With the 4th kid here, I will be getting rid of my GS350 Fsport (an amazingly reliable and easy to maintain car, btw) and getting a 200 series... probably. I have a preferred budget of 30-42k price tag on a car (so, roughly 17k for my trade plus an additional 13-25k)
On a budget... decide for me!
- Thread starter mike552
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None of the above.
Your best bet would be to buy a high mileage LX570. 100k. They sell for 25-30k in texas. 150k miles will be 20-25k.
You will find 08 200 series with 150k for 30-40k. This is all in texas btw. Good luck in your hunt.
You will find 08 200 series with 150k for 30-40k. This is all in texas btw. Good luck in your hunt.
I just bought a 2009 lx570 with 108k miles for $27k in perfect condition. Texas truck, no rust. Couldn’t be happier!
For me a LC200 or LX570 with 4 kids and 2 adults would seem cramped unless you have another large travel vehicle. Especially if you have a baby seat or have to take any of their friends or other family members. I would get a Suburban or Expedition Max or you could get a roof box or trailer hitch cargo box but those are a pain.
Then any 2013-2015 LC200 in your budget that has maintenance records. Seems like 2013's are in a sweet spot price wise so you might want to get a 2013 at the lower end of your budget.
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Family of six here. 3 out of 4 kiddos in booster seats. With a Yakima Skybox on the roof, our 200 Series is plenty spacious for all six of us and our stuff. Most gear goes on the roof incl. fishing poles, biking gear, snow sport gear etc. If we are camping then I take my full-size truck. We can camp out of the 200 but my big cooler just doesn’t fit behind the third row.
To be honest you don’t gain much cargo space behind the 3rd row with a Sequoia. More interior space, yes, but I personally feel the 200 is just right for my family. And it’ll go wherever the heck I want it to.
To be honest you don’t gain much cargo space behind the 3rd row with a Sequoia. More interior space, yes, but I personally feel the 200 is just right for my family. And it’ll go wherever the heck I want it to.
SQRRRL
SILVER Star
I have 3 kids. If I had 4 I would go sequoia .
If you wanna take your kids WHEELING...
LC.
If just camping...and you have a ton of stuff...or smaller budget, consider the Sequoia...or...remove just one side of the third row of the LC to help with cargo capacity... Maybe add a roof box.
Personally, I wouldn’t do the Sequoia & would use other methods for space just to get the quality and crazy strength of the LC.
LC.
If just camping...and you have a ton of stuff...or smaller budget, consider the Sequoia...or...remove just one side of the third row of the LC to help with cargo capacity... Maybe add a roof box.
Personally, I wouldn’t do the Sequoia & would use other methods for space just to get the quality and crazy strength of the LC.
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Forget the Sequoia. Use a hitch carrier if you need more cargo space, easier to load and get to. Id search all 13-15s. Dont focus on the year so much as the mileage/price combo. Id also not pay too much attention to maintenance records if under 100k. I baseline anything I get regardless of records because you dont really know for sure whats been done. Its just fluid exchanges mainly. Main thing to look for is rust, condition, accident history. You should be able to get a NICE 2014 TLC with average mileage (@75k) for around 42k. (You can get rusty, rough 14s with 75k for less.) Depending on region, color combo, etc....
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IMHO maintenance records etc is kinda irrelevant when looking at lc or lx and including Sequoias. This is a 90k vehicle with the sequoia being a 60k new. They are literally 100% always taken care of. If you were shopping for a used Corolla than yes records of maintenance etc are very important. Being in the car business people that buy lc200 new (including myself with my 2016) opt for maintenance plans and Vehicle service contracts.
No rust is the best way to go and pull the trigger on one. You cant go wrong with the 5.7s. I have a 2011 tundra with 190k that still pulls strong. Probably do the water pump at 200k.
No rust is the best way to go and pull the trigger on one. You cant go wrong with the 5.7s. I have a 2011 tundra with 190k that still pulls strong. Probably do the water pump at 200k.
“Maint record irrelevant”?
