The Truth about Overlanding in a LEXUS LX470 / Land Cruiser E50 

Thanks for your honest opinion on the LX470. You're right, the Toyota IFS is not quite as good off-road as a solid front axle, but it is a very stout and proven unit. If you wanted to lift your Cruiser 3-4 inches, I would recommend doing a front diff drop that will help keep the CV axles from destroying themselves. However, I bet you like the nice ride and positive steering feel while pulling your trailer at 85mph on the highway. By the way, the best way to get better fuel economy is to slow down. You would probably save quite a bit of fuel at 70mph vs 85mph, especially while towing a brick of a trailer behind you, and a fully loaded roof rack. Although you can use regular fuel, Lexus says only in emergency conditions and to revert to 91 octane as soon as possible. Here's how it works, when you use regular, lower octane fuel, the engine computer retards the timing of the engine, which means less power is available. That forces you to put your foot in it more to get the same perceived performance, hence wasting more fuel. Another thing that is common over time, is a carbon build up in the cylinders and valves due to the constant overly rich mixture that is spraying into the cylinders . This is because the computer is trying to compensate for the low quality fuel you are putting into it. Also, it is quite common to start plugging up your catalytic converter because of the rich mixture as well. You'll know when you get a check engine light, and cats are not cheap. The best policy, if you plan to keep your Lexus, is to put in it what the factory has listed in your owners manual, including fuel, engine oil, oil filter, coolant, transmission oil, diff lubes, and transfer case fluid. You don't have to use a Toyota brand, but insure the oil weights are adhered, to and the coolant is compatible with Toyota products. Unlike American made vehicles, the Japanese are very particular in their engineering standards.

I bought a 2002 LX470 one year ago. The engine is legendary. I love this truck. Rust however is an issue (in the Netherlands). Fuel usage is also legendary but bearable when driving on LPG.

One of the best reviews I’ve seen so far, one day I hope to own one of these, I love this particular Lexus it will be a perfect match for the roads in my country Liberia, thanks once again.

My mom bought a LX470 new in 2005 then passed it on to me. I love that thing and lovingly refer to it as "The Tank". It's just over 250,000 miles and I'm hoping to keep it for as long as I possibly can! I often make fun of my MPG but it just comes with the territory. I have done an experiment where I tried premium and non premium and noticed a slight increase in MPG with the premium but not much, I just stick with the grade down unless I'm going on a long road trip. Take care of your LX because it will definitely take care of you!

I'm on my 6th Land Cruiser, after you own one especially those who use them and go overlanding or offroad trips you understand why cruiser owners are lifetime fans and most of us end up owning more than one. I choose the LC trim over the Lexus so I can dial in my suspension and lift. I'll take the reliability over the mpg's every day. Currently drive a 08 200 series with 160K I love it for overland trips and it does everything well the 5.7 is the most powerful LC I've owned.

Exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you.

THANK you for the VERY candid and TRUTHFUL review... I'm looking at one of these-- OR the GX470 and I need to know more of the differences.. I like the GX470 with barn door in back, but I like this too.. gas mileage on the GX470 is a bit BETTER from all reports i checked, and I'm not sure of the other differences..

Great review. I've had a '85, '97, '06 Lancruiser/LX's. I'll keep getting one. Fuel economy is a big down side. Maintenance is important.

This engine will take you to 1 million kms, and you can do another review then. Great video!

My wife’s…2004 has a cutout an insert in the frame crossmember…you can get a pintle hitch and get rid of the class 3 underneath…but I do love them, I’ve had a 93…and still have a 95 triple locked on 37’s and my wife has a 2004 lx470…I’ve had tons of pickups and tacos too, they just make good stuff

5 miles per gallon when pulling a trailer! Wow!!! Note to self, don't pull a trailer. Great honest review. I'm in the market for an LX470.

Nice video, thanks for sharing ✌

Well said. Everything you said isvtrue and valuable, yet I like my GX refrigerator style back doors. They are mire practical, yet they look more Utilitarian and they are less aerodynamic.

There is an absolute ton of aftermarket stuff for these in Australia, with the aussie dollar being relatively lower at the moment you may be able to import direct. Diff locks and suspension are very well supported here and it may be cheaper.

