Last weekend I joined Airdrie’s Awesome Walk and Run Club for my first Saturday morning run. I’ve signed myself up for a half marathon in September and I’m overdue to start training. But this isn’t about running… I’m going to bore you with Land Cruiser talk.
The group met at Tim Hortons, and as I was leaving a young man in the car parked next to me made some effort to get my attention. I rolled down my window and he just wanted to tell me how nice my LX470 looked. It’s 20 years old, and nearly in showroom condition… I keep it pristine. These trucks have a cult following, and this young man is very much a member of that cult. As am I.
What followed was a ~30 minute talk and celebration of Land Cruisers, those Japanese trucks which are legendary for their durability and longevity. This young man was in town from Fernie, where he is part of a Land Cruiser club. His vehicle is a Lexus GX470, which is a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. My LX470 is a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser J100 wagon. He has over 350000kms on his GX and he can’t see any reason to replace it with anything else, as it still works like new. Mine has only 125000kms and I plan on keeping it until I’m dead, which is hopefully a long time.
This young man’s family is from Pakistan, where these vehicles are highly prized for their ruggedness, particularly in a hostile environment with bad roads. In the mid east, far east, Russia, Africa and the third World, these vehicles are highly prized and sought after due to their capabilities and “unkillable” reputation. Here in North America, they aren’t nearly as appreciated… For the same money the typical North American will choose something flashier like a Range Rover or Escalade. Longevity matters less when you get a new vehicle every few years. But we have our cult.
My Cruiser, the J100 version has recently gained collectible status. The most prized Land Cruiser wagons are the 80 series which were built from 1990 to 1997. When Toyota debuted the 100 series to replace the 80 in 1998, it came with a V8 for the first time, and independent front suspension. Off road purists mourned the loss of the live front axle, but for the majority of drivers, the vastly improved on-road handling is a worthy trade-off for a marginally reduced off road capability. The 100 series offers a combination of v8 power, great handling, a smooth ride, vault-like build quality and legendary durability that is unmatched in any vehicle of this class. It took a bit of time before they were properly recognized, but they’re now considered by some to be the best sport utility vehicle ever built. I share that opinion, but I’m biased of course. Prices on used ones are skyrocketing.
I bought mine 2 years ago. At the time I had a new Mazda CX90 which was beautiful, luxurious, efficient, and powerful… and I hated it. Too complicated, too fussy, too many screens and menus and nanny technology. I wanted something analog and well built and durable. I wanted a Land Cruiser. I was lucky to find mine, which had been recently traded in at the Mercedes dealership in Kelowna with only 80000kms and a flawless history with zero accidents and exhaustive service records.
I love it and I’m never getting rid of it.
Here’s a cool video if you want to learn more about the Land Cruiser in all its forms. The new Land Cruiser sucks btw. Hybrid, turbo. Barf. Sorry if you bought one.
