Talk me out of a Tahoe (1 Viewer)

[ebod]

Safado,

I talked to that guy a couple of weeks ago. His truck looks pretty good, but it doesn't have lockers (like most of the trucks I've found) Also, I don't want a snorkle (ugly in my opinion) and I'm scared to buy a truck that's had a supercharger on it for most of its life (reliability concerns).

By the way, I just did a search and it came up with many more hits than my search earlier today (though most seem to be without lockers). I think this is because the Recycler comes out on Thursdays and its ads are linked to autotrader.

 

[DMX84]

Ebod, I too am looking for a Land Cruiser. I just love the 80 series, but also want a vehicle to take on trips comfortably. Although the 100 is not as good off road, the ’98-’99 with the rear dif. lock is an excellent choice. (I would stay away form the traction control ’00 & up). It will be more than capable for what you want to do. I can tell because you’re thinking of a Tahoe.
I’ve given my 2 ¢ with another guy who had a Tahoe. I thought that I was being too harsh, :-X but after reading what other people have said here, I barely stirred it up!
This is worth repeating. I worked on the ’99 Tahoe more in one year then I’ve worked on the ’89 Land Cruiser in 10 years! The LC had 220k on in when I was “trading up” to the Tahoe. The Tahoe had 66K when I got it and 95k when I dumped it. I still see my old LC in town, the Tahoe? Never saw it again.
DMX

 

[greglomax]

I just traded my 97 Tahoe for a 98 LC. The 97 Tahoe had to have the following things done to it between 60,000 miles and 128,000.

New Alternator
New Windshield wiper motor
New Water pump
New Fuel Pump
Module replacement in transmission
New Fan Clutch

The depreciation rate for a tahoe is scary. Not as bad as a Ford, but that is a discussion for another day. The tahoe was only worth about $7000 on trade-in.

The 98 LC is immaculate and I paid $22,900 for it. It has 80,000 miles on it but looks like it only has 20,000. (I know, some of you saw me say this same thing in another post. Cut me some slack.) My dad hasa 2002 Tahoe and they are nice, but the quality difference on the LC is amazing.

The biggest thing is, the LC probably won't get below $15,000 value even when the miles get to 150,000. That is significantly different than a Tahoe.

 

[Riley]

Geeze it would be better to buy an unlocked 80 and add ARB lockers then to buy a Tahoe. Don't give up you will regret it if you plan to keep more than a couple of years.

Toyotas rock. I have a 92 Camry with 300K KM and it runs like a top. I wouldn't trade it for a brand new Chev.

I feel bad for the domestic auto makers (Ford, Mopar and Chev) but I don't want to keep them going on my nickle. I am glad that somebody buys that stuff just to keep them alive.

Keep the faith, you will find one. Perhaps get a good dealer to find you one.

Riley

 

[NorCalDoug]

I was just about ready to tell you to get the Tahoe and be done with it

The "low mileage" cruisers are out there in your price range. We bought our second locked 80 (Lexus flavor) with 66k miles on 12/31/03 for $20k. And yeah, California prices are higher than the rest of the US.

You just need to be patient and keep looking.
If you want a 100 series, check out carmax.com. If you find one at one of their locations, you can have it shipped to one close to you (uh...for a price).

 

[mtycruiser]

Ebod, I bought a 100 series last september, 49K miles for $23K. I talked to salesman in 3-4 Toy dealers and asked them to call me as soon as a LC showed up for trade in. Drove 3 or 4 before finding mine. Bought it in less tha 24 hours after I saw it, By the time I closed the deal there were 2 other interested parties that woul've take it if I hesitated.
I cant be happier with my buy, feels NEW, works as NEW, can run circles around a TAHOE off road ( even without lockers ) and with proper maintenance I expect it to last for a good dozen of years, making it a darn good investement !!!
Now, if you are not patient, go buy your Tahoe there are plenty of them around for more money and as a bonus , they will not last as long !!!

 

[MoJ]

Do you need it right away? I realize (especially if you're like me) it's easy to get excited about a getting a new vehicle and that makes you want to hurry up and get one. So, if you can wait it out a few weeks/months, I think it's a safe bet that your dream cruiser will come along. They're out there. Good deal or not (I think so) I paid 12.5k for my cherry 94 w/lockers 90k miles about 2 months ago. I've had a 91 for quite awhile but patiently waited around for my dream FZJ. Found it on autotrader.
Mi dos centavos,
Jason

 

[MoJ]

Also -
There's no doubt the quality is better and everyone here has stated that. But, as an economist, let's look at the $ side......
If you get a decent price on a used cruiser and a year later decide you don't like it, you'll be able to sell it for very close to what you paid for it. As opposed to a new domestic vehicle that will lose an average of 1/3 the purchase price in value after the first 2 years.

 

[NovaFZJ80]

Ebod, don't rush into getting a Tahoe. I myself wanted a Tahoe Denali..loved the way it looked and a friend bought one new a couple years ago.

