Kamil, great writing and a great story. Thanks for sharing with the ACF community.
As an owner of three different Grand Charokees you would not have been disappointed. However, you would not have had as much fun as making the Pardo your own.
I've been wrangling with the exact same JDM fantasies. I even found the holy grail diesel, manual, Prado. But of course they wanted a fortune. So I'm test driving a GX tomorrow! Thanks for the in depth article.
Fascinating. I had an acquaintance who drove a J70 Land Cruiser Prado (generation previous to your J90). Hers was a manual and a 3-door, and she drove that thing as well as anyone could. I never did get to ask her how she'd managed to acquire it.
I recently saw a Hilux Surf, which was related to your J90 and entirely the same body as our USDM gen. 3 4Runner.
The J90 is pretty interesting; it definitely looks like a proto-version of the J120 that the GX 470 ended up being based on. Can you imagine if Lexus had had the idea to do a smaller Land Cruiser variant in the 90s, possibly also with V8 power. Picture a GX 400.
For me, there would have to be a super compelling reason to get a JDM vehicle. It'd have to be something that absolutely wasn't offered here, and, as you pointed out, the J90 was similar enough to the 4Runner in every regard that mattered, especially with the 3.4-liter and AT. The only one I've seriously considered is the Toyota Century, and I honestly think my Jaguar XJ12 suits me better, anyway.
Meanwhile, I'm curious about your GX 470. Which year did you get? I and several other friends have considered them, but I've personally found them to be just about the most overrated used buys out there, in terms of price-to-value. People want $9K-plus for a twenty-year old luxury SUV with ripped seats, a cracked dashboard, large dents, and over 200K miles on the odometer. But they're nice trucks if you can find one for a good price, and in good condition.
Ugh. I didn't do well with the GX. It's not the car or its design. The previous owner(s) was an issue. I had it inspected by a competent friend who... missed a lot of thing. Not huge things but enough to annoy me,
If you're looking at a GX, IMO 2005-2009 are best years for the 470. Try to find non-white, non-nav model. I don't have any experience with the 460 short of coming up short on one on C&B.
Oh, wow. Well done. For some reason, I pictured a stock GX 470; I didn't realize you'd bought one that had already been done-up for off-roading. Looks great! A proper apocalypse vehicle, as long as those timing belts get done every 90K miles.
My first experience with the GX 470 was when someone down the street from us bought a brand-new one in August 2004 (twenty years ago!). I was 11. I told him it was a nice car, and it turned out he had a son my age. We became childhood best friends and I got to ride in the car. He still has it, too. I think his has under 200K miles.
By the way, the lack of a backup camera thing was 2003-only. The 2004s definitely had them, as the aforementioned 2004 had one, and was the first car I'd ever seen with one.
There was a time when you could get a GX 470 for pretty cheap, but now people have discovered that they're Prados and prices seem to be holding.
I was about to ask you if you bought it from the place in Hudson NH that always looks like it has 2 dozen imported JDM things. I drive by quite often and have to admit some of what is there is pretty interesting. At one point they had two Toyota Centurys sitting next to each other next to l half dozen Prados and other oddities.
Hi Phil. No, but I did chat with them. Tyler is a good dude. They're actually a really good importer, they carefully go over their vehicles and clearly state all/any issues but their prices do seem a bit high.
If I ever move back to Japan I'm going to get the manual license and see how long it takes me to acclimate to that. I didn't have problems with the stereo and HVAC controls, but the windshield wiper and turn signal stalks messed me up. And then they did it again when we moved back here!
There aren't many JDM cars I'd be interested in buying here. Id rather just move back and drive them in their native land. The used car market there is insane, with so many super cheap options. Just have to be conscious of the sha-ken.
Great article. I enjoyed reading about your experience, sort of the reverse of... Derek Kreindler? Was it he who moved out to Japan and brought his T&C with him? I remember the article on track at this moment and no more. Please accept my apologies if I got it wrong.
I always found it very easy to adapt to shifting with my left hand. But yes, it was the turn signal and wiper stalks that constantly screwed me up. Signaling turns with your windshield wipers doesn’t really convey a useful message to other road users….
I think driving stick RHD is easier than people think. The pattern isn't mirrored so it comes naturally and your dominant hand stays on the wheel. Also remember, most RHD countries don't have left turn on red. I'm pretty confident it's easier than left foot breaking.
Like Kamil, a few years ago I looked for an old Land Cruiser, but ended up with a 1st gen Montero after balking at LC pricing. The Montero was cool, but I liked looking at it better than driving it, (which is never a good sign for long term ownership, and is also the reason I eventually parted ways with my IS300 Sportcross). It was in its element on gravel roads or light off road situations, but woefully underpowered for everything else, even after I refreshed the engine.
