I have a 99' 4.2 Diesel LC100. My parents bought it back in 2000 with 0km on the clock:) now it sits at 315,000km, still almost daily driven. Never had any major mechanical issue, and never an engine issue

I’ve had 2 LC100’s. My first was brand new in 2000 I loved that vehicle so much I put 268,000 miles on it with very little maintenance other than the usual brakes oil etc. I’m not your typical LC owner. I use it as an every day driver, I tow with it and sometimes things that are rediculous such as bobcats etc. I drive in the city and on the highway and I take it on some pretty serious off road treks as well. In 2011 I wanted to update the vehicle and I wasn’t keen on the new 200 series looks. Started to look either too fancy or too much like the highlander so I back peddled a little and bought a 3 1/2 year old 100 series with 54,000 miles on it. I now have 238,000 miles on it and have been off-road, rocks, mud, trails, sand & water. Even with no snorkel I’ve had water almost to the door handles and waded through cautiously unscathed and surprisingly dry with no water at all inside. I’ve towed and traveled. I’ve had very little maintenance other than brakes, fluid changes, calipers & tires. Recently around 235,000 miles I noticed a rear differential leak. It was a rear pinion seal which was easily changed but I think driving with low fluid I harmed my pinion bearings because a few days later they started o make a whining noise half way through a 360 mile trip up and back to Chicago. I had a mechanic look at it in Chicago he said the bearings were pretty much shot but not breaking apart. It would have taken a couple of days to get the parts and then an 8.5 hour job so I would have been stuck in Chicago an extra 2- 3 days so I asked him if he thought I could make it back to Indy without getting stuck. His answer was quite amusing. He said do I think you’ll get there, yes absolutely these things are built like tanks and the parts they use are way over specified for their use. But I can’t guarantee for sure you will. Keep it under 70mph and you should be fine. Which I did and I got home safely listening to my bearings whine away as I drove down the highway. I got it fixed as soon as I got home. This was my fault for driving it when I originally noticed a substantial diff leak. The differential fluid flows through these pinion bearings and keeps them lubricated so when it was low they got damaged. I got the new bearings ( and as a side note if you ever need these only buy them from Toyota. I bought ones that were made by national bearing and were being sold as “exact fit” by every store and online retailer. They are not correct and I had to return and get them from Toyota and actually half the price of the aftermarket ones) when my mechanic had the rear differential out he called me over to take a look because I was concerned about metal shavings harming the gears. He laughed as he had the rear gears on the bench next to a highlanders and an Ford 4x4 F150’s. My 100’s gears not only looked brand new but were monstrous next to the other two. He said Toyota didn’t f@&k around when they built this vehicle. These could pull a Semi truck! Everything is back together and running great. That was the only problem I’ve ever had in almost a quarter million miles and most of it was my fault. Now just to answer what he said about no locking diff, I do have a locking differential button on my vehicle which may have been an option but it is definitely factory installed. These 2007’s have been my favorite ride but I do like the new 2018 as it seems to have a little if it’s utilitarian look back. Maybe time for and update but I’ll definitely have to think about it for a while .... maybe another 100k Mike’s or so! 😂

Great Video! I bought a 2004 LX 470 with 83,000 Miles one owner. I’m in love with this SUV. I also own a 2003 GX470 bough it 10 years ago and is a extremely reliable car. The Land cruiser DNA rocks! . Just subscribed to your channel. Great Video!

Awesome video. I just bought my first Land Cruiser (2004) Great to learn all the differences from year to year. Thank you!!!

The landcruiser 100 series is truly legendary.Thanks bro for this review

Great video! You should make a part 2 for people who are serious about buying one!

Very thorough review, and highly useful. I’ve owned five older model Lexus’ to date and none have had any issues. Currently I have an ‘06 RX400h hybrid, and it’s fantastic. However, I still want to own the LC 100 series at some point, so this video explaining all the various models and specs is really useful for when that happens. Thanks, and I’ll check your other video out when you purchased the LC. 👍

Agree on all your points. I have an 07 w/out the AHC and it's the best vehicle I've ever owned. The one point you made about the touchscreen display is good in some aspects but if you care at all about the sound quality of your stereo, it's a massive undertaking to do any kind of stereo upgrade other than just replace the door speakers. Minor issue, but the older models were much easier to install a higher quality head unit and aftermarket amp.

