Best year 100 to buy ?

[fireball]

Any chance if getting back on topic and discussing differences between various year 100s?

I asked earlier about the off road abilities of an e locked 98/99 vs a atrac equipped later model example and would love to hear more opinions and experiences.

We've got a 99 4r looking to replace with a 100 but not sure which year best fits our needs. Needs to tow 5500 lbs a half dozen or so times a year and be capable enough off road for our camping/overlanding/green light blue weekend trail riding family adventures.

 

[VidereStudios]

I love these kind of threads! I remember reading a similar one when I was shopping for my LC in 2009. Loved reading all the opinions, etc. I ended up buying a 2001 LX470, so take that into consideration as you read the following. In my opinion, like someone mentioned, I would rather have a well-kept and rust-free, high mileage rig than some of the eaten ones from back East. Keep that in mind as one of the most important things to consider. Mileage isn't as important as that (within reason).

From least to greatest in stock form, IMHO:

Stock 2000 - PROS: upgrades include VSC and ATRAC over 98-99 models, can still fit subtanks; CONS: extremely rare chance of transmission failing catastrophically, lost rear locker from 98-99 models
Stock 03-05 - PROS: 5 speed transmission, updated interior, upgraded airbags around; CONS: integrated navigation / environmental controls / audio, charcoal canister under spare tire (no subtanks allowed, yet)
Stock 06-07 - PROS: in addition to above, add VVT-I and LED tail lamps; CONS: same
Stock 01-02 - PROS: upgrades include VSC and ATRAC over 98-99 models, 4-pinion diffs replace problems with 2-pinion diffs, can still fit subtanks; CONS: 4 speed transmission not as good as 5 speed (approx. 1 less MPG) in later years, a lot of LC's now included integrated navigation, though you can still find those without it (not applicable in 03+ years)
Stock 98-99 - PROS: electronic rear locker, can still fit subtanks, no integrated navigation; CONS: no VSC or ATRAC, weak 2-pinion front diffs tend to fail at some point after repeated, hard 4x4'ing situations.

Modify any of the 100 series rigs and you can obviously can fix pretty much all the weak spots in any of the years of the 100 series except for five major things: lack of VSC and ATRAC in 98-99's, integrated navigation going out in 01+ years, lack of side airbags in 98-02 years, 4 speed transmission in 98-02 years, and no VVT-I until 2006. Everything else can be pretty much addressed with the addition of lockers and other small mods. The most important of those five things will drive your decision (not taking into consideration miles, rust, and cost). I guess that is why I am starting to keep my eye out for second LC...this time a 2006 or 2007. The only negative with those (after adding lockers, etc.) is the integrated navigation.

EDIT: The reason I went with the 2001 was that I wanted the VSC and ATRAC and I want to put in ARB lockers front and rear in the future, so I was able to eliminate 98-99 from the search. I read up on the 2000 transmission issue and just decided to avoid that tiny chance of having the transmission go out. I really like the 5 speed transmission and VVT-I from 06-07, but there was no way I could afford one of those back in 2009. So I crossed those two years off. So it boiled down to 01-02 with 4 speed transmission, no integrated navigation, and the ability to install a subtank versus a 03-05 with 5 speed transmission, mandatory integrated nav, and charcoal canister interference with subtanks. The integrated nav and lack of subtank options were a bigger minus than the 4 speed transmission in my mind and for my uses. So I started looking for a 01-02 within my price range, with less than 90,000 miles (so I could do the 90K mile service to my specs and so I could learn how to do it), located in the Southwest (rust-free), and with a single owner who kept up on the maintenance and had great records. It took me several months, but I found what I wanted: within my budget, 78,000 miles, located in Hollywood, and with a single owner who religiously maintained it. So I flew down, rescued it from mall-crawling duties, and drove it back to Oregon. Well worth it, and exactly what I wanted.

 

[yotasavg]

^awesome post. There's no way an 06-07 was in my budget, so I'm super glad I scored my 98

 

[Slickspawn]

The best 100 is the one you can afford in the best condition in your price range and has good maintenance history.

 

[tabraha]

I just went through the long arduous process Videre described (well thought out and I came to many of the same conclusions) when I picked up my second 100. Then after weeks of web searching I had a revelation that newest/cleanest/lowest mileage/most factory bells and whistles was not the right approach for me. I decided to just buy another early model that I was familiar with and throw the difference of my budgeted $ into mods. For MY intended use it was the logical position for me to settle on. I ended up finding another '99 that already had several mods I wanted done. It's a perfect fit and a great starting point on what I wanted to build that 100 up to.

