Thanks for your message; just saw it (how do I get notifications when someone responds to a post??) Anyway, yeah......I wouldn't hesitate to pay another thousand or two to get a new one, obviously, but what I see for the most part is that a new 2019 would be much more......and then there's the old "amenities creep" thing where it starts at $30K, and then there's this fee and that fee, etc, etc, and next thing you know it's $36K.

I have always shared the concern about rental cars, but I did some reading, and a really good article pointed out a few actual advantages: they are regularly maintained, tend to be lower mileage, etc, etc. I know there are strong opinions about this, and I'd love to hear them, for or against, because there's a lot of former rental runners out there.

About those amenities, I never pay for dealer add ons. it's a dang rip off and I always haggle to get that cost removed.

Every rental car I looked at whether it was for sale by the rental company or by a Toyota dealer as a certified preowned had over 20K miles and was at least $30K at the rental company or $32k at the Toyota dealership. Every single one of them had a few dints and dings, a couple had the accessory port cover removed, one had body work that wasn't disclosed no on the carfax. One I looked at that was at the dealership as a certified used car didn't have the front of the bumper snapped in and it wouldn't snap in and probably needed a new bumper. Also, when I tried to haggler the price not one dealership nor the rental car companies would budge on the price.

Yes. The difference between what a stock 4R TRD series will do vs a fully build one are minimal and mainly in the peace of mind department. I have a tiny lift and full underneath armor due to frequency of use in rocks but not because they are technically required.

Just get AT tires of your choice. Pretty much any AT in any load rating will do. But do also get a fifth one.

For the rest, stock is fine for many difficult trails (with care).

If anyone tells you stock is not fine for moderate trails, they are using a very skewed measuring stick, as in the sport of rock crawling vs going places.

So.....it's been awhile, but after lots of thought, and considering that it's a car I intend to enjoy for the next ~15 years, I'm pretty set on getting a new 2019 4runner.

I'm in the SoCal area, so LOTS of options, scads of dealerships, etc. I'm researching Car-buying-Strategies.com, which has the exact costs for every vehicle: msrp, invoice, holdback, dealer cost, etc.
I am open to any wisdom from the 4Runner community as I get closer to making a deal....such as, does it make sense to wait till end of year? Thanks!

Waiting until the last business day of the year is always a good idea. That being said, right now there are still some 2019's left so right now would be a good time to buy, just wait until the last day of October. That would be Thursday the 31st. If you wait until the end of the year you may not be able to find an acceptable 2019.

And I think your decision to buy a new SR5 is the right one as long as it is 4x4 of course. Even though the SR5 does not have a rear locker and crawl control, it does have A-Trac which will give you better traction than just straight 4x4 Lo.

Without any negotiating, this is the cheapest one I found on Cars.com

Attached Images

 

Also consider sunroof yes or no. We skipped it for extra headroom.

I've changed my mind and I'm going get a new 2019 TRD Off-Road. Now it's just a matter of getting the best deal. I was set on an SR5 w/4wd, but it looks like for only ~$2G more, I'm in the ballpark for the TRD....so that's what I want. I do light off-roading a lot, and it will be ideal for that. The tires, suspension, skid plate, off-road features, etc, are definitely worth it to me.

So now I'm just researching/contacting dealers all over SoCal, trying to find the best deal. I have the basic numbers: invoice cost, dealer cost, MSRP, etc, etc.......Everybody wants to sell me one for ~$40G, but I'm trying to get a deal for a couple grand less......any advice appreciated.

Without any negotiating, this is the cheapest one I found on Cars.com[/QUOTE]
.................................................. .............

Thanks for this. I've decided it's worth it for a couple grand more to get a TRD Off-Road.....I checked out cars.com; thanks for the tip---and I see a bunch for decent prices, though I may have to go to Arizona......I'm thinking I'll take the Arizona prices and run it by a local dealer, tell them I'll subtract the $450 or so it will cost me to in gas and motel to go to Mesa, and see if they'll match the price. Worth a shot.

btw: can anyone tell me how to get email notifications for responses on the forum? I have to search for my post every time; ridiculous. I'm sure it's obvious but I don't see it.

Yeah, no sunroof for me....I'm 6:4".......

Go through COSTCO AUTO PROGRAM AND STOP PLAYING GAMES. Go on their website. You have to go through the website.

Aim for a 2019 to keep cost under 35 for a regular SR5. HECK MAYBE UNDER 34 FOR A 2019 SR5 IF YOU GO HOME and think about it. IT WILL BE BRAND NEW. AND INCLUDED WARRANTY.
NOT worth it to try to save 2 grand and then pay 2 grand for an extended warranty on used 4runner.



NOT WORTH IT TO BUY USED WITH 50K MILES JUST TO SAVE 2 GRAND AT THE MOST.

Thanks, but as I already said, I'm only looking for a new 4runner at this point. You are absolutely right, it's not worth it to get a used late model 4runner......you don't save much. But what I'm looking at now is the TRD off road and people are quoting me ~$45K......yikes. No way. YES, Costco; I've explored that and it looks good.

Hey guys sorry to piggyback onto the topic but how do you feel about a 2015 4runner limited with 60k miles for 25 thousand? I'm looking to hold onto something for a long time and I greatly value reliability. I commute to and from the hospital round trip about 70 miles three to 4 days a week and have the potential for a decent amount of snow in the winter as well as being mandated to stay at work. 90% of my commute is highway driving with a small portion of it being some backroads to get to the parkway along with some hills by my house as well as to get into the parking lot at the hospital.
My wife and I are looking to start a family in the next year or two. I know the gas mileage isn’t the best but it seems like a truck that will last a long time and that’s something I’m definitely looking for. Additionally, I was looking at the Rav4 or the 2.5 Outback. Having said that I do think body on frame is more fun. Want to know if I should jump to get the car or not. Thanks a million! Here is a link to the truck in question

Pre-Owned 2015 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4D Sport Utility in Huntington #U94799 | Mercedes-Benz of Huntington

I'm not far from you and search the market near your area. That price seems very fair for what we can see. It may even be tough to beat. It's been a few months since I saw a deal like that in the northeast for a Limited. But you have to ask yourself if it's the right vehicle for you...mix of features, colors, etc.

If you are starting a family, the Rav4 shouldn't be on your list. You'll outgrow it quickly. Take it from me as having lived through that.

Can't comment on Subaru products as I'm not familiar.

I considered buying a Subaru forester for about 3 seconds before I bought my 4runner. The only downside to me is the CVT in the forester. It's very good and makes more sense for the first 5-10 years. but I wanna keep a car I love for as long as possible. so 4runner is easily the winner to me.

We are looking to sell our 4Runner, haven't sold it yet, but having looked at other vehicles - and coming from the 2003 4Runner interior, I was very underwhelmed by Forester's styling and feel. Seemed weirdly cheap for a vehicle that definitely doesn't come cheap. It had us coming back to Toyota super fast and we ended up buying a Prius. Our 4Runner has been the most reliable and comfortable vehicle so far. Highly recommend Toyota's quality and reliability.