Toyota Land Cruiser

Cheese

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Jan 8, 2006
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Does anyone here either own or have experience with the Toyota Land Cruiser?
What are the good/bad features of this vehicle?
I could start with price and gas mileage being an issue however the dependability is off the charts great from everything I have read.
Thanks...
 
Which one? I’ve driven many overseas, mostly Prados, and my brother still won’t remotely consider giving up his daily driver J100 25 years later. It still has nearly zero rust, in Utah where they love salting the ever loving piss out of the roads. 250k on it at least and still zero mechanical issues.

Our next vehicle will likely be a Lexus GX, just for LC reliability and capability combined with Lexus comfortable seats and ride.

The hell with gas mileage. Commute in an efficient beater commuter car, live and love life in the vehicle you actually want.
 
Narrowing it down a bit to a 2017+ Land Cruiser model in the US market. Not the new 2024 models.
I also have been looking at the GX 460 as well.
I'm looking for the comfort features as well as the off road capabilities with some mods.
I will say that I was sufficiently blown away when I started researching all of this. Seeing GX460's all over the place as grocery getters capable of some serious off road chops.
 
Narrowing it down a bit to a 2017+ Land Cruiser model in the US market. Not the new 2024 models.
I also have been looking at the GX 460 as well.
I'm looking for the comfort features as well as the off road capabilities with some mods.
I will say that I was sufficiently blown away when I started researching all of this. Seeing GX460's all over the place as grocery getters capable of some serious off road chops.
Off lease certified used GX is money well spent. They take a hard hit to value used and settle right around a new 4Runner price, with same life expectancy plus V8 and 6sp AT to boot.
 
I bought a new one in January of this year. MPG is about 17 with premium gas. They kept the 4.7L 8cyl engine for this year and hence why I bought a 2023 model. Next year is supposed to be a 4cyl twin turbo. When I had less than 1,000 miles on it, I spent about a week in 1.5' mud. Lots of 4WD trucks of various sizes got stuck and had to be pulled out with a tractor. Not the GX, it went through the mud without a problem. I was impressed. They changed up the interior and I think it's more usable in its new configuration, but there are some modern improvements that would make it better. I've only got about 10,000 miles on it but its been great. Lots of comfort, power and 4WD capability for what I need it for. Only have the stock Bridgestone's on it. The body style looks exactly like the Land Cruisers but I haven't looked at the interior to see if its the same.
 
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Does anyone here either own or have experience with the Toyota Land Cruiser?
What are the good/bad features of this vehicle?
I could start with price and gas mileage being an issue however the dependability is off the charts great from everything I have read.
Thanks...
You nailed the bad. Initial cost and fuel economy which really isn’t that far separated from any similar power train. Same engine and transmission as the outgoing Tundra. (You probably knew that.)
Everything from the 17 facelift up is pretty close to the same vehicle. I’ve seen some fairly priced and babied examples.

The LX570 can be had for a lower price due to higher depreciation relative to its Toyota counterpart. By like up to 20k sometimes. Comes with air suspension though. If you plan to modify the J201 concept is a great example of the potential.
 
I found a 2005 GX470 (Prado) with complete dealer service history. When shopping, get the VIN and sign up on MyLexus.com and punch it in. Any dealer service history will be on there. Didn’t cost me a dime to access that info. Previous owners did everything - diff fluids, AT fluid replace an rear airbag, even showed when a brake light bulb was replaced. Was due for a timing belt ($1300 at a Lexus dealer), so I negotiated that into the purchase price, then did it myself for $200 in parts.
GX470 is a rockstar.
 
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Awesome feedback so far. Thank you.
Get a 460/570 and make it Land Cruiser ish or bite the bullet for a used LC.
OK, cool.
Next up.....What type of mods did y'all do??
 
I had a 2014 GX460 that i put a 2“ lift and 33” tires on it. I drove it for 2 years and at the time it was the most favorite vehicle I have ever had, I absolutely loved it. I averaged and 16 MPG with it and put around 40k miles on it. After I sold it like a dummy(I made $6K on it), I decided I wanted another one, so I started looking around. I looked at GXs, 4runners, Land Cruisers and LX 570. After driving the LX 570, I was sold on it. It a 2016 that I leveled and raised 2” with the hydraulic suspension sensors And then put 34” Ridge Grapplers on it. As much as I loved the GX, this thing is exponentially bette to me. I am also getting right at 16 mpg with this setup also.
 
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Would kill for 70's era FJ40.
Insert V8 of choice.
Profit.

