Are The UZJ100 / Lexus LX470 Land Cruisers As Good As Their Predecessors?

[Jandrews]

Skimming through the FJ80 classifieds to see whats out there. A lot of beaten or heavily modified stuff out there. I know those earlier generations are bullet proof, so started looking at the '99 and newer stuff.

o What is the verdict on the 100's?
o Are they as good as the 60's and 80's?
o What are the known problem areas with the 100's? What should you look for and what should you avoid?


Thanks,

JA

[SeanPizzle]

spectacular V8's. Not nearly as capable off road (no solid front axle, no front diff lock). Weaker IFS suspension links in front.

Good comfortable rig, will do some light towing. Gas milage is about the same with the V8 as the I6.

[look 171]

They say the 100 will do 90% + off road that an 80 will do. My wheeling days are over, but I still want a 100 over a bunch of vehicles out there. I hear they go 300k miles without issues.

[aigel]

I have an 01 Sequoia. Same timing belt V8. Not a fan of changing that for the 2nd time soon. 8 h of my time and about $300 vs. $1500 at a shop.

The transmission on the earlier one should also have the same OD problem the Sequoia has. Would buy the latest one you can afford.

Speaking of Sequoia. It does what I need on dirt roads and bad terrain. It is a lot cheaper than the LC and more roomy essentially sharing a lot of the components. Definitely an option if you aren't looking to go nuts wheelin'.

G

[unclebilly]

My wife drives a 97 LX450 with a TRD supercharger, a JDM winch and factory lockers. This was the last true Landcruiser that came to Canada and this and the 97 80 series Landcruisers were he last of the real Landcruisers in North America.

The 100 series Landcruisers for ROW kept the 80 series running gear, we got the 100 series on the Sequoia chassis. I have a 2011 Tundra and it is no where near as utilitarian as the LX450.

The trouble with the 80 series is: these are 16 years old +, cup holders are useless, no outside temp / compass, no Bluetooth, they are somewhat thirty. My wife will not part with hers for something newer.

The 98 and 99 80 series trucks has traction control but no locking diffs. Most people avoid these.

Have a look at ih8mud.com for model specifics.

[look 171]

Why not a 4 runner? Sure they are a lot smaller, unless you really need the room to get stuff to the back country(there's always the roof). How much of the real rough off road will you see? For the most part the 4 runner will do fine even if it does get nasty. Again, interior cargo volume is the main concern. Yep. I still want my 80 back.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by look 171

They say the 100 will do 90% + off road that an 80 will do. My wheeling days are over, but I still want a 100 over a bunch of vehicles out there. I hear they go 300k miles without issues.

Yup. I loved my FJ80 but the 100 is a better overall truck. Way more power, better MPG, better ride quality. As good off-road except for the totally hardcore. Do the scheduled maintenance and they are nearly bulletproof. Expedition Portal picked it as their #1 used expedition vehicle.

Top 10 Used Overland Vehicles

ih8mud is a fantastic resource, if you haven't already do some reading of the forums and the FAQ. The only real common issue is exhaust manifold leaks, the manifolds can crack which manifests itself in a ticking noise. Rear differential lock is a must have if you go off-road and was only available '98-'99, rear AC became an option in '99 and standard in '00, and the first major styling refresh was '02. My only knock on them is that they hold their value so well, even a high mileage one is $10k+. Obviously that's a bonus come resale time. Don't forget the Lexus LX470 twin, it has a trick height adjustable suspension that can be problematic but the conventional Land Cruiser system bolts right on. It's a bit nicer inside, I always wanted one for the irony of driving a Lexus covered in mud.

[skipdup]

I have an '06 LX 470. Bought just 9 months ago, but so far I really, really like it. Bt far my favorite suv ever.
ih8mud.com is great resource.
'06 get vvti and nice (noticeable) bump in power.

[Jandrews]

Good feedback. And yes, I have been doing some reading over at IH8MUD.

Sounds like the 100's are very well respected also. The few comments that they are not QUITE as good off-road kind of made me think about what I was really looking for in a vehicle. The reality is that I would probably see very little off-roading, and virtually no "hard-core" stuff. We go to Colorado several times a year and always hit the back-country with dirt-bikes, hiking, fly-fishing, etc..., but let's face it, I don't need a rock-crawler!!

That said, I think I am just at a place where I appreciate the "capability", and the engineering of a vehicle that is truly built to last in harsh conditions. I am the kind of guy that likes to buy the best, since those types of vehicles also usually do the day-to-day stuff better than 90% of everything else out there. I also appreciate good design when it comes time to work on stuff. My 911 falls in that category, as does my KTM dirt bike.

We have (my wife drives) a 2011 4 Runner. I love it, and could just inherit that and get her something different. I currently drive an '03 Expedition, and honestly, it has been fantastic. I does everything well, has great power, and is VERY comfortable. I honestly have no need whatsoever for a new SUV, I guess I just got bored and started romanticizing about a cool, older, bullet-proof cruiser that would be "fun" to own....if that makes any sense at all. Forget the practical here....I don't need practical. For that matter, I am the kind of guy that would buy a highly modded expo built rig, if it was done right, just for the enjoyment of driving it.

Keep the comments coming, and I'll keep looking. I'll post up some pics of stuff I like. Probably be purely stock stuff....all the way to crazy modded stuff. You guys post up some good ones to, and we can discuss.

Thanks,

JA

[Jandrews]

Here's a highly modded '95 that I couldn't help visualizing in the driveway!