toyota didn't have problems like this. They built a better quality product back then. I even owned an '89 Toyota.
I agree with you that the 3.8L V6 Mustang is a POS. That V6 (which is also the mainstay of the Windstar) hasn't been right from day 1. Throw in the 2.5L Duratec from the SVTour, and forget about the 3.8. Hear me, Ford??? The GT and Cobra are decent cars provided they're treated well (which doesn't often happen).
From what I've seen, Ford does stand behind their product. For instance, Ford has been replacing 4L engines because the owners found them to be too noisy. But, there are cases for both good and bad. The majority of it depends on the quality of your dealer & service department.
Toyota maybe didn't have trouble like the gasket problem before, but it is still only one problem. When they were forced to change the material from asbestos it failed. I won't argue that time will tell if they were completely successful but I personally doubt if there's still a problem. A morjorty of the gasket problem came after a few thousand miles according to the dealer and that is not happening anymore with the new design. I'm sure that until all our trucks have 100,000 miles or so it will be used against the Tacoma because that's the only reliability problem it has and no other small truck, except maybe Nissan, compares.
Consumer Reports, with the exception of 1998, has picked the Ranger p/u it's best buy the last ten years.
Also, read the April issue, the auto report issue, and you will see the Ranger closely ranked right up there with the Tacoma in the areas of Reliability.
Now I agree that the Tacoma is a very nice ride.
But it is not the only ride out there.
xen1a and my wife and I hit the Wet mtns, not hardcore 4X4 trails but the views were killers. We got up to the base of Greenhorn Mtn and the views ran from LeVeta Pass to where the Sangres drop off to US 50, maybe 50 miles. I checked the GPS we were at 11,460ft. Putting the pics in tomorrow, back wed and digitized by thursday and on the web site.
xen1a has a nice ride, a golden colored Mazda 3000 with brand new BFG KO's 30X9.5X15. As I said this run was not very difficult, needed 4Xlow once or twice just to get thru the mud, and 4X high part of the way, but great views. Should have a pic of 4 14,000+ peaks in the backdrop of my truck and his.
xen1a was going to go up Hermet pass road which takes you up to some lakes very high in the Sangre's. He said he would take lots of pics. Will be hooking up with him again to join a small group of Rangers taking on Medeno Pass and Hayden Pass on July 8-9.
Any other Rangers/Mazda in Colo is welcome to come, just let me know. Have to finish the winch install before that trip. Front receiver is now on solid, just waiting for the winch to get it's electrical hooked up.
BTW, some other common problems with the Toyota's compacts in the past few years are exhaust valve failure (3L V6) and ABS failure. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying the Ranger hasn't had its share of common problems either.
Did your sister buy the car new or used? The few people I know who own Mustangs haven't had any problems (surprisingly, even one person with the POS 3.8).
I'm sure that Toyota probably has the head gasket problem fixed. It's the older trucks without the fix that I'd be worried about.
The few people who do own Toyota compacts around here (Taco's are almost a rare sight here in IL) have been by and large happy with their trucks. The same goes for Ranger owners too. There are probably 20 Ranger owners among my family and friends. The worse problem, by far, was a tranny failure at 145K miles on an '87. On average, I'd say that each of us has had one minor problem. My '95 had the "wacky wipers" which Ford fixed under warranty and will still repair free of charge after the warranty has expired. My '98 had the cruise control recall (well, I got the jack handle stuck in the spare tire crank. stupid design).
So far, I've only had experience with a single Cammer 4L. Lots of power and much smoother than the OHV 4L. No problems or anything, at about 20K miles now.
The OHV 4L has always been and always will be a noisy engine. It's that day from day 1. If somebody complains about its lack of refinement later they obviously weren't paying attention during the test drive. I'm actually like the engine noise. I added a Tru-Rev kit and a Gibson cat-back. It sounds just like a little V8 now. I love it!
