Thinking of the 100

[Buckethead]

I have had 2 fj40's ,2 fj55s, 1 fj60, and one fzj80 -- I loved them all. I have two kids now, and I need a rig to go camping. I don't do any hardcore wheeling, however, I do camp where there are some pretty nasty washouts and pig trails. I have given thought to the 100 series as possibly a better rig to drive on the highway and off road. Is there a big difference in comfort from the 80? Is the 100 as capable off road for what I would be doing?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[re_guderian]

I have had 2 fj40's ,2 fj55s, 1 fj60, and one fzj80 -- I loved them all. I have two kids now, and I need a rig to go camping. I don't do any hardcore wheeling, however, I do camp where there are some pretty nasty washouts and pig trails. I have given thought to the 100 series as possibly a better rig to drive on the highway and off road. Is there a big difference in comfort from the 80? Is the 100 as capable off road for what I would be doing?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Yes, and yes... My 100 drives way better on the highways than the 80 I had (though the 80 was taller, and had more weight). For me and my family, the 100 was a better all-around vehicle. It only suffers due to the IFS and limited front travel. If that's not a problem for your type of off-roading then it wins in every other category (except sliding rear windows ).

 

[farinvail]

I went from a 78 fj40. Had two kids, got a 98 uzj100. It does much better on and off the pavement than the 40. My wife hated the 40 loves the 100. Nothing wrong with 80's, 100's are just newer and arguably better. Certainly more comfortable.

 

[Anthony.L]

The 100 sounds like a perfect fit for you, don't hesitate, do it!

 

[Buckethead]

Yes, and yes... My 100 drives way better on the highways than the 80 I had (though the 80 was taller, and had more weight). For me and my family, the 100 was a better all-around vehicle. It only suffers due to the IFS and limited front travel. If that's not a problem for your type of off-roading then it wins in every other category (except sliding rear windows ).

I went from a 78 fj40. Had two kids, got a 98 uzj100. It does much better on and off the pavement than the 40. My wife hated the 40 loves the 100. Nothing wrong with 80's, 100's are just newer and arguably better. Certainly more comfortable.

The 100 sounds like a perfect fit for you, don't hesitate, do it!

Awesome,
I am trying to learn about the 100 series. I guess it will be a new addiction. Is the Rear Locker preferable to the Atrac models? Or, are they all very capable? Also, how expensive (relative to the 80) are the accessories (bumpers, lifts,etc.) for the 100?

 

[Anthony.L]

All the accessories, armor, etc is very similar in price to the 80.

Personally I struggled with the 98/99 or 03+ decision. In the end I picked the updated V8 w/ 5-speed tranny over the rear e-locker and extremely happy I did so.

FYI, whatever you do stay away from a 2000. Many will come on here saying they are happy with theirs however too many issues would keep me from taking that risk.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Also, how expensive (relative to the 80) are the accessories (bumpers, lifts,etc.) for the 100?

Go to any one of the major suppliers sites (Cruiser Outfitters, Slee) and do a cost comparison.

 

[hoser]

While the cost of sliders might be the same for the same manufacturer for either an 80 or 100, there are more manufacturers to choose from with an 80 and so it is possible to get a less expensive accessory. There are also a lot more used parts for the 80.

 

[Buckethead]

FYI, whatever you do stay away from a 2000. Many will come on here saying they are happy with theirs however too many issues would keep me from taking that risk.

Just the 2000s? Any other models I should stay away from?

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[re_guderian]

...FYI, whatever you do stay away from a 2000. Many will come on here saying they are happy with theirs however too many issues would keep me from taking that risk.

Well, I may (someday) eat my words, but I think this is a little overblown. The only issue is the tranny (with some '99 and '01 failures as well), but it's not prevalent. The header issue is shared by all years up to '02. Depends on how much you want to spend. Each year has pros and cons, and you trade a $3.5K tranny replacement for a $4K navi/HVAC replacement on the newer ones, with roughly equivalent chance of either... Buy what you want, and what you can find a good deal on. I think that is way more important than year over year nuances...

 

[2000UZJ]

FYI, whatever you do stay away from a 2000. Many will come on here saying they are happy with theirs however too many issues would keep me from taking that risk.

Just the 2000s? Any other models I should stay away from?