After last year's Pres Day snowstorm of 20 inches in Wash DC area and driving my Civic to work as a "snowplow", i felt it was time to get a 4wd.
Considered paying no more than $10k out the door was my limit. Looked at 4runners/LCs/Tahoes for 4 months on autotrader,cars.com, carmax. Most were over the $10k price that were 96/97 year models.

Distinctively remember the Friday in Dec at work looking on autotrader at a 93 LC w/102k at a dealership near my house. Sat nite decided to go xmas shopping at the mall (big mistake)and instead pulled into the dealership. Test drove it, looked under for any leaks, and felt like it had 40k miles on it not 102k. Clean inside, no body rust outside, only underneath from 10 yrs in NJ/NY winters, 4 new tires.

Dealer wanted $15k, offered $8800, KBB was $9124. Dealer wanted $10k...left and went to my gf place.. Talked to her about it, she wanted to see it...Came back 45 min later. She's anti SUV!!! She said it was nice and could see it put to use in the "future" for the both of us, plus she felt safe in it on the test drive. Went back in and sales manager said $9385 tonite and you can drive it home with only a deposit and come up with the rest in 5 days. Put $400 down and got it for $10,049 out the door.

Only setback so far is that the Power Steering Cooler assembly corroded and had to buy a new one to put in. And now doing a birfield repack, since its overdue. And changing the rotors/pads since i'm already down there.

Basically spending about $11k +- on it and it runs for a good 100,000 miles, i'm pleased with the deal i got.

 

[Sammy Jenkins]

ebod, for the kind of driving that you are posting you might want to consider a UZJ100 becuase it is going to be nicer on the road then the FZJ80. The UZJ100 will still have the capablilites you are looking for when you do you r off roading as well. You can find one on ebay with 80k miles on for ~25k. If not I found this FZJ80 that is a '97 with 89500 miles on it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2463078462&category=6443 .Pretty Damn GOOD. Anyways good look on your search!

- Sammy

 

[ginericLC]

I just traded my wife's 97 Tahoe for a 94 Cruiser with triple the miles on it. Tahoes will definitely need a fuel pump between 60 and 90k. The plastic does rattle. Even on the new ones. My friend has an 03 and it rattles too. I never had any complaints about the power or drivetrain. I had a tough time keeping it aligned was the biggest problem. I also did not like the wallowing feeling going down the road. It felt like I was driving a marshmallow. We even tried stiffer shocks and it still handled poorly. I also did not like the 4wd system, I always felt like I couldn't use it at interstate speeds in foul weather. The LC system makes you safe all the time. It did tow better than the LC, I think that is the only thing it did better. And there was more room. The newer ones have less room than the older Tahoes. Lots of plastic in the back is taking up the cargo room. They've also decreased the visibility with all the plastic. My dad recently bought a LX450 97 with diff locks with 72k on it for 19k. I think that it was a fair deal but there have been better deals. He also has a Trailblazer. His Trailblazer has been a nightmare. I think it is on the third tranny/transfer problem. This new 2wd/AWD/4WD system is very complicated and very prone to breaking. He also got a letter from GM stating that they knew that they had an engine problem and were extending the engine warranty to 100k. I guess it starts knocking and then it blows up. His has always had a little knock so he is constantly worried about driving it. If you are going to buy a Tahoe you might be better buying a year old one with 12k on it. That way you don't have to suck up all of the depreciation. For your described use and price range I'd probably be looking at a 100 series. I've seen them in the high teens to mid twenties with about 60k on them.

 

[Ben6]

The '96 on ebay didn't sell. The highest bid was $17,700 and his buy it now was $19,800. The auction said that the reserve had been lowered. Therefore, I'm guessing you could get it in the neighborhood of $19,000 plus shipping. I know it is a little scary buying a vehicle you can't actually see in person, but you could have the seller take it to the local Toyota Dealership and have them do a prepurchase inspection. The e-bay ad is currently still in the completed section at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6443&item=2461817657

 

[410225]

TO each his own

Remember, you are in Landcruiser forum. If you went to the Chevy forum, outcome will be different. Some people love Tahoe. This forum is solid Landcruiser owners who prefer LC over Tahoe.
It really is up to you on what you purchase depending on your use, financial, how long you want to keep, and so on.
I know some people are just strict domestic car buyers who will prefer Ford, Chevy, GM over any imports. Some people purchase only imports.
Condition of the car really depends on how you or PO drove and maintained.
Go drive one each. See what YOU think. It is your money and your car.
I had alot of choices when I was buying my 97 LC. GMC Yukon Denali, Expedition, Tahoe, Navigator, Range Rover, etc. I did test drive all of them. Some had advantage over another. When I drove the LC, I just knew this is the one. Proportionate balance, reliability rating, resale value, and capability cannot be compared to any that I drove.
Take some time and go drive Tahoe and Landcruiser. If you are still convinced toward Tahoe, it is your decision.

