Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series: Reliability, Durability, and Off-Road Performance

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota Middle East released the new Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series. The 300 Series was upgraded across the board, even though Toyota is not known for changing the SUV. From the new V6 engine to the new GA-F platform, the new Toyota SUV is ready for trouble, on and off-road.

How many miles can a Toyota Land Cruiser last?

The 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser LC300 | Toyota

Toyota debuted the brand new Toyota Land Cruiser today in a press release. After over 70 years, the Land Cruiser sold over 10.4 million units in over 170 countries worldwide. The SUV stands for reliability around the globe. If you ask Toyota, the Land Cruiser will last forever.

Toyota chose to highlight the humanitarian and disaster relief efforts supported through the use of the Land Cruiser. Additionally, the brand spoke about how the LC allows people to travel through terrain that other vehicles might not otherwise reach.

“With these applications in mind and to continue responding to customers’ expectations of the Land Cruiser as “a vehicle that promises to take you anywhere & everywhere and come back alive and safe,” Toyota has been advancing and evolving the Land Cruiser by setting ever-tighter development and evaluation standards as needed, based on the actual usage situations of customers all over the world.”

Toyota

Toyota says the LC has evolved for the 300 Series into a station wagon model. “Reliability, durability, and off-road performance” were the objectives. With that, the automaker set out to make a machine that could go off-road with ease for both driver and vehicle.

The Toyota Land Cruiser GA-F platform

The Toyota Land Cruiser has adapted the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform into the GA-F platform while keeping the same structure the SUV is known for. TNGA-F (GA-F) is the platform that underpins the brand’s full-size, body-on-frame SUVs. The automaker reduced the vehicle’s weight, lowered the center of gravity, and updated the powertrain. For the first time since 2007, Toyota redesigned the inside and outside of the SUV.

The frame redesign reduced weight and increased the rigidity of the suspension. Toyota reduced the total weight of the vehicle by about 440 pounds (200 kg). Toyota improved the weight distribution throughout the vehicle as well.

Some of the other new features include wheel articulation and the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS). A wheel articulation feature is a number that indicates the ability of a tire to stay on the ground. The E-KDSS system is the first in the world to improve road-holding.

Multi-Terrain Monitor is a way to display obstacles from the driver’s point of view. Multi-Terrain Select helps judge the road based on the surface and selects the best driving mode for the terrain ahead. So even if you aren’t prepared for what lies ahead, your Land Cruiser will be.

The engine

A V6 twin-turbo engine will come with the Land Cruiser. That will be either a 3.5L gasoline or 3.3L diesel engine. By departing from the conventional V8 engine, Toyota hopes to reduce global CO2 emissions by approximately 10%. Both engine options will come with Toyota’s newly created Direct Shift-10AT (10-speed automatic transmission).

For the 3.5L gasoline vehicle, the maximum output is 409 hp (305 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. The maximum output for the 3.3L diesel is 304 hp (226 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm).

The press release says that Land Cruiser 300 series is available “globally” this summer. While the SUV wasn’t slated for release in the U.S., is this an indication we might see it in the states after all?

RELATED: This 1992 Toyota Coaster RV Minibus Is Right Hand Drive

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Did a Flux Capacitor Shortage Cancel the Tesla Model S Plaid Plus?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tesla fans and aficionados worldwide were excited about the June 10 debut of the 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Plus. Unfortunately for them, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the Tesla Model S Plaid Plus is canceled. It was supposed to be almost light-speed fast (okay, just really, really fast). Could there be a supply chain problem with flux capacitors?

“Back To The Future” DeLorean | Back To The Future

Elon Musk is kind of vague about why the Tesla Model S Plaid Plus is canceled

A red Tesla Model S Plaid driving down a highway.
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid | Tesla

Elon Musk loves to communicate with the Tesla community via Twitter. In fact, Tesla did away with their communications department. This means most people get their breaking Tesla news from Musk’s tweets. While it’s an extremely swift means of disseminating information, it can leave a lot of murky water to wade through for answers. 

When Musk tweeted that there would be no promised forthcoming Tesla Model S Plaid Plus, he simply wrote, “Plaid+ is canceled. No need, as Plaid is just so good.” While there may be customers who are content with the Tesla Model S Plaid, those who had already placed orders for the Model S Plaid Plus are likely disappointed.

