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- #81
Seriously thought about a 7th gen Corolla or XV10 Camry for the longest time, but I'm fine with my V6 Sonata for now.
"Horrible Purchase"
- Thread starter Bizzaror
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As a car enthusiast, and more specifically a LX/LC enthusiast, I'm sorry to hear this.
As a parent of a 21 year old, that has had to guarantee or cosign a few things for him, I can somewhat understand wanting some input.
Assuming that the COVID 19 zombie apocalypse ends, at some point in the future, you've got plenty of time to build credit .
740 is top tier and essentially "perfect" for all normal situations in life. If you're at 760 and I'm at 810, we're getting the same rates and qualifying for the same loans. Don't sweat it - certainly not at 22!
Cheers for paying attention to credit and having good taste in cars at 22, and to your parents for trying to look out for you (even if they're clueless in the world of Land cruisers!!!).
Maybe your parents saved you from a lemon. Theres lemon Land Cruisers out there where you could've spent an additional what you paid for it to get it all up to date. Timing belt + new steering rack + new OEM CVs + brake booster + new starter + fixing faulty VGRS would've set you back probably another cool $9k. All possible things that could've happened.
Well, it is a very large luxury vehicle , has poor approach and departure angles and high repair costs. Way too much vehicle for a young, single guy IMO.
I'd suggest a 4x4 pickup.
- Thread starter
- #86
NJ Law requires any dealer to report the vehicle as a lemon, and if it's not reported they owe you for all repairs. If I had the CarFax I would show you how well this thing was taken care of, followed maintanence schedule to a T.
Hmm... I’m a young single guy who has owned my 100 for a while and I don’t find any of those points to be valid.
Ok, maybe the departure angle, but it could be worse.
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Definite bummer and obviously your family is basing their decision on assumptions and not facts.
Have they looked at Wranger prices? They're selling for nearly as much as LX's and Land Cruisers. I'm not a Jeep hater by any means but they're not going to match Toyota in terms of reliability and longevity. JMO of course and I'm willing to admit a little bias.
Have they looked at Wranger prices? They're selling for nearly as much as LX's and Land Cruisers. I'm not a Jeep hater by any means but they're not going to match Toyota in terms of reliability and longevity. JMO of course and I'm willing to admit a little bias.
Let's drift this back to 100 tech.
Hmm... I’m a young single guy who has owned my 100 for a while and I don’t find any of those points to be valid.
Ya same, no hate here, just want to agree with DirtDawg. I was looking at Tacomas and such, but if I'm paying over $10k dollars my vehicle better have every luxury feature imaginable. Cars have gotten so expensive. I had a friend who bought a brand new Corolla a few years back for $16k and it didn't even have cruise control... Unreal what people are ok with. But for me, I want used luxury over new base all day.
Departure anglge depends on what you're doing. I overland, I don't rock crawl. none of those angles has ever been a factor for me, especially with steel all around. Also, repair costs are pretty freaking cheap if you do your own work. And that's something us young single guys have lots of time for, unlike older married guys with rugrats running around. lol The size is perfect though for trips with friends. Every year my squadron takes a weekend trip to Dega, and my LX is one of the smallest vehicles there compared to everyone's Ram Rebels and Tundra Double Cabs.
But @Bizzaror , my biggest advice would be to find a first car that you can wrench on. That time invested in learning how to fix a low threat car will pay dividends down the road when you're finally allowed to buy the car you want. I'm only 26, but having the limited mechanical skills I've built over the last ten years has really opened up my options for potential cars to own, that would cost too much for you average guy to own - whether that's cheap, poorly maintained LCs, old luxury cars, sports cars, or eccentric motorcycles (Right now I've got my eye out for a 911/Cayman to replace my IS350). The world is your oyster once you build a solid tool collection and skill set. Good luck with whatever you end up with bro!
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ramangain
Clarksonian disciple
Will a caravan of LCs and LXs (preferably high mileage and in great shape) to your parents house help persuade your parents and uncle? Once this covid-19 BS passes of course. Perhaps they'll be OK with you finding the *right* 100 series according to all of you.
