Thinking about trading the 4runner for....

[IRACEMYCOPCAR]

I have a 00 Limited 2WD with 144k on it, i love the 4runner and it is a great truck however i think ive talked myself into getting a 96-97 Landcruiser/LX450 because of the full time 4WD and the extra room and especially the 3rd row seat. what do you guys think?? is this a bad idea?

I know people on this forum are probably be bias towards the 4runner but ive heard nothing but good things about the landcruiser. please give me some pro's and cons of each.

 

[One_96TR4]

I to have heard nothing but great things about the 80 series cruisers. There supposed to be great trucks and are pretty bullet proof. I'd say if you can deal with the 10mpg then go for it. I'd love to have one!

 

[sharp4runr]

Just 'cause we're a 4Runner forum doesn't mean we'd hate on the LC. The LC is one of the most capable vehicles made, I'd love to have one but I don't need the extra size. Be careful of that 3rd row though, it's not as spacious as you'd think and you will lose some cargo area.

 

[pat161]

I believe you are referring to the inline 6 solid axle Cruiser, I think the V8 IFS was 98. The 4.5 is a great motor and will last a long time and solid front axle is always nice.

Things to remember, terrible gas mileage, these trucks are very heavy and 10-12 MPG would be expected. Not a ton of power, the 4.5 is a great motor, but only 212 HP pulling an extremely heavy truck, I would say slower than your 3rd gen. Front end requires maitenance every 100k or so, I have heard it gets expensive unless you do it yourself, something about rebuilding the knuckles or repacking, not sure exactly.

If the space is not your #1 issue a 01 or 02 Runner would get you the full time 4wd option, though still able to be in 2wd for MPG.

But if you can live with the added expense the Cruiser would be a great truck, it is the flagship of the truck line after all. I almost went for an incredibly clean 96, I could have almost traded my 00 Runner straight up, but I decided in the long run the Runner is the better fit for me.

 

[p nut]

If you're looking for interior space as one of the top priorities, the LC might not be a good fit for you. 3rd row seating is nice, but if you're any taller than 4', it's cramped. Also, are you going to do any serious wheeling? If not, I'd opt for either a Sequoia or 100-series LC.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the 80's. I still think they look the best out of all the different LC series. In fact, I was also going to sell my 4Runner to get one a few weeks ago. However, after hours and hours of research, I found a few things:

1) They are HARD to find. The ones locally were either in really bad shape or didn't have the options I wanted (lockers mainly), AND they were expensive. As I went out of state, I found almost the same--beat up or if it was mint, they wanted $$$$$.

2) They are OLD. Granted, it is a Toyota, but still, a 12 year old rig is a 12 year old rig. Get ready to do some major maintenance if not taken care of properly. And you have to realize that the parts aren't as cheap as the 4Runners. These were $50k vehicles when they hit the market, so the parts will be more expensive.

3) 4.5L I6 is great, but may have headgasket issues, crappy MPG and not a lot of power.

If I needed extra space, 100-series or Sequoia would be my personal choice. They all come with the 4.7L V8, which is an awesome engine, IMO. GREAT gas mileage for what it is and good pulling power. If you don't need the V8, I'd also look into a 4th Gen, which also have 3rd row seating available as an option and the 4.0L V6 is an excellent engine as well.

For me (after thinking this through logically), my 4Runner gets the job done. AWD/4WD, enough space, great aftermarket support and very reliable.

 

[IRACEMYCOPCAR]

well first of all to clarify i am considering the 80 series, some of the main reasons i talked about, as far as the 3rd row goes there are times when i need to haul 2-3 adults and/or 2-4 children depending on what family event it is so room isnt THAT important in the 3rd row seats as long as a couple of children can fit because the adults can be in the regular back seat, and when the 3rd row isnt used i can stow it and still haul around my dog and other stuff like trash to the dump etc....

The 4wd is nice and i probably would never do any hardcore wheeling so i wouldnt neccisarily need the lockers but of course if i could find one with it i would definatly get it, the worst would probably be some sort of snow or dirt road/field etc......not mountain climbing or rock crawling.

The gas milage doesnt bother me too much, hell the 4runner isnt that great anyway and most of the time it will be driven locally around town. Power is of no issue really as long as itll do 75mph on the highway its good for me, i wouldnt expect it to be much of a hot-rod lol!!

One of the biggest reasons i like the 80 series is because im pretty sure i can sell my 4runner for enough to get a nice one and still have some money left over for needed maint. The 100 series and sequoia would require more $$$ and a car payment which i dont really want to get into right now. Also no offence but the 100series doesnt really appeal to me at all its more of a luxury grocery getter for people who refuse to own a minivan. Id bet 90% of them have never been off blacktop before.

