Looking for advice - 100 series vs 200 series

[Daystar]

Hey folks,

I've been looking at Land Cruisers, more specifically the 100 and 200 series (and even the Land Rover Discovery 2 ) for the past 3 months. But I can't decide on what to do so I am asking for your help.

I will mostly be using it for gravel/forest roads (me and my father owns of forest), commute to work (20 km per way, 3-5 days a week) and a car trip ("overlanding" trip) once or twice per year.

I currently have a Mercedes E250 W212 which gets about 20 000 km yearly. If I get the 100 series i would keep the mercedes, but if I get the 200 series I would have to sell/trade the mercedes since the LC200 is more expensive.

I'll give you a picture of the vehicles available here in Finland where I am based. The 100 series almost always have the 1HD-FTE, and the 200 series the 1VD-FTV engines. All models I've seen so far have had rear lockers.
Currently there are (usual prices and mileage for the car listings past months) :

- Four 100 series (prices 8000-30 000€, usually 300 000-750 000 km)
- Three 200 series (prices 30 000-50 000€, 200 000-400 000 km)
(- Three Disco 2s, ~7500€, 400 000 km)
for sale in Finland.

As you can see there aren't a lot of options and they are kind of costly, but basically every vehicle here is... Most of them are rusty, like most older cars in Finland because of the salt usage on winters. And when I say rusty, I mean like holes in the fenders kind of rusty. For the 100-series you would have to pay 15 000€+ for the less rusty ones.

I can do most of the basic maintenance and repairs myself, i've done so on my mercedes the past 4 years too, everything from air suspension, coolant leaks, alternator, wheel bearings etc... The 100 series I assume are only easier to work on than the mercedes, but what about the 200 series?

So what would you do in my position? All opinions and takes are welcome!

Newly registered to this forum, I must say it contains a lot of useful information about Land Cruisers! One would think that with this much discussion I wouldn't even have this question but I still do!

Best regards,
Daystar

 

[shane431]

The least rusty option is probably your best choice. So probably also the newest option which would put you in the 200. If they weren't rusty, that opens up a different set of questions and priorities for picking a vehicle.

 

[thirdvector]

Agreed with shane431. If you're going to overland I wouldn't want to deal with excessive rust on a trail fix.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Few recent threads on that topic you can review.

 

[97 AZ LC]

What are your regulations for importing a vehicle?

 

[Francis K]

I don't think you can go wrong either way with your use case, I also think least rusty option is solid advice.

A couple different kind of things to consider based on your use case as you mentioned gravel/forest roads. A 100 series is going to take a much lower depreciation hit based on condition than a 200 series will. Also in regards to those roads is the foot print of the vehicle, a 100 series drives MUCH smaller than a 200 series does beyond just actually being more narrow and smaller. My current 100 is my first one and I was shocked at how small it drives in relation to it's actual size, my 80 series drives like a behemoth in comparison as did the multiple 200 series I drove before purchasing it for my mom. Last I guess is technology, as in infotainment bluetooth and things of that nature, if those things matter the 200 series is the way to go on that. I would like to upgrade the 100 series tech but there isn't a solution that is actually reliable, they all have unresolvable gremlins and glitches it seems from the research I have done.

 

[Super77]

What are your regulations for importing a vehicle?

From the US Pacific Northwest or Southern California. The lands that rust forgot.

 

[Daystar]

Thanks for the advices.

Few recent threads on that topic you can review.

View attachment 4069127

Thanks, will have a look if I haven't seen them already.

What are your regulations for importing a vehicle?

Importing is a possibility which I have been looking into. Unfortunately we have to pay a car tax on all imported vehicles in Finland, which on an older vehicle like the 100 series is an based on the about 30% of the market value here (so about 5000€). An import of the 200 series would be five figure, about 15 000€. And if the import is done on an vehicle from outside the EU, you get even more taxes to pay...plus the shipping costs of course.

The biggest benefit with import would be the much more selection of vehicles, but the price would be the same or even higher depending on from where and what car.

 

[offoradjunkie]

Few recent threads on that topic you can review.

View attachment 4069127

What's the point of this forum if you discourage people from asking fresh questions?
Every scenario is different; let the guy ask.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

What's the point of this forum if you discourage people from asking fresh questions?
Every scenario is different; let the guy ask.

Those threads are a few months old, so not really a fresh question. Clutter up the forum with the same repeated questions, what tire size, how much is my truck worth, how much should I buy this truck for, and soon people become disinterested in viewing and you stop getting answers to the tech questions you need help with.