what to look for in 100 series purchase.

[birch hill]

Hello all looking to purchase a 100 series at some point this year and would like to find out as much as possible about them. Our current family adventure vehicle is our 03 discovery and with 5 kids we are looking for something a little bigger, a little more reliable and containing an 8th seat belt. I would like to spend about 20k, what will that get me in terms of mileage and year? Also, is there certain years to avoid? And what kind of problems to look out for on the model/miles that 20k will buy. These are questions I wish I had asked 4 years ago before getting a discovery. Goals for this vehicle is mild off road trails/ forest service routes for purpose of scenery, hiking and camping.
Thanks for your time.

 

[GregLCA]

Read the FAQ quickly before you get flamed out of existence.......


Seriously, it's all been carefully documented. You're in the right place, just start reading....


-G

 

[TXLX100]

Hopefully you don't need an eighth seatbelt, I believe there are only 7.

$20k should get you a nice 03+ that's been maintained and decent miles. 03+ will likely come with Nav, so if you want to upgrade the stereo or like simplicity, you may have to look at pre-2003.

A stock vehicle should serve well for your stated purposes, but you can always upgrade suspension later.. Storage may be a problem with 7 occupants, if you aren't traveling with a trailer. AHC was standard in LX470s and an option later in the LC production. Nice to have if it been maintained.

Check out the slee newbie guide on the web, classifieds, and the numerous threads here.... Tons of info.

 

[OregonLC]

^ There are 8 belts. The third row has three.

Here's good place to read up: http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm There are no bad years, just different options/features/prices.

 

[birch hill]

Thanks for the reply! Going to start reading FAQ now

 

[n55luvr]

I'm going through the exact same search as you. Been hitting ever car listing site I can think of very hard over the past month. I'll tell ya it has been very challenging to find a truck that meets my criteria - less than 130k miles, 2003+, 1 Owner all service records.

Here are some of my observations:

2003+ have 5 spd tranny
For every 5 LX's for sale there is 1 LC for sale.
LX's almost always have a very solid service history, LC's almost never have a service history or they are spotty at best
You can create a userID on both Lexus and Toyota, enter VIN and get complete history which is very nice luxury in this car search. Not many other companies expose that data without some proof of ownership.
Rust is awful on these trucks if they lived entire life in rust belt. I've looked at 2 now in Ohio and MI, had cash in hand ready to go as they appeared perfect but as soon as I got undercarriage pix it was almost painful to look at (I posted one example here last week).

I'm in Ohio and while I do entertain the idea of owning a Ohio rig, it really has to be semi-rust free.

I am at the point where I'd probably travel anywhere to get the right truck but again, it's been a very slow search process since inventory is very low. I scan KY and TN Craigslist postings daily in hopes of finding something.

 

[birch hill]

Thanks for the reply. I also have been watching auto trader listings for a while, people must really hold on to these trucks. I had hoped that rust wouldnt be as bad on LC as on their pickups have had several toyota trucks and unfortunately the limiting factor to their lifespan is severe rust.

 

[OregonLC]

FWIW, none of my vehicles would have any service history and would be the most overly maintained vehicles you would ever find. I wouldn't rely too much on that. I'd rather have one that was garaged than one that had 20 pages of printout.

I also wouldn't spend too much time worrying about one owner vehicles. Mine was a three owner prior to me and it's a great truck. These things are beasts that are hard to destroy. Don't overlook gems trying to find a unicorn. Truly bad examples will stand out and you'll know them when you see them.

The LX inventory is sometimes referred to as the "Sequoia Effect'. In 2001 when the Sequoia came out it cannibalized LC sales; those wanting room bought a Sequoia, those wanting prestige bought a LX. Domestic US sales of LC was cut in half in 2001 while LX sales also reduced continued on at a higher rate, about 1.5x that of the LC. Hence there are more LX's available in the US than LC's.

 

[VidereStudios]

My list of mandatory things I look for when buying a LC or LX:

1. Previous owner maintenance - well maintained with records.
2. Underbody rust / body damage - enough said.
3. Original glass, especially on the front - current LX has a leak due to incorrectly installed glass from previous owner.
4. Full complement of keys - replacing a master key or reprogramming replacement keys can be painful.
5. 90K mile service - depends on mileage and year of truck.
6. I thought I had one more...may edit.