I don't think the later model Tacos have much head gasket failure. I think it resided mostly in the older 3L (before it was stroked to 3.4L).
allknowing:
My KKM effected the acceleration a bit, faster response. Most any intake mods help a bit. Good thing is it is an spray on oil system, reuseable and much more surface area than stock. I have known some people that say those type of filters provide too much air and effect the low end. Solution is to wrap a bit of duct tape around the larger end to reduce air flow a bit.
Now with a Tacoma, do not know what they can do intake wise as the design takes air from the front fender.
The cat-back exhaust made a huge difference. It added at least 1mpg. I'd say that it definately added 15-20hp and 15-20ft/lbs. I went with the Gibson cat-back because they are tuned to provide their biggest gains at low to mid-range rpm. It's a definate plus for my occasional towing needs.
If you're interested, Carparts.com has got aluminized Gibson systems for about $275 (stainless run almost $400). Here's a link for a coupon to get $50 off (used to be $100, so I got mine for $175).
http://www.homestead.com/therangerstation/Discounts.html
Check the applications page on www.gibsonperformance.com to get the exact part number for your truck. The only difficult part of the install (at least for Rangers) is getting the old system off. After that, it's a breeze. Just make sure to get it lined up perfectly before tightening the exhaust clamps.
I'd be willing to bet that K&N makes a FIPK for the Tacoma. Or, you could fab an open air element yourself with a powerstack filter and a little help from a machine shop. I'm sure they'd be able to fab you up a bracket for less than $100.
that's the first solid info I've heard about the new I4. It'll displace 2.3L and put out 134hp. It's replacing a 2.5L that puts out 119hp. Good news for budget buyers. Maybe Ford will finally have a viable entry-level engine now. No torque specs, though.
The direct link for the new Mazda is:
http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/newyork/mazda/bseries.html
http://www.newenglandmuscle.com/coupon/
This past weekend I rear ended a Chevy Caprice while talking on the cell phone at about 8 MPH with a tiny scratch to the front bumper.
Two weeks ago I loaded 1,960 lbs. of patio blocks in my Tacoma and she drove like a charm on the highway and the steep hills. The only annoying thing was those sharp bumps tended to make the truck rock a bit more than usual. When I got to my house I did not want to carry the blocks up a steep hill at the side of my house. So with the truck fully loaded I mounted a 7"+ curb height with plenty of clearance underneath the truck.
"2000 Luxury SUV Comparison Test
Fifth Place - Cadillac Escalade
Vehicle Tested: 2000 Cadillac Escalade
Base Price of Test Vehicle: $46,900 (including destination charge)
Options on Test Vehicle: None.
Price of Test Vehicle: $46,900 (including destination charge)
Pros: Comfortable seats, attractive Zebrano wood, large cargo area.
Cons: Horrific build quality, dated styling, C/K Pickup interior materials, dearth of luxury features.
Honestly, you aren't surprised, are you? Considering that this alleged Cadillac is based on a 13-year-old pickup truck platform and a six-year-old SUV called the Chevrolet Tahoe, is it really a revelation that the Escalade landed at the bottom of the pack?
Our black test truck had just 4,000 miles on the odometer, yet you'd guess 400,000 considering the massive number of build quality problems we discovered. One test driver enumerated the obvious items:
Hood misaligned on the left side and doesn't meet front fender evenly
Misaligned front bumper fascia
Unevenly installed front lighting elements
Exposed spot welding in gap between bumper cap and front fender
Visible unpainted trim between bumper cap and front fender
Uneven rear fascia
Unevenly installed rear taillight
Rear bumper installed crooked
Misaligned tailgate
Multiple uneven exterior panel gaps
Squeaking door hinges and seals
Poorly installed front window trim
Broken remote keyless entry system
Lower driver's door panel coming apart
Rear seat overhead vents falling out
Recirculation mode button illumination stays on whether or not the feature is activated
Odd buzz coming from center of dash
Easy to disassemble various interior panels without hand tools
Rain leaks during a downpour
Makes you want to go plunk down cash on the Caddy, doesn't it? Assembled in Arlington, Texas, on the same line as the GMC Yukon Denali and Z71/Limited versions of the old-style Tahoe, we can only hope that serious plant updates and/or employee retraining occur before the new Escalade goes into production for 2001. While our particular Escalade was a rental unit, with just four grand on the clock, we don't think the Cadillac should have succumbed to any of the usual rental-car torture at this young age.
