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Howdy to all reliable vehicle fans!

J

joeyjune

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Jun 23, 2017
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uk
I am in a hurry so can't tell the whole story but basically.....
After 2 horrific experiences of Discos, 2 even more horrific experiences of Volvo XC90s, various awful experiences of other similar attempts at making a reliable 4x4 with 7 seats (which I need), I have given up and decided to get the one vehicle I could never afford (and still can't!) but which I know won't cost me £500 every couple of months on repairs (i.e. Volvo)!!!!!

I am about to buy, but looking for some experienced guys to offer some advice on whether I should go for the 4.2D Amazon VX in 80 or 100 versions?

I have seen a beautiful 100 series which is massively overpriced (no I mean really, it is way over priced!) but was obviously in love with it. I like OLD stuff, I don't care if it makes me sound old and grumpy (no denial either!), I just firmly believe stuff isn't made like it was. My experience of Volvos in the 90s led me to losing a fortune on two XC90s which are in my view, JUNK, or as my friend says "rebadged Renualts". So my gut says the 80 series is "probably" a superior vehicle to the 100 , but the 100 does have some great comfort and features for me and my family, so I am probably most tempted to for the 100 over the 80.

FUEL ECONOMY is my main issue, and I of course know we don't buy these trucks for fuel economy reasons, but we do still have to shell out the cash to give them their life blood so it IS an issue for anyone who doesn't own their own oil rig or money tree. Therefore I suppose if I could only ask one question here, it would be......

"Which is better on fuel, the 80 series or 100?"

Hoping for some advice before I dive in and no doubt spend many an hour on this wonderful forum finding out how to tweak it and beautify it :)
Thanks all
 
Thought about the 120 at all? Economy and acquisition price are a bit softer. 7 seat. Good 4x4 too.
 
Almost an impossible question to answer.
A 100 might squeeze a few more MPG but not that much, but if it cost twice as much to buy, how many miles could you drive on the difference if you had an 80?
Problem is finding an 80 that isn't going to need a whole load of maintenance thrown at it to get in in top condition. They're built fantastically well but that doesn't make them reliable all by itself. A 100 is more like to be in mechanically better service condition simply due to being newer.
120 is a good option to consider. Better MPG all round, simple build, reliable and comfortable plush cheaper and there are dozens to pick from.
 
Hmm, never considered it as assumed too much money but as usual, assumption is the mother of all mistakes so I will go have a look now, thanks for the reply!
Only comment I would make is that my mechanic/friend who is a 20 year LC fanatic, he said that many newer models are like chalk and cheese compared to the Amazon. i.e. the Colorado which his girlfriend had while he had his Amazon VX. He said they were like different motors altogether. He did also say he doesn't believe anyone who gets more than 20mpg out of a 4.2 Amazon of any age, I suspect he is a bit heavy footed or just had bad anecdotal experience, I would certainly be pleased if I could get mid 20s. My Volvo XC90 (gutless car come school run vehicle which can handle a gravel drive at a push :D) gets 27-28 for me. So going from that to the car of my dreams and it costing only a few mpg would be a great turn up. I am probably being over optimistic though, but this is where my decision is hinged really, trying to get the best chance of mid twenties MPG, 80, 100, or now..... 120.... will have a look thanks
PS - what is the MPG on the 120 assuming you have one?
thanks again
 
Thanks Chris, sorry for asking the impossible, that's usually my wife's hobby not mine :D
Again the 120 rears its head. not seen the prices yet but doing that now, thanks v much
How much better on fuel are they, noticeably better or just a smidgen?
 
PS, sorry i should have asked, what year does the 120 start? Most ads don't say 100 or 120 so I am going to just search by age
 
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PPS, I have never liked the sound of LPG conversions but I have seen an Amazon running on LPG. if anyone has views on this please say in case I am overlooking something good
 
hmm. I have had a look and these 120s are darn cheap compared to older ones. Clearly a big difference in price so I have to ask, surely there is clearly a big difference in quality? or not?
 
The thing with all Landcruisers is just that - They're ALL Landcruisers. They never made a rubbish one. The Collie and the facelift 120 series (basically a Collie but newer) are very very good motors.

You most definitely can get more than 20 mpg out of an 80. I have a 12v Auto here that does 25 mpg measured tank to tank on std wheels. I've had just over 29 from a 24v manual too. No question. The autos tend to be a little better geared for cruising. Maybe just 200 rpm less of so at 70 but they are generally better on fuel like for like. Now what you need is a 24v auto. Rarish but they benefit from the better engine and better transmission
 
Thanks v much Chris. Do you mean an 80 24v auto or any 24v auto?
Out of the 80,100 and 120, you think 80 is best for me then?
 
I'm talking 80's Joey. If you look at people's signatures you'll see what they are driving. I've had collies and 120's but never a 100. Driven one though and they're very nice.

Taken at face value that looks very nice. But I would bet it's not had its BEBs done nor will anyone have touched the front axle since the day it left Japan
 
Get a 24v 80, the best Landcruiser by far, You will need to pay for a decent one though.
Although I'm biased because we have three.
My brother has an 120 and it's not much better on fuel than my 80.
 
The best Landcruiser is the one you can afford to run and maintain and the worst is the one you can't .