Thanks for all the help guys.

yes and no. 2000's certainly have there issues, but so do all the other years (just a less expensive issue). Leaking manifolds (exhaust) and the transmission failure issue. But there are very few tranny issues and can't really say about the cracked manifolds. Toyota has a TSB about them, but not a recall (I have a 2000 with original trans and cracked manifolds).

If I could rewind to December 1999 when we bought the first 2000 Landcruiser they got off the truck, I'd would stay away from the 2000's just because of the small issues and possibly buying one with a bad tranny (won't really know until your on the side of the road). If you find a 2000 for a killer price don't let it scare you. But if you CAN, try to pick a year around the 2000's.

The 100 is a great rig on-road and offroad. I've used mine heavily for the past couple of months offroad. And even more on road. It's a wonderful family rig. I'm sure if I had an 80 I would be saying the same thing. But I have a 100.

 

[Anthony.L]

Just the 2000s? Any other models I should stay away from?

Thanks for all the help guys.

The reports I've personally seen online have been mostly 2000's, however as others stated it could be in the 99-01 range.

I highly suggest you drive a 98-02 then back to back drive a 03+. BIG difference!

One of the reasons I originally wanted a 98-99 was the lack of factory NAV. However I have fallen in love with the factory Toyota GEN 4 NAV in my 2004. Mine has the original 2004 DVD NAV disk and just this last weekend I was out on some back country logging roads. To my amazement all the forest service roads were on the NAV! I think I will be calling CDan this week and getting the v9.1 disk ($199) instead of buying a companion Garmin for offroad.

 

[BManning`]

Don't get caught up in the minutiae (this year this, that year that, blah blah blah).

If it says Toyota Land Cruiser (or LX470) on it and is a good deal in your price range, buy it. Drive it. Enjoy it.

 

[77HesterSue]

Don't get caught up in the minutiae (this year this, that year that, blah blah blah).

If it says Toyota Land Cruiser (or LX470) on it and is a good deal in your price range, buy it. Drive it. Enjoy it.

I agree. I have a 2001 LX470 and love it. I don't think you can go wrong with one of these vehicles. Good luck

 

[Topmounter]

I highly suggest you drive a 98-02 then back to back drive a 03+. BIG difference!

Really? I drove an '03 before I bought my '01 and there really wasn't much of a difference in how they drove... sure 5spd vs. 4spd tranny, but that's pretty subtle.

 

[JOFS]

Look around for what fits your budget and a truck that has been cared for.

I still have my 80 but buying my 100 was the best car purchase I have made. I love it and so do my wife and kids.

I have had a similar array of cruisers in the past and really find for my wife and kids the 100 is the best. It is safe, rides nice and will go anywhere you want to.

I was planning on buying this spring and have been looking around for a long time, then just drove by a local 2005 for sale and the price was right and it was well taken care of. Around here there are very few of them so it was just a surprise.

Just look around and see what fits. You will not be disappointed.

Good luck
John

 

[Anthony.L]

Really? I drove an '03 before I bought my '01 and there really wasn't much of a difference in how they drove... sure 5spd vs. 4spd tranny, but that's pretty subtle.

I could easily tell the difference. The other nice thing about the 5-speed is the first 4 gears are closer ratio. When you install larger tires (i.e. 33's) there is not as much need to regear the diffs with the 5-speed gear ratios. I have 295x75x16 which are just under 34's and my LC still has great acceleration. I was expecting to run out and get 4.88's pretty soon afterward, but no rush now.

Just my $.02, YMMV

 

[dclee]

Later years ('03+) also have additional safety features (side and curtain airbags, EBD, rear camera, etc.). So if it's for family use, that should also be a consideration.

I vote for traction/stability control over the rear e-locker. It's pretty amazing the places you can go with this system, and as has been pointed out in other threads, it actually works better than lockers in some situations. And if you ever find that you absolutely need lockers, you can add ARBs both front and rear. But you can't go back and add traction control to a pre-2000 truck.

edit: I guess anything's possible with enough time and money, but you know what I mean...

edit: Stability control on the later trucks (`00+) should be considered a HUGE safety factor.

 

[Buckethead]

Excellent. I have found a few good deals on 98 - 99s. I am in no hurry, I will keep my eyes open for a great deal. I like the idea of the extra safety measures on the newer models.

I guess I will be selling off my Tacoma and getting back into a cruiser when I find the right rig.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[re_guderian]

Aftermarket in-dash Nav can be added to the earlier models relatively cheaply. As an added bonus to doing this, you actually get a decent stereo...