Your Thoughts on the LC 250? (2 Viewers)
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Styling is a personal thing. The 120 never much appealed to me. I don’t think it’s ugly, but I prefer the styling of the 250.
Let’s be honest. So would a Subaru Outback.
The fact that it doesn’t have a carburetor. Or manual windows. Or leaf springs.
the 120 series arguably set the design tone of the next 20 years of Toyota body on frame vehicles.
Actually even the LC300 today still has some exterior design features from the 120 series, so by the time the 300 ends production we are talking almost 30 years of design influence.
I thought they were ugly in the aughts when I was living in Austin in grad school. Lots of rich dudes cruising around in them wearing boat shoes - so they didn't give off a very good vibe. Stock, they are kind of frumpy honestly. With some minor mods they look awesome, and I'd throw the 150 in there too (especially with a Prado conversion). My 2007 self would have been shocked knowing that I'd own one in 2024.
I would love to see 100 series design influence on future big wagon LC successors ( future 300 replacements/updates)
It has clean lines, timeless design and is the right mix of different design aspects.
It might sound ridiculous now but one day even the 100 series will be considered a classic
100 is a classic today IMO. It has the reputation, looks, and relative scarcity.
bjowett
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Look at it this way, if Toyota had offered the GX460 with a slightly detuned 200/LX570 drivetrain - 5.7, AB60F, JF Series 6 pin transfer case, and big axles front/rear, the cruiser community would probably have lost it’s fric’n mind scrambling to buy it. Ain’t nuthin’ like a factory hot rod. With the GX550, we have received that.
The weird square panels look like they could be easily replaced with grills to feed two liquid intercoolers. Perhaps we’ll see a 250 with the twin turbo V6?
The weird square panels look like they could be easily replaced with grills to feed two liquid intercoolers. Perhaps we’ll see a 250 with the twin turbo V6?
I have a hard time seeing the 100 ending up with the same type of following as the 40/60/80. It's too soft to fit in the category of rugged classic 4x4 even if it is just as durable. And I don't know anyone who thought of that as a "dream car" in the era when it was new. I tend to think the same thing about the 4th gen 4Runner. Mechanically it was great. It just didn't look the part and never really developed a fanbase like the 1st, 3rd, and 5th gen have. The availability of cheap 100's is a bit of an indicator to me of the relative popularity as a classic. I turned down buying one last year for $4k. I'd have a hard time finding a clean drivable 1st gen 4Runner or even a Samurai for that. I've been looking for either a 1G 4R or Samurai lately for a next toy and clean unmolested ones are hard to come by.
in the Middle East, Gulf countries to be more specific, the 100 series has the strongest following vs all the older series.
I won't talk about 70/200/300 because they are considered current.
The amount of restored LC100s here, spare parts available for them, how popular they still are on the roads, used in every single type of motorsport event, drag racing, freestyle drifting, sideways two wheel driving, dune bashing. It's basically a Land Cruiser supra.
The same applies for used prices, low mileage versions.
They even make racing simulators out of 100 series land cruisers. Young kids mod it into video games as well.
You know how every vehicle has THAT one special generation everyone goes crazy about, or the majority love. Here that is the manual transmission LC100.
The older cruisers are very popular too but the crowd favorite is always going to be the 100 series.
I won't talk about 70/200/300 because they are considered current.
The amount of restored LC100s here, spare parts available for them, how popular they still are on the roads, used in every single type of motorsport event, drag racing, freestyle drifting, sideways two wheel driving, dune bashing. It's basically a Land Cruiser supra.
The same applies for used prices, low mileage versions.
They even make racing simulators out of 100 series land cruisers. Young kids mod it into video games as well.
You know how every vehicle has THAT one special generation everyone goes crazy about, or the majority love. Here that is the manual transmission LC100.
The older cruisers are very popular too but the crowd favorite is always going to be the 100 series.
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Maybe we need to have a swap meet. We'll trade you our 100's for your 70's.
American spec 100s aren't wanted here.
No subtank, 2uz only ( most people prefer the 2nd gen 1FZ-FE - including me ), auto only ( though manual swaps are super common mods here) and in general boring specs.
Also, we aren't giving up our 70s that easy haha.
I wonder if that's because of the type of terrain. The 40/60/80s here are probably used for rocky trails and other things, while you guys probably deal more with sand where the IFS helps?
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They command a price about 2X higher than a 4th gen 4Runner or a GX, and seem to get modded out more than either. I wanted a 100 when I was SUV-shopping, but quickly crossed them off the list due to being able to get a GX of similar age/miles for half the cost.
The 40/60 are just too old and underpowered and there are not enough around to have a "classic" status outside of the Land Cruiser faithful. If I was driving a 40 around here, people would mistake it for a Jeep. The 60 would get mistaken for a 1st-gen 4Runner 4Runner. 80s are certainly very cool and great off-roaders, but also fall into the underpowered category.
The 100 has V8 power and modern amenities and can still be DD'd in 2024. I'd consider dallying a 80 (but probably not wanting to drive it a whole lot on the interstate without a V8 swap) but can't imagine a 40 or 60 being much fun to drive outside of wheeling.
I had a 97 80 and 98 100 at the same time a few years ago.
Other than my 97 and older friends finally accepting me as one of them, I didn't enjoy driving it.
As blasphemous as it sounds, ifs has spoiled me.
They were only a few months apart production wise but the 100 felt light years newer.
I think it's a regional thing. Only in the last maybe 2-3 years has the 100 had any uptick in price or following that I've observed. But I don't see them as a popular choice for off-road builds due to the suspension design, power/weight/size combo not being as good as some other options, and relative obscurity translating to high cost of aftermarket parts. At $8-10k, it's not a bad starting point. By $15k I could be looking at a high mile 4Runner Trail edition. Or even a $20k LC200. By the time it has lockers, gears, suspension, armor - I think the cost difference in components would make the total end cost about a wash, but the 200 ends up being the better platform for me. For a situation where I could just crank up the torsion bars, spacers in the back, 35s, and go explore - it's probably a great option. Just needs to be enough cheaper than a 5th gen 4R or LC200 to make sense.