I fight with my friend every time because he and his father are refusing to sell their 07 4.5 I6 manual LC. One day I’m gonna kidnap that car...

I like this guy. Very simple and straightforward!

I bought my 200 series precisely for the AHC system. It's so robust and so underrated. It's also pretty easy to fix in the rare case something goes wrong. It's a true lift on demand

Thanks, very accurate review. Worth mentioning the facelift on the front and the rear spoiler. Great color for a 100.

Really good video! Thank you very much! I would love to know all of the small differences and curious how much ride feel is different between the Lexus Ride Height Control option...

Sad that stateside we never got the diesel 1HZ or 1 HD engines on the 100 series. The whole world has a great appreciation for Landcruisers ie. 70 series, and 80 series. You should do an eval on a Toyota Prado (90 series) which are only sold in the US as Lexus GX.

Just to be clear, not Produced but sold in the US, Still made in Japan! Good vid bro!

1st Gen Sequoia is the extremely underrated step-sister. Same 285ci 4.7L V8, 5 speed trans, and the '05-'07 years came with rear air bag suspension. I have an early model w/323k+ miles, still achieving 16-17 mpg, and it has enough torque to pop tree stumps all day long. They're offroad beasts in stock form & yet extremely comfortable as a family vacation highway hauler.

I have one and i've had it for 10 years, it's been working perfectly fine.

When AHC fails you aren't stuck.. it will drive harsh and bouncy but will get you back home without causing damage. You just need to change your 4 globes that are known to go out after 200-300k which cost from $500-1k depending on OEM or aftermarket and you are back to a magic carpet ride.

Got my 07 in 2016 with 119k miles on it. It's been bulletproof and is no doubt a great overlanding 4x4 SUV. I've tons of upgrades to and plan to keep it for as long as I live. LOL.

Thx for video. Very informative outline, especially for those of us just now learning up the Land Cruiser. Do you have any suggestions as to how to find a desirable ‘06/‘07, someplace that reliably deals in reliable Land Cruisers? I’m having a tough time finding one that’s decent and rust free.

nice informative vid glad I caught it , i'm in the market for a landcruiser soon

Lexus LX470 vs Landcruiser What are the differences: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ntZ1aKmDs7jIeac.html

Grew up in the backseat of 100 Series. 140,000 miles in a 99 and 270,000 miles in an 05 including many that I put on myself when it became mine. It was a very sad day when I traded it in last summer for an FJ Cruiser.... New England rust and likely a need for a new head gasket spelled its end in my life... :( but absolutely had a lot more life in it. Incredible trucks

In 98 and 99 you got an optional rear locker yes, but you also got a non optional weaker 2 pinion front differential.

That car is a legendary, I love it

I got an 06. The truck is bulletproof, even though it's 18 years old it still drives better and feels more solid than many new cars. Everything about it is different than a regular car, thicker metal, if a regular car has 4 screws this thing will have 8, over designed components, an understressed naturally aspirated engine, etc. Change the engine oil every 5k miles. Do the necessary maintenance as required, like diff/transfer case oil, coolant, power steering fluid and brake fluid, AHC fluid, timing belt water pump and accessories, brakes, lube the front and rear universal axles, and you should have a very happy machine hitting 400-500K miles easily. CV boots may leak after a 150K+ mi, can reboot the CV or change the axle out. The biggest issue for these when they get old is the rust, so if you're in a place that snows or rains a lot take additional precautions to condition your metal before going out. Some things I don't like of the 06-07 is the VVT engine, you do get a few more horsepower. But these 100 series have the emission reducing Secondary Air Injection System. This SAI system can cause some additional failures and the SAI blower unit is very expensive to replace. A common issue is the foam on the SAI blower can wear out and get sucked in, without the foam contaminants can enter the system. And long term can cause some error DTC codes. The air blower unit is next to the starter under the intake mani. I also don't like how the 06-07 models have a plastic intake mani, the older models 100 series use solid cast metal. I prefer metal, not plastic. But the plastic still solid and I am sure it'll last forever as well, I just don't like how new cars keep using more plastic. I also have a 200-series the intake mani is also plastic. I originally didn't like the AHC system very much and felt it was too complex and can break, but then again brake systems also have a lot of lines and are complex and we don't think twice about them. The AHC system is very convenient and the suspension feels very nice. Overall a very good system, check the globes condition, change the fluid, and make sure the lines are not rusting out and should be okay.