Could the Tesla Model S Plaid Plus cancelation be due to a lack of flux capacitors?

The flux capacitor from the Back to the Future DeLorean at the Hollywood Museum.
The flux capacitor from the “Back To The Future” DeLorean | Michael Tullberg via Getty Images

The Tesla Model S Plaid was already going to be an incredible car. It’s still debuting June 10th, and is going to cost $119,000. The Model S Plaid Plus was supposed to cost nearly $150,000 after a $10,000 price increase. 

What do you get for over a hundred grand? 1,020 hp and a 0-60 time of two seconds. Merging onto the highway should be no problem, so long as you can keep control of your car. The Model S Plaid Plus was supposed to reach 60 mph in less than 2 seconds. This is super handy if you’re planning on turning your Tesla into a time machine à la Back to the Future. 

So maybe the reason behind the Tesla Plaid Plus is a lack of flux capacitors. The new steering wheel on the Tesla Model S Plaid is a Y-shaped Yoke steering wheel, much like the Y-shaped flux capacitor in the Back to the Future capacitor. With Elon Musk moving the reveal date from June 3 to June 10, isn’t it possible that Doc Brown just hadn’t made it back in time?

In addition to being unbelievably fast, the Tesla Model S Plaid will have a range of 390 miles. This is pretty good, but the Model S Plaid Plus was supposed to have a range of nearly 520 miles. That’s a pretty big deal to electric car enthusiasts who are anxious about running out of battery miles from a Supercharger. 

The Tesla Model S has been around and gaining Tesla loyalists since 2012. On the other hand, the DeLorean is circa 1982. 

Did anyone see this coming?

The Y-shaped steering wheel of the Tesla Model S.
2021 Tesla Model S yoke steering wheel | Tesla

It’s no surprise that the entire automotive industry is having a sort of weird year. There’s a chip shortage, which is causing all sorts of production problems and delays. There are supply chain issues, meaning planned vehicles are getting modified or even canceled. So maybe this sudden turn of events surrounding the Plaid Plus shouldn’t be a surprise. 

If you’ve been paying attention to Tesla – and the Tesla fan club is large and committed – you already know that the Plaid Plus option wasn’t available as of late May. This tipped people off to the possibility of Model S Plaid Plus problems, even if there was no confirmation of issues. 

Now that the Tesla Plaid Plus is indeed canceled, those who had placed orders are being asked to accept delivery for the plain old Plaids. Guess you’ll need a flux capacitor to reach those Plaid Plus speeds.

RELATED: Is Tesla Vision Better Than Radar

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EV Truck Maker Lordstown Warns It’s Ready To Go Under

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We warned you about this last month and now here we are. Lordstown, the Ohio EV manufacturer that has never manufactured anything, has announced if it doesn’t get to burn through some more money it won’t make the EV trucks it has never made. Or something like that. This is the end for Lordstown.

Wasn’t Lordstown supposed to be making trucks now?

Endurance EV pickup | Lordstown

Lordstown was supposed to be well on its way to making one of the first electric trucks. But timelines keep moving and setbacks remain a part of Lordstown’s MO. While September was the new starting date to begin assembly, Lordstown is now saying it has “substantial doubt” it can remain in business. 

For a statement like that to be made flies in the face of good messaging. First, its stock plunged 20 percent at the halfway point today according to CNN Business. It also braces suppliers that they may never get paid. So Lordstown’s supply chain is now in protection mode. 

Most suppliers will demand payment for existing components already delivered before sending out new products. Banks and investors will begin to back away from further funding, too. Lordstown’s statement creates a fulfillment of prophecy. It signals the inevitable end of the company. 

Lordstown started with an ex-GM 6.2 million facility

Endurance EV pickup with Pence standing by
Endurance EV pickup | Lordstown

The Lordstown phenomenon has been in the spotlight almost since the day GM stopped producing Saturn sedans there in 2019. The 6.2 million square foot facility stood empty for only a short time before Lordstown somehow cajoled GM into selling it to them for s pittance. 

And the race then commenced creating an electric pickup truck that never seemed ready for prime time. Now we are at the point where financial bleeding can’t be stopped, and the white flag is unfurled. While broadcasting dire warnings it is still asking for help in finding additional financing. The statement that doubts its ability to stay in business makes this folly. 