I personally look for 2001-2002 year LC's or LX's. Significant upgrades from 1998-1999 years, avoid the 2000 transmission issue (very slight concern), and avoid the mandatory navigation from 2003+ years.

 

[Scottb4857]

Saw this one today - know nothing about it other than looks clean in ad.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/4889377123.html

 

[birch hill]

what all is involved in the 90k service ? Is this when timing belt and water pump are usually changed.? Also, how durable is the AHC suspension? Coming from a land rover with rear air suspension, I tend to prefer good old fashion coils. Thanks again for all the replys, this was the kind of information I have been looking for.

 

[hankinid]

what all is involved in the 90k service ? Is this when timing belt and water pump are usually changed.? Also, how durable is the AHC suspension? Coming from a land rover with rear air suspension, I tend to prefer good old fashion coils. Thanks again for all the replys, this was the kind of information I have been looking for.

Welcome, birch hill...

Looking at the OP, an LC or LX will be a way beyond "a little more reliable"...and I've had a Discovery and have no regrets in dumping it for an LX.

Durability of the AHC is anecdotal...changing the hydraulic fluid religiously is helpful.

It's the most comfortable truck I've driven, she's great on off-road family adventures, and rock-solid in Idaho ice and snow.

Zero regrets, no unscheduled maintenance for me or the original owner.

Patience is a virtue when you're shopping for a new one.

Steve

 

[n55luvr]

birch, I had similar questions. From what I gather 90k is just simple maintenance like oil/filter etc. Only major items were WP and TB.

Regarding AHC, I've read a ton about it and it differs from land rover, jag, merc etc in that it uses fluid pressure, vs air pressure, to raise and lower vehicle as needed. Apparently this is a much more robust and reliable implementation compared to psi adjustments. With that being said, no adjustable suspension is going to be as fault tolerant as coils/leafs/tb's etc...

 

[birch hill]

Thanks. There seems to be some preference to the 100 vs the Lx is there any reason for this preception ? or is it just some prefer to have the LC label?

 

[LEX]

There's a real clean '05 with 119k miles in the classifieds section here. I can't copy and paste the link for some reason.

 

[RND1]

Thanks. There seems to be some preference to the 100 vs the Lx is there any reason for this preception ? or is it just some prefer to have the LC label?

I believe most of us simply purchased the best LC or LX we could find within our budget. I know I would have taken either one. I prefer the front end, wheels, and understated nature of the LC over the LX, but the LX is nicer in every other way IMHO.

As much as I love the LC, if I had 5 kids and I was looking for more room, I'd be looking at something else. The LC's 3rd row is tight and the seats sit on the floor so anyone over 4' tall won't be comfortable back there for long. My 9 and 7 year old girls love it back there, but my 12 year old son already opts to sit in the middle or up front if possible.

 

[birch hill]

Thanks. Yes space is a bit of concern. Kids are still young ages 2-10, and love going off road. No doubt extended trips will require roof rack and trailer.
So other then looks and luxury difference is there any performance or other issues to distinguish the LC from the LX?

 

[TXLX100]

^ There are 8 belts. The third row has three.

Here's good place to read up: http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm There are no bad years, just different options/features/prices.

All this time I thought it was a seven seater. Time to make one more person miserable back there. At what size kid can you put back there with no car seat? My 5 year old rides back there sometimes, but it's a pain getting the kid seat in and out. I think it's almost time for a booster seat.

 

[RND1]

So other then looks and luxury difference is there any performance or other issues to distinguish the LC from the LX?

Only AHC. Some will say it will last forever if properly maintained while others won't buy an LX because of the inevitable costly replacement or conversion to a standard suspension. Lots of threads on it if you do a search.

Other than that, I believe they are identical in performance. LX may require premium while LC runs fine on 87, but not 100% on that.

 

[birch hill]

These are seat rules in ky

• Any child under 40 inches tall must be in a child and/or infant seat.
• Any child, who is under seven years of age and is between 40 and 50 inches tall, must be in a booster seat.
• All children over seven years of age or over 50 inches tall must be secured in a seat belt.