Leveling is a new age kiddie term for installing a lift kit that *may or may not* change the stock rake on a vehicle.
Rake being the difference in height front to back.
Kids don't usually understand that with a real scan tool you can set the height to pretty much where you want (within reason).
At the dealer it should be a part of the alignment since it will affect camber.....mom and pop shops won't be able to go there since no access to advanced scan tools.
 
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You mentioned leveling the 570. I'm sure somebody here can explain why the vehicle isn't leveled in the first place?
Most vehicles that have a rake are designed as such for towing or hauling in the back. When the weight is added it levels out. My F350 had a lot of rake in it but I didn’t like the way it looked so when I lifted it I did 6” in the back and 8” in the front and then added helpers in the rear to counter tail sag when towing or hauling.

the Lexus have air bags and an auto leveling suspension. It’s funny though cause in my Gx it’s disabled above like 17mph. Makes no sense. So removed the airbags and added springs and disconnected the system.
 
You mentioned leveling the 570. I'm sure somebody here can explain why the vehicle isn't leveled in the first place?
On the LX, it has AHC sensors at each wheel. Basically what I did was change the setting on that sensor so that it thinks it’s lower than what it is. I left the rear 1/2” higher than the front so when I am carrying rifles and other heavy gear it will pretty much level out.
 
Messed with a couple of FJ40's in the 70's/80's. Liked those for what the were. When test driving the FJ Cruiser, the only issue I had with them, was lots of blind spots. Other than that, liked em. Mac
 
Most vehicles that have a rake are designed as such for towing or hauling in the back. When the weight is added it levels out. My F350 had a lot of rake in it but I didn’t like the way it looked so when I lifted it I did 6” in the back and 8” in the front and then added helpers in the rear to counter tail sag when towing or hauling.

the Lexus have air bags and an auto leveling suspension. It’s funny though cause in my Gx it’s disabled above like 17mph. Makes no sense. So removed the airbags and added springs and disconnected the system.
Bags in the GX aren’t there for towing, they are there for height adjustment at low speed while offroading.
 
Toyota!! Have you sons of bitches already forgotten what the nips did at Tarawa and Guadalcanal? I remember the screams like it was yesterday!

Toyota is a communist country that would be just as happy serving your head upon a silver bukkake platter as they are selling you a vehicle.
 
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I like my 460 quite a bit. It’s a better overall vehicle in a lot of ways vs the 4runner (have one of those as well). The solidness of the Lexus is apparent when comparing the two side by side. 4Runners are fantastic though and in stock form I believe are slightly at an advantage off-road. But the GX can be worked into an excellent and reliable off-roader.
 
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I say any year Land Cruiser (especially 1999-2007 for me) is worth the money. And for that matter the GX460 even more so for the added luxury. The V8 in those is fucking awesome. You will never loose your money.

I have a 2007 Gen-4 4 Runner Limited and it's got that same V8, they are all masterpieces of engineering. I purchased m 4Runner eight years ago for $20k and it's still worth $20k!
 
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Does anyone here either own or have experience with the Toyota Land Cruiser?
What are the good/bad features of this vehicle?
I could start with price and gas mileage being an issue however the dependability is off the charts great from everything I have read.
Thanks...
Check out the 2ng Gen Sequoia w the 5.7

You get more ground clearance out of the gate and at that trim level you still get all the LC goodies.

The lower trim Sequoias don’t stack up to the LC
 
Toyota!! Have you sons of bitches already forgotten what the nips did at Tarawa and Guadalcanal? I remember the screams like it was yesterday!

Toyota is a communist country that would be just as happy serving your head upon a silver bukkake platter as they are selling you a vehicle.
LOL, you are a fucking retard, just in case you didn't know that already.
 
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My 60 series is doin great for 570,000 kilometers built in 1986 purchased for $1000 with $3000 worth of repairs.

Get an older one that is a manual gearbox and runs on diesel that's what I would do when I get another one

My thoughts on anything post 1997 are garbage for any car at this point.
 
If you need a large suv but aren’t committed to a Land Cruiser a Nissan Armada is a great alternative. After an annoying vehicle circus this spring I landed in a ‘17 Armada as a camper tow vehicle/dd and I really like it so far. It’s a watered down version of the Patrol that the rest of the world gets but it’s still pretty capable
 
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We are on our second FJ200...a 2021. Poor fuel mileage but O mecahnical issues in nearly 350,000 miles over 2 separate vehicles. I did replace a door lock actuator on the 14 that we owned. Infotainment and map system sucks so if you are into that kind of thing look elsewhere or plan on a new head unit. I don't buy vehicles for Apple play but a lot of folks do. Until a few years ago I had an FJ60 for many miles years and abuse. Their mechanical toughness is legendary for a reason. They hold their value phenominally well if you decide to sell one.....which sucks when you are getting into one for the first time.
 
