Is it worth it? the LC 100 (1 Viewer)

[Well Water]

I need honest, 2020 updated opinions of these LC 100s now that the 07s are 13 years old. My dad has really liked his 200 and so have I.

Currently I drive a 2010 Outback w/ 180k and a 1997 7.3 350 with 150k--both are great vehicles with high mileage potential (which is what I'm after)--but after looking at the mileage yall get out of these LCs I'd like to try my luck. No, I don't care about fuel economy. Probably would drive it 100 miles a week at least, but not an honest DD. And of course I understand certain things need to be replaced as these machines age.

But am I too late to the game? I figure I'd try to get the newest 100 with the lowest miles--and little-to-no rust.

Thanks

 

[EZDog]

This is a LC enthusiast forum,what do you think the consensus here is?

 

[mistered123]

Do it.

 

[Well Water]

Sweet. All I needed to hear. Thanks guys.

 

[J1000]

Sold my Subaru for my 100 and have never looked back. The Subaru started to require an insane amount of maintenance once it passed 200k also.

 

[fjcruising]

Right now we have a 200 (LX) and the 100 (LC). In between we had a RX, GX470, GX460, Cayenne Turbo (I felt adventurous before I went back to my comfort zone, only took three visits to Hans at $160/hr to know I’m never owning another German car outside of warranty)... and even though the LC is the old dog, it still impresses me everyday. 206k and going strong and still my favorite do drive as you know you can (slowly) go anywhere and feel like the king of the road.

 

[chrismenke]

Remember the early (98/99) locked Toyotas are the best ones for hardcore wheeling, the pre 03 trucks have 4 speed autos, and the 06 & 07 have VVTi which is a tad more complex, and more likely to have a catastrophic valve issue following a t belt failure.

Early, middle or late, either buy the best one you can afford or keep a few thousand in ready reserve for post purchase baselining. Doing the heater t's, t belt, water pump, tensioner, fan clutch, etc. on day one will go a long way to building confidence in the new ride.

I put far more importance on maintenance and condition than mileage. A 200k mall crawler from Southern California is likely to be a better life decision than a 50k work truck from the Northeast. Prices will reflect this only so much...folks in rust areas seem to base their prices on listings in non rust areas.

An engine swap can be done for 3k...that doesn't go too far in body repairs or rust remediating a crusty undercarriage.

Get a gas card with a healthy limit!

 

[Well Water]

Nice--I like these positive vibes. I'd like a 5speed so I'd need to stick between 04 and 07. Gonna shoot for something below 140k. With that in mind should I expect to pay ~$20k? I mean is an 07 with 100k and no rust really worth $26k?

Thanks for the replies guys

 

[99Cruiser]

Nice--I like these positive vibes. I'd like a 5speed so I'd need to stick between 04 and 07. Gonna shoot for something below 140k. With that in mind should I expect to pay ~$20k? I mean is an 07 with 100k and no rust really worth $26k?

Thanks for the replies guys

The 100's are great and can last but maintenance can be expensive since the parts costs more than Jeeps and other cars. The age also plays a factor since a 7 year old vehicle with 140k miles is much different than a 13 year old vehicle with 140k miles. You will pay a lot for lower mileage 2007 and can get the 200 with similar miles for around the same price. A low mileage 2007 will hold its value quite well.

 

[fjcruising]

Nice--I like these positive vibes. I'd like a 5speed so I'd need to stick between 04 and 07. Gonna shoot for something below 140k. With that in mind should I expect to pay ~$20k? I mean is an 07 with 100k and no rust really worth $26k?

Thanks for the replies guys

A few pointers: miles don’t scare me, rust does. If you find one with a few more miles than what you are looking for but the interior is in good shape, maintenance mostly up to date, and no rust... don’t count it out.

No matter what you end up getting, budget about $1k to catch up some maintenance (either spark plugs, timing belt, heater T’s, all diff oils, etc) because it’s likely one of them was neglected but for the most part, if you find a solid one, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger. These trucks just want to be pushed.

 

[Simplespirit]

Nice--I like these positive vibes. I'd like a 5speed so I'd need to stick between 04 and 07. Gonna shoot for something below 140k. With that in mind should I expect to pay ~$20k? I mean is an 07 with 100k and no rust really worth $26k?

Thanks for the replies guys

03-07 has the 5 spd. I sold a new Tacoma around 5 years ago and bought my 03 LC.

This is the first year I've had to put much into it and a lot of that is my OCD. I had one balljoint on a front LCA that was starting to have some play in it so I replaced the front LCAs on both sides. Overkill, but the originals lasted near 200k so I should be good for a while. I also bought all the parts to replace my front rotors, pads, races, bearings, seals, etc. After I pulled them apart my dust seals were questionable at best so I ordered those. Last night I was removing the pads and decided to order rebuilt calipers. I'm pushing $1800 so far with about $500 being outside labor. Again though, I haven't had to do much in the previous 4 years of ownership and even now my front pads had some life left. Most people probably would've just replaced the ball joint on vehicle, ignored the bushings, replaced the pads and rotors, and just repacked the bushings. Even with OEM parts where possible it would've been $500 or so.

