I'm new here so apologies if I post in the wrong place. I'm trying to decide between an FJ Cruiser or a 97 Land Cruiser. More for expedition type stuff than hardcore rock crawling. I had a 2000 LC a few years ago and loved it, except for the lousy gas mileage. It was basically the family mobile. Now I'm looking more for a toy. I'd really like to have a 97 Land Cruiser diesel with a manual transmission, but that seems pretty much impossible to get here in the U.S. Any advice on the FJ versus the LC? Thanks in advance.
FJ Cruiser or Land Cruiser?
- Thread starter Jack Frost
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Well Jack, first off...Welcome to ih8mud...
Secondly, you've opened a can of worms that seldom ends well. I'd say important considerations are:
FJC & rear seat/window/passenger access, no issue w/80 series
FJC potential limitations being IFS rig, 80 series last of the Land Cruisers with a solid front axle
FJC has a well supported aftermarket base, 80 stuff is expensive and not a lot of vendors
I drove my FJC from NC to CA (did Rubithon '08), then to AZ, then to UT, then CO, hitting as many "fun spots" as one can in 5 weeks, over 7k miles w/wife, 2 teen daughters and dog, not a glitch.
I bought a '97 FZJ80 for my daughters to drive as their 1st vehicle, they are now in college so I repossed it.
There is only one of them in my driveway...
Secondly, you've opened a can of worms that seldom ends well. I'd say important considerations are:
FJC & rear seat/window/passenger access, no issue w/80 series
FJC potential limitations being IFS rig, 80 series last of the Land Cruisers with a solid front axle
FJC has a well supported aftermarket base, 80 stuff is expensive and not a lot of vendors
I drove my FJC from NC to CA (did Rubithon '08), then to AZ, then to UT, then CO, hitting as many "fun spots" as one can in 5 weeks, over 7k miles w/wife, 2 teen daughters and dog, not a glitch.
I bought a '97 FZJ80 for my daughters to drive as their 1st vehicle, they are now in college so I repossed it.
There is only one of them in my driveway...
Fj can be setup for serious trails... My main recommendation is a long travel kit on the front end. 4Runner is a good option too because its the same platform as the FJ and Tacoma, so there are a lot of parts for it.
BigDogKona said:
I'd advise long travel for high speed/on road (Yes. On Road) but for rocks/trails the money could be better allocated to a lefty, which is probably the single most "bang for your buck" improvement the FJC "needs" short of armor and tires.
Edited: In retrospect, I should've put the money spent on LT towards an SA. I'd have been 3/4 the way there, and built towards more the intended terrain.
The FJC is too hybridized between the IFS front and the rear suspension, to excel in any specialized area (unless on road, mall crawling is the desired area), but the rear can't keep up with a long travel front end without re-linking and poking COs through the floor.
Last edited:
I think back to the OP query...it really depends on how many passengers you plan to take on trips. Either vehicle is fine for expedition style wheeling. If you need more passenger room, then the 80 wins. Cost is another big variable between the two. You can pick up a decent 80 for $4000, but an FJC will still run you close to $20K. You can get plenty aftermarket stuff for either model, if all you need is lift, armor and tires. Slee, Ironman and Metal Tech have armor and lifts for 80 series. MT also supports the FJC pretty heavily, as well as Ironman, BudBuilt, Icon, OME, etc...
BMThiker said:
Not the OPs query, but my OPINION is a better comparison is the 100 vs. FJC.
The on road manners of both are superior to the 80. The 100 has equivalent passenger count, but a V8, and is arguably as capable as an FJC, considering neither, in an OEish form, are going to leave the other too far back on the trail.
BMThiker said:
Where?
Not being argumentative, but I hear the $4-5k number tossed out on the 80 forum, yet I've not seen anything remotely close to decent (if decent is less than 150k and in no need of major PM) in the year or more I've been involved.
Think a budget of $10-12k for purchase and PM of what I'd consider to be a decent 80 would be more in line to achieve a cleaner, reliable, comparable 80 to a newer model year vehicle, but that's my opinion and we all know what they're equated to.
Tapage
Club 4X4 Panamá
Important thing to add in the equation it's the fact that the most newest 80 you can buy there are 97 .. so you are jumping in 15 years old Cruiser ( yes it's a Cruiser so well maintained it can perform as good as any other new " option " ) that would require some attentions ..
I'm not in the market, so I don't search much for them. However, I see friends in our chapter club's FS thread, posting CL deals all the time (AL, GA, TN, SC). I know from my hanging around ACC Toyota that they won't pay more than $1K for a "parts truck" and frequently see rigs in that range of $4-5k. They helped facilitate the sale/purchase of a well built 80 (fully armored, Longfields, 33's, Warn, OB air) for $9K. The only thing missing was part-timing the 4WD. I think your estimate of $10-12K is reasonable if the purchased vehicle is still stock and you want to build it up for expo.