Land Cruiser shopping has a few interesting dynamics. Intended use can vary pretty wildly from person to person so that's an obvious given. The 100 is probably the series that is seeing the most attention right now. Be that from Mall Cruiser types to Moab types. Also lots of seasoned 80 guys seeing that the 100 can go almost anywhere it fits. Tons of 4Runner guys with growing families. Finally there are many people seeing earlier 100's falling within reach with all types of intended uses.

Timeframe and locale also play another role. There is currently ONE Land Cruiser within 300 miles of me on AutoTrader that are around the ~05MY and $25-28k. Let me tell you those tempting $20k '05s on AutoTrader are some real jewels too... Showed me very quickly that used car dealers have many ways to get rustbuckets & wrecked trucks with clean carfaxes... Patience is huge with Land Cruiser shopping, and having your $ ready when one pops up is just as important.

Happy Ending: When the one that fit me popped up it was 600+mi away and a 10hr drive one way. I initially IM'd the owner on 'Mud on a Wednesday night (IIRC), boarded a jet that Sunday morning to Mississippi and drove it back to South Carolina that same day. The seller already had another interested party ready to come from the east coast for it if I fell through... Be quick, be prepared, be thorough!

 

[mcgaskins]

I just went through the long arduous process Videre described (well thought out and I came to many of the same conclusions) when I picked up my second 100. Then after weeks of web searching I had a revelation that newest/cleanest/lowest mileage/most factory bells and whistles was not the right approach for me. I decided to just buy another early model that I was familiar with and throw the difference of my budgeted $ into mods. For MY intended use it was the logical position for me to settle on. I ended up finding another '99 that already had several mods I wanted done. It's a perfect fit and a great starting point on what I wanted to build that 100 up to.

Land Cruiser shopping has a few interesting dynamics. Intended use can vary pretty wildly from person to person so that's an obvious given. The 100 is probably the series that is seeing the most attention right now. Be that from Mall Cruiser types to Moab types. Also lots of seasoned 80 guys seeing that the 100 can go almost anywhere it fits. Tons of 4Runner guys with growing families. Finally there are many people seeing earlier 100's falling within reach with all types of intended uses.

Timeframe and locale also play another role. There is currently ONE Land Cruiser within 300 miles of me on AutoTrader that are around the ~05MY and $25-28k. Let me tell you those tempting $20k '05s on AutoTrader are some real jewels too... Showed me very quickly that used car dealers have many ways to get rustbuckets & wrecked trucks with clean carfaxes... Patience is huge with Land Cruiser shopping, and having your $ ready when one pops up is just as important.

Happy Ending: When the one that fit me popped up it was 600+mi away and a 10hr drive one way. I initially IM'd the owner on 'Mud on a Wednesday night (IIRC), boarded a jet that Sunday morning to Mississippi and drove it back to South Carolina that same day. The seller already had another interested party ready to come from the east coast for it if I fell through... Be quick, be prepared, be thorough!

Good advice and I agree. It just so happened for me the year I wanted (98-99) and the low miles I wanted (<120k) showed up on craigslist about 4 miles from my house the day I was about to send a deposit on one 1,000 miles that wasn't really what I wanted. Patience and lining up the funds to make a quick purchase once you find the right one are crucial!

 

[G-Cat]

Any chance if getting back on topic and discussing differences between various year 100s? QUOTE]

US Model Specifications

1998
Drivetrain
(Changes listed for the 1999-1998 are in comparison to the 80 Series US Spec Land Cruiser, the rest of the changes are listed with reference to the previous 100s Series Land Cruiser)

■Introduction of the new body style and 4.7L V8 2UZ-FE Motor. The motor is a DOHC motor with 230 hp at 4800 rpm and 320 ft.lbs of torque at 3200 rpm
■4 speed Transmission - A343F
■Rear Electric Locking Differential Lock was optional equipment
■HF2A full-time 2 speed transfer case with center differential lock
■Unlike the 80 series, the transfer case does not have a viscous coupler.
■Rear differential was changed to a 9.5" ring gear.
■Rear differential is a 4 pinion diff with ratio of 4.3
■Front differential only has 2 pinion gears.
■Rear axle is a semi-floater 32 spline design.
■Wheel studs changed to 14mm 1.5 treat pitch
■Bolt pattern for wheels changes to 5 on 150mm
■Wheel Lug Nuts changed to 22mm
■Front suspension was changed to a IFS system with torsion bar springs.

1999 ■Rear AC was added as an option
■Rear Differential Locker was an option

2000
Drivetrain
■VSC (Vehicle Skid Control) added
■A-TRAC (Active Traction Control) added
■EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) added
■Rear Differential Locker was no longer available as an option
■Front differential was changed from a 2 pinion to a 4 pinion unit.

