200 series vs. 100 series (1 Viewer)

[timeo]

I am the original owner of a 100 series LC w/ just over 300,000 miles on it and am thinking about moving to a 200 series w/ 100,000 miles. Question for 200 series owners: how does the 200 compare from a maintenance and reliability standpoint? Anything to be wary of when shopping for a 200, any known weaknesses to watch out for?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[grinchy]

The same but better. Different things to watch out for as different engines.

 

[Reckless]

I have a 200 and a 100. 200 is better in every which way imo. For me the only thing to look out for is rust. I found a beauty and paid a little extra for her because she looked soo nice in and out. My vehicle has 252k miles on it, ive driven it 152k with no major repairs. My 100 gives me more headaches on little things.

I love land cruisers and think 200 is better than 100. I was originally a 100 purist.

 

[RET2]

Search the 200 forum for radiator, valley coolant leaks, KDSS, and starter. That should give you a fair idea of what you could encounter. Some of those items were model year dependent.

 

[Zarchery]

When I first started shopping for a 200 series I wanted to know the same answers. It’s unfortunate but you really won’t find all that much.

Just search “common problems” for an LX570 or 200 series land cruiser and that tells you pretty much everything you’ll need to know. How so?

You’ll find basically 0 threads that have common issues listed. That’s what I ran into when I started shopping about 3 years ago. My biggest fear was the AHC suspension system. I spent a few hours trying to find threads where people had issues with the AHC or the cost for repairs if it broke. I literally couldn’t find anything. Which told me that either the owners of these rigs are absolutely loaded and just take em to the dealer and move on, or they don’t break.
Land Crusiers are just tanks. Can’t beat that dependable V8 and the drivetrain is hard to beat as well.

There is a reason the Land Cruiser is so far behind in technology. They have been building these things the same for decades and have proven their formula works. Absolutely no reason to add a ton of fancy new technology that isn’t proven.

I wouldn’t sweat!

 

[hickuptruck]

They're two different Land Cruisers from 2 different eras of Toyota.

Leaks. Coolant valley, cam tower, waterpumps, rads leaking, timing chain tensioners and guides on real high mileage engines.

 

[Markuson]

This is not a complete comparison, but just some things that come to mind after owning both for a good long while (I sold my 100 when I got my 200).

Actually some very similar failures are shared between the two, including…
-Radiator cracks on both around 70-100k or 6 years or so.
-Water Pump
-Starter around 100k+

Differences:
-CVs do FAR better on the 200 than the 100 because they have a much less extreme angle. I replaced my 100 Series =CVs 3 times because I had to. -In contrast…after beating the HECK out of my truck, I STILL couldn’t break my CVs or even produce clicking from them. FAR more robust.

-100’s have torsion bar front suspension, where the 200 has Coilover front suspension. I’ll take the 200 all day long on that one.

Power:
NIGHT AND DAY.
The 200 leavers the 100 in the dust, power-wise, and it’s not even close.
That big 5.7 is an absolute beast…and the 100’s 4.7 is just adequate.

Comfort:
I actually like the front seats in the 200, but I wish they wrapped more as the 100 front seats did. I also liked the 100’s adjustable armrests, which do not exist on the 200…though you do have the center console armrest.

Transmission related…
-I do wish the 200 had a manual shift for 4Lo/4Hi. The 100 did, while the 200 relies on an electric actuator.

-The 200’s crawl control really does work in a pinch. No such thing on the 100.

There is far more to compare, but I’m tired.

In a nutshell?
-There is NO WAY I would trade my 200 for a 100.
I absolute LOVED my 100 series…but the 200 is every it was and more…albeit with a few annoyances here and there.

If you still can’t decide…get in the 200 and stomp on the gas.
The power difference alone with get your attention.

 

[tincan45]

I currently have both and they each have merits. Given a choice, I would choose 200 every time. I bought my 100 cheap with 250K and I absolutely love using it a like a truck. I throw crap/dogs/kids in and out of it worry free and I have to say there is something nostalgic about the analog feel of an early 100. The driving position/visibility is fantastic and there really isn't much to worry about. If I was going to build a rig for pinstripes and deep water crossings...it would be the 100. The 200, on the other hand, is luxurious by comparison. It's the ultimate road tripper. Better in just about every way except you feel a little disconnected by the tech. Just my take on it.

