Yep, the 1st gen Tacoma frame issue is well known and any Toyota dealership you go to has had rusted Tacoma frames sitting out back for years. There is a push on the FJ side for a similar recall ( https://www.fjcruiserforums.com/threads/class-action-lawsuit-filed-for-frame-rust.752795/ ), I’ve actually had some of…

I think this might also be something potentially turning customers off Tesla...I don’t know anyone who really thinks of them as “the BEST car” beyond the increasingly small group of Tesla/Musk fanatics.

People Want EVs They Can Actually Afford

I help dozens of people find / buy FJ’s each year. It’s always amazing to me that people think that just because Toyota’s are reliable, that they should be immune from rust.

I’ve always found this wheel-rotation-while-driving video to be the better FJ Cruiser example.

It’s a cheaper 4x4 alternative to the new Land Cruiser. Some of us live in wild places where we need reliability and a low range transfer and this is the cheapest SUV from Toyota that provides both.

A pair of LC convertibles, the ‘24 is a bespoke build.

I’ve owned two Lexus’ built at Motomachi (look it up), my most recent one has a signed build sheet on Japanese washi paper. I’ve also owned two Tesla’s, an early 3 and an early Y.

They very happily own a pair of Ford Mach-Es now.

Gen1 NSX, Monaco Blue Pearl. The most rare gen1 NSX color, 44 cars. This one set a record for non-Zanardi AP2's when it sold on BaT in 2021.

I think a lot of Toyota customers will tolerate the dealership experience or markup in exchange for the perceived reliability of the brand. When I was in the market for a 4Runner to build for offroading in Colorado, a bad dealer experience would have forced me to a new dealer instead of considering a different vehicle …

I get that it makes for a better lawsuit / headline to say “Toyota scammed a customer”, but the reality is that a Toyota franchisee — Santa Margarita Toyota — sold her that maintenance plan.

+1. $1300/mo for my ‘21 LC500 convertible. Could have paid cash, bank’s money was cheaper than inflation.

The hybrid doesn’t help on highway MPG, but the smaller displacement gas engine does. But this is a common problem with hybrid Lexus sedans, the hybrid vs non-hybrid version trivially improves MPG and adds a lot of complexity / cost to the drivetrain. The V8 in a straight line at highway speeds purrs at low RPMs. My…

An LS460 AWD vs the LS500H will meet the price requirements, and with 8 forward gears will be surprisingly fuel efficient on the highway (mine was 29 MPG / 650+ miles to a tank).

Almost every major review of the LC500 calls it a “future classic”, it is the most no-brainer collector car on this list. Everything coming from Toyota / Lexus now is smaller displacement, turbos, hybrid that sound like sewing machines. The styling and build quality are unmatched for less than twice the money. They…

You should definitely check out the Lexus Performance Driving School ( https://lexusperformancedrivingschool.com/ ), it’s about a grand for a full day of seat time. IS500 on the autocross track, RC-F on skidpad and LC500's on the main road course. This is my 3rd year going, been to COTA and Road Atlanta.

Here’s mine.  ‘24 ultrasonic blue bespoke.  These have maybe 3-4 years left since the interior redesign just happened.  Better hurry.

Came here to say this. With a third of her income spent on a car, her other likely large expense is housing. She’s living with her parents for free? Well that expense is gone. After housing and car payment everything else is minor, mostly discretionary and adjustable.  Delete Uber Eats and learn to cook.

I have a ‘22 Chevy Bolt and a ‘24 Lexus LC500 convertible. To say that they’re at opposite ends of the price / quality / technology scale would be an understatement.