Rezarf <><
Explorer
No wife and kids... get an FJ40 then add A/C and a boat load of Dynomat and enjoy life on a whole new level. 
Planning my Escape Vehicle - LC/LX470, GX470 or Tacoma
- Thread starter pdsftw
- Start date
Flagster
Expedition Leader
:coffeedrink:
Clutch
<---Pass
The Border Patrol here uses Tahoes, Raptors, Ram 2500/3500's, 4WD Vans, F250/350's, H1 Hummers...
Would like to bend the mechanic's ear to see what holds up the best, because you know the BP Agents aren't to kind to those
vehicles.
Flagster
Expedition Leader
I have seen some of those show up in auction with 200-250K and I don't see the BP replacing engines and then putting them back into service...which means they saw 6-7 years of hard continuous use
The ones I have seen are pretty beat but 200K on any vehicle takes it toll
Kaisen
Explorer
ANY modern truck-based 4x4 will do 200K miles if it's taken care of. "Reliability" and "dependability" and "longevity" are so good (and so close) in modern trucks that one brand doesn't have a distinct advantage over another. They all have their little issues, and rarely have big ones. Paying substantially more for one over another is dumb. People love to rationalize their biases, and justify their decisions to pay high prices based on those biases. It's their money.
CreeperSleeper
Looking for bigger rocks.
Okay, back to the OP. I was looking at the same options that you are. The fact that (when I was looking) my daughter was still in a rear facing car seat made the Taco impractical for me. I really liked the GX but there were a few things about it I wasn't sold on (rear door swings out, looks kinda funky, ACH only in the rear, etc). The 4th Gen 4Runner was out very quickly. The build quality just wasn't in the same ballpark as the LC or GX. I decided that I could get a better deal on an LX than a GX and I liked them better for no other reason than personal preference. I ended up with an LX470 and I love it! If I were in your shoes, I would try to find a 2003+ with around 100k that has had the 90k service done.
Bretthn
Explorer
I was doing the same search and wound up going with a 2001 LX470. Couldn't be happier with my decision. The quality of the 100 series is amazing. Lots of room in the engine bay for additions and ease of maintenance. Lots of room in the interior and very comfortable. They also take a 32-33 inch tire with little to no modifications.
bossman429
Adventurer
Actually to this point I'm really impressed with the turning radius of my land cruiser. It's honestly on par with my wife's 2 door accord. The wheel just keeps turning and it doesn't rub at all! Much tighter that my defender that was half the length lol
Also-as for the extra space under the hood, it's even more so with a LC that doesn't have the AHC.
Thanks for all the feedback on this - i should have guessed that the folks in the LC forum would settle on the 100 series, haha! I have drive a few locally to get a feel for how the drive and trying to figure out the market with respect to miles/year/color/options/etc. I have found one or two private parts and one or two dealer that fit the bill...
...now, if I am going to go with the 100 Series, I guess the next step would be deciding if I go with something built (ie, private party speciality sellers like on this forum) or do I go for bone stock and do all the work myself. I dont mind doing the work, but I do think you can get good deals on built rigs: the owners are generally knowledgable and treat their cars well and the labor costs and additional parts are depreciated and built into the purchase price. On the other hand, in Texas it's often nice to trade-in with a dealer to avoid the 6.25% sales tax and the headache of selling the car yourself. Yes, the dealer is going to pay you less than likely would be the case in a private party sale BUT they take care of the paperwork, there is no sales tax with a trade in (at least in this case) and it's off your hands immediately - no returning calls and waiting in parking lots for a potential buyer. Once you back out your time and all that, I dont think you come out too far behind, but everyone has their opinions and values.