Beyond the crippling assembly quality issues, our testers were put off by lousy interior materials as well. Only one editor liked the Nuance leather upholstery and real Zebrano wood trim. Others couldn't get past the C/K Pickup-issue dashboard, numerous exposed screw heads, black plastic ductwork that hung into the passenger footwell, and cheesy switchgear. "Ooooh! How luxurious!" commented one writer. "A manual, counterintuitive even, seatback recliner lever." This staffer continued: "Ooooh! How luxurious! A manual tilt steering adjuster."
We also found fault with the Escalade's driving demeanor on and off the road. In the dirt, a pavement-tuned suspension and street-biased 16-inch tires hampered the truck's uphill progress. After a tremendous rainstorm during our city- and freeway-driving loop, one evaluator wrote in the logbook: "One of the reasons people buy SUVs is to feel safe, right? With the wind howling, the rain pummeling down and the water ponding on the roadway, the Caddy's poor stability in crosswinds combined with weak brake pedal response, tires that like to hydroplane and lack of steering feel mean you're white-knuckling the wheel through a downpour. Escalade proves not to be the model of safety and security that you imagine when you think SUV."
Indeed, our entire team griped about the Cadillac's lack of communication. The brake pedal took the brunt of criticism, what with the fact that it had to be depressed halfway through its range of travel before any actual slowing occurred. "The brakes inspire nothing but fear," noted one editor. Once the front calipers grabbed the pads, feel was rather good, but the brake pedal itself sits so high in relation to the accelerator that one of our test drivers kept catching his foot on the back of the pedal when transferring from gas to brakes. After we got the hang of the system, and that took more than a few minutes behind the wheel, we found the four-wheel ABS, front disc/rear drum setup to work well. During our instrumented testing, the Escalade stopped from 60 mph in an admirable 139 feet.
Dry pavement didn't improve handling matters. Later that same day, on a twisty road, the following comment was hatched: "Weight transfer is so poorly managed by this chassis that you've gotta be careful when trying to drive rapidly. It's easy to destabilize this truck." Indeed, in our slalom testing, the Escalade was the only one to get seriously out of shape as we threaded cones. In two-wheel drive, the Cadillac oversteered easily, sliding through the cones with lots of body roll and noticeable chassis flex. "You can be steering left, but the vehicle is still heading right," wrote one test driver.
Those same underpinnings were taxed by a full-load of passengers. With five adults aboard, the Escalade became a handful to pilot on all but the smoothest of roads. Bumps resulted in impact-shock transferred directly to the cabin, undulations created excessive wallow and the truck was easily unsettled by rippled corners. Flagrant body roll tossed passengers about, and coupled with noticeable squat and dive, threatened occupants with nausea during our fully loaded in-town driving. At freeway speeds, wind roar and road rumble were deemed excessive by our team.
Loose, sloppy and vague speed-sensitive steering was not lauded by our editors, but we did appreciate the deeply carved detents in the back of the wheel rim, which allowed us to get a good grip on what otherwise might have been slippery wood while we made constant course corrections.
