What makes the Land Cruiser so good?
- Thread starter xKennyx
- Start date
Well, Toyota has probably the best engine ever made as far as reliability. The Land Cruiser seems to be that perfect blend between "big enough to store all your crap" and "not a huge machine". In addition, the popularity of Toyota makes parts and maintenance an easy issue pretty much across the globe.
Yeah. Smaller than a Chevy Tahoe, but bigger than a 4Runner, and they usually come with all the basic offroad goodies
The Land Cruiser platform is pretty much ready to go from the dealer. The in line 6 while slow is incredibly reliable, they are made for the trail not the Autobahn. While not the fastest turtle in the race they will beat a Lamborghini or Ferrari on the trail. I have now moved up to the 100 series for comfort and a little more pick up on the paved roads. I will probably own a Land Cruiser from now on.
Member III
This guy gives a good rundown about the FZJ80.
Specific to the 80, it's what happens when a car company sets out to build a bullitproof, spacious, purpose built, off-road focused 4wd with a low priority on fuel economy and 0-60 times. Specific to overlanding, an 80 is very reliable, strong, dependable, comfortable, capable and simple.
Easy to work on and familiar worldwide.
Comfortable like a newer truck, simple and mechanical like an old one.
No, I mean No corners cut. Japanese built, Toyota in their finest hour.
Solid front and rear full floating axles
Full time 4wd (AWD on pavement, lockable diff in H and L)
Front and rear lockers! (option)
Fit 33s at stock height
Huge A442 Transmission taken from a Japan bus (+10000# payload) on 93-94
Bulletproof xfer case
Due to the overbuilt drivetrain and HD frame, it handles excessive loads very well
I've heard it was engineered to have a 500,000 mile lifespan or something like that.
But... Nowadays parts are expensive/not available. Also reaching 20+ years old, baseline maintenance is suggested, as is getting comfortable under the hood and under the truck and doing the work yourself. (Although learning to wrench really isn't a negative and is just as much a part of overlanding as is hitting the dirt.)
Specific to the 80, it's what happens when a car company sets out to build a bullitproof, spacious, purpose built, off-road focused 4wd with a low priority on fuel economy and 0-60 times. Specific to overlanding, an 80 is very reliable, strong, dependable, comfortable, capable and simple.
Easy to work on and familiar worldwide.
Comfortable like a newer truck, simple and mechanical like an old one.
No, I mean No corners cut. Japanese built, Toyota in their finest hour.
Solid front and rear full floating axles
Full time 4wd (AWD on pavement, lockable diff in H and L)
Front and rear lockers! (option)
Fit 33s at stock height
Huge A442 Transmission taken from a Japan bus (+10000# payload) on 93-94
Bulletproof xfer case
Due to the overbuilt drivetrain and HD frame, it handles excessive loads very well
I've heard it was engineered to have a 500,000 mile lifespan or something like that.
But... Nowadays parts are expensive/not available. Also reaching 20+ years old, baseline maintenance is suggested, as is getting comfortable under the hood and under the truck and doing the work yourself. (Although learning to wrench really isn't a negative and is just as much a part of overlanding as is hitting the dirt.)
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I believe they are. I know the All 4 Adventure guys in Australia used a 200 Series last year.
They have IFS, though for 90% of off overloading, and a lot of 4x4ing that's not as big a liability as generally assumed.
-M
These things a bulletproof. Sure they have their problems like any other rig, but they are built like tanks. I love mine. They are very capable.
Advocate II
The more time you spend with an 80 or 100, the more you realize just how good it really is. When you actually have to work on something, or even just pulling PM, you see how overbuilt everything is. It becomes crystal clear that this was and is as good as automotive engineering gets. I love my 80 more everytime I drive it, and I have ZERO interest in ever selling it. I don't even hate the 1FZ, though I do wish it had better economy. The only major drivetrain upgrade I'll make is for that purpose alone, and I know it will likely be a step down in reliability unless I go full bore and a 2UZ V8 or something.
Off-Road Ranger I
Right now I own both an 80 and a 100, and I like both but for different reasons. The 80 is the last of a breed, the ultimate world spec overlanding vehicle at its best. There are so many areas where some would consider it "overbuilt" but knowing a little about the Toyota development process, it's all about evolution of need and the demand of customers around the planet that created such a robust design. The 100 is definitely built to the same need but also toward a broader crowd, especially the U.S. based customer that demanded more on-road ride comfort and less heavy duty (read costly) design elements. To witness, they still produced the 105 series for a long time that had much of the same features as it's predecessor, the solid axle, the 1FZ engine to further meet the need for ruggedness.
