Quite a coincidence, but I am the original owner of a 1983 300TD and a 1998 Landcruiser 100. Both have about 205,000 miles. TD is for summer, LC is for winter--I also live in the rust belt.

They are both wonderful vehicles but I could never bring myself to drive the TD in the salt--it would have dissolved long ago if I had. If you can only have one of them, and live in the rust belt, go for the LC--mine is just now starting to show some rust--I hope to get 4-5 more years out of it. The LC requires much less maintenance than the TD and I must say, in my old age, I prefer the seating position of the LC on long trips. On the other hand, the TD is the most graceful wagon ever built--my biased opinion--and you don't see yourself coming down the road very often.

If you lived in Australia, you could get the LC 100 with a 6 cylinder turbodiesel instead of the V8 gasser--that would solve your dilemma--and mine too.

Peter