At least one member of our test team preferred the Cadillac's more compact size, better visibility and tall driving position to the pudgy Lincoln Navigator. That same staffer was the only person who found the Cadillac to be handsome in spite of its overdone body cladding. The front and rear seats were found to be quite comfortable by all, but longer-limbed riders in back found their shins in full contact with the front seatbacks, which was deemed unacceptable in a full-size SUV. Also, due to the location of the front seat heater controls on the side of the seat base, we kept activating them accidentally as we fumbled to adjust the soft yet supportive chairs. Backseat drivers liked the controls for ventilation fan speed and a separate audio system with dual headphone jacks.
Because Escalade doesn't have a third row of seats, cargo space is cavernous, measuring 66.9 cubic feet with the back seat in use and a whopping 118.2 cubes with it folded. Five power ports, the most of any SUV in the test, are on board, and Cadillac thoughtfully added a rubberized insert directly beneath the ignition slot so that dangling keys don't scrape and rattle against the plastic steering column.
Ergonomically, the Escalade is generally sound, with large buttons, switches and controls that are easy to find, see and use, but operate without a hint of refinement. We doled out accolades for the large stereo tuning knob, but griped about the power mirror adjuster, which is located so low on the driver's door panel that when you move the mirrors your head is out of position, so that getting a proper setting becomes a multi-step process. The four-wheel drive system offers four easy-to-use modes: 2WD, automatic 4WD, 4WD Hi and 4WD Lo.
We also praised the tried and true, albeit unrefined, 5.7-liter, Vortec V8 engine under the Cadillac's hood. Making 255 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 330 foot-pounds of torque at a low 2,800 rpm, Escalade is rated to tow 6,000 pounds. We accelerated the truck from rest to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, a full second better than Cadillac claims. Well mated to an exceptionally smooth four-speed automatic transmission, our only wishes for improvement with regard to the powertrain were an overdrive on/off switch (to help scrub speed as the 5,572-pound vehicle hurtled down freeway grades) and better fuel economy. We averaged a piddling 11.7 mpg during our testing.
Other staff wishes included a longer list of goodies inside the cabin. True, our Escalade had the second lowest as-tested price of the group and included OnStar mobile communications, a system with which we've had inconsistent success in our long-term Seville and which was deemed unimportant by our editors during voting. What it lacked were such items as automatic dual-zone climate control, navigation system, side airbags, stability control, in-dash CD changer and a power sunroof. Even a roof rack was missing from our truck. But, shortly after our test was completed, local advertising indicated Escalades could be equipped with a rear-seat entertainment system, which is a bonus.
In the final analysis, Cadillac's 2000 Escalade amounts to little more than a warmed over, poorly assembled Chevy, a point obvious to even our most inexperienced staff members. You'd be better off in a Tahoe with leather trim and a fatter wallet to prove the wisdom of your bowtie purchase. The family whose Escalade was stolen, shot up and bled upon in the movie "Gone in Sixty Seconds" should have counted themselves lucky.
SECOND OPINIONS:
I try to cut the Escalade some slack because, after all, it's just a glorified Tahoe. But if Cadillac is willing to attach their name to it then I'm going to hold it up to the "standard of the world." It depresses me to think that the world's standards have dropped so low. Escalade has a blocky body with massive panel gaps, a leather interior that feels like vinyl, doors that creak painfully each time they are opened, and exposed screw heads on every armrest. The brakes make my 1970 Plymouth GTX feel advanced. I pity the world whose standards this thing meets. Shame on you, Cadillac. - Karl Brauer
Cadillac can't be excused for trying to pass off a rebadged Tahoe as a luxury SUV. It looks dated, and inside, low-grade materials and poor quality control are blatant. This is not what a luxury buyer, or any buyer for that matter, is after. The Caddy seemed least capable off-road, had terrible brakes, and wallowed on the road without offering the additional seating found in the Lincoln. - Dan Gardner
Do not buy this truck under any circumstance - you'll be miserable if the horrendous brakes and loose (or is that loser?) steering don't kill you, nor should GM be encouraged down this path of marketing deception. There is nothing Cadillac about the Escalade except for the steering wheel hub and the exterior badging. Instead, you'll find an archaic instrument panel, clunky column shifter and boring dials that are functional yet inconsistent with customary Cadillac amenities. And GM has copiously endowed the Escalade with plastic that looks exactly the same as the stuff in the Chevy Cavalier. Build quality is atrocious: Bumpers sag, doors squeak, innards are revealed. Really, every effort seems to have been expended to make this the most poorly constructed vehicle in the GM fleet. - Erin Riches "
Edmunds, anyone else see a pattern here?
