I'm looking at getting a LWB Land Cruiser. The old Transporter is on it's last legs, and I'm bored of pouring money into it. Not interested in Land Rovers, Hiluxes or builders type pick-ups, as I need a reliable (therefore not Land Rover!) family vehicle with off-road towing capability for work.
What are they like to own? Any years or models to avoid? Anything specific to check for mechanically?
Cheers Toyota-ists. TIA
One of the least Chelsea tractorish 4x4s
Generally very reliable and bombproof, but watch for off road damage on used ones.
Budget?
They are supposed to be bomb proof, but appear to be pretty pricey. If you don't need 7 seats, have a look at the VW Touareg as well. If you want proper off road, get the escape version which has the diff locks.
In all off road cars, really, really look out for the tires. Most have simmer rubber fitted which is pants. Get some winters fitted which are normally Mud and Snow - it's an astonishing difference. I've got BF Goodrich urban terrain fitted to my non escape Touareg and it'll tow 2 tons out of a muddy field that before it couldn't get across. The same'll be true for most off roaders.
I have one a 2005 3.0l diesel LC5 lwb. I've had it for a few years now, it's been faultless apart from needing the 2 batteries replacing this last winter (they were old).
Cruises along at 70 - 80 all day long without stressing the engine, fuel economy is fine for such a big vehicle. It has 8 seats, massively practical, very comfortable and reliable.
I would have another but not yet this has got years of life left in it.
It's basically a Japanese range rover but reliable!
Mate had one, 55 plate I think, for many years. It got used well including towing horses, occasionally in a box, and he lived in the sticks. Comfy inside, drove like a supertanker though. He got rid when it started getting very spendy - think it was a 2-3k bill for a suspension failure that was the nail in the coffin - air suspension perhaps?
His had the two extra seats in the boot which were next to useless.
Buy-it-outright budget up to about £12k - so second hand. Could do finance (but you end up paying through the nose?). Although, that said, the new ones are very smart looking.
Agree about tyres. I'd probably keep a set of winter wheels to swap on for when it gets grungy. Most of my 'off-road' stuff is summer access for shows and demonstrations (the amount of times i've been stuck on a wet grass festy field).
Also re. finance: Anybody had a good experience of buying new or nearly new/ex-demo? I like the idea of owning a vehicle from new, so that there's no nasty surprises around the corner, but is it worth it? I also find 2nd hand car buying massively stressful.
#teamnissan
I miss my Pathfinder 🙁
Much more Tractor than it was Chelsea.
Just get M&S rated tyres year round, too much faff keeping another set of wheels.
I would expect a Landcruiser to have M&S rated tyres anyway, its just the 'bling' SUVS with big wheels that you see running summer tyres only, and car derived ones like VWs etc.
I went around the houses before buying the Land Cruiser, (I came out of Shogun ownership) Land Cruisers are by far the best option out here. I looked at a Pathfinder, small inside, cheap interior (even the leather spec) and the chassis snap in half on the navara version! Not a good option at all. Discoveries are obviously very unreliable and often cost thousands a year to keep on the road, Audi Q7 nice but not really an off roader, Volvo XC90 has known issues, VW Touareg? meh. Land Cruisers are expensive, there's a good reason for that, they are very robust beasts, built like tanks capable of very high milages. Depreciation is low. The 4x4 system is also very, very good with all the low/high ratio, diff locks, hill descent gizmos etc etc you'd expect from a serious luxury off road vehicle. Basicaly the best out there.
Mine is an 8 seater and the 3rd row of seats do get used, very practical, they aren't at all useless as some bloke up theres mate might of said once lol The ride is also very good, not 'supertankerish' at all. Very assured and high up for good visibility.
It's a bit up to you mate, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another second hand example, also if I had the spare capital I could also be tempted with a new one but the ved tax implications are £2k for the 1st year and so on! That would kill it for me.
Good luck with your search.
Point to note M +S tires are not automatically winter tires.
M+S designation is based on. Tread pattern only- generally it will get you moving
Winter designation takes into account the rubber compound - this is what helps you stop on cold wet/snow/ice.