Rivian, Ford with its F-150 Lightning, and Tesla with its Cybertruck are all poised to begin production soon. Once those companies pull the trigger, it puts Lordstown in a precarious position. It would no longer be viewed as unique but merely an also-ran. 

Things really went south after Hindenburg Research began shorting Lordstown stock

Lordstown Motors Endurance truck with Trump at press conference
Lordstown Endurance EV with Trump | Getty

But the writing has been on the wall thanks in part to an investment company’s shorting of Lordstown. Hindenburg Research raised doubts about Lordstown’s contracts for large quantities of vehicles. Those contracts were partially fueling Lordstown’s growth. Without actually making anything. 

“After months of denials, Lordstown is finally beginning to acknowledge its precarious financial state and that its earlier production projections were nowhere close to reality,” Hindenburg said in a statement yesterday. Lordstown stock values have tanked since Hindenburg’s report. Then the SEC decided to investigate Lordstown’s pre-order claims. Oh, and Lordstown’s lone test vehicle burned up in testing. 

Would we be remiss to say things are snowballing right now? Saying you have doubts about your chances of staying in business much longer pretty much means you’re unable to stay in business. The sooner it folds the sooner its 600 employees can move on to hopefully rebound stronger from the whole bad Lordstown mess.

RELATED: There Are More All-Electric Pickup Trucks Around the Corner

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The Ford F150 Dominates the Chevy Silverado 1500 in Safety Systems

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Ford F150 and the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are popular pickup trucks which have been around for years. Of course each year modifications are made, adjustments are made and the trucks are (hopefully) getting better all the time. If you’re torn between the two, you may look to safety features and ratings. Is the F150 safer than the Silverado 1500 – or is it the other way around? 

2021 Ford F150 | Ford

What kinds of safety features should I be looking for?

Consumer Reports says that everyone shopping for a new vehicle should prioritize certain safety features. Many advanced safety systems are becoming required on cars, or standard within certain car manufacturers. For example, all new cars must come with a backup camera. This is meant to enhance safety when someone is backing up, as it can be difficult to see a small person or animal behind the vehicle. There are other safety features which you should look for, as well. 

Consumer Reports tested a variety of F150s and Silverado 1500s. Let’s look at the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab LT 6-Cyl 10-Speed Automatic and 2021 Ford F150 Crew Cab Lariat V6-Cyl 10-Speed Automatic.

Forward collision warning will alert you if a collision is imminent. This is an option you may select in the 2021 Silverado 1500, which starts at $29,300. It comes standard in the 2021 F150, which starts at $29,290. Different systems will alert the driver at different distances from the potential collision, so you may want to see which system will give you the most advance warning. 

Pedestrian detection can alert you if there is a person in the path of your vehicle. Some will let you know if there is someone who may enter the path of your vehicle. Still others will also alert you to a cyclist who could present a danger. Again, this is optional in the Silverado 1500 but standard in the F150. 

Automatic braking is standard in the 2021 Ford F150

Yet it isn’t in the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500. Not only that, but while automatic braking for the city is an option in the Silverado 1500, automatic braking for the highway doesn’t exist. Both of these braking systems are standard in the F150. Automatic braking will apply brakes automatically in the event of a possible collision. As the names imply, city automatic braking works at lower speeds while the highway automatic braking works at higher speeds. 

Front side airbags come standard in both trucks, but not rear side airbags. Head protection is standard in the Chevy Silverado 1500 and standard with rollover in the Ford F150.

All other advanced safety systems are the same in both the F150 and the Silverado 1500. Lane departure warning and lane keeping assist are optional in both, as is blind spot warning. Rear cross traffic warning is optional in both pickup trucks while anti lock breaks, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights are all standard in the F150 and the Silverado 1500. 

So is the F150 safer than the Silverado 1500? Even with the similarities in some of the available and standard safety systems, the fact that the 2021 Ford F150 comes with forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic braking gives it a strong edge over the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500. The Ford F150 doesn’t have available crash test ratings on Consumer Reports, so it’s hard to evaluate the overall safety of the pickup trucks against one another. Still, if you’re looking for the pickup with the most safety features, the 2021 Ford F150 is the way to go.

RELATED: Do Blind Spot Mirrors Really Work?

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