100 vs 120 Series

[Anwar]

Dear all

I know they are not direct competitors but I am considering replacing my 1991 80 Series. I would like the 100 but am put off by potential AHC issues and the fuel consumption. Could anyone tell me if it's easy to ditch AHC in the event of problems e.g. just bolting on 4 bilstein dampers, and also please give me an idea of real world fuel consumption with 4 speed auto, 5 speed auto, with or without chip.

The 120 appeals for being potentially simpler, more economical, and for any given price I can buy newer / lower miles.

Many thanks.

 

[Graham]

I have a 120,, I presume we are only talking diesel.
Not all the 120 are traditional coil springs.
I think you can also buy a 100 series, which has traditional coil springs, and nothing more.
You know the 120 is a 3.0L and of course weighs lighter.
So the 120 will always give better fuel consumption.
I feel a general mixed overall fuel consumption difference would be 10% in favour of the 120.

The 120 is good, but so is the 100.

I do very low miles in my 120 now, so perhaps i will be looking to step up to a 100 series, but without the funky suspension.

Gra.

 

[Gary Stockton]

I wouldn't have thought the 120 was simpler than the 100. Lots of electronics especially in the auto LC4 and LC5 what with stability control, ATRC, DAC, yaw control, speed sensors etc etc

I'd have thought an older 100 would be the same really, with steering wheel motors, memory seats, ATTC, VSC etc.

Simplicity = 80 series I suspect

 

[Gary Stockton]

Gra, I'm not sure on the fuel consumption. As soon as you modify the 120 in terms of tyres and suspension lifts, fuel economy takes a dive. I never get much better than 12litres /100km and I don't thrash it...

That extra 1.2 litres and 2 cylinders of engine, for not a huge weight increase, counts for quite a bit ...

 

[silvercruiser]

Well i know what im upgrading to when the time comes. 100 all the way

 

[Doodle]

I'm thinking exactly the same. My Collie is great for hacking about off-road, but I'm much more comfortable in a 100.

 

[Anwar]

Thanks guys.

Have been having second thoughts about trading the 80 this morning, but would like to put family in something a bit more modern/solid/comfortable and as my 80's only a 5 seater I'd quite like to have the extra perches. The 80 has a good solid chassis, but not sure the body matches it. Have had a drive of a 100 and thought it was fabulous, so smooth. But 17 mpg urban is a bit lower than i'd like. My 80 seems to do 21 mpg everywhere.

Had insurance quote on a 120 this morning, and because it passes the 7 seat threshold and is an 8 seater, it is £400 more pa to insure! Personal injury claims spooking the underwriters according to A-plan.

 

[Graham]

Thanks guys.

Have been having second thoughts about trading the 80 this morning, but would like to put family in something a bit more modern/solid/comfortable and as my 80's only a 5 seater I'd quite like to have the extra perches. The 80 has a good solid chassis, but not sure the body matches it. Have had a drive of a 100 and thought it was fabulous, so smooth. But 17 mpg urban is a bit lower than i'd like. My 80 seems to do 21 mpg everywhere.

Had insurance quote on a 120 this morning, and because it passes the 7 seat threshold and is an 8 seater, it is £400 more pa to insure! Personal injury claims spooking the underwriters according to A-plan.

.
Very strange.
Where are you?
A lot of us are paying less than £400 totally.

Gra.

 

[uHu]

Dear all

I know they are not direct competitors but I am considering replacing my 1991 80 Series. I would like the 100 but am put off by potential AHC issues and the fuel consumption. Could anyone tell me if it's easy to ditch AHC in the event of problems e.g. just bolting on 4 bilstein dampers, and also please give me an idea of real world fuel consumption with 4 speed auto, 5 speed auto, with or without chip.

The 120 appeals for being potentially simpler, more economical, and for any given price I can buy newer / lower miles.

Many thanks.

Don't let the ahc scare you off in any event. All cars will need new springs and dampers every few years, and the cost will be the same whichever type of suspension is there already. You will need 4 new springs and 4 new shockers in any case. (Well, the front TB springs last quite long, but the original rear coils start loosing it after only 5 years). Only a bit more work if you want to remove all the dead weight = ahc parts (actuators, accumulators, pump, pipes, ecu).