You need the snowflake and mountain versions ---- M+S versions of 4*4 tyres are found cheaper.
Nice one, Mitsu. Top post. Thanks.
I’d look at imports too. I have an imported Hilux Surf. The Japanese don’t use salt on their roads and it makes a phenomenal difference to the underside of the vehicles.
There’s a lot of books and crannies under a LC as well as the various moving parts, particularly if you get the locking diffs. An import will be like new. I’ve seen diffs almost rotted through and the lockers written off through corrosion. Definitely budget for a thorough clean and seal whatever you end up with.
if you’re anywhere near Hampshire there’s a fantastic mechanic I can recommend, actually, people travel nationwide to use him.
a Proper full blooded Land Cruiser is truly a thing of wonder, I’ll take a LC80 please.
I've got an import 80 series Landcruiser Prado 3 door. (the smaller bodied one)
3.0ltr lump with an auto gear box. It's a thing of joy. Off the lights it's rather startling, at 85-90mph it's way too comfortable. Towing is a pure joy, especially with the auto box.
I've got a specialist mechanic in Sussex that looks after mine. He's a Jap 4x4 specialist.
Tim
Who is that Tim? I normally use Tony Nichols but someone closer could be useful.
The Japanese don’t use salt on their roads
Oh yes they do, never seen MCM's?
LAR 4x4 in Uckfield. Chap called Adam Laraway. He started me on Fourtraks and when I got needy enough he moved me onto a Cruiser. He's got a collection himself which seems to evolve weekly. Do a Facebook search as I think he moderates on Pure Japanese 4x4 (think STW geekiness and stupidity but for 4x4's)
He's been known to ride bikes as well once in a while.....
Cheers, I’ll get on that.
I dont think they use rock salt, maybe I’m wrong, anyway, you’re much more likely to find a clean import than a UK car.
The ride is also very good, not ‘supertankerish’ at all
I didn't make the comment, but 'Supertankerish' more likely refers to the steering rather than the ride? If you are considering buying one of these, you probably don't care though.
Land Cruiser crusin the land
Thanks angeldust - someone can read. I said its comfy mitsu but it turns corners like a supertanker - that matters to some.
Your reat seats sound different to the ones in my mate's former LC. I did say two seats didn't I...
His faced across the car not forward, they were tiny and you ended up with legs in each others laps...pretty useless! Heavy to remove as well, might be worth the OP checking the options if he needs extra seats.
Said my mate...once. Fool.
Absolutely massive out here in the Middle East. They are the vehicle to have.
Everyone has the 5.7l VXR, but that's probably a function of fuel prices more than anything.... I've got a 3.8l v6 and it's considered pokey! It's standard for locals to have at least one and they are ubiquitous. You regularly see them racking up >400,000km before being sold, but most people keep them for life.
Not Chelsea tractor at all, they are more workhorsey, but have the utilitarian classiness that comes with a Land Rover, etc. See also Nissan Patrols for the same kind of thing, or the Toyota Fortuna/Prado versions of the Land Cruiser. The FJ Cruiser is also quite fun, but is getting away from a LC a bit.
@pictonroad - my mechanic advised me against the hilux surf as they have had problems with cracked head-blocks? Is this something you've heard of?
And thanks for the recommendations. :o)
Get 3.0L above version like Landcruiser Prado, anything less is underpowered.
LC80 is amongst the favourite in the far east. A true workhorse and very fast too.
bodgy
@pictonroad – my mechanic advised me against the hilux surf as they have had problems with cracked head-blocks? Is this something you’ve heard of?
It's an issue that affected the 2.4td and 3.0td second gen Surfs so roughly 89 - 95. It may have been an issue in the gen3 (95-02) but they are pretty rare anyway. You do find the same engine in a lot of Toyota products, ie the Landcruiser Colorado/Prado, Hiace etc.
I had one on hire for a few days in the US last year, I hated it. Incredibly thirsty, slow, poor handling, some very complicated controls (switching from low to high range for example), not as much room as you'd imagine with the seats folded down. I can't think of good word to say about it.