The absolute worst car purchase I ever made was buying the most expensive car I could afford when I couldn't afford the car I wanted. If you can afford a $15,000 car but want a $20,000 car, DO NOT buy a $15,000 car. It's a complete waste of money and it will take that much longer to get into the car you want. If the car is not what you want, it's a tool, and treat it as such. Spend $3,000 on a civic and rock that until you save enough to get what you want.
- Thread starter
- #93
Totally with you on purchasing used luxury. I looked at CPO and used Tacomas and it they had non of the features I wanted for less than $20k.
The plan was to start wrenching with a Landcruiser, then go overlanding. The LX has a bit more bells and whistles so maybe it's not the best choice, but it was something I really liked. Also parts cost was the biggest thing for me. I have no reason to go to a mechanic when I know how to fix up a car, but when my parents are negging me to "go to a professional" for an oil change it's the worst. Maybe I'll just get an Outback for my young self
Do what I did and grab a Lexus GS400 or LS400. They're basically Land Cruiser sedans, pretty much the same motor. Mine's been beat to hell and still won't quit, and my uncle's has been meticulously maintained and feels brand new. Both are over 210k miles.
Doesn't matter what you buy if it's got that many miles, it'll need some stuff replaced, but I'd trust a well-maintained 300k Land Cruiser/LX/GS/LS over any American car of any age any day of the week.
Doesn't matter what you buy if it's got that many miles, it'll need some stuff replaced, but I'd trust a well-maintained 300k Land Cruiser/LX/GS/LS over any American car of any age any day of the week.
I have an LX470, GS430 and an LS430 and would not recommend any of those to a kid on a budget... seriously get an economy car until you have a stable job and some savings.
Yeah, a Honda Accord/Civic will beat all of those, but I guess it depends on how much they drive.
On that note, I have a friend with a Chevy Cruz and he's always bragging about his 37mpg combined, but I still end up spending a quarter of what he does monthly to own my GS because there's no car payment, even with my lead foot city driving. Not to mention I haven't blown my motor yet and he has.
Any Toyota/Lexus will be more than cheap to have repaired. The great thing about the early 2000 and older toyota/Lexus/Honda/Acura is iS that you could relatively easily get good parts and learn to fix the vehicles yourself. I mean for 10k you won’t find a better more dependable vehicle than a 100 series that you can take anywhere but if you’re gonna be goin 25+ miles each way to work everyday that maintenance could be costly and the vehicle type is just a wrong fit. Baselining costs on the cruiser are anywhere from 2k to 6k+ depending on previous care and mileage on the vehicle.
98-02 4runner’s are pretty dope and you can find em for 3-5k. As for cars, Es300’s go the distance. I feel in general the cars that are cheap to fix are the cars that you always have to fix
98-02 4runner’s are pretty dope and you can find em for 3-5k. As for cars, Es300’s go the distance. I feel in general the cars that are cheap to fix are the cars that you always have to fix
ramangain
Clarksonian disciple
Unless I misunderstand this statement, you've never talked to an owner of a BMW M5 with the S85 V10 motor (E60 chassis). That car would have bankrupted me were it not for a fantastic extended warranty.
I mean car repair in general isn’t cheap but I totally understand that many cars on the expensive side of the cost spectrum are a nightmare in maintenance costs. That’s why I laugh when I see preowned
jaguars and land rovers with these “certified warranties”...I would never buy one...probably not even new (wife wants a Range Rover and I’m trying to convince her into a gx460
I’m curious... what do your parents drive?
A few thoughts since most of us are looking for a way to pass the time these days.
My first truck was a 94 Land Rover Discovery in 2003. Man I loved that truck but it was a money pit and PITA—-and it had the 3.9L Rover V8 which was considered to be one of the most reliable variants
. I did what I could myself and was mechanically inclined but had no experience working on cars and knew no one that did. It actually never left me stranded but was a constant battle and definitely a bit unsafe at times. This was all on my parent’s dime (except the mods) and I still feel guilty about it. Hindsight is 20/20 and I underestimated their reputation for unreliability. A $5k rover was far more than $5k. I should have just gotten a Civic or Corolla.