Kamil, now that you’ve had the GX a while, would you still choose it over say a Tahoe or Suburban?
1st gen monteros / pajeros are in fact cool, especially 2 doors. The Tahoe might seem similar to a Prado on paper but they are so different in execution. The Prado won't rattle like a happy meal toy after thousands of off road miles. Toyota's truck engines and transmission are, and always have been, decades behind GM.
It is only after some truly lousy towing experiences that you really come to appreciate a proper “overkill” tow vehicle. I once pulled an S40 home from Annapolis on a tow dolly using a 2 door full size Blazer. Interstate 68 from Cumberland to Morgantown was not a particularly relaxing stretch. All those people who claim they pulled race cars over the Rockies with a 4 cylinder 5 speed Ranger and that you don’t need a full size truck or SUV to tow are jackasses. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should or that you’ll enjoy a single moment of it. Had I realized this lesson 3 years ago I might’ve saved a fair amount of money and made life a lot easier on myself.
Exactly. Why is every meal in new york city supppsed to be a life altering experience for people but towing a trailer is supposed to be done to the most miserable minimum like it's a hair shirt virtue test?
No, I don't think I would, but not for the reasons you may think. I think I made a bad choice with the GX - I should have gone with something smaller. I did look at Tahoes/Yukons with the 6.2 briefly.
"The Montero was cool, but I liked looking at it better than driving it, (which is never a good sign for long term ownership, and is also the reason I eventually parted ways with my IS300 Sportcross)."
HERESY! What didn't you like about driving the XCross? I still miss ours...
I tried to make mine into the perfect balance between practical and fun to drive, which included doing a 5 speed swap and a set of coilovers amongst other things, but it was never quite right, and it was difficult to right the ship of past owners' mistakes. Things I didn't like that couldn't be blamed on past owners: electrical connectors that disintegrated if you barely touched them, the best highway fuel consumption I ever saw was maybe 22 mpg, driver seat shape/position created leg cramps, and the car always felt heavier than it actually was while driving on exciting roads. In a lot of ways, an E46 330ci was probably a much better mousetrap.
I did like the car despite its foils, and probably would've continued down the rabbit hole of trying to make small improvements, but I found someone willing to trade a very clean FC RX-7 convertible instead. Usually I don't understand it when people have multiples of the same car, and I already have an FB RX-7, but the convertible is a significantly different driving experience, and I ended up liking the feel of the chassis so much that it influenced my choice of race car further down the road. Sorry for the novel!
Ah yes. The MPG was shockingly bad... but we had ours in the golden days of $2.50/gal -ish in SoCal. The G35 of the same era drove lighter and more direct, but I'd always chalked it up to the SportX's staggered tire sizes. Maybe the issue is deeper in the XE10's DNA.
Amazing you did the manual swap. Someday, I'd love to turn a SportCross into a stealth 5-door Supra Turbo.
I do still want a V12 Century with a wool interior, though. I’m over déclassé vegan leather bullshit. And some wackos in New Zealand make an ITB kit for the 1GZ if I wreck the car. https://youtu.be/SRJKNS5gZgk?si=nAFEr2MotPWnmJC8
Duncan Imports in TN has a dozen for sale. One is even LHD. Looked at that site after watching the Car Wizard’s recent video. The engineer guy at Automotive Press on YouTube also has a video on the Century I need to watch. They are so cool and the V12 takes it to another level.
I owned the G60’s nearest Lexus sibling: the LS 600h L. By that, I mean those two cars were the only Toyota vehicles to use that 5.0-liter V8/hybrid powertrain.
I am disappointed that the G70 is an SUV, and I’m even more disappointed that it’s on the transverse-FWD-based TNGA-K platform. They couldn’t figure out how to adapt TNGA-L (LS, LC, Mirai) for that?
you wrote: _I imagine that RHD driving with a manual transmission vehicle would be significantly more challenging, but I do not have that experience._
I do have that experience. Half a lifetime ago, I was sent to Capetown, South Africa for work. All of the rental vehicles were right-hand drive and, upon getting in, I realized, also manuals. I immediately thought, "oh, shit" but then figured, "well, here we go." turns out it was a breeze.
granted, I am left handed, so that may have had something to do with it.
I hate these things. When I was in highschool my father decided to leave his job and become a missionary in Africa. It was exactly as stupid then as it sounds now. (Yes Jack "Things fall apart" is close to the top of my favorites list). This crazy lifestyle choice maybe could have been excused as a bit naive for the year 1930, but it seems pretty fucking ignorant for 2004.