We used to own a 2003. We put 312K miles in a rust belt state before we handed in the towel once the Exaust Manifold had a leak, VSC, kept turning on and off upon hills, and, overall required 4K in repairs. We auctioned it off and, got 10K for it [went to some guy up in Maine for a winter vehicle]. Yeah, I miss that car. The roar of its 2UZ-FE V8 always put a smile on my face. I'm saving up for another Land Cruiser [probably a 80 or another 100] cause I'm now obsessed with them

Great video!

My 2006 LC has all these features plus a rear differential locker. It’s a GCC spec car

Like my 99 Rear locker has come in handy. Seen ATRAC break front diffs and CV shafts

Thank u for all the good tips

buying one for the winter/off road fun blows my mind how much these still go for

Great info thanks.

98-99 has a rotating switch for the rear locker not a button.

Great job on your take on the Land Cruiser! I've worked in the car business off and on for quite some time, and I'm just a huge enthusiast on many levels. I have a 99 Avalon that's been in my family since new, and I have such an appreciation for Toyota's! Keep up the good work!

1HD-FTE was the best engine Toyota made, shame the pollution laws killed it....You guys missed out big time...The 100 series with this engine was a great vehicle..and still hold their value and are highly sought after in Australia...

Please do a review on common rust spots and oregention

The Middle Eastern versions of the land cruiser cames with rear differential lock from the factory in the all models from 1998 to 2007 and it cames with I6 eninge 1FZ FE with improvements the engine is like the big father of 2jz engine it handles huge power like above 1000 hp or 1500

Planning to take mine cross country in 2020. NY to Texas, Colorado, Mohab etc....

7:00. I can’t get “10 of one, half dozen of the other” out of my head.

Toyota ... Simply the best.

I have a 2003 Toyota Sequoia, and I'll tell you what it's a dayum reliable peace of machinery, I'll tell you that much. The bottom is bone dry, the only time I'm under the hood is to do an oil change that's it! Super reliable if you take care of them.

I'm shopping for one. This videonis exactly what I needed

Thank you for the info

2001 Landcruiser here w 255k miles on it and going strong! Best car ever. I’ve had it 20 years and still in love ❤

Wow - its interesting how different the LCs in Europe are when it comes to the details. I own a 2000 model with 6cyl. Diesel (which works perfect for me), but it has manual transmission (what i prefer for towing), it has the manual rear diff. lock (also much younger ones in europe have, for example the 05), it has AHC, power telescopic steering wheel. So there are a lot of differences according to the market they are sold.

Good summary (reminds me a bit of "why the 1993 Saab 900" - the last true model of that iconic car) and tanks for the recap - of why often the very last model of a certain generation is the best car to get. I do have a 1999 LC 100 with just over 130K miles on it (yes, low miles). 4-speed, but I get normally 18-19 mpg out on the highway (been tracking fuel economy at every fill up since new). Have had three issues; 1) starter contacts went bad in 2006. Cheap part and easy to replace once you actually can access it. Requires removign intake manifold, and then a "contortios" maneuver to reach the mounting bolts for the starter. 2) The driver side window has "fallen down" twice. Plastic bracket that is attached to the power window mechanism broke. Toyota does not sell them (only whole window), so I picked up a few at a local glass shop, modified it, glued it in place, and it lasted some 12-13 years. Now time do fix it again. 3) the throttle body sensor went haywire, resorting to limp mode home and a new $250 part shipped up new from Toyota/Phoenix (half price of local stores). I do have the rear locker, which has been a blessing a few times, but to be noted is that the 1998-98 also only has a two pinion diff up front, whereas all the subsequent models got a 4 pinion diff. Some 98-99 did brake that diff when going from a slippery surface with wheels spinning, to suddenly good traction (like going from snow to dry pavement). Known issue.