BTW: can anyone tell me the differences between the landcruiser and the LX450 besides cosmetics, i cant seem to find any differences??

 

[p nut]

well first of all to clarify i am considering the 80 series, some of the main reasons i talked about, as far as the 3rd row goes there are times when i need to haul 2-3 adults and/or 2-4 children depending on what family event it is so room isnt THAT important in the 3rd row seats as long as a couple of children can fit because the adults can be in the regular back seat, and when the 3rd row isnt used i can stow it and still haul around my dog and other stuff like trash to the dump etc....

The 4wd is nice and i probably would never do any hardcore wheeling so i wouldnt neccisarily need the lockers but of course if i could find one with it i would definatly get it, the worst would probably be some sort of snow or dirt road/field etc......not mountain climbing or rock crawling.

The gas milage doesnt bother me too much, hell the 4runner isnt that great anyway and most of the time it will be driven locally around town. Power is of no issue really as long as itll do 75mph on the highway its good for me, i wouldnt expect it to be much of a hot-rod lol!!

One of the biggest reasons i like the 80 series is because im pretty sure i can sell my 4runner for enough to get a nice one and still have some money left over for needed maint. The 100 series and sequoia would require more $$$ and a car payment which i dont really want to get into right now. Also no offence but the 100series doesnt really appeal to me at all its more of a luxury grocery getter for people who refuse to own a minivan. Id bet 90% of them have never been off blacktop before.

BTW: can anyone tell me the differences between the landcruiser and the LX450 besides cosmetics, i cant seem to find any differences??

I'm not trying to be cynical, but you're ragging on people with 100-series for not going off-road, yet the only "off-roading" you will be doing is some "snow or dirt road/field etc"? And AWD Caravan could do that! I'm only joking around, but seriously, how can you look down on the 100-series by the people that drive it? It is a very capable vehicle. Of course 90% (prob. more) of the people don't drive it off-road. Would you take a $50k+ vehicle and wheel it? And if you think about it, our 4Runners, Tundra/Tacoma's, and even the 80's all fall into that category. Most people aren't buying these rigs to take off-road.

Back to the 80........If a solid axle, full-time 4WD, with an option for a double locker fits your needs, then the 80 is for you. But like I said, you will put in some time to keep up the maintenance. Over on ih8mud, $2000 for a HG job, $500 for the PHH, birf's $1000, etc. They are off-road tanks, but will need up-keep. Hope you're ready for that.

Also, I don't think there is any difference between the LC and LX. The only thing is, the LX will have some options standard which are only available as options on the LC.

Here are a couple links you should read:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/1012335-post3.html

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-t...d-benos-drivetrain-troubleshooting-links.html

Anyway, good luck with the car hunt. I'd be surprised if you can find a "nice one" for how much you can sell your 4Runner for, but we can all dream. I looked for 8 months and came up with nothing.

 

[IRACEMYCOPCAR]

I'm not trying to be cynical, but you're ragging on people with 100-series for not going off-road, yet the only "off-roading" you will be doing is some "snow or dirt road/field etc"? And AWD Caravan could do that! I'm only joking around, but seriously, how can you look down on the 100-series by the people that drive it? It is a very capable vehicle. Of course 90% (prob. more) of the people don't drive it off-road. Would you take a $50k+ vehicle and wheel it? And if you think about it, our 4Runners, Tundra/Tacoma's, and even the 80's all fall into that category. Most people aren't buying these rigs to take off-road.

Back to the 80........If a solid axle, full-time 4WD, with an option for a double locker fits your needs, then the 80 is for you. But like I said, you will put in some time to keep up the maintenance. Over on ih8mud, $2000 for a HG job, $500 for the PHH, birf's $1000, etc. They are off-road tanks, but will need up-keep. Hope you're ready for that.

Also, I don't think there is any difference between the LC and LX. The only thing is, the LX will have some options standard which are only available as options on the LC.

Here are a couple links you should read:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/1012335-post3.html

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-t...d-benos-drivetrain-troubleshooting-links.html

Anyway, good luck with the car hunt. I'd be surprised if you can find a "nice one" for how much you can sell your 4Runner for, but we can all dream. I looked for 8 months and came up with nothing.

LOL!! Your right about the caravan, im guessing you live in utah?? maybe they are more expensive out there, here i can pick up a nice 80 for around 10k which is about what other 4runners like mine are selling for. I will probably look for an LX450 because i have owned several lexus vehicles and ive found the owners take better care of them. Thanks for the links!!, they were really helpfull.