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So the comparison I am looking at now is a used 570 vs the LC. And I am NOT dismissing the 460 at all.
Everything I have read about the Land Cruiser design is the difference between the parts. I do know a Toyota master mechanic that said "If a part needs two bolts, the LC has twice the connection and toughness compared to stock Toyota design components" . Luxury battle tank if you will....
 
With the difference between the two being so small, maybe the deciding factor could be insurance/registration? Not sure what that cost is where you live but plates in CO can get expensive. We have a million local and state parks to pay for, after all….
 
On my 2023 GX 460, the cooling part of the ventilated seats are a joke. The heater works great, but the cooling is just a fan and not strong at all. No A/C coming out of the seat, only air. Can't even tell that it's working. When I had it in the shop, the service dude said they were a joke and had to use a piece of paper to show me that it was even blowing air and it was barely moving. Hopefully the 2024 will do better than mine does.
 
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One of my dude have this type of ride, and I can tell that it is a very rugged ride.

Please do explain.

I have an old Chevy with lockers and 35s that walks all over the Toyota guys I run into. It doesn't have anything that looks rugged except the body damage though.


Of course, it didn't cost a fortune and I had to learn how to set up gears and install the lockers. Because of this, I have put it places it never belonged because I gave zero care about putting another dent in it.

Oh, and I can say it will hold water out up to the door handles. The creek was deep this year.
 
Sorry bro, I gotta call BS on this.
I don't care what vehicle you're driving (save for an amphicar) they just don't hold water out at the door handle level.

It's not like it was parked in there.

Old truck. Doesn't have cab vents, weatherstripping is in good shape. Only entrance point is the cabin air box, but it's not going to pour in backing up from the vent.

It's not a new truck with 1000 holes in the cab. My favorite feature on the newer Ford's was the trim that snapped into open holes. Then they ran wiring down the door sills, so the wires got wet every time you drove in the rain.
 
Don't get a Lexus, they add stuff that typically becomes a reliability issue. Just look at the used car prices, there's a reason the LC's hold their value, and the older Lexus don't. Yes, there's a lot of commonality between the two, but the things like AHC, upgraded climate control, etc. and such become a nightmare.

The Land Cruiser, along with the Sequoia and Tundra we're in the top 10 of the most reliable vehicles for 2021.

Plus, the 2021 LC is only 1/10-sec slower than a Ford Raptor in 0-60


I have a couple 2021 Heritage Editions, and may be willing to part with one.

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I had a Trooper...was a beast. My wife described the driving experience as "an elephant on stilts" LOL. But for the time, it was pretty advanced with coil spring rear suspension instead of antiquated leaf springs. The worst part of it was the location of the alternator...down low under all the other belt driven accessories. I had to replace two of them during the 5 years I had it, just too much exposure to water etc. Finally sold it off when the front cross member rotted out.
 
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On my second 4Runner. First one had 220K on it and only was in the shop for routine maintenance. Currently have a 2018 TRD Pro with 178K on it and only have done scheduled maintenance on it. Its simple and love it since there is less stuff to go wrong with it. The only downside is the 4.0L V6 looses power at altitude (9,000 ft+) Just came back from a fly fishing trip in the San Juans and drove the Rio Grande Reservoir Rd from Creede to Silverton. Lots of very rough sections through scree and no issue whatsoever although I did manage to tear the crap out of my right slider and will be fabricating new ones this weekend.. Plan on getting the 2024 TRD Pro as soon as they are available.
 
On my second 4Runner. First one had 220K on it and only was in the shop for routine maintenance. Currently have a 2018 TRD Pro with 178K on it and only have done scheduled maintenance on it. Its simple and love it since there is less stuff to go wrong with it. The only downside is the 4.0L V6 looses power at altitude (9,000 ft+) Just came back from a fly fishing trip in the San Juans and drove the Rio Grande Reservoir Rd from Creede to Silverton. Lots of very rough sections through scree and no issue whatsoever although I did manage to tear the crap out of my right slider and will be fabricating new ones this weekend.. Plan on getting the 2024 TRD Pro as soon as they are available.
Well everything is going to loose power at elevation. One way to fix it.... https://magnusonsuperchargers.com/products/01-90-40-007-bl
I want to get one for the FJ next year.
 
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