Research for my first 100 Series

[phsycle]

No way!

I want it to be both. Daddy wants to take this thing out too, even if it will be her primary vehicle, I'm still buying

E2A: Actually, I don't know much about the Sequoia. I'm assuming it's 4WD (a must). What about the engine? Is it as reliable as the LC engines?

Engine is fine, regardless of the poster above. They actually make pretty good expedition vehicles. I'm assuming you're not going to be doing any rough trails, in which case the Sequoia would be plenty capable.

Some have built up some sweet rigs:

 

[SmoothLC]

Faced the same dilemma when we started looking (Sequoia vs. LC).

At the end of the day, Japanese quality won out over Hoosier quality (no offense to my Hoosier friends).

Check Slee's 100 Series Newbie Guide and weigh the tradeoffs. You may find more LX's in the later years which your may prefer.

GLW the purchase.

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

Thanks again to everyone who has responded. Nothing but good advice up in hee-yuh.

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

Faced the same dilemma when we started looking (Sequoia vs. LC).

At the end of the day, Japanese quality won out over Hoosier quality (no offense to my Hoosier friends).

Check Slee's 100 Series Newbie Guide and weigh the tradeoffs. You may find more LX's in the later years which your may prefer.

GLW the purchase.

That's where I'm at. I'm trying to expand our search - which currently includes a 95-97 80 series, any 100 series (although I'm now swaying toward 98/99) and late addition of the Sequoia. The Sequoia is last out of the 3.

Whenever I buy anything of long-term worth and value, I wait out for the ultimate bargain and best quality. So, I think in the end, the 100 is my most desired vehicle for my wife... I'm still trying to weigh the pros/cons of early versions (98/99) vs. later versions. Because of my price range, I'm looking at probably no newer than a 2003 moded and that would be a hell of a find. The harshest conditions this vehicle will face is snow, ice and salt in the city of Chicago. We do have 1 garage spot which will force me to choose which LC gets the prized location - my FJ62 or the new 100? I'm pretty sure my 62 will win out since it is rust free and a BEAUT!

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

This is my 1st and only LC.... so far.

 

[gil12]

Sorry to add a dissenting opinion, but I am not in favor of any large SUV as a daily driver unless it does double duty on dirt roads/off road. And among large SUVs, the Land Cruiser is a particularly tippy truck. Looks safe, but in many situations, it is not likely to be safer than a midsize or larger sedan. The Land Cruiser is great for dirt roads - going about 40 miles an hour. Outside of that, it's safety is likely to lag behind a large sedan.

I love my 99, but take my wife's Mazda6 whenever possible to safe gas and to be safer. Then again, when I took the family on a 6 day road trip with 6 adults - the land cruiser was incredible. We comfortably drove 12 hours straight at the end - rotating drivers - would likely not be possible in another truck. So dang it all, I've gone full circle. It might not be the wisest choice, but it may be the best.

Gil

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

Sorry to add a dissenting opinion, but I am not in favor of any large SUV as a daily driver unless it does double duty on dirt roads/off road. And among large SUVs, the Land Cruiser is a particularly tippy truck. Looks safe, but in many situations, it is not likely to be safer than a midsize or larger sedan. The Land Cruiser is great for dirt roads - going about 40 miles an hour. Outside of that, it's safety is likely to lag behind a large sedan.

I love my 99, but take my wife's Mazda6 whenever possible to safe gas and to be safer. Then again, when I took the family on a 6 day road trip with 6 adults - the land cruiser was incredible. We comfortably drove 12 hours straight at the end - rotating drivers - would likely not be possible in another truck. So dang it all, I've gone full circle. It might not be the wisest choice, but it may be the best.

Gil

I'm not on consumer reports looking for the most economical

We do want the 3rd row and the 4WD. Snow gets thick on side streets and allies. We barely drive 8k miles per year, so the driving is very minimal compared to suburban dwellers. We walk more than drive but still have the need for a reliable daily driver. We also drive it back home which is more country like.

 

[UllrAdven]

I recently went thru all the same internal debates that you are going thru, and because I upped my budget I went with a 2004 LC, but had my searches nation wide set for a 2003-2005 LC/LX470 or a pre-2006 GX470.

