MY RIDE- Reed Tolber- 1989 Land Cruiser FJ62

"Vintage has authenticity," says Charlottesville- and Fort Lauderdale-based attorney Reed Tolber, who says he's "always wanted to have an older Toyota Land Cruiser." The Tolber family's other vehicle, a newer Lexus SUV, is "way too luxurious to think of as a utility vehicle," he says.

Tolber discovered the Cruiser online at cars.com back in October 2004, and wasn't deterred when he learned it was far away– in Boulder, Colorado.

"I called my buddy in Harrisonburg and said, 'Hey, wanna take a road trip?'" The duo flew out that same month and then drove Tolber's Toy(ota) back to Virginia in two-and-a-half days using a handheld GPS to calculate speed. Why? "The speedometer broke," he laughs, admitting the Cruiser had a few issues. "I had to put some money into it."

In addition to replacing the speedometer and repairing the brakes, Tolber covered the floors with heavy rubber mats and the seats with canvas covers to keep it in pristine condition and to protect it from the muddy shoes of his 11-year-old twin boys.

And though he says he's not immune to the temptation of certain new cars, it'd be hard to give up the Cruiser, which has passed the 200,000 mile mark.

"It runs well," he says, "and it looks really cool."

Reed Tolber