Good honest review of a nice rig. Thx!

This was an excellent video. We are wanting to travel full time. We will have a travel trailer to live in, tow vehicle, and our 2nd vehicle will be our exploring vehicle. Not going to do any major off-roading, but want to get in the outdoors. I am totally with you on keeping it stock. Not wanting any big mods or anything. Comfort major plus (seems to you have give up comfort if you want 4WD in some brands). You thoroughly answered many of my questions and I was super excited UNTIL the gas mileage. Man....that is a killer. We recently drove a Sequoia and loved the space, but was thinking TOO big, and then a 4-Runner but inside was a tad bit small (we do not have kids but "fur" babies.....so need space for camping gear and dogs). So we are looking for a happy medium. I have owned a Toyota Highlander for years now and it has been the most reliable vehicle ever but made the mistake of not getting a 4WD. So wanting to upgrade that, but not wanting a huge SUV. We will be towing our kayak/camping trailer. It prob won't be as heavy as your camping trailer.....but just wondering how bad it will kill the gas mileage. ..... sorry for rambling on, but the search for a good vehicle is daunting, and I really appreciate this detailed review.

Nice honest review

Picked on up this week, one thing I was not expecting was how high the registration would be at the DMV. Just over $400 here in NC. It should not be that much next year but still.

Bought our 98 Land Cruiser with 160,000 miles 7 years ago, and it looked and drove like new. Since owning I've replaced the brake pads, alternator, upgraded to an Odyssey battery, changed the front outer wheel bearings, replaced sway bar bushings, plus regular maintenance. Total cost of ownership so far ~$11,000 minus tires and oil changes. 241k miles now and she still drives like new. (And is worth $7,000) $4000/84 months is $47.62 per month owning one of the very best off-road vehicles ever made. PS mine has center and rear diff locks, not A-TRAC

I guess that I got lucky, hand calculated and adjusted for tire size difference I normally get about 14 to 15 mph, haven’t seen less then 12. That is with lift, 33 tires, steel front and rear bumpers and rtt that is on a vehicle full time. My is also a 99 so only a 4speed.

Nice review, so nice to have someone speaking truth and not just drinking the cool-aid!

I had a 2002 and a 2006. Regular fuel doesn't give you good fuel economy and the engine will run a little sluggish. Though I almost always used premium fuel (Costco prices are great) on the road I sometimes would use mid-grade. I found the fuel economy was almost the same as premium and no sluggish engine. I now have a 2014. I've gotten as much as 17mpg on the road, much better than the 14 to 15 max on my previous ones. BTW, I'm Anal about keeping track of mpg. I keep a record of my miles and gallons refueled at every fill up, so these are very accurate numbers. Remember, these are 3 ton vehicles...heavier than a suburban!

Love the Land Cruiser Btw you should’ve gone for 80 series if you wanted to fit bigger tyres and required front solid axle. You have all the benefits of the 100 series with additional of a solid front axle. Or you could looked for an Australian import 105 series which is a 100 series with a solid axle and driver trains from the 80 series. It comes with a 4.2D inline 6 1HZ or a 4.5L Petrol inline 6 1FZ-FE.

Do not downgrade what you have! You have the best vehicle in history

I have jeep xj and Toyota vios. Vios 1.5 cc engine best fuel economy. Now planning to get lx470.

⚠ LX470 vs Landcruiser compared ✔ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hpE5FRNRdIs.html

Duck🦆 me dead☠️😂 I thought eventually I'd have to upgrade from my '97 Toyota 4runner (surf) limited v6 auto w/347k miles but.. now I know I MUST own a lx470😍

I am reposting this as it's own comment to help the community. If you have experienced battery loosing juice after sitting for a couple of the days, your mechanic or dealer may suggest bad alternator (not charging correctly) or the fuse/relay box by the driver's footwell (which will cost you $2k+). It's actually none of them, it's the DVD player installed by the dealer in the back that drains the battery when the car is off. I bought mine with 99k + miles, and it would not keep charge after one day sitting. I did some research and the owners b4 me changed the alternator and battery three times, thinking it was not charging correctly. I was still puzzled about the battery issue. One day I was sitting in the car with everything off and I started hearing something from the back and surely enough, it was the rear DVD player cycling. I disconnected it and the electrical issue is gone. The battery keeps charge for more than a week. Did not tested to failure.