If your worried about a few hundred quid a year in fuel i would say you should get the newest and best condition LC your budget allows because parts aren't cheap .
 
"My brother has an 120 and it's not much better on fuel than my 80" - thanks, so funny, you read all the specs pages etc (half knowing its a waste of time!) then you talk to real owners and confirm it was a waste of time! :D

"The best Landcruiser is the one you can afford to run and maintain and the worst is the one you can't" - I am not one for these one liner poetic sounding lines that sort of some up the entire word in one glib phrase. I can certainly see you are making a valid point, but I could disagree with it being taken literally on so many levels. For starters, the best LC isn't the one i can afford. The best LC is..... THE BEST LC! That's where forums came from, discussion, comparisons, road tests, drag racing etc etc. I am not sure what I can afford yet, so for now I am the stage of trying to find out which is THE BEST. If I can't afford that, well time to look at the second best. I still want to hear the experienced voices of those in the know, to determine (as best as possible, accepting it is at least slightly subjective) which LC version is the "best" in most people's opinions.

Such statements assume the entire world is a flat playing field, and all humans are the same. Cue the communists :). I live a fairly unconventional lifestyle, my work/income is varied and unconventional, my life choices and financial situation is very varied and pretty unconventional too. So a one liner really doesn't help me at all. Example - If I get the feeling (and I do thus far) that the LC80 24 valve is generally considered to be the best built LC, I could easily buy that one, and change the type/amount of driving I do. I have several vehicles to choose from, several different tasks to do each week etc. So I could, for example, get that "best" LC and not use it for some of the journeys I would use it for if it did 35mpg. Or on the other hand I could get a Mitsubishi Outlander which I am told does a good mid 30s mpg and use it for pretty much everything (not my plan of course hence why I am here, but it was an idea I had until I decided against mitsubishis).

Having said all that, ignoring the glibness of the phrase, I fully appreciate there is some good advice in there, namely that if I buy one and can't afford to maintain it properly, I may as well buy the worst one because it won't last or it will fail in ways I can't afford to repair! Point taken entirely there, and a good point it is.

Yet another example of why this is more complex... veg oil and/or biodiesel. I could get the newer 120 (which some say is better on fuel, let's just pretend it is significantly better on fuel for this point....) and run that at much better fuel economy rates. BUT, with more research I could have had the "better" LC80 and run that on veg oil, meaning I have a better vehicle running at lower costs! I am not saying that's possible, not yet anyway, it's part of my ongoing quest to find out all the info to make the most informed and careful decision I can, because one thing I know from bitter experience lately, is that changing cars is a costly business! I know I want a Toyota, 99% sure a LC, but which one is where I am right now.

Finally, whatever I buy, I WILL afford to maintain them properly regardless of what I have to do to find the money, other things will be sacrificed to ensure that one. It might mean I can't afford to drive it anywhere, but it certainly will be maintained whatever I buy. :)

Thanks again for all the advice
 
Our 2005 120 lc5 runs at 26mpg around town doing the school runs etc. Longer drives we've had better. The 105, admittedly not a useful metric here, is very much in the 20mpg ballpark.
 
That certainly does seem significantly better, thanks.
What's a 105? I think I have some learning to do! So far I have learned there are 80s, 100s and 120s! Did I hop skip a few in between? :D

While I am on the subject of lingo, what are BEBs? and what's a Collie when it's not a dog?!
 
I am quickly learning there are lots of things which need checking, specific to the LC, when buying one. Similar to all motors worth chatting about I suppose! I remember having saabs years ago and learning all their quirks and important checks like sump filters etc. I am totally green so far, so if anyone know of a list online of things to check on a vehicle you are considering buying that would be great, or just any important points listed here will do, I may start looking at some next week.
All i know of so far is checking for rot underneath (goes without saying), checking service history looks good, listening for dodgy rattles, and checking it drives properly and changes smoothly! If there are things I can ask before travelling hundreds of miles to look at any, that would be handy. thanks again, great forum
 
Just been reading Parkers specs just for comparison purposes, not to necessarily believe all the figures. The MPG looks pretty similar for petrol 80s and diesel ones, is there any argument for having a petrol based on the fact it's a bit cheaper per litre?
 
I too prefer older 'built to last" vehicles, the MPG difference between the models mentioned above, can be dismissed by a couple of spirited presses of the throttle so I would put that aside for the moment, I have seen as little as 23 mpg, and very conservative driving returning nearer 30 mpg from my own 80.

I agree the Volvo is expensive to repair as are the later Disco's, and I think a lot of this is because neither of them have particularly good aftermarket spares support, and herein lies the problem.

The Landcruiser on the other hand does have excellent aftermarket parts supply but the quality varies considerably. A Landcruiser run on a shoestring and having been held together by parts from the cheaper end of the price range will undoubtedly become a money pit.

I am unsure of your intended use, but serious off roading does not appear to high on your list so perhaps comfort is a higher priority? The 80 versus 100 versus 105 (pretty much a 100 body on an 80 chassis),

The 100 is more comfortable IMO, a well looked after example with FSH using OEM parts is not such a rarity as an 80, yes it will be pricy but will pay back over the coming years.

I have no experience with the 120, so will leave that to those who own/have owned that particular model

Regards

Dave
 
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