The main reason for these choices, was the availabilty of the 3rd row, they were both apart of toyota's world wide platform, I shift on the fly a lot and liked the 5spd better then the 4spd, I did not want diff issues from the pre-2000's, and they were NOT the american spec. vehicles like the sequoia or the tundra.

I read all the time about people saying that the V8's are the same on all platforms, but the truth is that they are not, and the motors have different internal components that do not have the integrity as the Japan motors. Hence the reason why the supercharger is no longer available for 2UZ-FE.

I also would argue that the original 2UZ-FE is better then updated Government motors VVT-i. The torque curve for the original is set for performance where you want it in towing, and grunt off-road while the later is set up for MPG. Other then that there is really no difference, since the total torque has very little change, and all it does is rev higher to produce the HP.

One last thing... If I had more time (even though I spent a month looking) I would have tried really hard to find an 03' with-out the nav. If I were to buy an 00' - 02' I would also I think be doing the same.

 

[SkiLyft]

I have a 2000LC and until this thread had not heard nor experienced tranny issues.

I could be proved wrong but I do not think that it is a real issue...

My LC is a great mix of looking modern without being over tech-ed like some of the newer 100's. A simple LED swap of all the dash lights as well as updating the head unit does amazing things and brought it into the more "modern" category!

Looking forward to my PFran interior light LED kit (arriving today) to add the final touches!


Sent from my iPhone, please embrace the typos

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

Thanks for the continued discussion.

My wife, kids and I all piled in and looked at 2 LCs and a Sequoia today. First LC was beat up more than I'd like. Typical Chicago bumpers and a few dents and dings. I think this was the 2002 with 130k. THe next was a 2000 and had too much rust for my liking. Any rust is bad, and so I was done. Sequoia was also badly rusted but in hidden spots like the door frame. Bad though in those spots.

I only drove the Sequoia of all 3 and I think I've come full circle back to the LC. I will continue looking for a 100 series LC.

 

[RKFZJ80]

Thanks for the continued discussion. My wife, kids and I all piled in and looked at 2 LCs and a Sequoia today. First LC was beat up more than I'd like. Typical Chicago bumpers and a few dents and dings. I think this was the 2002 with 130k. THe next was a 2000 and had too much rust for my liking. Any rust is bad, and so I was done. Sequoia was also badly rusted but in hidden spots like the door frame. Bad though in those spots. I only drove the Sequoia of all 3 and I think I've come full circle back to the LC. I will continue looking for a 100 series LC.

Rust is a deal breaker! It might be worth your time to look for one from a rust free state, I know buying sight unseen or traveling for one might be a hassle, but may be worth it to avoid the rust issue. I am in CA so have never had to deal with rust issues, there are always quite a few LC's for sale out here, all series, lots in the Bay Area of San Francisco & LA where yuppies bought them and babied them, make good candidates. Good luck on your search

 

[Toyoland66]

I think the 5 speed is worth the extra cost. It will be tough finding a 03+ within your 10k budget.

Some thoughts...I personally think 06+ are the best years due to vvti and Bluetooth + steering wheel controls for a DD especially for a SO. I started out looking for a LC for my wife and eventually settled on a GX (if you want to call it settled..). The LC does have stronger axles and a more room, however the V8 4runner and GX are both made in Japan. The V8 4runner is hard to find with a 3rd row, the 06-07 100 only gives you 2 years of used models to choose from and they are expensive, rare, and typically have a lot of miles on the used market. The GX pretty much all came with the 3rd row, and were made until 09. They also get slightly better MPG than the LX and there are usually more on the used market to choose from. In Denver there may be 4-5 5 spd LC/LX on the market at any given time, and they pretty much all have 100k+ miles and are going for $25k+.

*coming from a guy who was trying to buy a 06-07 LC until my wife figured out they only get 13mpg. Take it for what it's worth. She ended up with a 09 GX which was nowhere near $10k.

