Thoughts On Land Cruiser

[branshew]

The wife wants a larger automobile. The family is growing and we had a hard time packing for vacation last summer in the VW Passat Wagon (although that car had served us well for many years) I just can't do a minivan. I've looked at newer ones and tried to like them. I know that they have come a long way from the 1st gen Caravan that my parents had when I was a kid, but I just can't do it. Seating for 6 - 7 is a big request for her since we end up having to take 2 cars most places whenever her parents are in town. I know that the 3rd row jumpseats are a joke in most SUVs, but they'll hardly ever be used (which is the battle that I have with her anyway as to why we really need seating for 6-7 to begin with).

I'd like to stick w/ Toyota so that gives me the Sequoia (or if I win the battle over the extra seating I can add the RX, 4-Runner, and highlander). I have found a rare good deal on an '02 Land Cruiser w/ less than 45K on the ODO. It seems to fit most of the requirements. Any thoughts???

[JIBBBY]

An outstanding choice.... The newer Landcruisers are vantastic trucks, use a bit of gasoline though because they are AWD.... Very comfortable and reliable rides..... Can't go wrong..

I've owned the FJ40 (5.7 Chevy motor), FJ80 and FJ100, all were and are very durable, very reliable, and good offroad vehicles in general...The newer cruisers sit too low and are useless for any real off road use without a lift, but are great for a city driven SUV....

Get the 2002 Cruiser, you won't regret it....They are loaded and have all the goodies...

[denslexusgx470]

The wife wants a larger automobile. The family is growing and we had a hard time packing for vacation last summer in the VW Passat Wagon (although that car had served us well for many years) I just can't do a minivan. I've looked at newer ones and tried to like them. I know that they have come a long way from the 1st gen Caravan that my parents had when I was a kid, but I just can't do it. Seating for 6 - 7 is a big request for her since we end up having to take 2 cars most places whenever her parents are in town. I know that the 3rd row jumpseats are a joke in most SUVs, but they'll hardly ever be used (which is the battle that I have with her anyway as to why we really need seating for 6-7 to begin with).

I'd like to stick w/ Toyota so that gives me the Sequoia (or if I win the battle over the extra seating I can add the RX, 4-Runner, and highlander). I have found a rare good deal on an '02 Land Cruiser w/ less than 45K on the ODO. It seems to fit most of the requirements. Any thoughts???

Wait hold on a sec, so is the extra seats for kids or for the in-laws, or what? You just mentioned "The family's growing" but didn't specify HOW it's growing. Now if it's for the in-laws, I don't think you really need the extra seats all the time, which leaves you with many other choices. But if it is a must to carry around 6-8 seats, then go with either the LC or Sequoia. Now you mentioned RX, 4Runner, and Highlander? RX doesn't have a third seat, and as you may know, the 3rd seats in the 4Runner and Highlander are a joke(even in the GX). IF you want comfortable 3rd seats, go with a Suburban. Now if you don't want American, and have extra $$$, shoot for the GL450 (trust me, they're the most comfortable 3rd seats you would ever sit in!).

[Suburbazine]

I'll second the Suburban idea, don't try a Tahoe 3rd row unless your passengers are really small and flexible ;). Also, consider getting second row bucket seats if you get a Suburban, it makes access to the rear seats much less painful. Keep in mind, true seating in a normal suburban is limited to 6 passengers because the middle seats can't really have a passenger- no shoulder strap and a car seat will encroach on the other passengers' space. I've lived in and with Suburbans for about 15 years now, and believe me, you don't want a bench seat on long trips with 3 passengers on it.

As far as seat comfort is concerned, I've been pleased with the Suburban seats. Well padded and plenty of adjustments (with bucket seats- bench has no adjustments besides folding flat).

Ride quality hinges greatly on the suspension/shock package you get- i.e. the more you pay the more you get. Mine rides very smoothly even on very rough roads (I have Autoride).

[98es]

Land Cruisers are amazing vehicles. My grandmother (ha yeah i said gradmother) has an 02 LX470 and its awesome. That 4.7L V8 is the smoothest you'll ever drive. I've got the same engine in my '03 4Runner. Both of those trucks have FULL TIME 4x4 (not AWD... there is a difference). I personally think that third row seats are useless in 90% of the vehicles they come in. If I were you, I would narrow it down to Sequoia, 4Runner, or Land Cruiser. You don't want your wife to be miserable driving a truck thats too big just to have sufficient 3rd seating for every now and then. Good Luck!

