School me on 100 Series LandCruisers!

[DesertFox]

Most, but not all, GX and LX were used as mall crawlers. They tend to have lower mileage and rarely entered an unpaved parking lot let alone off-road.

I guess the same could be said for many 200 series LCs.

 

[4wheelspulling]

You can pick them up for a song, loaded 4door,V8 Power, and Slee Offroad.com will have lots of great stuff for that vehicle. Benz.

 

[StuntmanMike]

The Lexus’ don’t seem to hold their value as well as the Toyotas do, for whatever reason. That goes for the GX v. 4Runner as well as the LX v. Cruiser. The good thing is the Lexus version is usually more lightly used. Obviously, that’s not true for new or relatively new models, but for a 10-15 year old 100 Series it sure is.

Mechanical parts cost the same. Every OEM part I buy for my GX is Toyota branded. Hell, the body has Toyota stamped all over it because it’s a just a Prado in sheeps clothing. A wood Lexus steering wheel is probably more expensive than a Toyota, but the wearable parts (engine, driveline, brakes, suspension, etc.) are all the same or interchangeable.

That's what I noticed. In looking at them lately, it seems like there's not much difference in pricing between the Land Cruiser/LX or the 4Runner/GX. Perhaps it's because people think the Lexus will be more expensive to service.

My thinking is that the Lexus owner who probably paid 15-20k more than the Toyota version will probably be more likely to keep up with the maintenance.

 

[StuntmanMike]

You can pick them up for a song, loaded 4door,V8 Power, and Slee Offroad.com will have lots of great stuff for that vehicle. Benz.

I hope I can find one for a song!

 

[StuntmanMike]

This just popped up on CL, what do you guys think of this one? Non-functioning AHC is a good excuse for a lift, haha.

https://providence.craigslist.org/cto/d/2002-lexus-lxmiles/6712116047.html

 

[StuntmanMike]

Our 05 is stock. We run just the stock tires on that one because it's our long distance, travel vehicle and Marianne likes a smooth ride. The nav is mediocre at best. We have not had any luck getting a new update. No aux jacks either. I use a windshield mounted holder for my phone for directions and just use the available radio, but it is satellite capable.

Now, as far as our '98, take it to the dirt, rocks, mud and stream rig, I run 285/75/16. Not lifted because we have not had any issues with the AHC. If we ever have issues with that, I'll take it off and do an OME. I consulted Ih8mud for suggestions on tires and lift, etc and have concluded that the larger the tire and the higher the lift, will result in lower MPG.

If better MPG is the goal, I'd research the mods and tire sizes to see if that will adversely skew the MPG. If your looking for a multiuse vehicle and your ok with lower MPG, go for it! We can't say enough good things about our two LX470s. Which is why we have "his and hers" LOL

Looked at a '00 LC yesterday. It popped up on the local CL, and was only a few miles from my work. I wasn't that interested in that particular one, but I wanted to check one out up close.

This one was black over charcoal grey 2-tone, with tan leather. He popped the hood and started it for me, I could barely tell it was running and it was smooooooth. Looked fairly clean underhood for a New England vehicle, and the manifolds looked fairly new, confirming what the dealer told me about them being done by the PO. There was also "t-belt @ 185k" written on the top of the airbox in paint pen.

It was showing 208k on the odometer, and the interior was pretty clean. Some wear on the switchgear, and some spots on the rug but nothing major not unexpected in a 20 y/o vehicle. No nav, and the driver's seat leather showed some swear, but was not cracked or torn. All the other seats looked great.

Chassis looked pretty good for a new England vehicle, I looked in the rear wheelwell , and the frame rail was still black. A quick glance underneath showed the expected surface rust, but nothing too crazy.

I sat in it, and YES, I love that seating position. Power seat worked, with the seat lifted a bit I felt like I was sitting in a lay z boy. I also like the size of the vehicle, looking around it felt substantial but not gigantic. Cargo area looks good, and I love that tailgate!

So this one seemed in nice shape for the year/mileage, but I was looking for one with under 200, and the 2000 model year scares me, as I've been reading about transmission problems with them.

On the plus side, it DOES look to be in good shape, and was supposedly owned by a Yota tech. Dealer is asking $7,995.

Not sure if this is worth a closer look?

 

[Mike&Marianne]

Looked at a '00 LC yesterday. It popped up on the local CL, and was only a few miles from my work. I wasn't that interested in that particular one, but I wanted to check one out up close.

This one was black over charcoal grey 2-tone, with tan leather. He popped the hood and started it for me, I could barely tell it was running and it was smooooooth. Looked fairly clean underhood for a New England vehicle, and the manifolds looked fairly new, confirming what the dealer told me about them being done by the PO. There was also "t-belt @ 185k" written on the top of the airbox in paint pen.

It was showing 208k on the odometer, and the interior was pretty clean. Some wear on the switchgear, and some spots on the rug but nothing major not unexpected in a 20 y/o vehicle. No nav, and the driver's seat leather showed some swear, but was not cracked or torn. All the other seats looked great.

