I have a '79 FJ40 that i've had for about 5 years, however am looking to get a newer one because driving back and forth from Dallas to College Station isn't very much fun. I am thinking about an FJ62 or an FJ80... 1989-2000. I don't know much about these trucks but think they're really cool and reliable and I wanna stick with a Land Cruiser, they've served me well. Does anyone own one of these? Got any tips or advice?

You going to sell the old one?

If you're looking for an FJ 80, http://forum.ih8mud.com/ used to have a lot of great info. (I was looking at 'em a couple of years back, but the gas mileage scared me off)

I'm actually not selling my 40... It'll be in my family forever... Sorry, friend

The 80s are super nice if you can find one with low miles. I have a '79 FJ-40, but it's not an every day driver. There's more info over on IH8MUD than you can ever learn. Go check it out.

Definitely check out IH8MUD. There's also a good cruiser section at www.pirate4x4.com (or at least used to be). I have an '84 FJ60, but it doesn't get driven much anymore. The 2F engine is not the most powerful, but is fairly reliable from what I understand. Mine has a 350 in it and has for many years. That's a very common swap.

For a daily driver, I'd definitely recommend an 80 over a 60. Quite a bit nicer inside, fuel injection, more comfortable suspension, etc.

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driving back and forth from Dallas to College Station isn't very much fun.

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You're not doing it right. Take the top and the doors off(assuming they're on there), take it out on the highway at no faster than 60 mph. Enjoy the scenery.

I'm on my second Land Cruiser and am a big fan of them. I don't think you can buy a better balance of stock off road capability, reliability, and comfort. My first one was a 2000 and I would still have it if I hadn't wrecked it. I had a 4X4 tundra for 4 years and recently traded it for an '05 Land Cruiser. I've put a lot of miles on toyotas and never had a serious problem beyond regular maintainence/wear items.
So here's my biased advice - for a daily driver that you plan to leave stock, look for a '99 or newer. The previous generation had less hp (smaller engine) and I believe the 4x4/all wheel drive system was different than it is on the newer versions. The pre-'99s were probably more off road capable, but the newer generation is more comfortable on the pavement. Toyota has shaped the LC into it's premium luxury SUV over the last 10 years or so and I'm sure that sacrifices some of the off-road capability and rugedness of previous models. However, I think very few LC owners have found the limits of this vehicle. Starting in '03 almost all LCs came with a nav system and rear entertainment system - which may be important if you have kids.
My take on the '05, it's smooth on the pavement but seems to have more body roll than the '00 I had before. It could just be me, but it really seems like this one doesn't handle as well as the '00 did. I've heard people complain that LCs are underpowered with the 4.7 L, but I'm happy that I get 17+ mpg on the highway and have never run into a situation where I didn't have enough power. One thing to note, the LC has the same engine as the tundra (previous gen) but the LC weighs a little more. Don't expect to win any drag races, but the LC has a low range if you absolutely need it.
I really think these vehicles are a good value if you can find a clean one with around 100K miles. Like all the 4.7 L toyotas, they are due for a timing belt at around 100K miles. Other than that you can expect them to go beyond 200k with very few problems or major expenses.

They seem like great trucks. They've been in my family for a while. My mom had an 89 then a 93 when I was a kid. My dad has an 85 that has around 400,000 miles on it. The only thing that scares me is the gas mileage... For that reason it's between an FJ80 and a newer tacoma 4x4. The only problem is that I don't have a lot of money so the 80 may win out. I appreciate the help.

And I would take the top off a lot more if it wasn't such a hassle. It takes forever to get off and when I put it back on it always squeaks like crazy.