The Land Cruiser destroyed the Chevy Suburban, NAvigator, Expedition(voted, "most likely to break" by edmund's staffers) in last years high end SUV test, and now it's rebadged self " spits up and chews out the competition"(edmunds own quote) again.
This article is in the new Luxury SUV comparison at the front of Edmunds. The lowly Escalante is in this review also.
"First Place: Lexus LX 470
Vehicle Tested: 2000 Lexus LX 470
Base Price of Test Vehicle: $59,500 (including destination charge)
Options on Test Vehicle: Lexus/Nakamichi Premium Audio System ($1,200); Wood and Leather Steering Wheel and Shift Knob ($330); Cargo Mat ($76)
Price of Test Vehicle: $61,106 (including destination charge)
Pros: Gorgeous interior trimmings, slick adjustable suspension, quiet and refined demeanor, capable backwoods performance.
Cons: Weak engine, floppy handling, Toyota-grade secondary switchgear.
What makes the rather pricey Lexus the winner of this test? The Japanese luxury division of Toyota knows how to define "cushy cruiser" without forgetting that "utility vehicle" is two-thirds of the SUV recipe. Coddling, comfortable and supremely capable on any road without ribboned yellow paint, the LX 470 embodies what we feel a luxury SUV should be.
"You get a sense that no expense was spared in creating this luxurious cabin," noted one staff member. Indeed, the LX 470's rose-tinted walnut was radiant in its luster, the perforated leather sumptuous in its suppleness, the electroluminescent gauge cluster blinding in its clarity. Materials used in the construction of the interior are generally of the highest quality, never mind that one editor pointed out that "much of the switchgear in here is identical to what I have in my Sienna minivan." (Two of our staffers have a running argument about the use of Toyota-grade buttons and stalks in Lexus products. One asks, "If the switchgear is good enough for a Lexus, what's the problem if it lands in a Corolla?" The other responds, "Toyota owners move up to Lexus, and want to feel like the money is well spent, like they're getting something better." Who cares, right?)
Giant grab handles on the door panels may block access to the power window controls for some, but they're so beautifully padded and stitched with leather, you won't care. Aside from this slight ergonomic glitch, the cabin is almost flawlessly laid out, with large controls that are simple to find, use and understand. Notable accoutrements include a smog sensor integrated into the automatic climate control system (what? no dual-zone settings?) and a power tilt and telescoping steering column with auto-exit feature that makes finding a proper driving position easy, even if foot well space is tight for those with larger feet.
Seats aren't exceedingly comfortable, lacking thigh and lateral support due to the wide and flat bottom cushion's design. But after you've fired up the optional 280-watt Nakamichi sound system with its six-disc in-dash changer, which will floor you with its astounding sound quality, you won't care about that at all. Neither will larger second-row passengers whose thighs are left sagging rather than resting on a nice, supportive seat surface, as long as they share your musical interests. Under seat foot room is rather tight as well, and legroom isn't worth bragging about. Third-row jump seats are easy to crawl into, but should be reserved strictly for children, or taken out of the vehicle altogether, as they eat up more than 15 cubic feet of valuable cargo space when folded and stowed against the sides of the vehicle. If used, riders in the torture chairs get their own climate controls, cupholders and a storage bin with a first-aid kit.
