moving up from an 80 to a 200 (1 Viewer)

[Apolo]

This is dangerous I know, but I need some input from people who have made the switch.
I currently have a 96 80 series that I love, but I'm starting to see the limitations of the 80 series for the way I'm using it. I currently don't have the time or place for the wrenching the 80 needs at this age and I need something that can do long cross country trips easily and comfortably. while the 80 is close, the lack of power, small back seat and other things that come with an older vehicle have me thinking about taking the plunge into something newer. this got me started looking at lx570s (because they are cheaper) from around 2010.

so for those who have been in similar positions, did you like stepping up to the 200/570? what are things you miss about the 80/ older cruisers?

my ideal set up is roughly 2 inch lift (want to run 33s) arb bull bar, rear bumper/tire carrier, sliders and roof rack for canoe. I live In the midwest so there's nothing super fun close by so long trips are common. been thinking about trailers, but that's not a today problem.
im not a hard core off roader but I do want to do some trails out west, snow wheeling, and travel into northern Forrests.
and no, having both isn't in the cards currently.
thanks all

 

[LX Cruiser]

I’m not quite the guy who has done what you’re doing. But I did do a lot of off-roading in a 4runner, which is pretty close to the same size as an 80. If you’re doing only mild off-roading, my guess is that you won’t really miss the 80 once you get into a 200. The strength of the 80 is in the smaller size, insane articulation from the solid front axle, and potential for triple-locking. Although, you can triple lock a 200 as well.

The biggest downside coming from an 80-sized vehicle to a 200 is that some trails are a tighter squeeze. But if you’re going out West, you don’t need to worry about that as much. I took my big fat Tundra up and down mountain passes no problem. The 200 is a beast when even mildly built and it is very comfortable for long trips. Find a good used one, baseline your maintenance, and inspect the parts that commonly fail with higher mileage (radiator weak point, heater Ts, PCV valve).

If you go to an LX, you’re going to have AHC to deal with. It’s not nearly as bad as it can sometimes be made out to be. Think of it as another brake system that needs to be maintained and regularly bled/flushed in the same way. The benefits outweigh the costs for me.

I would also upgrade the front brakes on any pre-2016 200 series. I did it on mine. Used OEM Tundra calipers, rotors, pads, and brake lines. Total game changer.

 

[bloc]

I put an LS into my triple-locked 80, and it was bad ass. But the reality was I had to drive 900 miles to get where I’d actually use it. This means all those freeway miles matter for the overall enjoyment of the trip, and I was less likely to push super hard when I got there because of the logistical difficulties if I made a big mistake.

When I acknowledged that, the 200 had a clear advantage, and I’m glad I made the switch.

So I’d say it depends on your use case. From the sound of things you’ll get a lot more out of a 200.

 

[afgman786]

I made the swap from 80 to 200. Only thing I miss about the 80 is the nostalgia of it. Think I'll buy one again, but 200 does everything I need it to do and does the highway miles and road trips a lot better

 

[ElJayBird]

I switched from a ‘97 80 to a ‘14 200 and have absolutely no regrets at all.

The 200 is now my fav LC platform where it was the 80 before. For me and the way I travel, the 200 is superior in every way. It’s an absolute beast offroad, has power for days, and is just generally tough as nails - even with the seat coolers running.

 

[Madtiger]

You no longer wrench yourself. You need to get LC, not LX.

But yeah if you wrench yourself and want bumpers etc, then LX is great since AHC can handle that.

 

[jaco11b]

I’m not much help in switching from an 80 to a 200, but I can answer whatever you are wondering comparison-wise!

 

[Tex68w]

The power and comfort alone make it worth the upgrade.

 

[Sandroad]

The only thing I miss about my 80 is the nostalgia. Your use case, long trips with some medium off roading and minimal wrenching, has a 200 written all over it. My only suggestion is to try a 200 stock for a year (except for AT tires and sliders) before you do any mods. You’ll be amazed and using the KISS principle can be good in many ways.

 

[Tex68w]

The only thing I miss about my 80 is the nostalgia. Your use case, long trips with some medium off roading and minimal wrenching, has a 200 written all over it. My only suggestion is to try a 200 stock for a year (except for AT tires and sliders) before you do any mods. You’ll be amazed and using the KISS principle can be good in many ways.

Agreed, I ran mine stock short of bigger tires for two years before I started modding it. They are very capable in stock form.

 

[littlegreenmonster]

I have both. I like the 80 for running around town and short trips to go camping. I like the 200 for long road trips and towing. Like everyone prior has said, the 80 is far superior to the 200 off road due to the solid axle up front, lockers, and just being smaller. That being said the 200 is no slouch off road, just not as forgiving. If you can only have one, the 200 is more practical, but if I had to choose between them I'm not sure the 200 is the one I would choose. It would be tough.

