Hi All,
So here's a question for all you Landcruiser gurus. I am about to Move to Calgary Alberta from Germany with the wife and three kids. We want to buy a used car for cash (so in the 10k range). 4wd is a requirement (all that snow, plus we are skiers). My wife want's a Subaru outback but I am a big guy (6'5") so I kinda want something where I don't have to slide the seat all the way back. This means a SUV of sorts and the best SUVs that I can find in terms of reliability are the Landcruiser and 4runner. There are several Landcruisers for sale in Calgary in my price range but I don't know which models are best and I also don't know what to look out for in terms of mechanical issues etc.

I would really appreciate it if some of you could offer up some advice on which models to avoid, what mechanical problems are common on the better models (so I can quizz the owner about whether these have been resolved). Anything else that y'all think might be important would be appreciated as well.

thanks in advance.
Bernard

I'm no guru but it might help get you a good reply if I shared what little I know.

I. 80-series
a) FJ80 (1990-1992)
Pros: Legendary Land Cruiser reliability and durability, smoother riding suspension, lighter effort worm and roller type steering ideal for rough terrain.
Cons: Underpowered 4.0 liter with 155HP, weaker brakes, slow ratio steering that can get tiresome onroad.

b) FZJ80 (1993 - 1997)
Pros: Legendary...., better steering with quicker ratio for onroad use, big horsepower increase to 215hp (4.5 Liter i-6, DOHC, 24-valve).
Cons: Stiffer springs to improve onroad handling and to handle power increase, heavier steering.

II. 100-series (UZJ-100)
a) 1998-1999
Pros: Smoother ride due to IFS (independent front suspension), quieter and more powerful V8 (4.7 liter, 235hp)
Cons: No front locker
b) 2000-2007
Pros: Electronic traction control system (A-Trac) with stability control function
Cons: none except for the loss of the rear locker(some prefer the locker over the traction control)
Note: Sat-Nav and reversing camera added in 2003

No guru here, just a survivor

The very early 3 speed box was good in mud and desert areas, much quicker shifting and helped stopped stalling when starting to bog down.

Was not so good on long blacktop distances.

The same with the 4 speed out in the "B" engine, was good and economical, the injector pump was an inline type with diaphragm governor. Sounded like a tractor but was good on long hauls and the mud and sand.

The early Cruiser had the 52 type Chevy engine, very simple and reliable. Easy to work on and no great issues.

All the above had problems with the rear end till the bearing and axle assemblies were upgraded in the later models.

The transfer box up until the (could be wrong here) FZJ80 had a bad habit of pumping the oil from the transfer case to the gearbox overfilling the gearbox and running the transfer box dry.

The later from the FZJ80 went to all plastic up front, much less weight, more what seemed like power but expensive cosmetics to repair including side door trims and stickers.

The next up came the IFS (independent Front Suspension) this made for some real fast running on slippery and rough terrain but gave not so much feel back to the driver. Sudden stops became quite frequent. Read "Uncle Bob" and the stats on SUV's and 2 wheel drive relationships on snow and ice in Canada.

I try to keep with the GX-R and such, the H engine won't tow much on the flat, let alone the hills unless it has a turbo. The FZ will tow and pull up hill and away no problems. Up until some bod stripped out the vac hoses on my FZJ80 it would pull my 800 liter fuel trailer up through the mountains no problems and use less fuel than the GX-R 2H towing nothing just packed with the general bags etc. As a Play come work wagon the FZJ80 is quite hard to beat in all respects with inbuilt fridge and all the trimmings. All steel up front and back and is able to sustain considerable impacts in all directions. A very safe wagon as well, easy and quiet on long highway runs with reasonable economy.

The Subaru, well the WRX was only 2.0 turbo, I sold my 2.2 turbo permanent 4 wheel drive as the body was very thin, no body strength at all. The power to weight was very good considering, parts were very expensive. The engine mounts were oil filled to stop harmonics etc so am quite glad it is gone. Look about and see an old Subaru that has been well used in the snow and mud, there isn't one, do the same for Landcruiser, you'll find many.

The Prado is for me just a toy, big body, lots of plastic and small engine on light suspension.
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