I have a friend at work who has a 1995 Land cruiser ,we have been debating which would be better for the long haul,ultimate "bug out" vehicle,offroad and durability.
- ifs vs solid front axle
- 3.0 v6 vs 4.5 inline 6
-torsion and leafs vs coils and links all the way around
-seating for 4 vs seating for 6
- availability of parts and ability to make bullet proof
I love my 4runner but the more I think about the Land Cruiser the more I like it,prove me wrong?

 

The only downfalls the landcruiser has is poor gas mileage, expensive parts, and no manual tranny in the. U.S. market. Aside from that I think they are the most capable off road vehicles ever built.

 

i assume the auto is pretty stout,I also do not know a thing about how the T-case works on the 1995 Land cruiser.I assume it is an all wheeldrive sysem?

 

It's full time 4wd no 2wd at all there is a differential in the transfer case when the transfer is put in 4lo the differential locks automatically on 95-97 models 93-94 have a switch on the dash to lock the diff. 93-94 use a very heavy duty auto trans Toyota used it in buses in Japan, 95-97 models have a heavy duty 4runner auto.

 

ill have to check his tranny,his was made in aug of 1994.might have the larger tranny huh?

 

never really checked out a series 80,these rascals are pretty stout underneath.

 

Both vehicles if properly equipped and maintained both have proven records..IMO it comes down to personal preference.
LC has more room but is gonna suck gas
4runner fits between trees better
So many pros and cons for both vehicles...
Now if one of them had a multi fuel engine like military trucks that would be a deciding factor..it could run on gas, diesel, etc...

 

I like the small nimble feel of the 4runner myself,parts are more plentifull and I do get a lot better fuel mileage than my buddys 1995 FZJ80.I really like the coils,full floating rear end and link suspension of the cruiser but if it had a standard transfer case and locking hubs it would be over for me.I have taken my runner through some steep tight spots and it still impresses me

 

how about a land cruiser with a 4bd1/2t swapped in. then you can pull down close to 30 mpg. and mechanical injection with ease of running alternate fuel. a bug out rig is useless in an emp event. it can be built to the hilt but if the electronics are fried it just another useless pile. a mechanical diesel doesnt need electricity to run and can run on used motor oil in an emergency

 

I think 30mpg would be dreaming, the 1HZ turbo diesel 80's imported from japan hit about 20-22mpg max.

 

check out 4bt swaps.com and a lot of guys are reporting mid thirties swapped in smaller suv's with the right gearing i think you could hit that but at the same time you would be losing some crawl with the higher gears. were the 1hz's idi or di?

 

my family has owned landcruisers since i can remember, and i personally drive a 86 4runner. the landcruiser will suck gas like its going outta style, while the 4runner is a little more forgiving. yeah the landcruise will carry more people but if you're buggin out i dont think youre too worried about seats. and if you take the top off the 4runner you can mount a ma deuce on to the roll bar but its still all up to you.

 

The 80 series landcuisers are known for being the best factory offroad vehicle ever produced. Don't get me wrong, 4runners are nice and capable...but there really is no comparision.

 

My dad has one. The thing is a tank. I wouldn't mind buying it from him and building it up. It's incredibly comfortable and I like driving it, but like everybody has said, it gets 12-15 mpg, parts are very expensive, and upgrades are also more expensive.

Also in particular, my dad's has 212K on the clock, needs to be painted, seats need motors and re-upholstering.

If I had the money I'd have both.

 

IDI
http://forum.ih8mud.com/diesel-tech-...nsumption.html

 

best is the cruiser it has more room and it is way better off road the mileage isn't that much of a difference. also the LC probably has a bigger gas tank. the parts aren't as easy to find but will last longer than the 4 runner.