Hey good review,as you say the Yank models may differ ,here in Oz my 2003 has a lot of what your 2006/7 has High/ Diff pillar airbags,touch screen nav and more .

Good video bud, shame you guys didnt get the turbo diesel version like here in Australia. Its much better on fuel mileage than the V8

Nice video :-)

Keep up with the 100 series “big up” makes 80 series more available to us that know, thank you, best regards to all.

Looking forward to getting one of these 07 this 2020.

AHC is awesome, the touch screen not so much. Also it's actually hard to find 98-99s with the locker. ATRAC works quite well unless you are really hardcore off road, and then you can just add lockers and have both.

I have the 2013 in 4.7 turbo diesel. Love it!

I had a 97 80 series. Loved it. Solid front axel with full lockers. Beautiful truck. Stupid to sell it. Got it brand new

I have a 1995 LC 239,000 miles & going strong ! Might have to trade up for a 2007 though ? Great video , many thanks 😊

Please make a similar video for the 3rd gen 80’s.

Great video! Needed information since I am now researching & comparing these with the Lexus GX570's. I know Lexus' reqiure "premium" fuel but is that true for the 100 series Landcruisers? Thanks again!

The 1HD-FTE is by far the best engine for these. Diesel manual cruisers are the only way to go.

That's my dream 1.

Thanks for the video dude. I own an 06 LX and love it. The secondary air injection system on 06-07 sucks, fails and is expensive to fix. I bypassed mine with a hewittech module and exhaust block off plates. Other than that this rig never let me down. Ahc is a very robust system, but does fail eventually. I will prob swap out for lc shock setup when it does.

I used to own a 2001 Lexus LX470 (dressed-up LC) and I agree with most of your video except for one major point: I disagree very strongly that the rear lockers on 98-99 were superior to A-TRAC. Not only does the A-TRAC take advantage of existing ABS components to remove the additional hardware needed for a rear locker, it performs the same locker-functionality on both the rear **and front** axles, emulating the drive-wheel capabilities of a triple-locked 80-series (minus the solid front axle, of course). But great video, and it looks like you picked up a nice rig! I'd add one more minor item I learned from hard-knocks: for a vehicle with a 5500-lb tow rating, the 1998-2002 LC/LX470s strangely had no factory tie-in for an electric trailer brake harness connection - it was the 4-wire one only for signal lights (I had to run my own wiring for the 7-wire system which powers electric trailer brakes). Apparently, this extra feature was added by Toyota on the 2003-2007 vehicles.

Very Doug Demuro esc title lol

In Australia we had all Toyota's 4.5L petrol inline 6, 4.5L diesel V8, 4.2L diesel inline 6, and 4.7L petrol V8 all optioned with 5spd manual or 4spd auto we also got versions with barn doors and all diesel models had solid axle front end and the petrol inline 6's also has a version with solid front axle

Got a JUL/98 model 100 series (FZJ105) with a straight 6 (1FZFE)with factory dual fuel tanks (95 litres)main and 50 litres in the rear, solid live axles...blooody gas guzzler,..lol. love it.

The vvt-i came out in '03, with 263 bhp. The last power bump was in '06 with 275 bhp.

Finally someone who has the same feeling for the land cruiser just like me

They still have lockers but are rare and expensive and lockers are a must for serious off-roading

The 07 looks so much better then the new models.

ESD! Do you have video on land cruiser prado? For city and motorway driving for family without any heavy towing, I believe prado can fit the bill. What is your opinion? I'm thinking of petrol 2.7 litres engine JDM.

I have a 2001 land cruiser vxr and it has AHC and is still working fine

Great looking unit

Thank you Man for keeping us update

Thank you for these videos! They are very helpful since I am looking for one now as well. Do you think a 2006 with 75k miles going for $30k is right?

I have a 98 Lexus LX470 and I love it. It’s a beast.