While in Kenya our family had a GX Prado with the naturally aspirated 4cyl diesel. I'm still not sure quite why I hated it so much. Maybe it was suddenly riding in a piece of shit, dog slow Toyota that had replaced our shiny new Eddie Bauer Ford explorer (which as a 15 year old I was expecting to learn to drive with), maybe knowing that it was paid for by begging money, er "fundraising", or maybe because I was denied the first world fun of the freedom of a highschool senior year with a car. The truth is probably the most selfish and shallow of the available options.
I didn't get my license until I turned 20 and conned my way, on my own, into a $500 1993 jeep Grand Cherokee. I spent my senior year of college driving as aggressive as possible around any and every soccer mom in a Lexus GX (and somehow paying car insurance with band gig money- my coverage must have been.... minimal; good thing I never had a claim) . That 318 was shockingly effective in a 3,800lb jeep. Unlike a Toyota prado/Lexus GX, the jeep could actually accelerate uphill.
Some time after graduating, getting a real job (that by the way doesn't involve begging for money) and paying off my student loans, I purchased another (this time $2,500!) grand cherokee. A jeep wj as a winter beater. Turned out to be a fucking nightmare- poor build quality, expensive parts, much more difficult maintenance. Who the fuck thought aluminum heads on an iron block was a smart move?
Maybe my parents were actually just trying to do some good in the world after a lifetime grinding away in a capitalist America. Maybe everything isn't as simple as it seems when your 16. Maybe Jeeps aren't always better than Toyotas. I still think Prados are dumb.
This is text book Jeep, when you get a good one, they are the best, but you have no way of knowing if the one you're about to buy, especially new, is in fact a good one.
Regarding the missionary thing: you have articulated a position that is completely overlooked by our society at large, which is that missionaries are absolutely beggars existing on the handouts of the congregation back at home. My ex-in-laws were missionaries in Asia for 16 (yes! 16!) years, and they absolutely were just living for free the entire time under the guise of, well, whatever the hell they were actually doing over there. Which near as I could tell was just doing their own thing. Always seemed incredibly scammy to me.
I should have elaborated that the Mormons don’t really fit the model I was ranting about. Not saying any of the missionaries are bad people but the whole concept just seems a bit wrong
Nice write up! I am still amazed that any JDM cars make it to the states after having been picked over by the Canadian, UK and Aussie markets long before they turn 25! I can recall riding around in R32 GT-Rs that friends of mine bought in the late 00s, for what now seems like ridiculous money. Same with the Delica craze…
I don't think the assumption is that JDM cars are necessarily better than USDM cars, rather there is the acknowledgement that the United States missed out on some great Japanese cars (infamously the Skyline GT-R) and also that the Japanese versions of the models these manufacturers sold in the US were for whatever reason (I'm thinking for reasons of litigation) decontented for the American public, which sucks.
Compare an early 2000's Lexus GS300 to a JDM only Toyota Aristo to see what I'm talking about..
I have a 100 series Land Cruiser I bought from the 2nd owner when we were going to have surprise twins. I paid almost nothing for it, compared to the current inflated prices, and it had a mere 125k miles on the odo.
My dear and fluffy Lordt does not often smile on me, but he did that day.
Dude, the 100 series is a peach. The absolute best mall crawler. Bulletproof and as much like driving on a cloud as any car that isnt a sedan made by a M, L, RR, or B company might be.
Jack says a friend reports that they are expensive to maintain. Has that been your experience?
they can be, but that hasn’t been my experience. I bought mine in 2019 as a kid hauler and then the late unpleasantness hit, so my driven miles are low.
You can have some abs issues that will lock a wheel at speed to remedy the problem (scary) if you don’t keep the front wheel bearings adjusted and the brake fluid changed (or get the tone rings dirty crossing streams). The ABS pump is about 1300 or so last time I looked. But you can still buy a lot of Aisin parts for them, so you don’t have to buy the junk from the box stores to fix them. Plus there’s a lot of collective intelligence for them, so nearly everything that goes wrong with them can be dug up on ih8mud or another forum.
For example: The timing belt is a $1500 job if you pay to have it done every 90k because the front of the engine has to come off, but the parts from Aisin are like $250 (if you renew the water pump, etc same time) and you can do it in a weekend if you’re even remotely mechanical.
You must stay on top of maintenance, but if you do they’re generally not expensive at all to upkeep and will make 500k miles without any fuss.