We liked the large, one-touch open and close power sunroof with pinch protection, and the fact that at night, everything with the exception of the (Camry-issue) cruise controls was illuminated as brightly as the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. But we wondered why there weren't any satellite stereo or climate controls on the steering wheel. A trip computer was also conspicuously absent. And we wished the gorgeous wood-trimmed steering wheel rim had deeper detents along the back like in the Escalade.
Overall, we judged the Lexus to have the quietest cabin of all the SUVs tested, despite minor comfort complaints and a few buzzes and rattles brought out by Botts dotts. "How smooth, solid and refined is the LX 470?" asked one driver in the logbook. "Going with the flow of traffic late one night, I glanced down at the speedometer and was flabbergasted to see that I was tooling along at 90 mph. I had no idea I was going that fast."
Part of the reason this Lexus can operate unfettered at high speed has to do with the amazingly competent Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), which is a semi-active shock absorber system that can be custom-tuned to any of five settings, with the float and wallow of Buick Dynaride at one end of the spectrum and the harsh, jarring response of a Ford Super Duty pickup at the other. Once you've selected one or the other, or from three that combine elements of both, AVS then reads the road surface while monitoring steering input, acceleration rate and braking, automatically making adjustments for conditions within milliseconds. The result is a perfectly tuned ride quality based on the driver's preferences.
AVS is teamed with Automatic Height Control (AHC), which allows the LX 470 to be raised to clear difficult terrain or lowered for easier entry and exit, much like the Range Rover. For 2000, Lexus has added Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) to the standard equipment roster, as well as braking assistance software similar to what Mercedes offers on the ML430. Unlike the ESP system in the Mercedes, VSC won't intrude until the LX is seriously in danger of spinning or tipping. During slalom and skidpad testing, it took plenty of body motion to get the system to activate, but considering how dramatically the Lexus flops over in turns, perhaps it only felt like we were closer to losing adhesion than was actually the case.
In any event, the technology works. AVS gives buyers a soft ride when desired, and a hard, sporty ride if the mood strikes. Of our tested luxury SUVs, Goldilocks would pick the Lexus, which is just right for so many drivers. However, those looking for a more sporting driving demeanor are advised to shop the Benz, because the Lexus is more sublime than sporty in terms of on-road performance.
Creamy describes the highly refined, dual overhead-cam, LEV-compliant, 4.7-liter V8 under the LX 470's hood. "Smooth, silky, and powerful, the engine only lacks that extra shot of juice it needs to be perfect," read one logbook entry. With a scant 230 horsepower available to move 5,401 pounds of truck, you might guess the Lexus is lethargic. Slowest of our test vehicles to 60 mph at 9.6 seconds, you'd be right, but it's only a tick or two behind the Cadillac and Land Rover. With 320 foot-pounds of torque available at a rather high 3,400 rpm (80 percent of that peak torque is available at an incredibly low 1,100 rpm), the Lexus can handle up to 6,500 pounds of trailer when properly equipped. We observed 12.7 mpg during our testing, better than all the trucks except the Mercedes.
Power flows to all four wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD system. Using the "power" mode, gear changes can be harsh and jarring, not at all in keeping with the LX 470's general demeanor. Leaving it in the normal setting is much more satisfying and doesn't noticeably diminish performance. A four-wheel traction control system (TRAC) uses brake and throttle intervention to control wheelspin in the hopes of approximating the action of locked center and rear differentials without usurping the superior steering response associated with open diffs. A standard locking center differential can be engaged to split engine torque evenly front and rear for serious off-road workouts.
We didn't need to lock the LX 470 for our hill-climb test. It scampered up the mountainside with an eagerness second only to the Land Rover. Street-biased 16-inch tires were certainly a problem as they slipped and slid in the soft soil. Otherwise, the Lexus shrugged off our trail testing as though it was a minor irritant, a distasteful chore to be performed before resuming life as an errand runner on Rodeo Drive. And though we didn't need them until we entered the car wash, the power folding exterior mirrors were greatly appreciated.
