In ancient times, when the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 appeared on sale, the previous generation of Land Cruisers began to get cheaper. But after some time, prices for Land Cruiser 100 returned to the previous level.
And all because in the 200s Land Cruisers some problems were found in the steering mechanism and in the driveline. And the 100th Land Cruiser is still considered the standard of reliability, just like its predecessors.
Land Cruisers 100 are also different: there are hundreds, and there are one hundred and fifths. The 105th version is a modernized Land Cruiser of the 80th series, which has been produced since 1990. The 105th version was produced until 2006, but there the design is the same as on the 80th: a continuous front axle and the same engine.
But Land Cruiser 105 quite a rare car, it was purchased mainly by lovers of off-road driving. In most cases, on the Russian market, you can find Land Cruisers of the 100th series with the “VX” badge on the rear of the body. The tailgate of the hundredth version is double-leaf, divided horizontally, and the bumpers are painted in body color. It also uses a rigid frame and a 2-link front suspension.
Engines are also different: the most popular engine in Russia for the hundredth VX model is the V8, the volume of which is 4.7 liters. The same motor was then transferred to the 200th Land Cruiser. There is also a 2UZ-series motor, it lasts a very long time, although sometimes it happens that after 150,000 km. can burn alloy exhaust manifolds, each costing $500. In most cases, this problem happens on cars brought from America. Replacing one left manifold will cost $600.
But other than that, there are no more problems with the machine - the water pump, the viscous coupling of the cooling fan serve more than 200,000 km. Gasoline 6-cylinder modifications of the 105th Land Cruiser also last a very long time. This motor, with the code 1FZ, easily withstands 500,000 km. There are not even hydraulic lifters in the valve drive, and this one motor rarely needs valve adjustment.
The same unpretentious atmospheric 6-cylinder diesel engine 1HZ is still installed on the 105s, it was installed on the ancient 70s Cruisers of the 90s. This engine quietly runs about 700,000 km., Not very demanding on fuel quality. In some countries, versions with in-line injection pumps were sold, the power of which is 120 hp. with. This version is also unpretentious.
The Land Cruiser 100 is equipped with more modern 1HD modifications, with 4 valves per 1 cylinder, direct injection and turbocharging. But this diesel engine also has some problems: these engines are more demanding on the quality of the oil, and even 12 liters of oil are required when replacing. The quality of the weed must also be high.
These diesel engines have electronically controlled Nippon Denso high pressure fuel pumps, but they often fail after 150,000 km. And they can not be repaired, and the replacement will cost $ 5,000. The injectors clog fairly quickly. and valve clearances need to be adjusted over time.
The timing belt needs to be changed, and a signal on the on-board computer will remind you of this. Usually, on in-line diesel power units, the belt needs to be changed every 120,000 km. But the work of replacing the belt itself is not complicated and costs only $140. But on V8 engines, the work of replacing the belt costs 3 times more, and it will take a lot of time, but this belt lasts longer - 150 thousand km. And on 6-cylinder gasoline engines there is a chain that does not need to be changed at all.
There are modifications of the Land Cruiser 105 with a mechanical 5-speed gearbox, which was also installed on the 80th version. On the 100th version, the same version was installed, only slightly modernized. All these boxes are reliable, quietly serve for 400,000 km. Clutch enough for 200,000 km.
There are also automatic boxes, until 2002, 4-speed reliable automatics were installed, and after 2002, new 5-speed boxes were installed on the VX versions, which also last a long time.
By the way, the 100s Land Cruisers were restyled twice - in 2002, when the appearance of the car was noticeably changed, a new dashboard, inflatable safety curtains and a separate climate appeared in the car, and an updated 5-speed automatic transmission also appeared; and in 2005, when there were almost no external changes, but a more powerful engine appeared - the volume remained the same - 4.7 liters, and the power increased to 275 horses.
On the 80's and 100's Cruisers, permanent all-wheel drive is installed with a forced locking of the center differential and a reduction gear.
If the machine is actively used in winter, then after several winters, the mechanisms for engaging the locking center differentials are subject to corrosion. And also, the drain plug on the transfer case may turn sour, and oil in axles and transfer case should be changed every 40,000 km. But you should not be too zealous when unscrewing this plug, because cracks may appear in the thin case of the handout. There are cases that after 70 thousand kilometers the blocking electric motor fails, and repairs will cost about $ 1,000.
In 1999 was reinforced front gear Land Cruiser 100, and after that the problems with it disappeared forever. If you take cars of the early years of production, then when driving off-road, the teeth of the gears at the main gear are cut off. On a Land Cruiser 105 after 150,000 km. sometimes the front axle needs to be rebuilt, and that would cost about $3,000.
It is also necessary to spray driveshafts with each maintenance. inspection on all versions of Land Cruisers, then they will quietly serve 200,000 km. And if the car has wheels with a large diameter, then ahead of time all 4 crosses will fail, which cost $90 each, as well as wheel bearings, which cost $40 each. They also need to be looked after - once every 50,000 km. they need to change the lubricant. Also, do not forget to clean the breathers on the axle gearboxes, if this is not done, the axle shaft seals may leak.
