96 LX450 Reliable Daily Driver?

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I daily drive my 96 and take it everywhere (I'm in highschool and obviously have no other car although I want to find a project 60 series). I have driven my cruiser off-road, in the snow, and on road. I try to be the best driver I can be but sometimes I do some pretty stupid things and the 80 takes it like a champ

Anyway back to reliability. Mine has needed a lot of preventive maintenance (at least in my mind) and it did have a pretty good service history. It probably did not need everything I did to it but now that I have gone through everything I trust it to go everywhere. I have some emergency parts in the back (starter, belts, hoses, and fluids) and hopefully I won't need it on the side of the road.

But and the end of the day it's a Toyota.
 
Short answer yes!

I have 2 high mile Lexus (well Toyota's); one a 94 LS400 (278k miles) and my LX450 (234k). Neither have given me issues and daily driving is of no concern. I took the LX out to the Everglades earlier this year and my only complaint was the cost for fuel which I knew from the jump. Have some extra funds set aside for anything that could go wrong. Ask the current PO for service/repair receipts so you get an idea of whats been replaced and what could be replaced in the near future. Thats about it
 
I would buy and DD that in a heart beat.
Biggest things to look out for maintenance wise is Front Axle service(almost a guarantee), EGR system malfunctions, Torn front leather seats(yours look mint), Tires..$$$ unless you live close to a TireRack, and oil leaks...Oh, and all new fluids.

As for oil leaks with it being relatively low mileage Id assume you have a little bit of time before you need to worry about replacing the oil pan, front crank seal, & oil pump gaskets. The dizzy Oring probably needs to be done now as those always like to get brittle and leak.

Food for thought, I bought my LX with 214k on it. I replaced plugs/wires, all fluids, front axle service, o2 sensor, Part time converted & springs right off the bat and drove it from Denver, CO to Cape Cod MA and back. A nice 5k mile trip without issue over the course of 5 days.. and it wasn't maintained the best either.
 
I noticed the ad is lacking any undercarriage photos.

Since it's a NOVA truck, you'll want to take a look for rust underneath. Also the exhaust from the cats back, including the hangers , mounts and mount cushions, and make sure the spare tire winch thingy isn't rusted in place. If you can pull a front and back wheel you can check the condition of the rotors and calipers for rust.

If it's rusty, that can give you some negotiating leverage...looks good on the surface, though!

:-)

-Andy
 
all except my first 80 have sat... i love em but i drive a 100 everyday 325k on it and love getting in it everyday... if you dont wrench then a 100 is just better for a dd imho... but looking at the pictures that is a damn nice lx450 and low miles pretty sure it would go anywhere you wanted without issue, as many of these as are around with over 250k with nothing have been done to them... a well cared for 140k is like a newborn
 
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Looking at the pics and reading the specs I'd buy it. It's had all the major "fears" eliminated already. With a little TLC and preventive maintenance you'll be happy for a long time.
 
IMG_5915.webp
I daily our LandCruiser, no problems, for the last 10+ years. I have other DDs that I rotate, but she still sees about 12,000 miles a year.

Works great for dogs and kids.
 
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I personally enjoy driving a little econobox on the side. I use the cruiser for cruiser duty and the econobox for runabout duty. Insurance is an issue for me, but only because I average 2 speeding tickets per year, otherwise it would be a winning proposition on the money side :o


Derail:
'91 Civic Si was probably the most enjoyable vehicle I've ever owned (among a long list of japanese, european sports cars, trucks and cruisers) and got 35mpg driving it like a tarmac rally around town, cost me about $50 in maintenance (aside from oil changes and gas) over the course of 2-3 years. Point being, you don't have to feel emasculated or like you're compromising in some way by driving an econobox. Just try not to get run over by the soccer mom in her hummer :hillbilly: /derail

All of that aside, if you want a cruiser, the LX in the first post does look like a prime candidate. :)
 
^^^THIS^^^

I had a 2001 Civic I drove the crap out of, and loved it!

I think I drove it around for a year or so low on coolant...couldn't figure out why the heat didn't work...lol!

Then I broke the timing belt about 50' from my driveway, managed to cut the engine and put it in neutral in just a few seconds, and coasted home.

Got the belt replaced, then drove it another 75K with leaky struts and a broken motor mount...it finally blew a head gasket (I think) but it still got me home from work...I continued to drive it around my neighborhood a bit, and finally drove it to the junkyard with 330K on the clock.

Easily the best car I've ever had!

Oh, and 30+ mpg!