For example, the window rubbers that hold the glass in the electric window regulator track via friction have aged and shrunk on mine, so my kid yoinked one out of his back door local to his booster seat. I ordered new ones through my toyota dealer and had them here in a day for peanuts (like $10 apiece).
I should also add that the vehicle is built entirely with service and maintenance in mind. The whole door panel is held on with three screws and 4 plastic removable tabs instead of eleventeen stupid clips in a cardboard door card that all disintegrate upon disassembly. The oil filter is above a bolt on trapdoor in the lower body armor that protects the engine. Even the heater core is easy to swap.
Resident keyboard overlander and 100 series owner (second part was redundant after the first). Great article, also as a former mass resident it drove me nuts keeping vehicles on the road in that state and its hostility to vehicles more than a couple years old. It seems your experience was relatively pain free at least.
About a quarter of the way through the article I found myself asking why you didn’t just buy an GX and then got to the end. Well done! If you don’t need the space in the hundo the GX is probably better in most ways for Dd/city duty. Having said that high ground clearance and robust build quality are required for the failed state roads of that area.
The roads have gotten much worse over the last ten years. Tire sidewalls and spares are needed, I have no idea how people drive their sports cars, I couldn't. I haven't noticed hostility to older vehicles, I'm not sure what you mean?
I should preface in saying simply older vehicles are more likely to run afoul of the safety and emissions inspection regime of the state… if you are a modification enthusiast or maybe short on money driving an older vehicle things can be a real pain in the ass.
Many years ago I had an SVT focus with a catalyst that failed, requiring either an expensive replacement or an off road pipe and tune to take care of the emissions stuff. After a few years of this the inspection process progressed to involving scanning of your cars ECU to detect “tampering”. If your car was found to have been “tampered” with a “helpful” mandatory appointment was made on your behalf with a “motorist assistance center” where a guy would go over your vehicle with a fine toothed comb to determine if your exhaust, ECU, emissions equipment etc is tampered with and if fines or corrective action is needed prior to re-inspection, of which you have a limited time before you can get pulled over and cited.
This trend continued with a number of other vehicles I’d modify and drive or vehicles with a license plate frame or whatever a given garage wanted to upcharge to “fix”. I don’t miss living there.
Smart buying the state-side supported 5VZ 3.4L. Loved it in my '96 4Runner. The story goes that Toyota had their Hino heavy truck people develop it. Iron block, just about unkillable. People used to modern power might be disappointed, but I personally thought it made excellent torque and was very well matched to the 4spd auto. My '96 with its rated 190hp was much less annoying to drive on the highway compared to the constantly downshifting rental '17ish tacoma I had with the 3.5L+6spd auto.
Kamil, great writing and a great story. Thanks for sharing with the ACF community.
As an owner of three different Grand Charokees you would not have been disappointed. However, you would not have had as much fun as making the Pardo your own.
Thanks!
I had some mild plans for that GC. I may still end up with one. I'd love a '18+ Trackhawk V8 with lux pack.
I've been wrangling with the exact same JDM fantasies. I even found the holy grail diesel, manual, Prado. But of course they wanted a fortune. So I'm test driving a GX tomorrow! Thanks for the in depth article.
Fascinating. I had an acquaintance who drove a J70 Land Cruiser Prado (generation previous to your J90). Hers was a manual and a 3-door, and she drove that thing as well as anyone could. I never did get to ask her how she'd managed to acquire it.
I recently saw a Hilux Surf, which was related to your J90 and entirely the same body as our USDM gen. 3 4Runner.
The J90 is pretty interesting; it definitely looks like a proto-version of the J120 that the GX 470 ended up being based on. Can you imagine if Lexus had had the idea to do a smaller Land Cruiser variant in the 90s, possibly also with V8 power. Picture a GX 400.
For me, there would have to be a super compelling reason to get a JDM vehicle. It'd have to be something that absolutely wasn't offered here, and, as you pointed out, the J90 was similar enough to the 4Runner in every regard that mattered, especially with the 3.4-liter and AT. The only one I've seriously considered is the Toyota Century, and I honestly think my Jaguar XJ12 suits me better, anyway.
Meanwhile, I'm curious about your GX 470. Which year did you get? I and several other friends have considered them, but I've personally found them to be just about the most overrated used buys out there, in terms of price-to-value. People want $9K-plus for a twenty-year old luxury SUV with ripped seats, a cracked dashboard, large dents, and over 200K miles on the odometer. But they're nice trucks if you can find one for a good price, and in good condition.
