Range Rover > Land Cruiser

[kconover]

Hi. I'm not an offroad fanatic, but I value the expertise of those who are. I'm a member and medical director for Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group and also the PA-1 federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team, though, so I need a capable offroad vehicle. I currently have a 1988 Range Rover and I am planning to replace it with a new Land Cruiser. (They're hard to find - there is one in Mars and another over near Wheeling, but I hear they devote most of the production to the Lexus version.)

First, any advice about purchasing a new one? Seems to me that the Land Cruiser, though it looks more yuppified, is actually a better offroad vehicle than the FJ Cruiser or indeed anything else around. Also very reliable. I believe it comes with skid plates and tow points but not sure about that.

I was thinking about outfitting it with the following, and trying to find some shop locally who would do all this for me:

Odyssey main/Optima Yellow Top Winch dual batteries
Isolator
ARB bar
Warn 9000# electric winch
JottoDesk
Arkon Cellphone mount
? Snorkel and fording kit.

Any advice welcomed. Thanks.

 

[Michael Hanson]

I think the cruiser will do what you want it too. I really have no complaints in 20 plus years of driving different models. I would go ARB bumpers and Bfg tires. MIke

 

[geocruiser]

You may be able to find a good used one, although they are also hard to come by. When I bought my 100 series, it was the only one for sale in the Pittsburgh area.

The LC is a very capable vehicle, and reliability is still better than most, including Land Rover.

If you are going to put all that extra weight on the front end, you may want to upgrade the torsion bars.

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