Front and rear disc brakes with ABS hauled the hefty Lexus down from 60 mph in just 138 feet, thanks partially to the new "brake assist" technology standard on 2000 LX 470s. Some drivers complained that the brakes were touchy until they acclimated themselves to the pedal, while others loved the responsiveness right off the bat. Oddly, our track test driver reported that braking performance actually diminished when taken to the limit in panic stops. Steering has a slower ratio than the Land Rover and Mercedes, and exhibits a dead spot on center that can be a tad disconcerting. Road feel is decent, but the walnut-trimmed steering wheel rim is uncomfortable to hold.
Twisting two-lane is not the LX 470's friend, and is the one type of driving environment in which the Lexus struggles to perform competently. Neither can it carry the most cargo of the assembled vehicles, managing just 90.4 cubic feet with the third-row jump seats removed and the second-row bench folded down. With the rear seat in place and the jump seats sitting on the floor of the garage, you've got 55.4 cubic feet to play with, and 39.2 cubes are available with the jump seats folded and strapped to the sides of the cargo area walls. But with a whopping 9.8 inches of ground clearance, the Lexus tromps the other trucks in terms of its ability to clear obstacles in its path.
In December, 1998, we pitted several full-sized SUVs against the Toyota Land Cruiser, on which the LX 470 is based. The Land Cruiser chewed them up and spit them out with its sheer competence. Similarly, the LX 470 is, in our opinion, the best luxury-brand SUV on the market, able to do just about everything that is asked of it with skill and without complaint.
SECOND OPINIONS:
The Lexus rules the class because it has no real weaknesses. Unlike the other four contestants, the Lexus fulfills all luxury SUV needs without compromise. If you were to purchase an LX 470 and never go off-road you would still possess an excellent luxury truck in terms of comfort, convenience and safety. If you were to purchase an LX 470 and never drive it on pavement, yo
Well well. Yet another victory in a COMPARISON test for a Toyota 4x4. 4 wheeler, Petersons,
Edmunds, anyone else see a pattern here?
The Land Cruiser destroyed the Chevy Suburban, NAvigator, Expedition(voted, "most likely to break" by edmund's staffers) in last years high end SUV test, and now it's rebadged self " spits up and chews out the competition"(edmunds own quote) again.
This article is in the new Luxury SUV comparison at the front of Edmunds. The lowly Escalante is in this review also.
"First Place: Lexus LX 470
Vehicle Tested: 2000 Lexus LX 470
Base Price of Test Vehicle: $59,500 (including destination charge)
Options on Test Vehicle: Lexus/Nakamichi Premium Audio System ($1,200); Wood and Leather Steering Wheel and Shift Knob ($330); Cargo Mat ($76)
Price of Test Vehicle: $61,106 (including destination charge)
Pros: Gorgeous interior trimmings, slick adjustable suspension, quiet and refined demeanor, capable backwoods performance.
Cons: Weak engine, floppy handling, Toyota-grade secondary switchgear.
What makes the rather pricey Lexus the winner of this test? The Japanese luxury division of Toyota knows how to define "cushy cruiser" without forgetting that "utility vehicle" is two-thirds of the SUV recipe. Coddling, comfortable and supremely capable on any road without ribboned yellow paint, the LX 470 embodies what we feel a luxury SUV should be.
"You get a sense that no expense was spared in creating this luxurious cabin," noted one staff member. Indeed, the LX 470's rose-tinted walnut was radiant in its luster, the perforated leather sumptuous in its suppleness, the electroluminescent gauge cluster blinding in its clarity. Materials used in the construction of the interior are generally of the highest quality, never mind that one editor pointed out that "much of the switchgear in here is identical to what I have in my Sienna minivan." (Two of our staffers have a running argument about the use of Toyota-grade buttons and stalks in Lexus products. One asks, "If the switchgear is good enough for a Lexus, what's the problem if it lands in a Corolla?" The other responds, "Toyota owners move up to Lexus, and want to feel like the money is well spent, like they're getting something better." Who cares, right?)