Ugh. I didn't do well with the GX. It's not the car or its design. The previous owner(s) was an issue. I had it inspected by a competent friend who... missed a lot of thing. Not huge things but enough to annoy me,
If you're looking at a GX, IMO 2005-2009 are best years for the 470. Try to find non-white, non-nav model. I don't have any experience with the 460 short of coming up short on one on C&B.
I had a 2021 GX 460, but I bought it brand-new and sold it for a profit. It was cool.
I assume you don’t still have the GX 470? How long did you have it?
I do have it. My daughter loves it!
Here is a little write-up on it. In this article are links to others:
https://www.hooniverse.com/this-is-how-i-fixed-many-issues-on-my-lexus-gx-470-part-i/
More, chronologically backwards, sorry:
https://www.hooniverse.com/everything-thats-wrong-with-my-2003-lexus-gx470/
https://www.hooniverse.com/this-lexus-gx470-is-the-replacement-for-my-jdm-land-cruiser-prado/
Oh, wow. Well done. For some reason, I pictured a stock GX 470; I didn't realize you'd bought one that had already been done-up for off-roading. Looks great! A proper apocalypse vehicle, as long as those timing belts get done every 90K miles.
My first experience with the GX 470 was when someone down the street from us bought a brand-new one in August 2004 (twenty years ago!). I was 11. I told him it was a nice car, and it turned out he had a son my age. We became childhood best friends and I got to ride in the car. He still has it, too. I think his has under 200K miles.
By the way, the lack of a backup camera thing was 2003-only. The 2004s definitely had them, as the aforementioned 2004 had one, and was the first car I'd ever seen with one.
There was a time when you could get a GX 470 for pretty cheap, but now people have discovered that they're Prados and prices seem to be holding.
Here's my experience with a brand-new GX 460: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-2021-lexus-gx-460-premium-w-sport-design-a-childhood-hero/
"the good Lord did not bless me with intelligence, common sense, or the understanding of time and money"
i feel seen
You and me both, brother.
Yeah but at least my dick is average at best.
I was about to ask you if you bought it from the place in Hudson NH that always looks like it has 2 dozen imported JDM things. I drive by quite often and have to admit some of what is there is pretty interesting. At one point they had two Toyota Centurys sitting next to each other next to l half dozen Prados and other oddities.
Hi Phil. No, but I did chat with them. Tyler is a good dude. They're actually a really good importer, they carefully go over their vehicles and clearly state all/any issues but their prices do seem a bit high.
If I ever move back to Japan I'm going to get the manual license and see how long it takes me to acclimate to that. I didn't have problems with the stereo and HVAC controls, but the windshield wiper and turn signal stalks messed me up. And then they did it again when we moved back here!
There aren't many JDM cars I'd be interested in buying here. Id rather just move back and drive them in their native land. The used car market there is insane, with so many super cheap options. Just have to be conscious of the sha-ken.
Great article. I enjoyed reading about your experience, sort of the reverse of... Derek Kreindler? Was it he who moved out to Japan and brought his T&C with him? I remember the article on track at this moment and no more. Please accept my apologies if I got it wrong.
youre going to learn to drive rhd stick immediately
i drove a buddies r32 gtr around the block and it took me all of 48 seconds to come to grips with changing gears lefthandedly
I had the same experience when I was in Capetown, South Africa. Came to me almost immediately. granted, I am left-handed, so that may have helped.
I always found it very easy to adapt to shifting with my left hand. But yes, it was the turn signal and wiper stalks that constantly screwed me up. Signaling turns with your windshield wipers doesn’t really convey a useful message to other road users….
Thomas Kreutzer!
I knew I had it wrong! I don't know why I keep getting those two mixed up in my head. I've even had nice exchanges with Mr. Kreutzer here.
I think driving stick RHD is easier than people think. The pattern isn't mirrored so it comes naturally and your dominant hand stays on the wheel. Also remember, most RHD countries don't have left turn on red. I'm pretty confident it's easier than left foot breaking.
Right turns on red is one of the things that marks us as a civilized nation, and indeed a bastion for those seeking freedom and a good life.
More road rage has been prevented by right turn on red than almost anything else... of course, sometimes it also causes it!
Like Kamil, a few years ago I looked for an old Land Cruiser, but ended up with a 1st gen Montero after balking at LC pricing. The Montero was cool, but I liked looking at it better than driving it, (which is never a good sign for long term ownership, and is also the reason I eventually parted ways with my IS300 Sportcross). It was in its element on gravel roads or light off road situations, but woefully underpowered for everything else, even after I refreshed the engine.
Kamil, now that you’ve had the GX a while, would you still choose it over say a Tahoe or Suburban?