 

[CharlieS]

I’ve had both as well, I’d skip the 100 if I had to do it over. The 80 series would be my choice for a trail oriented rig, and the 200 for anything else. I put a TRD supercharger on my last 80, and it was a beast. That being said the 200 is so capable, it is a great all rounder. It’s wider than the 80 so it is more than I’d like on some trails, but it has so much else going for it, I can’t justify having two. Drive a Tundra for a while if you want to feel like your 200 is svelte. While they aren’t much larger by the numbers, the feel twice as big driving them.

 

[Em cee]

Get your 200 and never look back (literally, as you’ll be driving 10+ years of continued refinement).

 

[Robert B]

The leather on the 100 series seats may be a little more robust. Other than that, I echo the comments above. Plus, the coil overs give many, many more options for upgrades.

 

[Mixelplix]

You guys are blatantly ignoring the biggest advantage to the 100 series.. the seat mounted arm rest.

 

[bentonrover]

I traded my 05 LX470 with 165k for a 08 LC200 with 200k. Completely different versions of vehicles. The LX was a solid firm truck though. Even with the ahc system which was flawless. Got rid of it cause not only could it hold a alignment and chasing vibrations was stressful. New England rust was not good to her. I knew when to let go. Seen the 08 with a lot less rust but had 199k miles and grabbed it up. Both trucks have solid dealer servicing and such. So out of the 2 I'll stick with the LC200. Good luck

 

[Em cee]

I traded my 05 LX470 with 165k for a 08 LC200 with 200k. Completely different versions of vehicles. The LX was a solid firm truck though. Even with the ahc system which was flawless. Got rid of it cause not only could it hold a alignment and chasing vibrations was stressful. New England rust was not good to her. I knew when to let go. Seen the 08 with a lot less rust but had 199k miles and grabbed it up. Both trucks have solid dealer servicing and such. So out of the 2 I'll stick with the LC200. Good luck

View attachment 2676929

View attachment 2676930

U also snagged the ultimate unicorn color no less, congrats!

 

[timeo]

Thanks for the info everyone, drove a 2015 today (70,000 miles and like new inside/out) and the power is so much better than the 100. One complaint is losing the armrests and I prefer the 100 series center console vs. the 200's cooler. Getting a PPI on Wed but if all checks out will have the 200 and be selling the 100, bittersweet on selling it since it has been a fantastic rig for 21 years.

 

[Zarchery]

Thanks for the info everyone, drove a 2015 today (70,000 miles and like new inside/out) and the power is so much better than the 100. One complaint is losing the armrests and I prefer the 100 series center console vs. the 200's cooler. Getting a PPI on Wed but if all checks out will have the 200 and be selling the 100, bittersweet on selling it since it has been a fantastic rig for 21 years.

Next time you’re on a road trip and you pull an ice cold beer out of that cool box when you reach your destination, remember what you said here!

 

[LCtoLX]

Thanks for the info everyone, drove a 2015 today (70,000 miles and like new inside/out) and the power is so much better than the 100. One complaint is losing the armrests and I prefer the 100 series center console vs. the 200's cooler. Getting a PPI on Wed but if all checks out will have the 200 and be selling the 100, bittersweet on selling it since it has been a fantastic rig for 21 years.

Any update?

 

[timeo]

Yes, bought the 200 and decided to keep the 100 as well, lol. The wife actually prefers the 100 over the 200, she finds it more comfortable and likes the lower hood for better visibility plus I put Carplay in it which is nice. I agree that the 100 is more comfortable but the power of the 200 vs. the 100 is nice plus the 200 just drives tighter since it has 230,000 less miles on it. I love the radar cruise control as well. The color of our 200 is gold and I am going to put HE wheels on it, should look real nice with those.

 

[Lester did that]

Yes, bought the 200 and decided to keep the 100 as well, lol. The wife actually prefers the 100 over the 200, she finds it more comfortable and likes the lower hood for better visibility plus I put Carplay in it which is nice. I agree that the 100 is more comfortable but the power of the 200 vs. the 100 is nice plus the 200 just drives tighter since it has 230,000 less miles on it. I love the radar cruise control as well. The color of our 200 is gold and I am going to put HE wheels on it, should look real nice with those.

Heck Yes! I was scrolling thru your post and thought? Why not just keep the 100 if you love it? Good luck with it. It will take less than a month and your going to fall in love all over again. And you and all your passengers will really appreciate the cool box. Just don't forget 2 dozen raw oysters in it for 5 days in the summer. It gets rather funky.