2001
Exterior
■A tether connecting the fuel cap to the fuel lid has been fitted
■The aluminum wheel with chrome tone painting has been adopted.

Interior
■CRS (Child Restraint System) lower anchorage for securing child seats has been provided behind the seat cushion of center and left side seat of rear No.1 seat

■CRS anchor brackets for securing a child seat have been provided on the floor behind the rear No.1 seat.

■The one-touch auto up-and-down function are provided in the power windows of all doors.

■An automatic glare-resistant EC (electrochromic) mirror system has been adopted for the inner rearview mirror.

■A compass has been integrated in the inner mirror. This compass
is standard equipment on the models without the multi-information display.

■A DVD Based voice navigation System with 7" touch screen was offered as an option

■6-disc DVD automatic changer is provided in the rear console box as an option, together with the multi-display

2002
■No Major Changes

2003
Exterior

■The front bumper and radiator grille design was changed.
changed
■The rear back door name plate molding was changed
■Running board design was changed
■The roof rack was added as optional equipment
■The rear turn-signal lights was changed from amber to clear
■The roof-rail has been adopted as optional equipment.
■275/65R17 tires with 17x8JJ-60 wheels are provided as standard equipment.
■275/60R18 tires with 18x8JJ-60 wheels are provided as optional equipment.
■Wheels were redesigned
Interior

■The center cluster of the dashboard was changed
■The combination meter design was changed
■Added the new steering wheel with controls on the center pad
■The pillar handles and coat hook was changed for the vehicles with side curtain airbags
■The screen of the multi display was changed to a touch screen
■A voice recognition system was added to the GPS system
■Side and curtain shield airbags were adopted as optional equipment
■Drive and passenger airbag system was changed to a dual-stage unit.
■An RSAS (Rear Seat Audio System) was added as standard equipment.
■Power tilt and telescoping features added to the steering column
Drivetrain

■Engine Output increased to 235hp
■Changed to a drive by wire with an accelerator position sensor on the accelerator pedal
■An A750F 5 speed automatic transmission was added
■Rack and pinion steering was changed to Variable Gear.
■The throttle position sensor was changed to a no-contact unit.
■Charcoal canister capacity increased and moved to above the spare tire.
■Shift pattern for transmission was changed to a gate type.
■The front and rear driveshaft were updated with stronger U-joints and larger tubes
■Propeller Tube Diameter ’03 Model (A750F) ’02 Model (A343F)
Front 65.0 mm (2.6 in.) 54.0 mm (2.1 in.)
Rear 75.0 mm (3.0 in.) 65.0 mm (2.6 in.)
■The differential gears were changed to a 4.1 ratio.
■The tow hitch was offered as optional equipment
■The rear cross member was changed to accept a towing hitch that can be bolted to the rear cross member.
■Catalytic converters were changed
■Radiator fin pitch was changed for better cooling
■Alternator was changed to a high output segment conductor type
■Fuel cutoff switch when airbags are deployed was added
■Crank Hold Feature was added. This feature will keep the starter engaged, once the ignition switch is turned to the START position without having to keep the key in the START position.

2004
Interior

■Added power lumber support for the passenger seat.
■A Bluetooth hands-free function was added to the multi function display
■The backup camera system was added as an option.
Exterior

■The color of the windshield and front door glass has been changed from bronze to green.
■The privacy glass for the rear door, rear door quarter, quarter, and back door has been changed to dark-gray tempered glass.
Drivetrain


■SLLC (Super Long Life Coolant) accepted and service interval increased. The color of this coolant is pink and the initial change interval is 100 000 miles, and every 50 000 miles thereafter. Previous interval was every 30 000 miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. The coolant comes pre-mixed and does not require diluting.
■The transmission dipstick was removed. The fill position is now checked at the overflow plug.
■ATF-W (Automatic Transmission Fluid) is now specified instead of the ATF-T-IV. The ATF WS is not interchangeable with other types of ATF (ATF type T-IV, or D-II).

2005
■18" wheels become standard equipment

2006
Interior

■The cruise control system was changed to keep the vehicle’s set speed in its memory even if the vehicle dropped below the low-speed limit.
Exterior

■The design of the headlights and the grille where changed.
■The design of the rear combination lights where changed.
■The rear spoiler was introduced as optional equipment.
■The taillight and stop light bulbs where changed to LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes).
Drivetrain

■2UZ-FE Engine- The VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), ACIS (Acoustic Control Induction System), and AI (Air Injection) system are added to the 2UZ-FE engine to achieve a greater performance level and reduce exhaust emissions.
■Active Height Control Suspension (AHC) is introduced as optional equipment.
■The Brake Control System was updated (ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, A-TRAC and VSC System).
■Tire Pressure Warning System is added.