[2007GS450H]

The wife wants a larger automobile. The family is growing and we had a hard time packing for vacation last summer in the VW Passat Wagon (although that car had served us well for many years) I just can't do a minivan. I've looked at newer ones and tried to like them. I know that they have come a long way from the 1st gen Caravan that my parents had when I was a kid, but I just can't do it. Seating for 6 - 7 is a big request for her since we end up having to take 2 cars most places whenever her parents are in town. I know that the 3rd row jumpseats are a joke in most SUVs, but they'll hardly ever be used (which is the battle that I have with her anyway as to why we really need seating for 6-7 to begin with).

I'd like to stick w/ Toyota so that gives me the Sequoia (or if I win the battle over the extra seating I can add the RX, 4-Runner, and highlander). I have found a rare good deal on an '02 Land Cruiser w/ less than 45K on the ODO. It seems to fit most of the requirements. Any thoughts???

Wait hold on a sec, so is the extra seats for kids or for the in-laws, or what? You just mentioned "The family's growing" but didn't specify HOW it's growing. Now if it's for the in-laws, I don't think you really need the extra seats all the time, which leaves you with many other choices. But if it is a must to carry around 6-8 seats, then go with either the LC or Sequoia. Now you mentioned RX, 4Runner, and Highlander? RX doesn't have a third seat, and as you may know, the 3rd seats in the 4Runner and Highlander are a joke(even in the GX). IF you want comfortable 3rd seats, go with a Suburban. Now if you don't want American, and have extra $$$, shoot for the GL450 (trust me, they're the most comfortable 3rd seats you would ever sit in!).

the gl450 reliability is very poor

go with the cruiser

[JIBBBY]

Land Cruisers are amazing vehicles. My grandmother (ha yeah i said gradmother) has an 02 LX470 and its awesome. That 4.7L V8 is the smoothest you'll ever drive. I've got the same engine in my '03 4Runner. Both of those trucks have FULL TIME 4x4 (not AWD... there is a difference). I personally think that third row seats are useless in 90% of the vehicles they come in. If I were you, I would narrow it down to Sequoia, 4Runner, or Land Cruiser. You don't want your wife to be miserable driving a truck thats too big just to have sufficient 3rd seating for every now and then. Good Luck!

You state AWD is not the same as Full Time four wheel drive....Wondering what are the differences between the two...Please explain????????

Also, Chevy Surburbans are just very big trucks, so are the Ford Excursion...Both are great for seating lots of people but are not nearly as reliable as lets say the Toyota LandCruiser...The American engines are good to go in both trucks (Vortec especially). Everything else may fail in it's due time...You will get rattles, pumps in the tranny, worn parts, etc.....While as the LandCruiser will just keep going and not deteriorate as quickly....

My family exchanged a new Chevy Tahoe (2005) with 65,000 miles for a 1998 4.7L Toyota Landcruiser with 97,000 miles....Let's just say the two cars are night and day and this family has no regrets.....Paid $50,000 for the New Tahoe and just $11,500 for the Land Cruiser.... The Land Cruiser was to be a second car but after driving it, it quickly became the primary car....The Tahoe immediately went up for sale.... Simply said the older Cruiser just rides smoother, has less rattles and noises, and feels like a more stable ride.... End of story...

[98es]

You state AWD is not the same as Full Time four wheel drive....Wondering what are the differences between the two...Please explain????????

Here's a good website that explains it:

http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/awd.html

[branshew]

To clarify, we have 2 adults and 2 kids (+ 1 dog) in the family right now which takes all of the space in our wagon. We want something a little larger in terms of vehicle capacity.

The debate with my wife is whether or not we really need seating for 6 as the 3rd row seats would only be used on occasion around town. Any longer trip and the car seats would get moved back to the 3rd row so that the adults could have the 2nd row. I say that we don't need them and that we can just drive 2 cars on those occasions, but my wife wants the capability. I just don't see the need to go that much larger for the 10 - 12 times a year that we would use the capacity.

If it were up to me we would get a 4-Runner and be done with it, but with all of the nagging right now I am thinking possibly Land Cruiser, Sequioa or Tahoe/Yukon. I like the Tahoe/Yukon more than the Sequoia, but I realize that the Sequoia would probably be more reliable in the end. My sister in law has a Sequoia and the handling feels sloppier than the Tahoe/Yukon (not that any of those boats handle really well to begin with).

I'm looking used and not at any Mercedes products

[JIBBBY]

You state AWD is not the same as Full Time four wheel drive....Wondering what are the differences between the two...Please explain????????

Here's a good website that explains it:

http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/awd.html

Thanks, very interesting...Didn't know there were so many variations....