Consumption: Better get a Mondeo or Passat then, or a Prius. Anyhow, the 5-sp is slightly better, and much nicer to drive. Consumption depends on you foot, chip or no chip. In any case, the hdj100 is quite thirsty.

 

[Anwar]

Live south Birmingham. Even the wife's low risk policy on a 12 year old Mondeo is £400.

Not really interested in a Prius, my second car is a 3.8 litre M5. But it's worth asking the question, and the difference between 17 mpg and 23 mpg is more than 25%. So would consider a manual car, or 5 speed if one comes at right price. My drive to work is usually 8 miles in heavy traffic (the M5 does more than 25 mpg on the motorway but nearer 12 at a crawl) and I'd like to think i'm getting 20+ mpg. But also needed 4WD to get to the hospital this winter and only really like Landcruisers!

 

[uHu]

The hdj100 is made with 5-speed manual, at least as lhd, which gives a much better mpg figure; but they are rare.

... The 80 has a good solid chassis, but not sure the body matches it. Have had a drive of a 100 and thought it was fabulous, so smooth...

Forgot to mention, the chassis of a 100 is even stronger, wider and more rigid.

 

[Anwar]

Thanks. Sounds like I need a manual GX!

Thought the 100 was way stiffer than 80

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

RHD manual box 100's come up every now and again but they are actually quite rare compared to say a manual 80

 

[Chris]

in blue anyway

C

 

[Anwar]

Don't let the ahc scare you off in any event. All cars will need new springs and dampers every few years, and the cost will be the same whichever type of suspension is there already. You will need 4 new springs and 4 new shockers in any case. (Well, the front TB springs last quite long, but the original rear coils start loosing it after only 5 years). Only a bit more work if you want to remove all the dead weight = ahc parts (actuators, accumulators, pump, pipes, ecu).

So it's quite easy to delete AHC?

I had heard the spheres fail and cost £500 each, similarly the rear height sensors. Is this scaremongering or a real issue? I drove a car with AHC and thought it was a superb system. The ride in 'comfort' was fabulous.

 

[Anwar]

Don't let the ahc scare you off in any event. All cars will need new springs and dampers every few years, and the cost will be the same whichever type of suspension is there already. You will need 4 new springs and 4 new shockers in any case. (Well, the front TB springs last quite long, but the original rear coils start loosing it after only 5 years). Only a bit more work if you want to remove all the dead weight = ahc parts (actuators, accumulators, pump, pipes, ecu).

So it's quite easy to delete AHC?

I had heard the spheres fail and cost £500 each, similarly the rear height sensors. Is this scaremongering or a real issue? I drove a car with AHC and thought it was a superb system. The ride in 'comfort' was fabulous.

Edit: have seen thread on Pleiades spheres, so there's hope on that score!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

The AHC is fairly easy to delete, just needs new conventional springs and shocks all round. Now Pleiades are doing replacement spheres you can change them all for not much over £500 if you have to. There are a lot more things to go wrong on the AHC than conventional suspension but it's quite a nice system if you'll be keeping the truck fairly standard and not going far off the beaten track.

3 abreast in the back seats of a 120 must be a bit of a squeeze unless they are 3 bean poles, they are quite a bit narrower than a 100.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Don't try anyone bigger than a 4-year old in the 3rd row though - just isn't any space there really. I've taken mine out, told the insurers it's now only a 5-seater and got a discount - yay!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Chris]

Only 'cos you're with Saga, Gary

C

 

[Dark Dude]

The AHC system is brilliant, no other word for it and if your wife is anything like mine, trust me, you will thank Mr T everyday for it's inclusions. Driving a AHC equipped truck is like floating on silk. It is that sweet! So leave the conventional springs and dampers for the jungle bunnies because they are not needed on the tough urban streets of Birmingham or Tottenham and if things should go wrong, it isn't going to cost the earth getting it fixed, if you follow Jon's advice and see the dudes at Pleiades.

Right now I couldn't be happier with my UZJ100 LPG after a year of happy motoring.

John