Expensive vehicles are “100% always taken care of”???
Don’t mean be harsh...but that is perhaps the worst used-car-shopping advice I’ve ever heard.
Expensive vehicles can absolutely be abused. Many who can easily afford them may also feel they can afford to **neglect them**...because they aren’t emotionally invested long-term...or because its simply one of many vehicles, and they don’t focus their attention on it. Or...they know the stock market, but zilch about card.
Personal example:
I once salvaged a steel bumper from the LC of a local “celebrity...” -a well-known guy with plenty of $$. He’d been in an accident that t-bone-totaled his LC...but the rear bumper was untouched...so I went to remove it and did.
But...when I looked inside the vehicle, it was easily the most filthy, abused interior I had EVER seen in an LC. Looked in the engine bay, and it was filthy. Brakes were barely there—which was easy to see because a wheel was gone.
Clearly he wither didn’t care...or didn’t know how to care for it.
My 1.5 cents: #1 Job buying any used car is to check for proper maint— No matter how expensive or who owned it. It might not be typical for nice cars to be abused...but it definitely happens.
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I know you really want an LC, but maybe look at the GX460? There are some people building some pretty capable rigs out there. It has three rows so for the kids it should be alright. Just a thought.
I load up our 2008 LC with plenty of room in the back to have one of the jump seats down. Get a large roof rack ( I have a Rhino Rack Platform) and two soft shell cases on top with a Hitch Carrier (not even fully utilized). More than do-able.
You should be able to find a low mileage 13 in the top range of your budget.
You should be able to find a low mileage 13 in the top range of your budget.
“Maint record irrelevant”?
Expensive vehicles are “100% always taken care of”???
Don’t mean be harsh...but that is perhaps the worst used-car-shopping advice I’ve ever heard.
Expensive vehicles can absolutely be abused. Many who can easily afford them may also feel they can afford to **neglect them**...because they aren’t emotionally invested long-term...or because its simply one of many vehicles, and they don’t focus their attention on it. Or...they know the stock market, but zilch about card.
Personal example:
I once salvaged a steel bumper from the LC of a local “celebrity...” -a well-known guy with plenty of $$. He’d been in an accident that t-bone-totaled his LC...but the rear bumper was untouched...so I went to remove it and did.
But...when I looked inside the vehicle, it was easily the most filthy, abused interior I had EVER seen in an LC. Looked in the engine bay, and it was filthy. Brakes were barely there—which was easy to see because a wheel was gone.
Clearly he wither didn’t care...or didn’t know how to care for it.
My 1.5 cents: #1 Job buying any used car is to check for proper maint— No matter how expensive or who owned it. It might not be typical for nice cars to be abused...but it definitely happens.
I get it but however the exception to the rule people that do trash those cares dont make up the majority nor the minority of 200 series land cruisers available. Some celebrities arent the most responsible people either. Like you'd probably want to stay away from a car owned by former members of motley crue.
To me, as long as its not a salvage title and it wasnt found it a non dealership store. Private buyers typically post on craigslist with pics from their home parking lot or garage. Look at everything but the land cruiser that's posted for sale. Does the home behind the car look like a high priced or nice looking home? If yes than go see it. If it looks like it's taken behind a trailer home than you need to avoid it. I typically see those kinds of pics taken from 80 to a extremely high mileage 100 series. I personally in Texas have never seen a 200 series listed in Texas with a trailer park home behind the car.
I also run vins, do appraisals, and know what we would take a vehicle in for trades so I do look at things differently because I know that city vehicles will have maintenance records and rural owners won't. Etc etc etc.
If everything checks off for you than you can go inspect, drive, and decide for yourself.
I agree that lack of maintenance records on a <100k mile 200 series shouldn't be a deal breaker, but that statement above is nonsense.
Good vehicles can be found anywhere. Anywhere. You just have to do your research and inspection on the particular vehicle and check it out. Rust, condition, accident history. An accident that shows up on the history report isn't a deal-breaker either. If its a minor one, you can use it for leverage against the price.