First Toyota and first 4Runner
 

I just joined the forum and thought I'd post a pic of my new '03 SR5 V6 4WD. I traded my '00 Grand Cherokee for this '03 4Runner:


http://home.insightbb.com/~dtresenriter/toy1.jpg

Welcome to the forum, nice truck. When the 03 came out, I thought it was getting more like the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I mean that in a good way, more bells and whistles, bigger and more plush. Now that you have had both, how does it compare.

Why hello, and welcome to the board ;).

Let me second (or third) the welcome!

I've only driven the 4Runner about a 1000 miles, but there are a few minor differences.

My Grand had a V8 and seemed like it had a little more acceleration. Not much, but a little.

Gas mileage is already ahead on the Toyota. I'm averaging over 20 mpg and the Jeep rarely ever got over 17.5.

The ride in the 4Runner is a little firmer, but that doesn't bother me. I didn't buy it for a family car; I work highway construction.

The Toyota is a little quieter even though the trim package isn't near as fancy as my Jeep was.

I haven't had a chance to really try out the 4wd yet, so I can't really comment on that.

The size of the two is very similar. I briefly measured the cargo area of the 4Runner when I bought it and it appeared to be a couple of inches taller in the cargo area (good thing) and roughly the same in length.

Also, the step-in height is a little taller than my Jeep, even though it had the "Up-Country" package. It doesn't bother me because I figure it probably has more clearance, but my wife is short and it bothers her a little.

That's about it so far. I was looking for reliability and ruggedness more than trim options when I was shopping. My Jeep was pretty decked out and I didn't need all that for a work vehicle and even though I had very few problems, reliability was always a worry. I think my new Toyota will fit my needs pretty well.

A little side note, when I bought my Grand Laredo in 2000, I was also looking at 4Runners then. I bought my Jeep because it seemed to have a lot more options for the money and it was easier to get a good deal. Now, three years and 80,000 miles later, I find the Toyota books out between 5 and 7000 dollars more than the Grand. In hindsight, I probably should have bought the 4Runner in 2000.