YMMV.
I'm no expert and only know what I know ...
I think those that tell such tales of $4k 80's, made a good find and they are rare. Now, doesn't mean they aren't out there, just extreme patience are in order. We have to remember that ACC is a business and must get trucks at those prices in order to make a profit.
I paid $7k for my '97 FZJ80, Anniversary edition, unlocked w/150k on the odo. I felt I got a good deal since it was otherwise clean. I looked around quite a bit and all the $4-5k trucks were there but nothing I felt worth investing in...
I think those that tell such tales of $4k 80's, made a good find and they are rare. Now, doesn't mean they aren't out there, just extreme patience are in order. We have to remember that ACC is a business and must get trucks at those prices in order to make a profit.
I paid $7k for my '97 FZJ80, Anniversary edition, unlocked w/150k on the odo. I felt I got a good deal since it was otherwise clean. I looked around quite a bit and all the $4-5k trucks were there but nothing I felt worth investing in...
FJC - I like my IFS...its a nice cross between comfortable daily driver, performs well at speed, and alright in the rocks. Essentially I equate it to a hybrid between a jeep and a raptor. Won't be better than either at what they were designed for, but can do both quite well unlike those vehicle trying to play in territory they weren't designed for.
Only reason I'd ever put a solid axle under an FJC is if I was trying to make it a rock crawler. Imo its still a poor choice to SAC due to the width of the the body.
Since you are looking at doing expedition travel I think either one would fit your needs well. FJC will likely be a bit more comfortable, but lacks the space of an 80. FJC is pretty reliable out of the box as a newer vehicle. Can't comment on the 80 since I've never played with one, but you are buying a 15 year old vehicle. Either can be setup to suite your needs for expeidtion trips in the end, 80's are tried and true at it and a number of folks have taken their FJCs through south america and elsewhere, just not as common if you are thinking long distance - cross boarder trips. Might want to look at part compatibility with other models if thats something you are thinking of doing. Guessing 80 series parts are fairly available internationally or no?
Only reason I'd ever put a solid axle under an FJC is if I was trying to make it a rock crawler. Imo its still a poor choice to SAC due to the width of the the body.
Since you are looking at doing expedition travel I think either one would fit your needs well. FJC will likely be a bit more comfortable, but lacks the space of an 80. FJC is pretty reliable out of the box as a newer vehicle. Can't comment on the 80 since I've never played with one, but you are buying a 15 year old vehicle. Either can be setup to suite your needs for expeidtion trips in the end, 80's are tried and true at it and a number of folks have taken their FJCs through south america and elsewhere, just not as common if you are thinking long distance - cross boarder trips. Might want to look at part compatibility with other models if thats something you are thinking of doing. Guessing 80 series parts are fairly available internationally or no?
1911
chupacabra
Like many others here, I've owned both an 80 and an FJC. The only thing I would add to what has already been said is that a stock FJC will get considerably better gas mileage than an 80, at least until you start building it up as trail toy, then your highway mileage can approach that of a Land Cruiser (mine does).
A 15+-year-old 80 would not bother me at all, if it has been taken reasonable care of. My '91 80 is still in the family and at about 300,000 miles. In all that time, it has needed one new thermostat, a new radiator and a new alternator; nothing else besides regular maintenance. The head has never been off for any reason. I would jump back in that truck and drive it across the country tomorrow without a second thought or any unusual prep. Check the oil and battery and go.
But it got 10-11 mpg when I bought it, and I got it up to 14 with headers and a K&N air filter. It will never do better than that...
A 15+-year-old 80 would not bother me at all, if it has been taken reasonable care of. My '91 80 is still in the family and at about 300,000 miles. In all that time, it has needed one new thermostat, a new radiator and a new alternator; nothing else besides regular maintenance. The head has never been off for any reason. I would jump back in that truck and drive it across the country tomorrow without a second thought or any unusual prep. Check the oil and battery and go.
But it got 10-11 mpg when I bought it, and I got it up to 14 with headers and a K&N air filter. It will never do better than that...
Consider a JDM cruiser as well. The HJ61's are legal now and there a some in Canada. As noted, much better mileage and good performance with the 12HT diesel. Or, find something to hold you over until 2015 and grab a '90 HDJ81 with the 1HDT, tons in Canada with some under $10k with lockers needing a bit of TLC.
I've got both an FJC and an 81. I'm going to sell my FJC this summer due to the difficulties getting into the back seat and I constantly worry about scratching it. In driving the 81, it feels better put together than the FJC...and has more soul! That being said, the FJC drives way better on the highway with rack and pinion steering, bigger brakes, 6th gear...and safer with a pile of airbags, etc.
