100 Series TLC

stevenmd

Expedition Leader
Educate me. I am looking for a DD/family trip (b/c I can sell a "trip" vs an "expedition" to my wife) type vehicle that meets the following criteria:
1 - able to hold 7 people
2 - decent mpg
3 - pull a small gear trailer with ease
4 - able to do mild to moderate trails
5 - 2" or 3" lift available without too many modifications
6 - decent price
7 - lockers or decent traction control device
8 - comfy enough for my wife (city girl who drives a Benz)

Misc.:
What year 100 Series is best?
80 Series is too small and the 6 cyl engine is too weak.

Thanks!
Steven
 

LandCruiserPhil

Expedition Leader
As a owner of a 100 I would say the 100 is too small for a comfortable family trip of 7. But the 100 would be 100 times better then the 80 in your case.
 

stevenmd

Expedition Leader
As a owner of a 100 I would say the 100 is too small for a comfortable family trip of 7. But the 100 would be 100 times better then the 80 in your case.

My bnl has an 80 and an LX450. His brother has a 100. I drove the 80 and LX450 and figured out very quickly it was too small for me. So you think a 100 series would be too small too? I have two kids in car seats and the older three are 8, 9, and 14.

How is the pulling power in your 100?
 

locrwln

Expedition Leader
With a family of that size, I would go with a Surburban, it is what they were built for.

Jack
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
Sorry for the total Noob / slightly off topic question, but - the Land Cruiser that's in all the ads for Equipt1 Outfitters; is that a 100 or 200?

...that thing is SICK! If anything were to ever happen to my Tacoma, that's what I'd want to replace it with.
 

stevenmd

Expedition Leader
With a family of that size, I would go with a Surburban, it is what they were built for.

Jack

No can do. Suburban is too wide and too long for most of the trails I do.


And no way in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks am I paying over $50K for a 200 series! Shoot, might as well get a Defender or trick out my 109 for that amount of money. Hmmm... looks like I just answered my own question...:ylsmoke:
 

trunk monkey

New member
Sorry for the total Noob / slightly off topic question, but - the Land Cruiser that's in all the ads for Equipt1 Outfitters; is that a 100 or 200?

Paul's truck is a '98 100 series.

Sorry, but x2 on the Burb. Five kids in the back of a 100 is a recipe for disaster. Plus, you'd have no room for gear.
 

stevenmd

Expedition Leader
Plus, you'd have no room for gear.

Hence the trailer!:chef:

A suburban does not scream "Adventure!!!" to me. I might as well be driving a mini-van! (Apology to all those 'Burb drivers out there.:snorkel:) I have no need to drive a Suburban around town and to work with that kind of mpg.

OK, let's move past the whole "room for 7" thing and tell me more about the 100 series. What years are best and why?

Thanks!
 

LandCruiserPhil

Expedition Leader
Hence the trailer!:chef:

A suburban does not scream "Adventure!!!" to me. I might as well be driving a mini-van! (Apology to all those 'Burb drivers out there.:snorkel:) I have no need to drive a Suburban around town and to work with that kind of mpg.

OK, let's move past the whole "room for 7" thing and tell me more about the 100 series. What years are best and why?

Thanks!

For the most part not a lot has changed on the outside.

Go to Slees offroad they break the changes down by year. I would buy the lowest mileage newest year you can afford that way you will not need to buy a new one for a long time. The damn things last forever...
 

Fergie

Expedition Leader
When I was looking for Landcruisers, both 80s and 100s, I always looked for the 1999 UZJ100. You can find some good examples with close to, or less than 100K, especially in the ritzier parts of CA. This year has the rear locker, and comes without the traction control of the later years(someone correct me if I'm wrong here, just going from memory).

Make sure the timing service has been done, or budget it into your price as it is complicated and expensive from the dealer.

The V8 is awesome in it. I drove Wesel123's 100 series and that thing was cavernous.

Personally, I went with the FJ80 for simplicity of the systems and reliability in regards to maintenance costs. The 100 is just as reliable, has better gas mileage, better power, but is much more complicated.

You'll have room behind the 3rd row for daily stuff like soccer equipment and diaper bags, but don't expect to fit a stroller in if you have all 5 kids with you.

Hope my ramblings help.

G
 

anthonycds

Adventurer
Sequoia perhaps? It'll have all the pulling power and room you'll need. But I don't see why an 03+ Land Cruiser wouldn't suffice. It'll have the comfort, plus with your little ones, they have airbags everywhere as opposed to the earlier 100 series.
 

LandCruiserPhil

Expedition Leader
Sequoia perhaps? It'll have all the pulling power and room you'll need. But I don't see why an 03+ Land Cruiser wouldn't suffice. It'll have the comfort, plus with your little ones, they have airbags everywhere as opposed to the earlier 100 series.

When looking at LC side and curtain air bags on the '03+ are a option. FWIW
 

uzj100

Adventurer
100 Series

Does anyone have the original info on the 100 series? I thought I read it was designed for 25 year service life in harsh conditions. Riding around on a few trails and US roads the 100 could be a daily driver for like 30+ years.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,534
Messages
2,875,620
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top