Giant grab handles on the door panels may block access to the power window controls for some, but they're so beautifully padded and stitched with leather, you won't care. Aside from this slight ergonomic glitch, the cabin is almost flawlessly laid out, with large controls that are simple to find, use and understand. Notable accoutrements include a smog sensor integrated into the automatic climate control system (what? no dual-zone settings?) and a power tilt and telescoping steering column with auto-exit feature that makes finding a proper driving position easy, even if foot well su would still possess a fully capable off-road machine ready to serve safari needs. It pampers and empowers, coddles and liberates simultaneously. No other vehicle in this test, or for that matter on this planet, can make such claims. The other four vehicles each have their strengths and weaknesses. With the LX, it's all strengths. - Karl Brauer
This was my favorite truck in the test. It made me feel coddled, comfortable, hierarchical and safe all at the same time. Inside, the Lexus is gorgeous, with a cleanly designed two-tone dash and beautiful rosy wood accents. The quality of the leather on the seats and doors is unquestionably top-notch. Driving the vehicle, thanks to a transmission that shifted imperceptibly and a strong, powerful V8 engine, was a pleasure as well. - Erin Mahoney
Of the three vehicles in this test that are re-optioned, re-trimmed, "coach class" SUVs, the Lexus is the only one worth a lobbyist's speech: "To hell with its proletariat roots, the LX 470 has ascended to the bourgeois!" The leather still isn't the irresistibly textured stuff stretched over the seats in European vehicles, but it is Toyota's finest. And the richness of the wood surfaces and the boldness of the chrome - ah, privilege feels good. - Erin Riches
The Last Word:
During voting and final scoring for this test, our panel of five vehicle evaluators nearly unanimously chose the Lexus LX 470 as both the luxury SUV they themselves, had they the means, would purchase and as the luxury SUV they would recommend to the average consumer looking for such a vehicle. A lone dissenter decided he'd rather park the Mercedes-Benz ML430 in his own garage.
But the secret is this: Toyota sells the same thing for less. Nearly $8,400 less. If you don't mind losing the LX 470's better warranty and royal dealer treatment, or items like standard third-row seats, a Nakamichi sound system, trademark Lexus Optitron gauges, an interior slathered in sensually-tinted walnut, and the trick AVS/AHC suspension, then the Land Cruiser is your ticket to ride for about what you'd pay for the blundering Navigator.
Either way you go, the Lexus LX 470 and Toyota Land Cruiser represent the best of their breed. "
Anyone else notice a pattern here? Toyota makes the best 4x4's, PERIOD.
The Wrangler may have better approach and departure angles, but no one makes a 4x4 as sturdy and tough as Toyota does. NO ONE.
--hulk66: why is the TRD better than the ZR2 for offroading? why don't you show me some stats to make me believe you.
secondary switchgear."
huh? weak engine??? from toyota? no way! that's not at all like them to put weak engines in their trucks! I can't believe it! spoog, can you believe it??
Go read any comparions test or review. The interiors and overall build quality are pure garbage.
Did you happen to read the comparison I posted? lol. Have fun with your Zr2.............
lol.
I don't think so.
I have heard of complaints about the transmission in the Explorer. A friend of mine at work swears that Ford makes great trucks. Yet . . . he will tell you that he has replaced the transmission at 40,000 miles plus and just this weekend the transmission went. He plans to buy another Explorer.
Do not forget, Ranger is a heavier vehicle, hence more brake wear.
BTW Did you see the June long term test on the Ranger where the tester complained about the Ranger seats having no support.
One of Toyota's specialties is amazing brake quality. Even 4wheeler had to comment and gush over the "heavy duty" calipers on the Tacoma.
As for the Tacoma v6 taking second place in juice, you are right. But not my truck. The newRanger will still be behind my Taco.