08' LC Wins 4x4 of the year!

[LC/LR4Life]

That 200 looks very good..... too bad they don't come like that. For the price they start at, I can't believe how plain they are. Also, what gives with no transfer case shift lever? A man likes his sticks to play with ya know! I figure that 200 there with all that added on equipment to make it at least look good cost around $150,000.... who can afford that?

The ORE built 200 was really nice. I think this is the one someone mentioned.

 

[mike h]

the beauty of ANY land cruiser is that it's pretty much guaranteed the aftermarket will be available to make it is as capable as possible off-road. The fact that Toyota Land Cruisers still take top honors in magazine shoot-outs tells us Mr T continues to engineer this model as the pinnacle of what they can design and produce. Regardless of price point, or who can afford one, that helps all Land Cruisers retain value and reputation.

I remember being picked up along Loveland Pass, CO, in 1997 in brand new 97 LC (when I was snowboarding the backcountry and you hitch a ride back to the top) and being in awe of the vehicle, but of course when he dropped us off at the summit we all laughed and said "who would pay 50k for that?"

well, at the time I had just paid 10k for a 10 yr old 4Runner....

fast-forward to 2007 and I paid about that for 10 yr old '97 LC. It's a whole lotta truck compared that old 22RE 4Runner!!!

regardless of gas prices, or the whole "who would pay 10 grand for a ten-year old rig" arguments, the 80 series remain a tremendous value for 10 grand. As a platform, they are very hard to beat.

but 80 owners know that. And I bet almost every 80 owner will eventually build a 100 series. And in 2020 we'll be looking at used 200 series... unless someone finds a cure for the cruiser disease.

 

[4Rescue]

the beauty of ANY land cruiser is that it's pretty much guaranteed the aftermarket will be available to make it is as capable as possible off-road. The fact that Toyota Land Cruisers still take top honors in magazine shoot-outs tells us Mr T continues to engineer this model as the pinnacle of what they can design and produce. Regardless of price point, or who can afford one, that helps all Land Cruisers retain value and reputation.

I remember being picked up along Loveland Pass, CO, in 1997 in brand new 97 LC (when I was snowboarding the backcountry and you hitch a ride back to the top) and being in awe of the vehicle, but of course when he dropped us off at the summit we all laughed and said "who would pay 50k for that?"

well, at the time I had just paid 10k for a 10 yr old 4Runner....

fast-forward to 2007 and I paid about that for 10 yr old '97 LC. It's a whole lotta truck compared that old 22RE 4Runner!!!

regardless of gas prices, or the whole "who would pay 10 grand for a ten-year old rig" arguments, the 80 series remain a tremendous value for 10 grand. As a platform, they are very hard to beat.

but 80 owners know that. And I bet almost every 80 owner will eventually build a 100 series. And in 2020 we'll be looking at used 200 series... unless someone finds a cure for the cruiser disease.

I agree, but to me, this truck went a LONG way away from the simple practical greatness that made all the older models so good. Namely, manualy activated Diff locks, and all those added electronic things they added to the 200. I have my theory's that those may end up being a big handicap to these new Cruisers as they age. The 80 series might have had a nice cabin, but it was an SA truck with a pretty simple drivetrain... which to me means reliability...

 

[mike h]

and all those added electronic things they added to the 200. I have my theory's that those may end up being a big handicap to these new Cruisers as they age.

I'm equally skeptical of the rapid rise of e-widget reliability.... and the longterm maintenance costs of the associated 'black boxes'. That was one reason I chose the 80 - it seems to have just enough of the black boxes (like OBDII) without the drive-by-wire widgets that are becoming more common.