2007
Drivetrain

■2UZ-FE Engine some (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) where added.

Lexus LX470 Differences
The Lexus LX470 share the same drivetrain and the 100 Series Land Cruiser, but there are distinct differences in both appearance and appointments. In some cases items that were added to the 100 Series in later model years, was available since introduction on the LX470. In some cases some items were never offered in the Land Cruiser. The major technical changes occurred at about the same time. Below is a partial listing of the different items from the LX470:

■The high beam headlights are the multi–reflector type and the low beam headlights and the fog lights are the projector type.
■Body cladding on the doors and quarter panels
■Power telescoping and tilt steering column available from 1998 onwards
■Combination meter design is different using backlit gauges and needles
■Wheel design is different from the Land Cruiser
■Front and rear Auto AC systems standard equipment from 1998 onwards
■Active Height Control Suspension and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AHC & AVS) standard equipment from 1998 onwards

2000
■A genuine leather with wood steering and a wood shift knob have been provided as optional equipment.

2001
■Chrome plated 16" wheels offered as optional equipment

■A Mark Levinson 9 speaker stereo system was offered as an option

2002
■No Major Changes

2003
■The rear wind deflector with high-mounted stoplight was added as optional equipment.

■Running board lights were added as optional equipment.

■The roof rack can be ordered as a color matched unit

■Tires were changed to 275/60R18

■Rain sensing wiper system was added

■The air conditioning system was changed so that the recirculation control will switch to RECIRC, even if the mode was set to FRESH if the smog ventilation sensor detects the entry of the exhaust gas into the cabin

■Power windows can now be operated with the key or the transmitter.

■The power windows and moon roof can now be opened with the wireless door lock remote control system

■The LEXUS link system has been added as optional equipment

■A forward night view system was added as optional equipment

2004
■The tinted glass color was changed from bronze to green and the rain sensor and night view camera was optimized for the new glass color

■Leather seat material was changed from imperial to majesty

■The LEXUS parking assist system has been added as standard equipment

2005
■The LEXUS Link was discontinued.

2006 LX470
Interior

■The LEXUS Link system is added as optional equipment.
■ Theft Deterrent ECU
■The Audio System was revised with software changes in the RSAS (Rear Seat Audio System) and SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service) could be received.Exterior

■The wheel design is changed.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KNOWN ISSUES
■1998/1999 Accelerator position and throttle position sensors can cause malfunction and cause a situation where the truck does not respond to throttle input.

■Starter contact can wear out. The starter is located under the intake manifold.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[fireball]

Is the cargo area behind the 3rd row seats the same on all year models?

Maybe it's just an optical illusion, but the later model years look to have a bit more space back there.

Also, quick question, are the 3rd row seats adjustable in any way?

Thanks!

 

[OregonLC]

Is the cargo area behind the 3rd row seats the same on all year models?

Maybe it's just an optical illusion, but the later model years look to have a bit more space back there.

Also, quick question, are the 3rd row seats adjustable in any way?

Thanks!

The only difference would be rear air.

 

[TXLX100]

Was rear AC optional on the LC? I believe it was standard on all year models for the U.S. LX. I don't think the third row is adjustable, the second row seat back is.

 

[Junglejack]

Was rear AC optional on the LC? I believe it was standard on all year models for the U.S. LX. I don't think the third row is adjustable, the second row seat back is.

If memory serves, rear AC was optional in US LC's in 98-99 and standard all years thereafter.

 

[BamaHeel]

2004
■ATF-W (Automatic Transmission Fluid) is now specified instead of the ATF-T-IV. The ATF WS is not interchangeable with other types of ATF (ATF type T-IV, or D-II).

-

I'm confused I thought with the 5 speed in 2003 toyota went to the WS fluid, if not what does the 2003 require?

 

[TXLX100]

If I recall, 2004 was when it changed to World Standard. 2003 would be T-IV.

 

[G-Cat]

Was rear AC optional on the LC? I believe it was standard on all year models for the U.S. LX. I don't think the third row is adjustable, the second row seat back is.

Third row seats have recline adjustments...no forward/aft sliders.

 

[hoser]

'98 LC has the largest rear cargo area.

 

[yotasavg]

'98 LC has the largest rear cargo area.

Forgive my newb-ness, why is that?

 

[hoser]

No rear AC

First pic is '98 with no rear AC. 2nd Pic has rear AC. Notice the PS sidewall sticks out about 2"

 

[re_guderian]

Rear life support > 2" all day long, and twice on Sunday...

 

[tabraha]

Amen!

 

[yotasavg]

Thanks hoser, that's what I was thinking but wasn't sure