[98es]

You state AWD is not the same as Full Time four wheel drive....Wondering what are the differences between the two...Please explain????????

Here's a good website that explains it:

http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/awd.html

Thanks, very interesting...Didn't know there were so many variations....

Yeah me neither until i got a full time 4x4. Over at the 4runner forum if you say "I have a V8 AWD 4runner" you get a tongue lashing

Branshew- I bet if you get the wife to test drive a suburban she'll think its too big. Parking one of those things can't be fun. I'd say put her in a 4runner but i'm a little biased. Good luck!!!!!

[JIBBBY]

I got a 1993 Toyota LandCruiser that I putt around with and it has the AWD full time emblem in the back... I always called it just AWD.... For years and years...

I do find that AWD trucks really make for a smoother ride in comparison to 2WD trucks....New tires help too..

[SW03ES]

In all honesty, I'd try harder to like the Minivans.

For a family you just can't beat the utility of a Minivan. Flat load floor, customizable seating, carlike ride and easy to drive. Ability to move around when the car is in motion. Seperate captains chairs for kids. Really they just can't be beat and the new ones have so many features they rival luxury cars...

Personally in your situation I'd much rather have a nice Honda Odyssey than a Land Cruiser thats going to be less useful and more expensive to maintain, fuel, and insure. Especially since it won't be you driving it everyday.

[oragon]

i currently own a gx, fjcruiser, and a 4dr civic si. if i had to trade any of my vehicles , it'll be the new LC.

i drove my bros for 1500 miles from il - ok in rt. 66, it's almost perfect from asphalt to rocks to snow to mud. this vehicle is awesome!!!

[branshew]

In all honesty, I'd try harder to like the Minivans.

I've tried to like the minivan, but I just can't get there. While they do have some solid points, I would feel like a complete middle aged dork-dad every time I was behind the wheel (no offense meant to those that do drive them).

My family has a house on the outer banks of NC and we go there several times a year. A perk of a SUV would be that I could drive it on the beach and take the kids to Carova to see the wild horses, but again - that's only a few times a year (like the use of the 3rd row seats). I also have my eye on a small boat in the near future and towing capacity would be nice.

The Sienna would be my only minivan choice. The Odyssey has had too many transmission issues over the years

98es - I think the "burban" is too big myself.

[Suburbazine]

If you're gonna be on the beach, don't get a heavy SUV like a Suburban, they'll sink in a New York minute if you hit soft sand (waterline sand will hold them up but I wouldn't take a 2wd near the water anyway). A Tahoe or something similar would be pushing it a little bit weight wise on loose sand unless it was 4x4.

[JIBBBY]

Mini vans aren't my cup of tea either......

Have you considered a Lincoln Navagator and or Cadilac Escalade? If your talking new LandCruiser the price ranges are almost comparible with those two......

[branshew]

Mini vans aren't my cup of tea either......

Have you considered a Lincoln Navagator and or Cadilac Escalade? If your talking new LandCruiser the price ranges are almost comparible with those two......

I was looking at used vehicles. More bang for the buck that way.

From my previous experiences with Ford products, I will never own another one so that would rule out the Lincoln.

While the Escalade is nice, it is so close to the Yukon Denali (save a little nicer interior) that the price difference doesn't really sway me. It is also one of the top stolen vehicles in the USA. I wouldn't want to put my wife & kids in a position to be car-jacked. Besides - all of the used Escalades that I have seen around here have 22" rims on them and last I checked - that wasn't good for towing or driving on the beach.

Subarbazine - I won't buy a SUV unless it is 4WD. I've seen quite a few Suburbans on the beach over the years. (I've even seen a few RX300s??) If you let enough air out of the tires it helps the cushion so they don't sink as much.

[JIBBBY]

I hear you on buying a used car to get the best bang for the buck...With that being said the Escalade and Lincoln have been around for a few years....The Denali is not to shabby either...All three of those cars are very nice on the inside, the engines are all solid, but with high mileage you will get the rattles, play in the steering wheel, squeeks and stuff will break....Typical in high powered American built cars...Too bad...

I was very impressed with the Escalade, got to be careful you don't fall asleep driving that truck... The H2 hummers seem to be popular these days...Don't understand why, big consel, and a Chevy drivetrain, and no better then a Tahoe in my opinion....

[Suburbazine]

Stay away from Hummers, high maintenance. Also when buying used GM SUVs, try to stay away from the 02- series as they have some steering shaft issues (clunking feeling). I haven't run into too many issues with the 03+ series.

Plus, the electrical system is a bit easier to work with on the 03+ trucks than the earlier models and the electrical controls (especially headlight switches and relays) are better designed.