I took my LX470 on an ORV trail. She had no problem until I got to a really narrow and tight turn. A big tree root jumped out and dented my front passenger fender. Broke my heart, but I didn't buy her just to stay on the pavement.

I am looking to get into a 2006 LC or an LX because I want the VVTI that came with those years. I have three kiddos and I noticed you do too. How is the bench seat with three car seats in it? Do the tether points come standard on the floor in this year? Great review and I appreciate any info.

Really enjoyed your video.. Thank you for sharing

Yes you should have a great run with that vehicle. I have a couple, a 62 series high roof for the last 24 years, it has 700k on the clock, original, my "campervan" with all the usual stuff for outback trips in Oz and an LX470 l, with lockers and all the usual outback necessities also, including 141L fuel tanks standard here in Oz and uprated springs for the AHC(standard LC 100 rear springs and adjusted up front 13 turns!). you're right that once you have one you'll learn to really appreciate it and keep it for a long time. They don't just feel solid they are. Given the right maintenance they will last for as long as that is done. Yes they love a drink but it's offset by its quality, capability and reliability many times over. "Bullet proof" as long as they are not abused badly, they won't break things.abuse them badly, they will break, it's reality. Still the 62 series was the first Toyota I bought and is the cheapest vehicle I've owned. I'm 62 and had a few cars and 4WD's in my time.

🎬100 series vs 200 series compared, Which to buy?: @eHK8

Wow, those mileage figures are horrendous. I have a 2008 LX570 here in Australia. Normal highway use (here the max speed limit is 110kmh or 68Mph) I get 16 to 18L/100km (14.7 to 13.1mpg). Towing our full height 21 foot caravan (travel trailer) I get 24 to 29L/100km (9.8 to 8.1 MPG). One thing I found with my mileage was that I only tend to drive my car a few miles per day. The mileage was getting worse and worse. I went on holidays for a month and came home to find the battery dead flat. After charging it up and using it again the mileage seemed to reset to a lot better and has remained so. Not sure why.

Nice vid. How do you keep the vehicle in 'low' mode? Thanks

This summer we did a Colorado road trip from Oregon in my 2003 Tacoma 4 door with my homemade camper, It was great fun. 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs,

Excellent Vehicle 😊❤️

the only issue i ever had is that its so reliable that my problem was the bolts generally seized up when i really do need to take off parts. most of the electronics ive had a problem with only needed to be removed and cleaned up instead of replacement. in my experience just make sure you keep your transaxle and differential fluids and drive shaft grease maintained with all that overlanding.

Would you choose a different Rig for 6 month Central and South America road trip? I'd love to take my 2006 Honda Ridgeline with 135K miles on it. It is very comfortable to drive, get's decent mileage 16 city / 20 hwy, has a very good AWD/4WD system to handle situations where traction is sketchy BUT I believe this vehicle was only sold in Mexico and Chile and low volume. So parts and expertise to repair it if needed are dismal. I'm thinking I need a Toyota vehicle for this trip as dealerships for these products are everywhere in C.A. and S.A. So, other than the 3 level Ride Height system, are all the other mechanical and electrical parts for the LX the same as the Land Cruiser...interchangable? If the ride height system fails, what happens, does it default to Normal height? and does the suspension still work? is it drivable with a failed Ride Height System? If you were in my shoes, taking this trip solo, would you say go for a similar aged (J100) Land Cruiser instead or will the Tacoma and/or 4-runner be a better choice for reliability and ease of repair?

Was this posted on BFA or elsewhere before? I swear I saw this already. lol Anyway nice work and I appreciate the realistic and thoughtful review, I love my LX!

My dream car

I'd love one here in the UK but with our fuel prices the way they are it's really a bit nuts

Its not that we are fanatic about land cruisers, it's that the land cruiser is the BEST vehicle ever made in human history.

great vehicles , they handle -50f and colder Alaska temperatures and harsh off road conditions well . id have one if it wasn't for the fuel economy

You said that you love the size of this truck because you have children. What would you suggest as the Ultimate truck if children are not a factor? Thanks!