In 2007 or so, my parents made me
swap it for a 2005 v6 Grand Cherokee. I hated the idea of it but knew they were right. It’s still in the family to this day and never had issues...I’m still surprised by that.
That experience is why I’m a a diehard Land Cruiser guy now haha. I liked them at the time but they were more expensive upfront— it’s for a reason and well worth it.
The moral of the story is I get what your parents *think* they are protecting you from. You paying an arm and a leg to maintain it as a recent grad because it’s ‘old’.
Granted they’re wrong and it would probably outlast/be around longer than whatever they’re driving now. Plus they’re being overly authoritarian and jerks about it considering you’re footing the bill and 21.
There is a catch though. Yes, Cruisers have a reputation for being indestructible and extremely reliable but people often conflate that with not having to maintain it.
Cruisers need maintenance and things do need to be replaced to go their next 250k miles. At that mileage things like bushings, ball joints, steering rack bushings and the rack itself, and half shafts are at the end of their lives or start going. Buying a 20-ish year old or older Cruiser is only economical if you do a good chunk of the work yourself.
If you can’t and are short on cash you skip maintenance and repairs that are needed but may not seem necessary. Since they’re tanks they’ll go down the road with a ton of things wrong or out of spec. Continue doing that and they won’t be reliable. And IMHO, if you take them to average mechanics and/or are using cheap parts and they’ll continue to deteriorate.
Drive a cheap beater for a few years then get the cruiser of your dreams and prove them wrong. You’ll also get a much better truck buying one here and/or flying and driving a truck from a southern state with no salt. Then fluid film or krown will be your best friend if you have to drive it in salt...but you should keep the beater for that.
This rant may or may not be helpful but what I’m trying to say is going into a potential recession they could be doing you a huge favor despite them being dbags about it.
*Edited for typos and clarity*
A few thoughts since most of us are looking for a way to pass the time these days.
My first truck was a 94 Land Rover Discovery in 2003. Man I loved that truck but it was a money pit and PITA—-and it had the 3.9L Rover V8 which was considered to be one of the most reliable variants
. I did what I could myself and was mechanically inclined but had no experience working on cars and knew no one that did. It actually never left me stranded but was a constant battle and definitely a bit unsafe at times. This was all on my parent’s dime (except the mods) and I still feel guilty about it. Hindsight is 20/20 and I underestimated their reputation for unreliability. A $5k rover was far more than $5k. I should have just gotten a Civic or Corolla.In 2007 or so, my parents made me
swap it for a 2005 v6 Grand Cherokee. I hated the idea of it but knew they were right. It’s still in the family to this day and never had issues...I’m still surprised by that.
That experience is why I’m a a diehard Land Cruiser guy now haha. I liked them at the time but they were more expensive upfront— it’s for a reason and well worth it.
The moral of the story is I get what your parents *think* they are protecting you from. You paying an arm and a leg to maintain it as a recent grad because it’s ‘old’.
Granted they’re wrong and it would probably outlast/be around longer than whatever they’re driving now. Plus they’re being overly authoritarian and jerks about it considering you’re footing the bill and 21.
There is a catch though. Yes, Cruisers have a reputation for being indestructible and extremely reliable but people often conflate that with not having to maintain it.
Cruisers need maintenance and things do need to be replaced to go their next 250k miles. At that mileage things like bushings, ball joints, steering rack bushings and the rack itself, and half shafts are at the end of their lives or start going. Buying a 20-ish year old or older Cruiser is only economical if you do a good chunk of the work yourself.
If you can’t and are short on cash you skip maintenance and repairs that are needed but may not seem necessary. Since they’re tanks they’ll go down the road with a ton of things wrong or out of spec. Continue doing that and they won’t be reliable. And IMHO, if you take them to average mechanics and/or are using cheap parts and they’ll continue to deteriorate.
Drive a cheap beater for a few years then get the cruiser of your dreams and prove them wrong. You’ll also get a much better truck buying one here and/or flying and driving a truck from a southern state with no salt. Then fluid film or krown will be your best friend if you have to drive it in salt...but you should keep the beater for that.
This rant may or may not be helpful but what I’m trying to say is going into a potential recession they could be doing you a huge favor despite them being dbags about it.
*Edited for typos and clarity*
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