Yeh, the 2.4s crack heads, but there’s a good argument to say that any 25 yr old engine that is onwned by people who always thrash it and rarely service it will fare badly. I have the 3.0, it’s slightly less worse.
This thread is missing something, post your cruisers (or Toyota) people!
Nice, pict. Black rims, massive tyres . . . looks more like a Tonka than a Toyota!
What sort of cargo-bike is that?
cb calling me a fool (lol) for apparently disapproving of him giving out his 'my mate owned one sketchy advice'. I own one mate, first hand advice given as asked for (Toyotaists), not second hand tales, read the op there's a good lad.
Fool indeed . . .
Now, now, ladies. Play nicely.
;o)
Scuttler - is that shot from a safari or outback trip?
As the Aussies say "If you want to drive into the Outback take a Land Rover. If you want to drive back again . . . take a Toyota."
The new Land Cruiser in £31k steel wheel/stripped out interior has me tempted - and has definitely filled a gap in the market that Landrover have lost (no Disco commercial or Defender)
I would love a 70series 'Troopy' - will have to get my brother in Australia to ship me one at some point!
To be fair 24 year old doesn't cut it with surf's. The engines ---like those in bongos were a bad design and have been failing in the same way since the dawn of time.
And who ever suggested a fortuner instead of a land cruiser needs shooting.
We have an original 70 series land cruiser at work. It's better than the 4 year old fortuners in every way and the new shape land cruiser i
trail_rat
To be fair 24 year old doesn’t cut it with surf’s. The engines —like those in bongos were a bad design and have been failing in the same way since the dawn of time.
And who ever suggested a fortuner instead of a land cruiser needs shooting.
We have an original 70 series land cruiser at work. It’s better than the 4 year old fortuners in every way and the new shape land cruiser i
I'm curious as to exactly which spec 70 series you have and if you don't mind could you explain exactly why you have this opinion (get as technical as you like)?
Original 70? You work somewhere nice and sunny? Lovely, have to have on the imaginary lottery win country estate. 😍
You'll miss the van 🙂 . Any reason you are not going for something like a Transit AWD?
I pull a 3 ton trailer with an 2wd Iveco, and with General Tyre Grabber ATs (the 50:50 road:off-road) it does well getting off fields
Work in Angola
It's white ,5 door wagon has 7 seats with room andapayload for 7 people ,air con , tan interior and a lovely lumbering straight six diesel engine , handles the heavy rains without complaint and does decent mpg
Our fortuners. Are Petrol V6 need the tits revved off them have 7 seats but has neither space nor payload for 7 and ends up riding the bump stops which is horrific , they don't like deep water and are falling apart.
My post posted early last time but the new shape land cruiser Prado us as good at its job as the 70 almost as if it was built for work in luxury like range rovers 🙂 fortuners just seem built to a budget and suffer for it
We have an original 70 series land cruiser at work. It’s better than the 4 year old fortuners in every way and the new shape land cruiser i
'Better' in the same way that some people on here think that Berlingos are the best thing on 4 wheels?
Nope your comprehension skills need work.
🙂
Work in Angola
It’s white ,5 door wagon has 7 seats with room andapayload for 7 people ,air con , tan interior and a lovely lumbering straight six diesel engine , handles the heavy rains without complaint and does decent mpg
So ladder frame chassis, leaf springs all round and manual locking hubs?
Looking at it simplistically yes..... But it's the package that works rather than any of those individual things.
trail_rat
Looking at it simplistically yes….
Ok then educate us please, using as much detail or technical information you want.
Well individually each of those things is shit. See --similar age hilux. Has all those things....still a shit place to be.
70 series has all those things but not designed in a carry big loads capacity and they work as it's been designed to be a nice place to be .
So ladder frame chassis, leaf springs all round and manual locking hubs?
Clearly the motor industry has wasted its time improving these things over the last 40+ years, and should have concentrated on keeping the tan interior.