Suspension
But you don’t have to worry about the suspension at all, the dependent suspension on the 105th Land Cruiser is especially good, there is nothing to break in it. Unless after 40,000 km. necessary replace worn stabilizer bushings which are quite inexpensive. Shock absorbers quietly serve for 150,000 km. And when it comes time to replace, you will have to spend about $ 150 for each shock absorber. As for the steering mechanisms, they serve at least 200,000 km.
The Land Cruiser 100 has independent suspension, which wears out ball joints, so when you change shock absorbers after 150,000 km, you also need to upgrade the lower control arms, which cost $ 300 each. If you often get into pits, then the levers will have to be changed after 70,000 km. When the supports are worn out, knocks do not appear, and you can determine that it is time to change them by pointing down the ball pin, these worn supports must be changed, because they will accelerate the wear of the entire suspension.
The steering of the Land Cruiser 100 is rack and pinion, the rack itself can easily withstand at least 150,000 km. A new rack and pinion will cost $1,000, but for those who want to save money, you can simply repair the old rack, which costs about $500 to repair.
The 100th Land Cruiser has the only serious troubles only with hydraulic suspension, on which a shock absorber resistance adjustment system and an automatic ride height adjustment system are installed.
The hydraulic suspension drops by 5 cm when the engine is turned off, and after the engine is started again, the car rises again to 22 cm. This is exactly the standard ground clearance of the Land Cruiser. There is such a function for off-road driving that the ground clearance can be increased to 27 cm. But for this you need to drive in first gear, the main thing is not to let the car slip, because the machine will switch to 2nd gear and the ground clearance will again be 22 cm.
Other minor annoyances include: body height sensors, which can fail if the machine has been standing in dampness for a long time. The wiring of these sensors can also rot. In addition, there are also 3 road sensors that cost $400 each, but you don’t have to buy new ones, you can just repair the old ones.
Do not forget that every 100 thousand km. I need to change the hydraulic oil. By the way, shock absorbers with hydraulic suspension are more expensive (about $ 100 more than regular shock absorbers) and last as long as shock absorbers on a conventional suspension. It happens that over time the suspension begins to leak, then the hydraulic pump turns off and the car gradually lowers and becomes less soft. After 250,000 km. hydraulic accumulators can fail, there are only 3 of them, each of which costs $ 300. As a rule, they break if the car often drives on serious off-road. In general, the hydraulic suspension is more expensive to maintain; it will cost about $ 2,000 to completely sort it out. Therefore, in order to save money, you can switch to conventional shock absorbers.
When choosing a Land Cruiser 100 for yourself, it is advisable not to buy a car after the guards who usually follow their boss's car. With such a ride, the Land Cruiser works at the limit of its capabilities, they can even collapse the body mounting cushions and crack the body. To restore such a car, you will need a considerable amount of money. But such cars are easy to identify - they have the entire front end sandblasted by the car in front. Also on such machines put more efficient brakes.
Don't buy versions collected in Africa or Arab countries. These cars have their own characteristics - there is no stove, there is another air conditioner circuit to cool the passengers. But after a few winters, the duralumin tubes of this air conditioner begin to rot. There is no corrosion protection on the southern versions, and they also have weak paint. Weaker battery, starter, and oil seals are not designed for frost. In general, many elements of the cooling system are not the same as on European versions.
As a rule, most cars on the market were bought new from authorized dealers. Basically, these are gasoline versions with a VX engine, now you can buy them for about 1,500,000 rubles. Turbodiesel Land Cruisers account for about 15%, but they cost more than the petrol versions by 70,000 rubles.
And this is not very cheap, as for such an old car, the Cruiser loses about 7-8% of the original cost per year. And this is no accident, because the car is really very reliable, in terms of endurance, the Land Cruiser 100 has almost no competitors. If you take a well-groomed copy, then in the coming years you will have to spend money only on gasoline, oil and insurance.
Of course, the Land Cruiser also has breakdowns, but they are much less than similar SUVs.
The feeling of driving a Toyota Land Cruiser 100 with a V8 engine
When you press the gas on the Toyota Land Cruiser 100, the car immediately starts to accelerate, excellent response to the gas pedal, acceleration during kickdown is especially felt.
The car enters the corners confidently, makes you want to turn at high speed. In general, the car has a considerable weight and size, but the road keeps well.
Luxury version of the Land Cruiser
There is also a more expensive outwardly car built on the basis of the Land Cruiser - Lexus LX470. In fact, this is the same Land Cruiser 100, first appeared in 1998, and these Lexuses began to be sold in Russia around 2002. There are not so many differences in the external design - a different front bumper, headlights, hood. Also, the Lexus has more chrome than the Land Cruiser. The salon looks more expensive, because high-quality leather and wood are used, the audio system is more expensive.
Lexus LX470 engine- 8-cylinder with a volume of 4.7 liters. The suspension here is also hydraulic, the steering mechanism is the same as on the Land Cruiser. Therefore, in technical terms, the Lexus is just as reliable as its cheaper brother.
But these cars do not have a significant price difference - the new Lexus was about $ 20,000 more expensive than the Toyota, and the used one was about 15 thousand rubles more expensive.