1st gen monteros / pajeros are in fact cool, especially 2 doors. The Tahoe might seem similar to a Prado on paper but they are so different in execution. The Prado won't rattle like a happy meal toy after thousands of off road miles. Toyota's truck engines and transmission are, and always have been, decades behind GM.
I used to tow my race Neon behind a 100 series V8 Land Cruiser. Second worst tow vehicle ever. My 5 speed discovery was the worst. But this was close.
It is only after some truly lousy towing experiences that you really come to appreciate a proper “overkill” tow vehicle. I once pulled an S40 home from Annapolis on a tow dolly using a 2 door full size Blazer. Interstate 68 from Cumberland to Morgantown was not a particularly relaxing stretch. All those people who claim they pulled race cars over the Rockies with a 4 cylinder 5 speed Ranger and that you don’t need a full size truck or SUV to tow are jackasses. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should or that you’ll enjoy a single moment of it. Had I realized this lesson 3 years ago I might’ve saved a fair amount of money and made life a lot easier on myself.
Exactly. Why is every meal in new york city supppsed to be a life altering experience for people but towing a trailer is supposed to be done to the most miserable minimum like it's a hair shirt virtue test?
Because we're broke assed ? .
I have no real excuse but have done many slow tows with at the very least decent brakes but insufficient power .
The thought of towing anything with my 2.5Liter 5 speed Ranger makes me cringe .
-Nate
No, I don't think I would, but not for the reasons you may think. I think I made a bad choice with the GX - I should have gone with something smaller. I did look at Tahoes/Yukons with the 6.2 briefly.
"The Montero was cool, but I liked looking at it better than driving it, (which is never a good sign for long term ownership, and is also the reason I eventually parted ways with my IS300 Sportcross)."
HERESY! What didn't you like about driving the XCross? I still miss ours...
I tried to make mine into the perfect balance between practical and fun to drive, which included doing a 5 speed swap and a set of coilovers amongst other things, but it was never quite right, and it was difficult to right the ship of past owners' mistakes. Things I didn't like that couldn't be blamed on past owners: electrical connectors that disintegrated if you barely touched them, the best highway fuel consumption I ever saw was maybe 22 mpg, driver seat shape/position created leg cramps, and the car always felt heavier than it actually was while driving on exciting roads. In a lot of ways, an E46 330ci was probably a much better mousetrap.
I did like the car despite its foils, and probably would've continued down the rabbit hole of trying to make small improvements, but I found someone willing to trade a very clean FC RX-7 convertible instead. Usually I don't understand it when people have multiples of the same car, and I already have an FB RX-7, but the convertible is a significantly different driving experience, and I ended up liking the feel of the chassis so much that it influenced my choice of race car further down the road. Sorry for the novel!
Ah yes. The MPG was shockingly bad... but we had ours in the golden days of $2.50/gal -ish in SoCal. The G35 of the same era drove lighter and more direct, but I'd always chalked it up to the SportX's staggered tire sizes. Maybe the issue is deeper in the XE10's DNA.
Amazing you did the manual swap. Someday, I'd love to turn a SportCross into a stealth 5-door Supra Turbo.
Great article!
I do still want a V12 Century with a wool interior, though. I’m over déclassé vegan leather bullshit. And some wackos in New Zealand make an ITB kit for the 1GZ if I wreck the car. https://youtu.be/SRJKNS5gZgk?si=nAFEr2MotPWnmJC8
I'm very interested in a V12 Century.
G50 Century, JC Cosmo, late model FD RX7, and R32 are all tops of my JDM wishlist … but G50 century actually feels feasible to make happen.
I think our host is not the biggest fan of the G60 Century - but I’m obsessed. Had the good fortune to be driven in one on a few work trips - love it.
To the contrary. I'd give up every street car I have for one in a heartbeat.
Duncan Imports in TN has a dozen for sale. One is even LHD. Looked at that site after watching the Car Wizard’s recent video. The engineer guy at Automotive Press on YouTube also has a video on the Century I need to watch. They are so cool and the V12 takes it to another level.
I owned the G60’s nearest Lexus sibling: the LS 600h L. By that, I mean those two cars were the only Toyota vehicles to use that 5.0-liter V8/hybrid powertrain.
I am disappointed that the G70 is an SUV, and I’m even more disappointed that it’s on the transverse-FWD-based TNGA-K platform. They couldn’t figure out how to adapt TNGA-L (LS, LC, Mirai) for that?
