How good/bad would an 80 be for my Daily Driver? (1 Viewer)

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Moose545

Moose545

Joined
Nov 30, 2017
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Location
Leesburg, VA.
20-25mi commute each way daily. Just paid off my car and found a clean truck around, only 117k on it. LX trim, going to look at it Monday. Asking 15,700 which I think I could get down some, but just not sure if it'd fit the bill best. I've been focused on a 460, then thought of a 4R Trail Premium or SR5 Premium (used 32k and under) but that's the most I'd want to spend. The GXs are easily 5-6K less than a 4R, and on par with what a 100 series would be, but with more miles in the 15-20K range. HELP, I CANT DECIDE WHAT TOYOTA TO GET!
 
Ouch. Tough question to ask. Everyone has different needs and desires when it comes to transportation. It seems that the land cruiser is not only a vehicle but a lifestyle choice. I have been fortunate enough to meet some of the best people with the most demented minds while traveling in my cruisers. You really have to share more of your thought process. City, highway driving. Are you going to work on it yourself vs a second mortgage to your mechanic? The rigs are simple and very easy to maintain if you know what you are doing.
 
Haha, yeah I definitely get that. This find is unique but I know it's the thirstiest of them all I think. Of the other 3, what are your thoughts? I have friends that are both Tacoma guys, naturally they say 4R. I dig the 4R, but the savings for so much less for a 460 is hard to ignore. And 100s are the most comfortable of all which make a hard argument.

I plan to learn more and do as much maintenance as I can, install the lift with help from others, fluids, belts, and be sure I have all the critical stuff done when needed like water pump and timing belt, etc.
 
Smiles per gallon. I DD mine 110 miles a day and smile every time I get behind the wheel :).

Never owned a set of cleats :meh:...
 
Cool comes at a cost.

Unless maintained by an 80 series propeller head, which it isn't at that asking price... a gentle reminder that the price of entry is ju$t the beginning.

Almost a year and 14K miles into my 80-series ownership, it's been an adventure, a labor of love. I don't think I'd go through it again knowing what I know now, but @ the same time, don't regret it a bit. I love this thing.
 
i don't daily mine, but eager to take the 80 out whenever chance or excuse i get. if this is primarily a daily, then i would look into a 100s or GX, any would make a better DD. If you can only have 1 vehicle to do it all, i say go for it. 20-25 hwy miles inst too bad on the 80s.
 
I have a 60, 80, and 100 series in the family. The 60 has a 250 mile radius for play (antique tag limit) and gets 8 Miles per smiles. The 80 is a solid axle over engineered miracle on wheels that is my favorite when it comes to tooling around off road with the AC blasting. The 100 series is a bloated pig with blind spots galore but it’s peppy (relative) and can get out of its own way.
 
Ha well that didn't take much convincing, makes sense though. I knew they weren't easy on the gas tank, not to say the others are. I had 2 FJs before and know what I'm getting back into. My car gets great gas mileage, but that's where it ends, hurts my back like @#*$ and I want to ride high again and don't want to keep 2 cars, have an apartment now with semi-assigned parking.
 
Daily driving an 80 is an expensive hobby, but always puts a smile on my face, unless it's the dead of winter. GX470 is much more comfortable as a daily driver, but again very thirsty, and lacks the character that the 80's just drip of. I've never driven a 100 series, but I expect it would be every bit as thirsty as the GX470 due to the additional size/weight. 5th gen 4Runner is good for about 2mpg better than the GX470, and is another very comfortable daily driver, plus that roll down rear window is awesome.
 
Yeah I look into 470s, but the known weak 8" rear and the lack of a center console is just awkward. It's really between the 460/4R and 100. I think they're all in the same ballpark mpg wise really, sort of splitting hairs. Brute force and space go 100>460>4R, I don't need third row or jump seats. A 460 without the third row would be best. Barn door isn't a huge drawback, but the rear split door on a 100 and hatch/window combo on a 4r are much more desirable
 
I pretty much daily drive my 80 (35 miles/day). The only downside is fuel mileage, but you're not considering a Prius in this mix, so the real delta between the things you're talking about isn't much. The 80 is so over-built that as long as the basics are attended to, it will be as reliable as stuff much newer (and reliability is my #1 criteria for a daily driver - not fuel mileage, etc.).

Plus...life is too short to drive boring vehicles.
 
Moose545 said:
20-25mi commute each way daily. Just paid off my car and found a clean truck around, only 117k on it. LX trim, going to look at it Monday. Asking 15,700 which I think I could get down some, but just not sure if it'd fit the bill best. I've been focused on a 460, then thought of a 4R Trail Premium or SR5 Premium (used 32k and under) but that's the most I'd want to spend. The GXs are easily 5-6K less than a 4R, and on par with what a 100 series would be, but with more miles in the 15-20K range. HELP, I CANT DECIDE WHAT TOYOTA TO GET!
Click to expand...
So I bought a low mileage 80 like the one you are considering, for a short daily commute. Two months in, I realized that I did not want to put that type of wear and tear on a low mileage example. Meanwhile the wife is complaining about the size of her 2010 gx in daily city traffic. Bought her a smaller car, and now using the gx daily - an awesome commuter and very capable in the woods. Love taking the 80 out, though, and still give it a work out. Just not a daily commuter, though, with the endless maintenance that would follow (have to be reasonable with a 20+ year old car if you can’t do all the work yourself).
 
nukegoat said:
Daily driving an 80 is like wearing cleats around the office
Click to expand...
:rofl:
You say that like it's a bad thing. LOL

I daily drive mine, I wasn't going to, but the SIL needed a car for awhile so I'm letting her drive the Camry.
I love it, it's big and bouncy and it hobby horses on s***ty roads (even after new OEM shocks), but damn, it goes EVERYWHERE I point it with never a compliant. I even hopped a curb today after lunch. A delivery truck was blocking a blind exit and two more cars packed in behind me.... so screw it, out over the curb we went. :)

She gets about 12-13MPG around town and 15-16 on the hywy.
I do all my own wrenching, and quite honestly after the basic base line last summer, it hasn't needed any; except oil changes and tire rotations. (part of the oil change is greasing the zerks. Gotta put that in here for OCD crowd).
 
You live in an apartment. 80 will require an occasional teardown for maintenance, which will not go over well with the landlord. You don't want to bring it to the shop unless the shop is an 80 specialist, and it will cost $$$.

If you want a truck for a DD, GX470/460 or 4Runner makes a lot more sense. Just being realistic.

When I found myself in a position where I could only have one vehicle for financial reasons, I sold my 60 and my DD and got a 3rd gen 4runner as a dual-purpose vehicle. If I had to do it today, I would get a GX470 or 4th Gen 4Runner--2005+ so you get the 5-speed and mad tyte VTEC, yo.

BTW, what do you intend to do with the truck that would bust an 8" differential? They're weak compared to 9.5" but not weak in general.
 
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