 

[RobRed]

?..among large SUVs, the Land Cruiser is a particularly tippy truck. Looks safe, but in many situations, it is not likely to be safer than a midsize or larger sedan. The Land Cruiser is great for dirt roads - going about 40 miles an hour... take my wife's Mazda6 whenever possible... to be safer. Gil

Hahahahahahahaha

 

[FlammableFishie]

Hahahahahahahaha

+1

WTF haha

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

I think the 5 speed is worth the extra cost. It will be tough finding a 03+ within your 10k budget.

Some thoughts...I personally think 06+ are the best years due to vvti and Bluetooth + steering wheel controls for a DD especially for a SO. I started out looking for a LC for my wife and eventually settled on a GX (if you want to call it settled..). The LC does have stronger axles and a more room, however the V8 4runner and GX are both made in Japan. The V8 4runner is hard to find with a 3rd row, the 06-07 100 only gives you 2 years of used models to choose from and they are expensive, rare, and typically have a lot of miles on the used market. The GX pretty much all came with the 3rd row, and were made until 09. They also get slightly better MPG than the LX and there are usually more on the used market to choose from. In Denver there may be 4-5 5 spd LC/LX on the market at any given time, and they pretty much all have 100k+ miles and are going for $25k+.

*coming from a guy who was trying to buy a 06-07 LC until my wife figured out they only get 13mpg. Take it for what it's worth. She ended up with a 09 GX which was nowhere near $10k.

After our trip out yesterday, I've since started looking into the LX (both 450 and 470). I gotta say, I like them and from what I understand they are exactly the same thing as the 80 and 100 series respectively. There are many more LXs out there and they seem nice on the inside.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Also, does anyone have opinions on the reliability of Edmunds.com pricing? I'm usually pretty strict about buying at a bargain but I also don't want to be wasting my time if the market prices listed by Edmunds are inaccurate. I found one LX (1998) with under 70k miles, dude is asking 13.5K. I emailed him letting him know I'm interested but that his price is way high (private dealer price with the low miles was like $5500). I'm all about being patient and getting the best bargain but again, don't want to be waiting forever if the numbers are wrong.

 

[Junglejack]

After our trip out yesterday, I've since started looking into the LX (both 450 and 470). I gotta say, I like them and from what I understand they are exactly the same thing as the 80 and 100 series respectively. There are many more LXs out there and they seem nice on the inside.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Also, does anyone have opinions on the reliability of Edmunds.com pricing? I'm usually pretty strict about buying at a bargain but I also don't want to be wasting my time if the market prices listed by Edmunds are inaccurate. I found one LX (1998) with under 70k miles, dude is asking 13.5K. I emailed him letting him know I'm interested but that his price is way high (private dealer price with the low miles was like $5500). I'm all about being patient and getting the best bargain but again, don't want to be waiting forever if the numbers are wrong.

An LX is a 100 Series. Even was a Land Cruiser variant (Cygnus) in Japan. Tends to be easier to find a lower mileage LX than LC. Certainly was the case for me last April. Little to no price delta between them when looking used.

Also, if you can get that LX for anywhere near $13,000, I would seriously consider it. Not sure where you are getting the $5500 valuation, but that is way off. Provided condition is good.

 

[highonpottery]

maybe the $5500 is all that a dealer will pay for a 70k cruiser when trading in?

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

maybe the $5500 is all that a dealer will pay for a 70k cruiser when trading in?

That was the "private sale price". Dealer retail - the highest price - is only $6700.

Does anyone here have the "unlimited" Carfax search? I want to look up this LX 450 by private seller because it has a little damage on the front bumper but it's from Cali, so no rust. He said his bottom price is $12K but I'm not paying that.

If anyone has the ability to lookup Carfax for free, here's the VIN: JT6HJ88J0V0174659

 

[RobRed]

An LX is a 100 Series...

Umm no. An LX is a Lexus (in the USA). LX450=80 series. LX470=100 series

The 5500 price discussed is for the LX450

 

[VidereStudios]

Get a 2001-2002 LX470...you get the kids latch in the second row (not available in 98-00) and you can find them easily without the navigation. And you can reach your target price. 03-05 are in their own price bracket, with 06-07 beyond that.