peak toyota/lexus was around 2006. After that all downhill.
Even the base model has A-Trak. I highly recommend trying it off road if you get the chance. It behaves like an ABS powered diff lock and makes your brake pump sound like a machine gun and can make your 4Runner climb interesting bumpy hills.
It should be half the price, but people will apparently pay Toyota just about anything for it.
In my mind that is debatable, unless you sell it after a few years to take advantage of the market price for used ones.
There is no doubt at all that it is a durable and dependable vehicle. But you're discounting how good everything else has become, with lower operating and repair costs. My parents used to be die-hard Camry fans and just wouldn't consider anything else. I totally understand how this fandom comes about :)
The Land Cruiser moved to an 8-speed transmission 6 or 7 years ago. Lexus is chock full of reliable, highly-advanced engines and hybrid drive systems. With your Colorado elevation and joke 85 octane gas, you really need the modern tech in your cars. You'd have much improved performance and dramatically lower running costs.
Toyota is taking advantage of you.
Take that already-in-mass-production drivetrain (or ideally something a little smaller) and put it into a 4Runner type vehicle and you have something absolutely amazing. For the same cost. That's my beef with Toyota.
I’m looking for a 1997-2000 LS400 at the moment.
I sorta want to replace it, because I don't really like driving my children around in it, but new cars seem incredibly complex. I'm just trying to drive here, man.