Chassis looked pretty good for a new England vehicle, I looked in the rear wheelwell , and the frame rail was still black. A quick glance underneath showed the expected surface rust, but nothing too crazy.

I sat in it, and YES, I love that seating position. Power seat worked, with the seat lifted a bit I felt like I was sitting in a lay z boy. I also like the size of the vehicle, looking around it felt substantial but not gigantic. Cargo area looks good, and I love that tailgate!

So this one seemed in nice shape for the year/mileage, but I was looking for one with under 200, and the 2000 model year scares me, as I've been reading about transmission problems with them.

On the plus side, it DOES look to be in good shape, and was supposedly owned by a Yota tech. Dealer is asking $7,995.

Not sure if this is worth a closer look?

Not having a 2000 I've only read a couple articles on the transmission issues, you may want to search that topic on this forum or IH8MUD.
If you can find a specimen that has solid maintenance records I would not be concerned about high milage. If you find one with no rust and clean interior that is not torn up it is likely going to be a good buy. I like that it didn't have NAV as a head unit replacement would be an upgrade I'd be doing fairly quickly. I really like the AHC so that would not be a selling point to me and would make the $8000 price higher than it should be, IMHO.
Sleep offroad has a good article on the differences between models and years, you should check it out.
Although I hate to see southern trucks end up in the rust belt have you considered looking further south for a truck?

 

[StuntmanMike]

Not having a 2000 I've only read a couple articles on the transmission issues, you may want to search that topic on this forum or IH8MUD.
If you can find a specimen that has solid maintenance records I would not be concerned about high milage. If you find one with no rust and clean interior that is not torn up it is likely going to be a good buy. I like that it didn't have NAV as a head unit replacement would be an upgrade I'd be doing fairly quickly. I really like the AHC so that would not be a selling point to me and would make the $8000 price higher than it should be, IMHO.
Sleep offroad has a good article on the differences between models and years, you should check it out.
Although I hate to see southern trucks end up in the rust belt have you considered looking further south for a truck?

Thanks for the response!
I read about it on Mud, apparently there was a bad batch of internal parts that can effect the 00's, slightly overlapping late 99/early 01. I've seen a few people say that if it was going to go, it would have went long ago, as they seemed to go pretty early on. That doesn't fill me with confidence though, when I see an otherwise nice vehicle ending up on the market like this, it makes me wonder WHY. If the previous owner was a Toyota tech, he'd have know the value and it wouldn't have ended up at a little used car dealer 2 states away. I'd imagine he'd have no problem seeing it private party, unless there was a reason he didn't want to. Like my Volvo with non-op AWD. I'd have no problem trading it in, but I could not in good conscious sell it private party.

Anyway, perhaps that's just my cynical nature talking.

Also, while the 200k might not be *that much*, I do about 20-25k a year, so the miles add up quickly. I don't want to buy something that only has a few years left.

There's an '05 LX at a dealer about an hour away with 124k for 14k. I only wanted to spend like half that, but maybe something like that is the way to go.

(Maybe I should also get a commuter car to just use the 100 for the weekends and trips. That would be ideal, though that's stretching the budget)

And yes, thanks, I've read that Slee article so many times I can see it in my sleep, haha.

I've thought of traveling, I don't mind it per se, but I have a hard time buying something sight unseen. To fly out and have it be a POS in person is not something I would relish. I know two people that have done that, and had a few surprises when the vehicle showed up.

However, I have two weeks of vacation time coming up right before Thanksgiving, I'm starting to consider flying to San Diego to visit friends, and perhaps I can pick one up out there and drive it back to RI. That'd be fun. Also have friends in L.A. and FL, could go to either one of those places too, though with the weather they've had in the south I'd be a little wary of flood cars.

The other thing I'm starting to really consider is a 1st Gen Sequoia, those are less money for newer with less miles, and some of them have new frames thanks to the recall.

 

[justjohnthomas]

Also, while the 200k might not be *that much*, I do about 20-25k a year, so the miles add up quickly. I don't want to buy something that only has a few years left.

(Maybe I should also get a commuter car to just use the 100 for the weekends and trips. That would be ideal, though that's stretching the budget)
.

Mud is a great resource for the LC. Initially I started out looking for a 3rd gen 4Runner as my 1st gen Tacoma was great, however not large enough for now having a family. Only found high mileage over priced 3rd gens. Then stumbled upon the 98 Lx470 we purchased, price was right with service records (online Lexus) with 228k. Not perfect but, but perfect for my realistic needs. The AHC worried me at first, however set funds aside for suspension down the road and have enjoyed the ride literally ever since and will actually miss it when it fails.

I myself have 90mi per day commute and couldn’t imagine putting those miles on our 100 and agree with a commuter car. Think upgraded tires wearing out or return on investment for accessories when racking up 25k a year vs owning a weekend warrior for the next 10 years plus. Be realistic in your budget and it’s very do-able. Civics/corollas are a everywhere. You’ll thank yourself down the road as gas prices only continue to climb.