 

[CharlieS]

I've had 80s, 100 and 200s. The 200 is better in most ways, but the 80 is a better narrow trail rig (very common here in the Northeast). I want one of each. The 200 is a far superior long trip platform (in the extreme, last summer I drove one stretch for 36 hours on our cross country trip).

 

[RET2]

FWIW there is a couple from another forum that has just made this transition and has posted 2 videos with their thoughts. Tim and Kelsey AKA Dirt Sunrise, may be your time to watch. They have taken their 80's virtually all over the world.

 

[bicycleagent003]

I’m not much help in switching from an 80 to a 200, but I can answer whatever you are wondering comparison-wise!

View attachment 3257086

That's just showing off. Nice rigs! Both in my favorite color, too.

 

[jaco11b]

That's just showing off. Nice rigs! Both in my favorite color, too.

they both definitely have their own intended uses! Wifey commutes with the 200 and we use it for longer day trips, we use the 80 for going in the mountains for a day to mess around or finding new fly fishing streams, and a Power Wagon with a Go Fast Camper for longer camping trips!

 

[jaco11b]

I've had 80s, 100 and 200s. The 200 is better in most ways, but the 80 is a better narrow trail rig (very common here in the Northeast). I want one of each. The 200 is a far superior long trip platform (in the extreme, last summer I drove one stretch for 36 hours on our cross country trip).

One big factor that makes my 80 better on tight trails is that the 200 is at home not getting scratched while we’re on said narrow trail

 

[Heckraiser]

I've had both. I bought my '96 LX450 in 2014 and bought my lx570 in 2021. I lost my 80 to catastrophic engine failure last summer, but I had both at the same time for a while.

From a practicality standpoint, the LX570 is a big upgrade from the 80. It is tame to drive on the road, tows the wife's camper with ease, is much less hungry for maintenance, The power is great--this is the biggest positive for the 200--this thing can haul some butt compared to the 80. Cool thing about the Lexus is that you really do not need a lift. Mine fits 35's on stock suspension. The Land Cruiser requires a little more work to fit big tires. Either should be fine with 33s. I personally prefer the LC (I test drove both) but as you mention, the LX is a lot cheaper, so that's what I ended up with.

So all of that is great...

What's not great is that I don't really enjoy the 200 in the same way I enjoyed the 80. I don't get cruiser vibes from it at all, it doesn't make me smile, yadda yadda. It also looks like a straight up soccer mom car and most of my mods have been and will be to mitigate the ugly, pedestrian, "shopping mall blob" look of the vehicle. From a technical/practical/capability standpoint, it's a good vehicle. It just looks like the dentist's wife's car. I have done a bit of wheeling in the 200, but not enough to see how it really stacks up to the 80 on the trails. I just don't see how it could possibly be as good with it's size, clearance, etc. But I imagine it will be good enough for all but the hardest trails I took the 80 on. I don't really need rock crawling in my life, but I will miss it from time to time.

 

[DrivenLyfe]

I can’t speak to 80 ownership, and I do really want to own one at some point.

The LX does everything I want it to and I feel is one of the best values for offroading. Free lift, moving of the fender liner with some money spent on wheels and tires then you’re 35s with power to move them. AHC Raises and still keep the trails smooth. Your compromise might be looks and size, which can be beneficial or not.

 

[tampacruiser95]

This is dangerous I know, but I need some input from people who have made the switch.
I currently have a 96 80 series that I love, but I'm starting to see the limitations of the 80 series for the way I'm using it. I currently don't have the time or place for the wrenching the 80 needs at this age and I need something that can do long cross country trips easily and comfortably. while the 80 is close, the lack of power, small back seat and other things that come with an older vehicle have me thinking about taking the plunge into something newer. this got me started looking at lx570s (because they are cheaper) from around 2010.

so for those who have been in similar positions, did you like stepping up to the 200/570? what are things you miss about the 80/ older cruisers?

my ideal set up is roughly 2 inch lift (want to run 33s) arb bull bar, rear bumper/tire carrier, sliders and roof rack for canoe. I live In the midwest so there's nothing super fun close by so long trips are common. been thinking about trailers, but that's not a today problem.
im not a hard core off roader but I do want to do some trails out west, snow wheeling, and travel into northern Forrests.
and no, having both isn't in the cards currently.
thanks all

I've owned both. Started at the 80 and then moved to a 200. 200 is better in all aspects, but I still miss my first 80 series all the time. The build you want will cost $10-15K on the 200. Factor that in before you make the move.

 

[Underdog]

Get a 200 but keep your 80. Why would you get rid of it? I've been driving my '94 for 22 years and I'm working into my 200. I switch back and forth. 200 is more luxury but the 80 is great!