 

[G-Cat]

TO each his own

[quote author=MNCruiser link=board=2;threadid=12151;start=msg111636#msg111636 date=1077896174]
Remember, you are in Landcruiser forum. If you went to the Chevy forum, outcome will be different. Some people love Tahoe. This forum is solid Landcruiser owners who prefer LC over Tahoe.
[/quote]

While this is true, I don't think any intelligent person can make the arguement that Chevy has an edge in quality over Toyota.

I have a mix of friends you ride. Some are die-hard Harley Davidson riders, some Japanese bikes and a few have/do own both. ALL of them agree that overall quality goes to the Japanese bikes. Harley wins the cool factor.

Your quandry is different in that the Land Cruiser wins the quality competition AND the cool factor!! (okay, the last statement is a result of this being an LC forum.)

Oh, and to whoever said buy an un-locked 80 and put in ARB lockers...Amen, brother.

 

[G-Cat]

TO each his own

[quote author=Garth1 link=board=2;threadid=12151;start=msg111647#msg111647 date=1077897174]
[/quote]
I have a mix of friends you ride.
How gay was THAT statement. (thought I'd beat Junk to the punch). Meant to type "I have a mix of friends who ride..." :whoops:

 

[wob]

I've got both. A 96 LC and an 02 Tahoe Z71. I bought the Tahoe before I had the LC The Tahoe feels too much like a Caddy for my tastes for everyday driving and offroad. Also, the ground clearance isn't the best. I like the looks and feel of the LC over the Tahoe. Anyways, I gave the Tahoe to my wife, and bought the LC for me to drive. But when we take a long trip on the interstate, or I need to tow, I opt for the power and smoother ride of the Tahoe. Just my 2cents.

 

[floatinghat]

Why I bought an 80 over a 100

I prefer the looks
Seems more robust
I6 will run forever if maintained well
Safe for occupants
I got a good deal

The question I have is why are you hung up on getting lockers if your are 10% light off road?

After my last three America SUV's I'll be hard pressed to buy American again (at least keeping anything longer than 2 years).

andre

 

[Brentbba]

EBOD,

No comments on a Tahoe as I've got no experience with them.

What you are seeing from all these posts is that most cruisers are just getting broken in at 90-100K and a Tahoe is trash by that time.

You may want to consider upping your mileage expectations and lowering your price and you will still be getting a better truck with more life in it than a new piece of Detroit trash.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

Brent is on it,
if you are in gm mindset then 60 to 100 k is about as high as you wnat to buy. you can depend on a tahoe till 120k if you are brave. so you are looking at 60 k on a tahoe haivng half of its life left, or a brand new tahoe having 120k life left. if you were to buy a cruiser with 60k (1fze motor or uzj motor) your live expectancy with maintenance is 200+k.
as said before its your money decide what your needs nad wants are and spend it. are you really going to off road this vehicle? are you planning suspension or powertrain mods to the vehicle? how long do you plan on keeping it?
this is what you need to be thinking about. the 80 series has better suspension mods available than either the 100 or the tahoe. think solid front axle. nuff said there. if you are not really going to be trail running and only want to keep it stock and hold it for 1-2 years the tahoe might make more sense. If you want a vehicle that YOU can amintain and service and keep for 10 years and drive 200 k with the cruiser wins hands down.
also don't forget the lexus brethren in the 450 and 470s some of them are selling for less than the comparable 80 or 100's
Dave

 

[quicktodoze]

I had a '99 Tahoe 4x4 LT and now I drive a '96 LC. Let me share with you some of my experiences.

I bought the 'hoe with 53k miles and sold it with 69k about a year later for a very big loss. I spent more money per month fixing it than I did on my payments. And that's no lie.

The most infuriating memory of the 'hoe was being stranded in the middle of nowhere because my fuel pump went out at 66k. I had gone camping with some friends and we had no way of getting home. Luckily a fellow camper had cellphone reception and called a tow truck for me - tell me this was an inexpensive tow . So, $700 and a great deal of humiliation later ("that's the last time we let Nic drive us anywhere..."), I got a new fuel pump.

Sound like fun? I'm just getting started.

I was rotating my tires once and had TWO wheel studs break off. Nice.

All the interior plastic rattled.

The interior noise on the highway was almost unbearable. You know why? The driver's side door "falls" down and makes a gap, letting in just enough air to make a horrendous howl. It'll give you a headache after about 150 miles. The weak door pins is a very common problem, by the way, and you can tell if the vehicle in question has this flaw by looking at the bottom of the door frame for scratch marks.

The rubber seal on the rear barn doors was always falling when I would open the doors. I had to reposition it every time after I opened them in order to get them closed again, which I could've fixed with a little glue I guess.

The marshmallow feel of the suspension is dead on. The thing sways back and forth like nobody's business. And the brakes on this thing are joke. Take a look at the enormous front rotors next time one with 20" rims pulls beside you.

Engine problems, drivetrain problems, $450 on the AC,...plan on replacing an alternator or five.

Spend some more time on this board looking at owners' posts and then spend some time in the Tahoe section of this place http://mct.truckmoxie.com/forums/ and you'll get a better picture of what I'm trying to tell you.

Good luck.

Nic