Oh, and my balljoint wasn't noticed by any weird noises or feelings. I actually tested them when getting ready to do the brake job - so basically I was looking for problems. I also had no indications of bearing issues but since that's one of the few things I had no good history on I decided to just replace them so I know when it was done. Most everything in regards to the bearings looked fine when I got it apart.

 

[Well Water]

These are the kinds of things I want to hear. Thanks again.

In my search I've noticed the LX 470 is a bit more appealing (generally) in price in conjunction with miles ran. There a reason behind that? From what
threads I'm reading there isn't a difference in the LX vs LC.

 

[planomateo]

These are the kinds of things I want to hear. Thanks again.

In my search I've noticed the LX 470 is a bit more appealing (generally) in price in conjunction with miles ran. There a reason behind that? From what
threads I'm reading there isn't a difference in the LX vs LC.

They sold more LX's than LC's in the US. Supply vs demand.

Some don't care for the AHC, it's standard on all LX's.

 

[mitchjohnson000]

These are the kinds of things I want to hear. Thanks again.

In my search I've noticed the LX 470 is a bit more appealing (generally) in price in conjunction with miles ran. There a reason behind that? From what
threads I'm reading there isn't a difference in the LX vs LC.

More LX's were made so they tend to be cheaper. Some people prefer the looks/badge of the LC but I say find the newest/rust free example of either LC or LX. I think 10-12k is the sweet spot for price.

 

[J1000]

LX is cheaper and better what's not to like? Besides having to tell everyone you talk to "it's actually a Land Cruiser."

 

[jerebear21]

maintenance record is most important; my buddy got a low mileage 125k and I got my SIL one with 175k miles. I can tell you the higher mileage with a better maintenance record is heads and above better than the lower mileage one.

Miles don't mean much on the 2uz engine. Make sure the maintenance is up to date.

 

[jerebear21]

also, my wife drives a 2016 LC200
I drive a 2006 LX470. The more fun ride is my LX. It has 230k miles and barely broken in.

 

[geanes]

I've owned a 2012 Outback 2.5 and a 2016 Outback 6 cylinder. Bought my 98 LX in February 2017. Originally intended it to be the 3rd "fun" vehicle for camping trips only. However, the more I drove it, the more I loved it. Within 9 months it became my primary transportation. Sold the 2016 Outback for what I paid for it and never looked back. After having all the "bells and whistles" on my 16 Outback (fully loaded with every single available feature), it was nice to have a vehicle that was so "simple." Fuel economy is abysmal in my LX. But, no vehicle that I've ever owned has felt and driven so solidly. Other family members own T4Rs that are less than 3 years old. Every single one of them marvel how solid my "old" truck feels and how quiet it is on the highway. Despite having tons of "stuff" all over my truck and 33" AT tires, my 98 LX is noticeably quieter at 70mph than my friend's '17 T4R Limited and my uncle's '18 T4R TRD Pro.

Do your research before buying and look for solid service records and minimal rust. If you just pull the trigger on a 100 series without your due diligence, you could get into a money pit fast. These are not "cheap" to maintain. Anyone who tells you that, is mistaken. Over the past 3 years I've replaced the following worn parts: CV axles, rear driveshaft, front upper control arms, steering rack, steering pump, radiator, all hoses and bushings, rear upper and lower control arms, panhard bar, complete Timing Belt/Water Pump job including fan bracket/clutch/coils and plugs, front/rear rotors with pads (2x) and more. All of those are consumables on any vehicle that gets to the 200k+ mark. Difference being, my LX drives better than most new vehicles despite having 250k and will continue to drive that way as long as I maintain it.

The LX is definitely quieter than the LC (more insulation, more door seals and "thicker" windscreen). The LX tends to have been treated better than the LC as the LX was typically a mall-crawler. Mine had 3 previous owners: 2 female real estate agents who got all services done on time thru their Lexus dealer and software engineer who used it for 2-3 camping trips/year only and had all services done on time at Sewell Lexus in Dallas. Every LC I looked at had missing service records and appeared to have been treated more harshly. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but it does start to make sense once you think of the typical buyer for these rigs. The LX has numerous other enhanced features over the LC that are IMO pretty valuable including the electric folding mirrors (nice on trails), auto-dimming side mirrors, standard rear AC, and a few other things. The LX has somewhat polarizing aesthetics: some people hate the front end whereas others are fine with it.

 

[IanwantsaFJ80]

my 2000 LX w/ 240k is a beast. I've had some issues because of the age but it comes with the territory when you wheel semi-hard. I busted my front diff, had to replace my CV's and now my steering rack is leaking like a mother. But the motor is still strong and now i'm triple locked on 4:88's. Great in the snow, rocks and trails. Kinda big but still fun. s***ty with gas mileage.

 

[CloudCity]

From what
threads I'm reading there isn't a difference in the LX vs LC.

There's not a lot of mechanical differences other than the LX hydraulic suspension and lift feature, which I am a huge fan of. Also has variable gear ratio in the steering. Much more plush interior with full alcantara-style headliner and pillars which makes things quieter, more sound deadening, thicker glass, real wood, different luxe and pearl paint variations, and a few more options.