I love to drive the 80, but I also really like the smoothness of the 100's ride and more engine power.
All that said, if I had to choose, and I actually do, I will keep the 80 all day long. I tell my family to save the expense of a casket, just duct-tape my hands to the steering wheel and bury me in the 80.
I love to drive the 80, but I also really like the smoothness of the 100's ride and more engine power.
All that said, if I had to choose, and I actually do, I will keep the 80 all day long. I tell my family to save the expense of a casket, just duct-tape my hands to the steering wheel and bury me in the 80.
The Land Cruiser was designed to have a 25 year service life. Absolutely everything about it is overbuilt from the paint to the chassis. Even the exhaust system is about three times as thick as a typical car and made of stainless steel to prevent corrosion. It's made to go from blazing hot to being submerged in ice cold streams without cracking.
The Land Cruiser is a vehicle designed and built without compromise, they let the engineers design the best SUV they possibly could while the accountants were locked in a closet somewhere and unable to demand concessions for cost. That's also why a 30 year old Land Cruiser is still worth more than my 10 year old XTerra.
The Land Cruiser is a vehicle designed and built without compromise, they let the engineers design the best SUV they possibly could while the accountants were locked in a closet somewhere and unable to demand concessions for cost. That's also why a 30 year old Land Cruiser is still worth more than my 10 year old XTerra.
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back in the 70's you could tear one down & repair it in the field with a set of hand tools, that there was worth everything
personally I would'nt touch any other ones after that, its just my opinion and not meant for debate
personally I would'nt touch any other ones after that, its just my opinion and not meant for debate
Pathfinder I
On my 3rd Cruiser. The 80 series is just the best do everything well rig out there. It will tackle just about any trail you'd consider taking a full bodied truck through and will do it with a large payload in comfort. It's very field serviceable. Most systems are designed to be rebuilt rather than replaced. It's only real flaw is power. But forced induction is available for 96-97 models. Or any number of engines can be swapped in from a Cummins to a LS Chevy.
Parts are its biggest enemy now due to age. Things have been discontinued and what is still available is expensive. While the buy in has become super attractive. Maintaining it not as much.
I plan to keep mine as long as possible. Fuel it, load it, wheel it hard, repeat.
Parts are its biggest enemy now due to age. Things have been discontinued and what is still available is expensive. While the buy in has become super attractive. Maintaining it not as much.
I plan to keep mine as long as possible. Fuel it, load it, wheel it hard, repeat.
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It's really too bad there isn't more support from Toyota for OEM parts. They designed the Land Cruiser to be field-serviced. Most modern cars use prefabricated assemblies that can't be rebuilt, if an axle seal goes on my XTerra, you have to destroy the wheel bearing to pull the shaft so the seal can be replaced. The Land Cruiser has serviceable bearings that can be re-packed over and over again.
Toyota really should plan on 50 years of parts support for Land Cruisers, because they will go that long before being too worn out to continue.
Toyota really should plan on 50 years of parts support for Land Cruisers, because they will go that long before being too worn out to continue.
Pathfinder I
Support is required for only so long. But after that it comes down to economics. Toyota won't support anything if its not profitable. Warehousing countless widgets so that a handful of enthusiasts can continue to drive a 20+ year old vehicle just does not make money. The aftermarket will take over if there is demand. Our throw away society does not help matters. I feel that is reflected in the 200 series to some degree.
I get the economics, but the Land Cruiser is a very different animal than anything else being produced - and it comes at a considerable cost. Part of that, to me, is that when a part fails on your 25-year-service-design machine that parts will be available to repair it. Otherwise, what's the point? Sure, I might go through twice as many seals or bearings on my XTerra, but I can do that for a lot less than a Land Cruiser and end up driving just as far and just as long - it just takes more parts. If anything, it means there will be more parts available for my XTerra because there are more of them and they need more widgets.
Pathfinder I
It's a numbers game too. How many Land Cruiser are on the road in the USA verse your Xterra or a 4Runner. 10/1? 20/1? Probably like 50/1 with the 200 series verse the 5th gen 4Runner. Trust me I feel the same as you but I know the reality. And continuing to maintain my 80 Series is going to be painful in the wallet. It's so worth it :).
That is kind of the point. If the Land Cruiser wasn't built to such a high spec, it would be cheaper and there would be more of them. Toyota did exactly this with the Sequoia, it's a built-to-cost Land Cruiser and it is everywhere.
