Love my '98 but if I were goiing to buy a long-termer today I would go '01-'02 if I were starting over. VSC, post-trans issues, pre integrated climate control.
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My own biased opinion is that my 2002 suits my needs well. I think all this tranny talk is almost moot. To say it is a head and shoulders better tranny may be true, but that doesn't mean the 4-speed is a terrible tranny in comparison. I haven't driven an 03+ LC, but I have owned an 06 tundra and I wouldn't say that it was so much better in comparison... If you can find a 03+ at a reasonable price than go for it. Otherwise, the 2001-2002 LC will do everything almost as good, with enough money left over to buy a spare tranny outright... The only year I would avoid is the 2000, which seemingly have a higher (although still very reliable) tranny failure figure. 2001 is when they got the child safety features in the seats, which was a must have for my family right now. The traction control systems added in 2000+ are also very nice to have. I believe arb lockers can be fitted to the 2000+ years so you can have the best of both worlds there. It took me 3 months of scouring the Internet willing to travel 1500 miles or more to find the "perfect" LC. In that time I had myself convinced of buying almost every year. If you expect to get a decent deal on a 03+ you better have your cash in hand and get really lucky because they literally go in hours of listing.
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All good thoughts. Yes, I will likely keep this thing 20 years, if it last. My daily driver now is a 17 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Muddy Bean
Breaking something or fixing something
Cracks me up reading this thread. It's clear that any landcruiser is going to rock your world. Some more than others, but at the end of the day, they are excellent trucks head and shoulders above most 4wd SUVs in the same class by other manufacturers.
I have a 2000 and the interior seems pretty nice to me. I thought the interior didn't change much besides side air bags and the Navigation?
Did the leather get cushier after '02??
bluecruiser
SILVER Star
Second this, based on no data.
I would agree 99 is the best year, based on its in my drive way and payed for...
And mine is the best '99!
jemsec
Mach lll Club
Had my 99 for two years with 150,000 miles and it will go a whole lot further. As far as I'm concerned 99 was a very good year.
Plan on keeping it for a long time. Old, body and mechanical is better than you can imagine, low priced with a tremendous amount of life left. Stong as an ox. Shouldn't be afraid of scratching it and treat it like a new one. Drove it to Yellowknife, NW Territory and back to Alabama without one problem except lots and lots of gas.
Plan on keeping it for a long time. Old, body and mechanical is better than you can imagine, low priced with a tremendous amount of life left. Stong as an ox. Shouldn't be afraid of scratching it and treat it like a new one. Drove it to Yellowknife, NW Territory and back to Alabama without one problem except lots and lots of gas.
you guys are killing me... I have read this thread too many times and am still stuck on it... I replaced my 97' with a poverty pack/excellent cloth interior/fully locked 94' ("Rusty") not too long ago... just to have a project and primo base model of a classic one day... but I just sold the farm in GA and am now in the hunt for a nice 100 for the 
and to pull the new camper we are also getting
thought I was settled on the 98 -99 with a locker, but now I am back on the 01-03' wonder train
I drive a 94' so why am I worried about getting a 5 speed ? I have entirely too much fun over thinkin' my purchases and reading all you guys BSing
K
and to pull the new camper we are also getting thought I was settled on the 98 -99 with a locker, but now I am back on the 01-03' wonder train
I drive a 94' so why am I worried about getting a 5 speed ? I have entirely too much fun over thinkin' my purchases and reading all you guys BSing
K
Best one to get is the one that the previous owner has taken good care of. I wouldn't hesitate to own ANY model year 100. There is too much garbage about 98-99 diffs blowing up, 00 tranny failures, NAV/HVAC troubles, etc. Sure it can happen--no man-made machine is failure-proof. If it breaks, fix it and roll on.
99 is the best year to buy a 100 series
Unless you want a 4 pinion front, ATRAC, and VSC!
I would say the 2004 is the pinnacle of 100 series production. Last year in the Arraco plant.
Factory locked 99s are the best, obviously! 
I would say one that is paid for
Autotrader:
2004 30,000 miles $39,900 in CA
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...lerTypes=b&numRecords=25&searchRadius=10&mmt=[TOYOTA[LC[]][]]&showcaseOwnerId=1093358&captureSearch=true&Log=0
2004 30,000 miles $39,900 in CA
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...lerTypes=b&numRecords=25&searchRadius=10&mmt=[TOYOTA[LC[]][]]&showcaseOwnerId=1093358&captureSearch=true&Log=0
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fireball
SILVER Star
Taterbug - how big is that camper you're hoping to pull? Depending on how heavy it is, you may want to look at 03+ for the 5spd tranny, or 06+ for the bigger engine.
For everyone else- in mild off roading situations (assume green or easy blue trails) how much better would a stock 99 with rear locker do than a 2000+ with the ATRC/etc?
For everyone else- in mild off roading situations (assume green or easy blue trails) how much better would a stock 99 with rear locker do than a 2000+ with the ATRC/etc?
