What would you do?

[lcmb25]

My wife currently drives our 2000 LC with 170,000 miles. We absolutely love it, and it has never failed us. Her mother has decided to sell her 2002 Sequoia and has given us first option to buy it. It has less than 100,000 miles, she is the original owner and has been garage kept its entire life. I think its only been hooked to a trailer less than a dozen times. The additional room would be nice but the LC would be hard to get rid of. Hence the title of the thread, what would you do??

 

[TXLX100]

100 is much nicer vehicle. But if you need the space, get the sequoia.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

The Sequoia will also tow better, if that is important to you.

 

[re_guderian]

What would the net cost of the Sequoia be? Do you "need" a new(er) car? It's less miles, but I really don't sweat 170K on a cruiser. It's got plenty of life left. The Sequoia will get better MPG, but my brother's has had more issues reliability-wise than my cruiser. They are bigger, and drive different. My wife prefers her '00 LC over a Sequoia she test drove, FWIW. So, pro's to the Sequoia = newer, fewer miles, bigger, better MPG. Cons = less reliable (marginally?), not quite so tight or solid feeling, dime a dozen=lower resale. Assuming the Sequoia is 4WD, and the Limited edition? You may be downgrading in interior things like leather, heated seats, etc.

 

[WiscoProud]

Why would the Sequoia tow better? I thought they had the same engines, with the Cruiser having lower and larger axle gearing. The Sequoia uses the same 8" gearing that the 4runner and FJC uses, while the Cruiser uses the 9.5". There is actually a picture of the two gears next to each other on the IH8Mud homepage. The new generation of Sequoia uses the 10.5" found in the Tundra.

 

[RND1]

If you're on the fence, see if your in-laws would let you use the Sequoia for a month or two. See which one your wife and kids prefer. Then make your decision.

Personally, I think the looks and build quality of the Sequoia is not in the same league as the LC. The interior looks cheap and the one I drove had lots of rattles. My LC on the other hand is rock solid.

 

[Keowee]

If all maintenance is up to date on your cruiser I would prefer it over the Sequoia. The Seqouia sounds like a good find for anyone who needs it. Go to cars.com and enter both cars to compare the specs. That might help with your decision.

 

[SmoothLC]

Keep the LC and purchase the Sequoia - best of both worlds!

 

[lcmb25]

I wish I could afford both! My mileage definitely doesn't concern me. Its up to date on maintenance, minus the timing belt scheduled to be replaced next week. I hadn't thought of borrowing it for a while and see what we think. I appreciate everyone's opinion.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Why would the Sequoia tow better? I thought they had the same engines, with the Cruiser having lower and larger axle gearing. The Sequoia uses the same 8" gearing that the 4runner and FJC uses, while the Cruiser uses the 9.5". There is actually a picture of the two gears next to each other on the IH8Mud homepage. The new generation of Sequoia uses the 10.5" found in the Tundra.

Longer wheelbase and a bit more width makes it more stable when towing a load. It also has a part time t/c, so there is less "drag" in the running gear to sap power. As for the rear-end, it is the same as a first gen Tundra or T100 (8.25"), not the same as a Runner or FJC. They are plenty strong for towing. They also have 4.10:1 gear ratio, so depending on the year, it's the same or better than a 100.

 

[TXLX100]

If you're on the fence, see if your in-laws would let you use the Sequoia for a month or two. See which one your wife and kids prefer. Then make your decision.

Personally, I think the looks and build quality of the Sequoia is not in the same league as the LC. The interior looks cheap and the one I drove had lots of rattles. My LC on the other hand is rock solid.

That is my opinion as well. I was looking for a Sequoia when a LX came available at my work. Drove like a big sloppy truck, seats weren't as comfortable, interior and build quality feels well below the 100.