Hi.. I hope you are still checking this posting that clarified some questions for me. Great video!! I might be looking into a 2007 soon and i wanted to ask you if when you got yours you had it inspected by a mechanic.

In Australia we had a choice of V8 petrol or 6 cylinder turbo Diesels with either auto or 5 speed manual transmission, mine is an 04 GXL 6 cly. Turbo diesel with 5 spd manual box, best car I have ever owned or driven

The saying is 6 one half dozen the other lolol Sweet rig! Love the 100 series!

I'm partial to my 2000 with a tape deck and no AHC. But good vid and information

Nice video bro

Love landcruisers! Absolutely the best suv on the roads today. People get to hung up on lockers though. Most people will never use a locker, even in an off-road specific trip.

This style variation is getting extremely rare to find since they didn’t make very many of these 06-07 models. I see more 98-02 and 03-05 versions of this vehicle on the road. I hope own one of these 06 or 07 models one day though.

Beautiful truck. But you're flat wrong about the AHC being an issue in terms of breakage. It's extremely robust. Obviously nothing wrong with preferring conventional suspension, but to say it's going to get you stuck is pretty inaccurate.

great job,

I've got the brother to yours, the GX470. Love this truck!! Got 215,000 on it and it sounds and drives like it's still brand new. The gas mileage is nothing to brag about, none of these do any good in that department. Otherwise the top of the food chain in "best vehicles made"! Timing belt and water pump every 90 to 100,000 miles is a good idea also.

The 2007, the unicorn, the last of its breed. Definitely want to buy and keep for many years as it will continue increasing in value. Great video!

In Australia we have a 6 cylinder turbo 1HDFTE diesel motor it's is the bomb. For a 6 cylinder with some mods Ican get 300hp at the wheels. The motor is extremely strong, and as long as It is serviced regularly.

Someday I will be a 100 series owner, a nice compliment to my 80 series.

I love my 2003 Land Cruiser II... it looks just like a Sequoia but I swear it’s a Land Cruiser. It’s 4x4, shifter on center console, center diff. Lock and rear diff lock (when I tap the brakes during wheels slippage.)

Nice ride love the cruisers.

Great insight! I would also love to see a follow up video with additional insights.

Atrac is a problem if you do any sand or mud driving. You explained what it does perfectly; if a wheel is slipping it brakes that wheel to try to get drive to the wheel that's not slipping. The one thing you do not want on sand is to be braking. You should even avoid using brakes to come to a normal stop on sand. Gunning the engine and having the wheels spin at times means you are keeping the power on. Take the power off, or ease up on the accelerator, or worse yet, actually brake, and you lose momentum. In soft sand that system will bring you to a stop even when you have the right tire pressure and a heavy boot on the skinny pedal. If your offroad vehicle does have an anti-skid, anti-slip system, the first thing you want to do before you hit the beach is figure out how to turn it off.

I was concerned about running 35s my '97 LX450 with stock gearing. No worries at all. Runs like a champ, even pulling my off-road tent trailer over passes like Monarch, La Vita, etc. doing 65-70 mph. You just have to pay a bit of attention to momentum and drive accordingly. It will easily do 95 - 100 mph on flatter highway with the trailer as well. One day she will get an LS swap, but until then, I'm very happy with the performance, especially off-road. Tough to beat a solid front axle.

I get lc100 sahara series without AHC.. with double tank.. diesel engine.. double blower..with factory central lock

I don't understand how so many people buy these vehicles with low budgets and then drive the piss out of them with the terrible fuel economy. How is it that people can't afford newer vehicles but can afford to live at the pump?

Very nice reciew

Excellent vid! The newer 100 series are really nice but since I never planned to daily it (terrible mpg), so the rear locker in the earlier ones sold me. I wonder which would increase in value over time? The 80 series with triple lockers are $$$ compared to the non locker ones.

I would love to hear this information broken down for the LX470, and LX570s. The Landcruisers seemed to get all features included each model year with a few exceptions, but the LX's were more piecemeal optioned

Great car I've been around Australia 3 times in my cruiser and Still drives like new

The land cruiser is apparently indestructible. Hoovie's Garage did some crazy stuff with his and it's a literal tank