-Andy
 
I seem to have done the opposite of most, and I got my LX450 as a beater for my JDM car, however I love it so much I am seriously considering dropping the car and keeping the LX as a primary. I live close to work so gas is not really an issue. I have had a birfield explosion (I wheel the all loving $#it out of it though) and it was really an easy fix. Parts availability is an issue but I've found this truck to generally be good as long as you keep it up. Mine has been reliable aside the axle, which was my fault really (dont ignore the clicking in the front end). In all I would say this is a great daily, atleast for me!
 
Yvon Chouinard said "the adventure doesn't start until something goes wrong" so live on the wild side!
 
Pretty nice looking truck. If you baby it it will go another 20 years. Probably the same if you don't baby it.

:lol:
 
I DD an Avalon, and use Cruiser when I need it (Utility).
Seat Heaters, 13 Airbags, Acceleration, More than Double the Mileage are hard to argue with.
Both are paid off so $$$ not an issue.
If you baseline the Cruiser it should be no issue to DD, but realize it's not as comfortable as a Car.
The View is better than a car obviously.
 
Alleycats said:
Yvon Chouinard said "the adventure doesn't start until something goes wrong" so live on the wild side!
Click to expand...

His prices are on the Wildside o_O but it's cheap 2nd Hand on Ebay :)
 
Alot of different opinions here. I may have to hold off on purchasing anything until I can decide whether I want to use it as a daily driver or pick up an older fuel efficient car for that. I'd probably have to save more before I felt comfortable with buying 2 used cars at once, because I'm sure both would need work right off the bat to get them reliable and the sale of my truck won't cover the cost of 2 cars and initial repairs.

Or maybe I should look into spending a few grand more and get a newer used Toyota/Lexus that may not need as much work and get better MPG. Like a 3rd/4th gen 4Runner, 2005ish GX470 or something. Alot to think about...
 
green5 said:
Alot of different opinions here. I may have to hold off on purchasing anything until I can decide whether I want to use it as a daily driver or pick up an older fuel efficient car for that. I'd probably have to save more before I felt comfortable with buying 2 used cars at once, because I'm sure both would need work right off the bat to get them reliable and the sale of my truck won't cover the cost of 2 cars and initial repairs.

Or maybe I should look into spending a few grand more and get a newer used Toyota/Lexus that may not need as much work and get better MPG. Like a 3rd/4th gen 4Runner, 2005ish GX470 or something. Alot to think about...
Click to expand...

No wrong way to do it, just do what makes sense to you. If you feel like the LX450 is the right rig for you, I would consider jumping on the one you posted (assuming it checks out inspection-wise). It seems like it's in really good shape.

You also don't need to buy two cars at once. Could buy the cruiser, drive it for a while and make sure everything is in working order (only way to know for sure is by putting miles on it), then save up for a econobox. If you're into the toyota 4x4 alternatives, 3rd gen 4runners are generally cheaper than 80's. You may also be able to pick up a 4th gen (higher miles, but they are low maintenance) for around the same price or even a GX470. I occasionally see them pretty cheap around here, not sure about your market.
 
green5 said:
Alot of different opinions here. I may have to hold off on purchasing anything until I can decide whether I want to use it as a daily driver or pick up an older fuel efficient car for that. I'd probably have to save more before I felt comfortable with buying 2 used cars at once, because I'm sure both would need work right off the bat to get them reliable and the sale of my truck won't cover the cost of 2 cars and initial repairs.

Or maybe I should look into spending a few grand more and get a newer used Toyota/Lexus that may not need as much work and get better MPG. Like a 3rd/4th gen 4Runner, 2005ish GX470 or something. Alot to think about...
Click to expand...

Heckraiser said:
No wrong way to do it, just do what makes sense to you. If you feel like the LX450 is the right rig for you, I would consider jumping on the one you posted (assuming it checks out inspection-wise). It seems like it's in really good shape.

You also don't need to buy two cars at once. Could buy the cruiser, drive it for a while and make sure everything is in working order (only way to know for sure is by putting miles on it), then save up for a econobox. If you're into the toyota 4x4 alternatives, 3rd gen 4runners are generally cheaper than 80's. You may also be able to pick up a 4th gen (higher miles, but they are low maintenance) for around the same price or even a GX470. I occasionally see them pretty cheap around here, not sure about your market.
Click to expand...

I justbdozed off reading about economy cars and 4Runners...ZZZZZZZZZZ
 
I have a 1997 LX450 that I have been driving for a year. It is super reliable. But like all cars they do require maintenance and i would put the Lx450 maintenance on the expensive side when compared to other Suvs.
Its also a good idea to learn some good mechanic skills if you are looking to to buy an 80 in order to save you $$$.
 
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