Fortunately G70 is only supplemental to G60 and they still buy sedans in Japan.
you wrote: _I imagine that RHD driving with a manual transmission vehicle would be significantly more challenging, but I do not have that experience._
I do have that experience. Half a lifetime ago, I was sent to Capetown, South Africa for work. All of the rental vehicles were right-hand drive and, upon getting in, I realized, also manuals. I immediately thought, "oh, shit" but then figured, "well, here we go." turns out it was a breeze.
granted, I am left handed, so that may have had something to do with it.
Rented a manual RHD last year and it was no problem at all. Am right handed but have been driving manuals for a little while now.
You know, I completely forgot that I did drive a RHD/stick HiLux... it required a little more focus but I was fine.
I hate these things. When I was in highschool my father decided to leave his job and become a missionary in Africa. It was exactly as stupid then as it sounds now. (Yes Jack "Things fall apart" is close to the top of my favorites list). This crazy lifestyle choice maybe could have been excused as a bit naive for the year 1930, but it seems pretty fucking ignorant for 2004.
While in Kenya our family had a GX Prado with the naturally aspirated 4cyl diesel. I'm still not sure quite why I hated it so much. Maybe it was suddenly riding in a piece of shit, dog slow Toyota that had replaced our shiny new Eddie Bauer Ford explorer (which as a 15 year old I was expecting to learn to drive with), maybe knowing that it was paid for by begging money, er "fundraising", or maybe because I was denied the first world fun of the freedom of a highschool senior year with a car. The truth is probably the most selfish and shallow of the available options.
I didn't get my license until I turned 20 and conned my way, on my own, into a $500 1993 jeep Grand Cherokee. I spent my senior year of college driving as aggressive as possible around any and every soccer mom in a Lexus GX (and somehow paying car insurance with band gig money- my coverage must have been.... minimal; good thing I never had a claim) . That 318 was shockingly effective in a 3,800lb jeep. Unlike a Toyota prado/Lexus GX, the jeep could actually accelerate uphill.
Some time after graduating, getting a real job (that by the way doesn't involve begging for money) and paying off my student loans, I purchased another (this time $2,500!) grand cherokee. A jeep wj as a winter beater. Turned out to be a fucking nightmare- poor build quality, expensive parts, much more difficult maintenance. Who the fuck thought aluminum heads on an iron block was a smart move?
Maybe my parents were actually just trying to do some good in the world after a lifetime grinding away in a capitalist America. Maybe everything isn't as simple as it seems when your 16. Maybe Jeeps aren't always better than Toyotas. I still think Prados are dumb.
This is text book Jeep, when you get a good one, they are the best, but you have no way of knowing if the one you're about to buy, especially new, is in fact a good one.
This story should be a whole novel unto itself. Part "Mosquito Coast", part "Anywhere But Here". And well told. Thank you.
Jeeps are always better than Toyotas because the doors come off Jeeps. Real ones anyways.
Regarding the missionary thing: you have articulated a position that is completely overlooked by our society at large, which is that missionaries are absolutely beggars existing on the handouts of the congregation back at home. My ex-in-laws were missionaries in Asia for 16 (yes! 16!) years, and they absolutely were just living for free the entire time under the guise of, well, whatever the hell they were actually doing over there. Which near as I could tell was just doing their own thing. Always seemed incredibly scammy to me.
The Mormons make it make sense, kind of: your expenses are covered during your mission, but as an adult you're expected to cover the youth missions.
I should have elaborated that the Mormons don’t really fit the model I was ranting about. Not saying any of the missionaries are bad people but the whole concept just seems a bit wrong
Nothing is like it seems when you are 16!
Nice write up! I am still amazed that any JDM cars make it to the states after having been picked over by the Canadian, UK and Aussie markets long before they turn 25! I can recall riding around in R32 GT-Rs that friends of mine bought in the late 00s, for what now seems like ridiculous money. Same with the Delica craze…
Nooooo, this is Australia, we can’t have people making decisions for themselves.
To important a JDM vehicle < 25 years old, it needs be listed on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles register first.
Rumour has it that Toyota Australia lobbed the government of the day to close down the “Grey” import market. So we ended up with SEVs instead.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/vehicles/rvs/specialist-enthusiast-vehicles
another reason to hate the australian government
Damn, I thought you had good access to the JDM market. I guess that just leaves Canada as a prime territory for imports on the 15-year rule!
I don't think the assumption is that JDM cars are necessarily better than USDM cars, rather there is the acknowledgement that the United States missed out on some great Japanese cars (infamously the Skyline GT-R) and also that the Japanese versions of the models these manufacturers sold in the US were for whatever reason (I'm thinking for reasons of litigation) decontented for the American public, which sucks.
