I’m new to Ih8mud but I think I came to the right place. Am I Crazy for wanting to purchase a 100 series LC as my daily driver? Or should I go 5th gen 4Runner? I’ve never driven a 100 or been in one, but love LC. I own an 80 but it’s decked out and completely impractical. Anyone have any advice?
Wanting to purchase a 100 series as daily driver. Am I crazy? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter kunu
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Trunk Monkey
Moderator
There's several threads on people using their 100 as their daily.
Do you work on your own vehicles, or have a shop do everything?
If you like to enjoy what you drive, have great visibility, comfort, safety and reliability, then go for it. I have two, and daily them. Or I guess every other day them
If 13-15 mpg is going to be a problem, then buy a Prius and wish you could be part of the cool kids club.
Don't fool yourself, though. They are ~20 years old and will require periodic maintenance to maintain the reliability. If you don't do your own maintenance that can really add up. You're also from Illinois, so I would recommend you don't buy one locally. Rust is a dream killer.
If 13-15 mpg is going to be a problem, then buy a Prius and wish you could be part of the cool kids club.
Don't fool yourself, though. They are ~20 years old and will require periodic maintenance to maintain the reliability. If you don't do your own maintenance that can really add up. You're also from Illinois, so I would recommend you don't buy one locally. Rust is a dream killer.
GTV
SILVER Star
This is the most important question regardless of intended use.
GTV
SILVER Star
If you’ve got deep pockets, not at all.
If you are doing a lot of highway the 100 is a decent daily. Suburban and local stuff with lots of stopping and going will not be pretty for MPG.
If would be helpful if you aspire to work on it. There is a ridiculous amount of repair information on the internet, likely as much as any vehicle out there. All you have to do is want it and it will happen.
uh yeah it's a dead reliable Toyota SUV. Half of the country DDs Tundras, Sequoias etc.
Some of you guys are making it sound like an 80s Lancia. They're not that expensive to maintain - even if a shop does everything (or at least no more than a Tundra of the same age). Just don't buy a basket case.
but yeah big girl is thirsty.
Some of you guys are making it sound like an 80s Lancia. They're not that expensive to maintain - even if a shop does everything (or at least no more than a Tundra of the same age). Just don't buy a basket case.
but yeah big girl is thirsty.
Read through the posts on this forum to get a sense of the things that may need to be repaired/replaced/etc. It is a 20+ year old vehicle. Stuff wears out. Sure, it may only need to be repaired/replaced once under your ownership, but it can be discouraging at times. I'm a half do it myself/half let the shop do it, and either way it can add up.
That being said, I absolutely love driving a Land Cruiser. Just the visibility while driving, the capability off road, and the uniqueness.
I should add, my daily commute is 25 miles roundtrip, mostly interstate at a little over 70 mph. For daily commutes, I get about 14 mpg. Driving to and from the hunting camp is about 120 miles roundtrip, about half interstate/half state highway and county roads, plus some miles of interior dirt roads. I get about 15 mpg on those trips, I think the mileage sweet spot is probably 55/60 mph and that's what I'm running on the state highways/county roads for the most part. This is little less than what I averaged when I drove a 2012 F-150 5.0V8, and about the same (surprise!) as when I drove a 2003 4Runner V8.
That being said, I absolutely love driving a Land Cruiser. Just the visibility while driving, the capability off road, and the uniqueness.
I should add, my daily commute is 25 miles roundtrip, mostly interstate at a little over 70 mph. For daily commutes, I get about 14 mpg. Driving to and from the hunting camp is about 120 miles roundtrip, about half interstate/half state highway and county roads, plus some miles of interior dirt roads. I get about 15 mpg on those trips, I think the mileage sweet spot is probably 55/60 mph and that's what I'm running on the state highways/county roads for the most part. This is little less than what I averaged when I drove a 2012 F-150 5.0V8, and about the same (surprise!) as when I drove a 2003 4Runner V8.
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My wife daily drives a stock '05 LC about 40 miles round trip each day. Almost entirely 55mph and flat. She loves everything about it except the lack of bluetooth stereo connection. Haven't bothered to calculate mileage yet (owned one month). I expect significantly more maintenance needs than the 2011 Explorer it replaced.
a_traut_man
SILVER Star
Tell me more about this 13-15 mpg you speak of ha.If you like to enjoy what you drive, have great visibility, comfort, safety and reliability, then go for it. I have two, and daily them. Or I guess every other day them
If 13-15 mpg is going to be a problem, then buy a Prius and wish you could be part of the cool kids club.
Don't fool yourself, though. They are ~20 years old and will require periodic maintenance to maintain the reliability. If you don't do your own maintenance that can really add up. You're also from Illinois, so I would recommend you don't buy one locally. Rust is a dream killer.
I daily mine as well and while the mileage is rough it’s hard to beat great visibility, tight turn radius, and what really is pretty nimble for a good sized SUV.
Why is having deep pockets a reason to buy an LC? I get there are some big-ticket items with some high mileage but other than that it isn't a huge cost to own one of these.
GTV
SILVER Star
Compared to a 5th gen T4R, it's going to be a lot more expensive to maintain. I have a Tundra of the same age, it's far more simple (less to break) and the parts themselves are less expensive.
As someone who made this decision around 18 months ago, just know what you are getting into. If I hadn’t done most of the work myself, and had access to an amazing set of car-centric neighbors, I would be near $7k in repairs on mine as it nears 200k. While it hasn’t left me stranded, it is currently parked as I wait on a new radiator.
If you can’t afford to be without a vehicle and don’t have a backup option, seriously consider your situation before ending up in over your head. Most in this forum are mechanically inclined and have multiple vehicle options.
All this said, as I drive other vehicles when mine has been off the road, there’s nothing comparable. Hard to explain. It isn’t particularly practical to drive an older vehicle as a daily, fuel is expensive, and if you don’t already have one you probably don’t need one. Driving one is a lifestyle choice.
If you can’t afford to be without a vehicle and don’t have a backup option, seriously consider your situation before ending up in over your head. Most in this forum are mechanically inclined and have multiple vehicle options.
All this said, as I drive other vehicles when mine has been off the road, there’s nothing comparable. Hard to explain. It isn’t particularly practical to drive an older vehicle as a daily, fuel is expensive, and if you don’t already have one you probably don’t need one. Driving one is a lifestyle choice.
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Are you paying labor rates or just looking at parts prices?
Parts prices are reasonable. But if you pay someone to do the work, it goes up quickly. See: front wheel bearing service every 30k. Probably looking at $100 in parts, but my trusted Toyota/Lexus mechanic charges $450 for this job.
I bought my 07 LX with 221k in 2021 and have driven it every day. I just hit 270k the other day. While it was pretty well maintained in its one-owner life, Ive had to do some work on it. So, be prepared to do the same.
No it shouldn’t - it’s just most for sale have a lot of deferred maintenance and rust- find a nice one with neither of those isn’t cheap for what it is.
