Which one to buy?

I am trying to decide which 2004 Land Cruiser to purchase. One has 270000 miles and has a nice suspension and a pretty clean interior and undercarriage. The other one has 170000 miles and more rust underneath and needs a new muffler. They are both the same price and the maintenance is up to date on both . I like the one with more mileage, but am not sure if I should go with the lower mileage one. I am new to Land Cruisers and just want to make a good decision. I want to keep this vehicle for a while. Thank you and I look forward to your input.

2004 toyota land cruiser for sale by owner - Seattle, WA - craigslist

2004 Toyota Land Cruiser with 166k miles. Very well maintained and is in good condition. Runs and drives really good. Great for any weather and handles really well. It will be a great for its next...

seattle.craigslist.org

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[Rhetoric]

Always go for less rust, regardless of mileage.

 

[BullElk]

The one without signifcant rust and not aftermarket blue paint.

 

[Bisho]

Go for the one with the best maintenance. Rust is "it depends." I hate rust, grew up in WI dealing with it, and now blessed to be in a no rust zone. If its light its no big deal. If the unique paint job is a result of fixing major rust, then walk away. If the 270k mile truck was a pride and joy, odds are it has well documented maintenance, and a lot of accessories already replaced, as a lot of things fail in the 230k-280k mile range, and it will be cheaper over time.

 

[Rhetoric]

I know these trucks are getting older, but I like to plug in VINs to either the Toyota Driver Portal or Lexus Driver Portal to see what kind of dealer service history they had.

 

[Exiled]

If you're confident in the maintenance, no rust beats rust + lower mileage in my book. My friend drives a '00 UZJ100 with 300K miles and that thing is in fantastic condition, I'd take it to Alaska tomorrow without much fuss. But also be prepared for more maintenance down the road as the truck reaches certain milestones in use.
I would also place close attention to the interior as it often reflects how a vehicle has been treated during its life.

 

[sterling]

Curious as to why the one one with the aftermarket paint does not mention the front end conversion, seems odd.
Previous front end damage maybe?

No rust wins as long as its been maintained.
Has the timing belt/WP been done on the 270k truck recently? Pics?

 

[ecubed]

SOLD - Seattle Area / LC100 2004 with 160K miles and tasteful add-ons

$6500 firm. Good things about this rig - I'd estimate I have just under 10K in extras added in....and i know you never get much value out of the add ons - Very clean body with Calvary Blue toyota paint job in 2019 ($3500) - Toyota white steelies all around with plenty of tread ($500) -...

forum.ih8mud.com

Found this in the classifieds section of the forum.

 

[ecubed]

Pics of the undercarriage of the blue/black one

 

[sterling]

A big no on that one, keep looking.
Sold for $6500 less than a year ago, and now asking $12,900?

A solid, unmolested truck with documentation is what I would shoot for.
Try the classifieds here for a fair evaluation of the 100 series market.

 

[ecubed]

Pic of the 270000 Mile 2004 LC

 

[ecubed]

I really appreciate all of the replies and recommendations.