Compare an early 2000's Lexus GS300 to a JDM only Toyota Aristo to see what I'm talking about..
Someone needed to say this about JDM stuff.
I have a 100 series Land Cruiser I bought from the 2nd owner when we were going to have surprise twins. I paid almost nothing for it, compared to the current inflated prices, and it had a mere 125k miles on the odo.
My dear and fluffy Lordt does not often smile on me, but he did that day.
Dude, the 100 series is a peach. The absolute best mall crawler. Bulletproof and as much like driving on a cloud as any car that isnt a sedan made by a M, L, RR, or B company might be.
Jack says a friend reports that they are expensive to maintain. Has that been your experience?
they can be, but that hasn’t been my experience. I bought mine in 2019 as a kid hauler and then the late unpleasantness hit, so my driven miles are low.
You can have some abs issues that will lock a wheel at speed to remedy the problem (scary) if you don’t keep the front wheel bearings adjusted and the brake fluid changed (or get the tone rings dirty crossing streams). The ABS pump is about 1300 or so last time I looked. But you can still buy a lot of Aisin parts for them, so you don’t have to buy the junk from the box stores to fix them. Plus there’s a lot of collective intelligence for them, so nearly everything that goes wrong with them can be dug up on ih8mud or another forum.
For example: The timing belt is a $1500 job if you pay to have it done every 90k because the front of the engine has to come off, but the parts from Aisin are like $250 (if you renew the water pump, etc same time) and you can do it in a weekend if you’re even remotely mechanical.
You must stay on top of maintenance, but if you do they’re generally not expensive at all to upkeep and will make 500k miles without any fuss.
For example, the window rubbers that hold the glass in the electric window regulator track via friction have aged and shrunk on mine, so my kid yoinked one out of his back door local to his booster seat. I ordered new ones through my toyota dealer and had them here in a day for peanuts (like $10 apiece).
I should also add that the vehicle is built entirely with service and maintenance in mind. The whole door panel is held on with three screws and 4 plastic removable tabs instead of eleventeen stupid clips in a cardboard door card that all disintegrate upon disassembly. The oil filter is above a bolt on trapdoor in the lower body armor that protects the engine. Even the heater core is easy to swap.
But also: 14mpg. :D
Resident keyboard overlander and 100 series owner (second part was redundant after the first). Great article, also as a former mass resident it drove me nuts keeping vehicles on the road in that state and its hostility to vehicles more than a couple years old. It seems your experience was relatively pain free at least.
About a quarter of the way through the article I found myself asking why you didn’t just buy an GX and then got to the end. Well done! If you don’t need the space in the hundo the GX is probably better in most ways for Dd/city duty. Having said that high ground clearance and robust build quality are required for the failed state roads of that area.
The roads have gotten much worse over the last ten years. Tire sidewalls and spares are needed, I have no idea how people drive their sports cars, I couldn't. I haven't noticed hostility to older vehicles, I'm not sure what you mean?
I should preface in saying simply older vehicles are more likely to run afoul of the safety and emissions inspection regime of the state… if you are a modification enthusiast or maybe short on money driving an older vehicle things can be a real pain in the ass.
Many years ago I had an SVT focus with a catalyst that failed, requiring either an expensive replacement or an off road pipe and tune to take care of the emissions stuff. After a few years of this the inspection process progressed to involving scanning of your cars ECU to detect “tampering”. If your car was found to have been “tampered” with a “helpful” mandatory appointment was made on your behalf with a “motorist assistance center” where a guy would go over your vehicle with a fine toothed comb to determine if your exhaust, ECU, emissions equipment etc is tampered with and if fines or corrective action is needed prior to re-inspection, of which you have a limited time before you can get pulled over and cited.
This trend continued with a number of other vehicles I’d modify and drive or vehicles with a license plate frame or whatever a given garage wanted to upcharge to “fix”. I don’t miss living there.
Interesting. And sorry to hear that. In my 20 years of living here, I had no such experience.
Nice and good to see you didn't have all the hassles I had with R.H.D. cars when I went through that phase .
-Nate
Smart buying the state-side supported 5VZ 3.4L. Loved it in my '96 4Runner. The story goes that Toyota had their Hino heavy truck people develop it. Iron block, just about unkillable. People used to modern power might be disappointed, but I personally thought it made excellent torque and was very well matched to the 4spd auto. My '96 with its rated 190hp was much less annoying to drive on the highway compared to the constantly downshifting rental '17ish tacoma I had with the 3.5L+6spd auto.