I was actually more or less forced into buying mine through strange and extenuating circumstances. But, it's a v8 4x4 and even after 6k in repairs, I still love the stupid thing anyway... After weeks and weeks of reading, I more or less ended up with my ideal vehicle. Just need to keep pouring money into it until it's finally in good running order and reliable again.

Dishonest shops don't make that goal any easier. Think the end is in sight though.

For me, we got a 19' Airstream (Bambi), and was looking for a good tow vehicle for it. It was between this (V8) and a Sequoya. Tows very nicely, but definitely needed that V8 package.

OP's questions seemed mainly aimed at those buying used. Some of us have been driving year one T120s since new. ;-)

In my case, I needed to move up to an SUV from the coupes that I'd been owning since getting my license in the '80s. Some of those needs ruled out what passed for crossover type vehicles at the time. The 4th Gen was head-and-shoulders better than anything else available at the time. Even my #2 choice, the Pathfinder, still came with rear drums. Didn't necessarily set out looking for a V8, but the dealer already had '04s arriving on the lot so I made him an offer he (eventually) couldn't refuse on his NOS '03.

Even today, 18 years later, the only new vehicle I'm excited about is the Bronco...which, I'll probably have to wait at least 2 years before it becomes generally available. Never fell in love with the 5th Gen, especially with only a 3.5l V6 and that mid-cycle grill refresh. If Toyota ever releases a 6th Gen, it's got to measure up to the Bronco now, IMHO.

I chose the 4th gen, eventhough older 5th gens are similar prices is because I felt that V8 4x4 would hold it's value over most other models. Although the 3rd gen has seen a HUGE increase in price since covid, I owned two 3rd gens and they were a little too small from what I wanted.

The V8 4X4 had the right blend of rarity, performance, price point and possibility of some levels of appreciation due to the previously listed points.

no other model offered this motor, and people love V8's LOL

I chose 4th gen because I got an ok deal back in 2018 on a V8 4wd SE. Clean, AZ truck with no rust and only one owner. Poor guy traded it in for a Mazda...

I love the V8 and the size of the truck, but something is left to be desired. I really wish it was MANUAL. So at the moment, I'm heavily considering trading it for a manual FJ. Lemme know if anyone has input about this.

I’m one of those with multiple generation 4Runners. I’m sold on 4Runner reliability after putting 140k on my 3rd gen in 6 years, having taken it to 44 different states and on several 5k+ mile road trips to wheel it on the west coast. The only issues I had were with things I did or cheap parts the previous owner put on. Never left me stranded.

But, the 3rd gen isn’t the most comfortable on the highway. The ride is a little rough on pavement with the 33” ST Maxxs despite having Kings all around. Speeds above 70mph feel like you’re really pushing it.

So naturally when I started looking for a daily that was more comfortable the 4th gen was a good fit. Legendary reliability, extremely capable with some AT tires in stock form. Plus with the added features in the later years, like the side curtain air bags it is almost the same as a new 4Runner. And you can set the cruise at any reasonable speed and it won’t throw a fit with downshifting constantly.

My 2008 limited is 13 years old and cost a pretty penny for a vehicle that age, but it doesn’t feel dated. It’s got projector headlights, all the safety features I need, and with an aftermarket stereo it’ll have Bluetooth and a backup camera. The 5th gen has basically the same drivetrain, and didn’t see any real changes to the platform until they added TSS in 2020. Sure a 2020 would have been cool, but not for the price.

Plus an all color matched 4th gen limited in Salsa red pearl is pretty good looking if I do say so myself.

I am in the UK and you simply cannot buy petrol trucks or full size vans here. Modern diesels are a liability outside of warranty and I didn't want to lease. I am an electrician so I'm not lugging bags of cement and plaster around, so not having a separate load area is not a deal breaker.

So I decided to import my truck (Still not arrived! ) as the price was fairly reasonable for a 60,000 mile vehicle, it has well-regarded engine and drive train with timing chain, and the proper Hilux trucks with 4.0 V6 were only available to import in 2WD for some reason.