...now, if I am going to go with the 100 Series, I guess the next step would be deciding if I go with something built (ie, private party speciality sellers like on this forum) or do I go for bone stock and do all the work myself. I dont mind doing the work, but I do think you can get good deals on built rigs: the owners are generally knowledgable and treat their cars well and the labor costs and additional parts are depreciated and built into the purchase price. On the other hand, in Texas it's often nice to trade-in with a dealer to avoid the 6.25% sales tax and the headache of selling the car yourself. Yes, the dealer is going to pay you less than likely would be the case in a private party sale BUT they take care of the paperwork, there is no sales tax with a trade in (at least in this case) and it's off your hands immediately - no returning calls and waiting in parking lots for a potential buyer. Once you back out your time and all that, I dont think you come out too far behind, but everyone has their opinions and values.
So here is a potential scenario:
2006 LX470 - built with front and rear bumpers, sliders, wheels and tires. AHC system removed, new springs/shocks all around, 120K miles with all service done (including 90k and 120K). Super clean. ~ $30K
or
2006 LC - stock, one-owner, 90K miles, from dealer so not totally sure on what service has been completed. No AHC system. ~ $25K.
I think that to get the LC to the comprable build level of LX would take $5-6K of parts and add some for labor (I can do most mods but not things like mount and balance tires).
Thoughts?
2006 LX470 - built with front and rear bumpers, sliders, wheels and tires. AHC system removed, new springs/shocks all around, 120K miles with all service done (including 90k and 120K). Super clean. ~ $30K
or
2006 LC - stock, one-owner, 90K miles, from dealer so not totally sure on what service has been completed. No AHC system. ~ $25K.
I think that to get the LC to the comprable build level of LX would take $5-6K of parts and add some for labor (I can do most mods but not things like mount and balance tires).
Thoughts?
Kaisen
Explorer
Thoughts:
A 120K mile rig is worth considerably less than one with 90K miles
90K miles of one-owner mall crawling is decidedly easier on the truck than 120K miles of whatever use dictated the addition of rock sliders and bumpers
The bumpers, rock sliders, wheels, and tires are all *USED* and purchased to someone else' taste. If those parts are $5K to replicate, you get to choose brand new parts under warranty, in brands and finishes of your choice. Or don't do some of those things and come out ahead.
Mounting and balancing tires is $60-100...big deal. If you can do the rest, you're money ahead, and then you know it was done right (and you learned about your own truck).
A 120K mile rig is worth considerably less than one with 90K miles
90K miles of one-owner mall crawling is decidedly easier on the truck than 120K miles of whatever use dictated the addition of rock sliders and bumpers
The bumpers, rock sliders, wheels, and tires are all *USED* and purchased to someone else' taste. If those parts are $5K to replicate, you get to choose brand new parts under warranty, in brands and finishes of your choice. Or don't do some of those things and come out ahead.
Mounting and balancing tires is $60-100...big deal. If you can do the rest, you're money ahead, and then you know it was done right (and you learned about your own truck).
Well, I dont have much experience with it towing/etc (besides a few times with dealer cars), but it seems like a weak point on the rig for a few reasons - they can tear, they require more moving parts, they are way more expensive to service/replace, and it would be much harder to find replacement parts when needed. I have used AirLift bags with my last few rigs with good results - my plan would likely be to do the same with an LC/LX.
I am thinking you have a LOT more experience with this than me so correct me if I am wrong.
zimm
Expedition Leader
the ahc is quite durable, and you can put an airlift in back with it, too. i have 152k on mine, much of it loaded, and no issues. thats more than i can say for any shock ive ever owned. and the ride is so much nicer.
like much of what people fear, its nothing but useless drama to worry about it. why people think toyota can make the land cruiser, and all the other systems on it reliable, but yet the AHC is something that need to be feared is beyond me. sure, the land rover air suspensions had a notoriously bad reputation, but so did the rest of the car.
the front torsion bars are limited, and im overweight on mine, but without a failure. thats with the anti sway bar removed for 80,000 miles. with batteries and winch, i'll be adding yet another couple hundred pounds, and im going to experiment with standard LC bars in addition to the AHC, but i have no intention on dumping it. my only goal right now, is to locate some cheap replacement parts from people ripping them off.
if you intend on 35's and a 2" lift, it will need to go, though. there isnt much to be done with it outside of stock height.