O man so sad in the USA you don't get the Land cruiser diesel engines

Is there anyway to juice up the hp of the engine?

Not going to complain anymore about my FJ’s 19mpg.

What was wrong with the XJ?

bulletproof. I put 330k miles on my landcruiser always using regular gas, mostly highway commute and snow ski miles. Zero rust and no need to stop driving or sell it; purrs like a kitten, just regular wear and tear maintenance required and everything works. Im gonna replace steering wheel and front seats leather soon.

what size tires are on this one?

What size tires?

Hey y'll.....Please help me decide between LX470 and Land Rover Range Rover Vogue (HSE?). 2008 model both. My need is daily drive of....well, not more than 10 miles to office an back. Forget that, one these is want I'm looking for. I know I have to burn my pocket (quite) a bit. I think I can survive that :) Also I have been searching for head to head review (video or site) between these two. There seems to not a single video. Please share the link if any of you sees one Cheers!!

Id swing to some good ol springs and lift it 3 inches.

It quit running a few times when you took it out west, did you ever determine what the cause of the issue was?

Lol. You were surprised about fuel mileage?

Late to this post, but that is actually pretty bad fuel economy, even for a 100... I have a 2001(so 4spd) with 35s(somewhat short 35s) and I get around 14 just driving here and there. Live out in the country so all trips include a bit of 55 highway to get anywhere, so if you are stop and go I can see the 12, but it's on the low side of normal. I knew I had a failing transmission when I was coming back from a trip out west when I was getting 11-12mpg at 80 on the interstate, with a thule roof top carrier, and the weight of front/rear bumpers, winch, skids, fridge, etc... I felt the torque converter locking and unlocking constantly... I know towing is another thing entirely, but yikes...that it definitely bad... You are the only one who knows your actual usage pattern, and whether it might be outside the norm or not...hopefully you are still enjoying your rig at this point...

driving my 100 series in australia i pay $1.30 a litre love the car but hits the side pocket eh

Can I ask how many miles you bought yours with and a price point?

DId you buy a Canadian edition LX470? It has headlight washers.

Are those 275/70/18 ko2s?

Yours is identical to mine. The only thing you said I wasn't sure about was the premium fuel. What type of problems are associated with running lower octane fuels? I always run 87 octane, but if that is a problem then I may change it.

No one I know drives a Land Cruiser because of its fuel efficiency

What about suburban?

You do not have trash(jeep bmw land rover MB jaguar VW Audi Maserati alfas Nissan Subaru most Ford's most Chevy all Dodge and Chrysler products, etc) you have the BEST VEHICLE EVER MADE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

Get a drop hitch and flip it up

Loved the review! Checkout my latest upload, I’ve got an 07 Cruiser Cygnus (basically exactly equivalent of your LX) It’s simply a beauty

I'd still rather have the XJ

You went from a jeep(pure turd) to the best vehicle ever made in human history. Enjoy it

XJ is a unibody glorified car , please don’t compare the two.

HaHaHa, You had a Jeep and now you are worried that your Toyota may not be reliable? HaHaHa...

These videos are too long. And upside down. Driving issues first. Interior issues last.

I'm completely sorry. But you guys are all toyota sheep. These are nothing better here in the drivetrain than a GM; and - in fact, they are worse. Any LS series engine is more powerful and more durable than this overhead cam engine that will drop valves when you forget to change the timing belt. This is the reason why GM engines are used in marine applications and the engine for this thing is not. Its not reliable enough to meet the requirements. The gas mileage is nothing to brag about either. Despite its massive size, my range rover would tow it backwards. Have fun dreaming about a vehicle that will "last" longer than you need it to. You don't need to drive it for 600,000 miles. You might drive it for 100k and then you will give up. Do yourself a favor and buy something that doesn't break the bank. Even if the repairs are a bit more expensive on a gm or jeep, its not by a large margin at all. Let's say your gmc needs to have a motor rebuild, junk yard engine is going to cost you just as much as a doing the timing chain on this over priced wanna be luxury gas-hog.

What size tires?