2002 Limited with cloth seats?

[Timeless]

I'm in the market for another 4runner. I sold my rusty 1985 straight axle runner 7 years ago and I think it's time for another one. It's just too bad it's impossible to find a decent 5speed 4runner.

I'm in negotiations with a coworker to buy his 2002 4WD 4runner. The truck is in Chicago. We work 6000 miles away. He says the truck has cloth seats and is a Limited. Some basic online research has led me to believe that all 4runners with limited trim had leather seats. Was it possible to get a Limited with cloth seats in 2002?

I trust the guy, but he might not be sure what trim level he has. He has a newer BMW and an diesel Benz in Greece, so the trim level on his 9 year old truck doesn't really matter to him.

He'll be in the states in July and plans to trade it in for a new Jetta TDI wagon. I told him I could probably come in a little higher than what a dealer would offer on the trade in, but I won't have a chance to see the truck before he gets the VW. From working with this guy, I am confident that he takes good care of his vehicles. His wife drives it while he's overseas, so he needs it to be problem free. It's a one owner truck with 115k so it would last me a long time. Timing belt, water pump and other routine mx has been done around 110K. I just need to make sure I'm making an offer on a Limited and not an SR5.

 

[Avarice]

I've never heard of or seen a limited that came with cloth seats. Even the 2wd ones. He could have switched to stock cloth ones, but unless he did, it isn't a limited. From what I've read at least from the Canadian documents, all limiteds came with leather no matter what.

 

[rjaudi]

Definitely not a stock limited. They always have leather. It could be a sport edition with the flares like a limited. The other option is cloth seats were put in a limited 4runner.

 

[Ghostrider]

Limited is pretty easy to ID. It also as the climate control instead of knobs like the SR4

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Can you get the VIN # from him? If you can, see what you can find here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classifieds-buy-sell-anything-related-toyota-4runner-no-commercial-ads-please/962-contemporary-vin-decoder.html

 

[Timeless]

I'll see if I can get the VIN number.

I'll ask him today if he's sure it's a Limited. He's a hard bargainer so this info might help me drive down the price.

 

[Nunyabiz]

It could be they put in the 2002 Sport Edition seats which to me are FAR better than the "simi leather" any day, more comfortable and last longer.

The only true leather seats I have seen in any vehicle only come in something like a Bentley or Roll Royce or something in that price range.

See if they look like this with this kind of cloth.
If they were leather they would most likely already be cracking or falling apart in some way after 9-10 years. These cloth seats look like they are about 1 year old. The Sport Edition "Sport Cloth" seats are far more durable and more comfortable.

 

[Hepar]

Leather was standard on Limiteds, but I'm sure if you spent enough money the dealer would put cloth in, so I would say it's definitely possible. I agree with the others in that all we need is a pic of the dash to see.

 

[SCRunner12]

I doubt it is a limited. The 02 limiteds came with seat warmers and all electric seats. The guy would have had to give up all of that for cloth seats.

 

[Hepar]

I doubt it is a limited. The 02 limiteds came with seat warmers and all electric seats. The guy would have had to give up all of that for cloth seats.

You could wrap the cloth over the existing seat frame, thus keeping the options of the Limited seats. Doubtful, but still possible.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I doubt it is a limited. The 02 limiteds came with seat warmers and all electric seats. The guy would have had to give up all of that for cloth seats.

I guess I am one of those people that would gladly "give up all that" for the much better feeling and far more durable cloth seats.

With the cloth you don't need seat warmers because they just naturally warm right up probably faster than the seat warmer on the leather.
They are also cooler in the summer to boot.

As far as "electric seats" which is something that really only comes into play if you have more than one driver, but honestly it takes less time for the manual adjustment anyway and the cloth seats I think have pretty much the same adjustments including lumbar support.

Then you don't have the added electronics to break down.

The manual Sport Cloth seats are way better than the electric leather/pleather seats to me and if I had the option from the dealer would choose the cloth every time.

 

[Timeless]

I think it's a sport edition. I showed him pictures of the SR5 and Limited climate control panels. He said his had knobs like the SR5. He also said it has a hood scoop and fender flares.

So about how much is a Silver 2002 4x4 Sport with 115K worth? I was thinking of offering $9000. Can I go lower?

What do you think a new car dealer would offer for a trade-in? Will they take a loss on a trade-in to sell a new car?

Here's what the pricing guides recommend:

Nada - Clean trade-in: $8700 Retail: $11600
Edmunds - Clean trade-in: $7369 Retail: $9254
KBB - Good trade-in: $8725 Retail: $12940

 

[zachb_NW]

$9000 sounds fair.
(edit) its actually not fair because it he can trade it in for $8700 he could save $800 on taxes, depending on the state, which it would mean he would be better off trading it!


It is a sport not a limited. I don't know why people get so confused about that. When I was just shopping for runners people would always say its a limited when it was a sport. Maybe when they bought the trucks the sales guy lied to them.

 

[Timeless]

I just looked at completed ebay auctions for 2000-2002 4runners. 12 of 48 auctions ended in a sale. The 5 highest prices were:

$9100 4x4 limited 84K
$8750 4x4 SR5 116K
$8100 2WD SR5 111K
$7995 4x4 SR5 112K
$7850 2WD SR5 103K

 

[Timeless]

I've never purchased from a dealer so I didn't know trading in offered a small tax advantage.

 

[Scramble]

I just looked at completed ebay auctions for 2000-2002 4runners. 12 of 48 auctions ended in a sale. The 5 highest prices were:

$9100 4x4 limited 84K
$8750 4x4 SR5 116K
$8100 2WD SR5 111K
$7995 4x4 SR5 112K
$7850 2WD SR5 103K

Who are the morons paying all that money for 2WD?

 

[jeremyc74]

I trust the guy, but he might not be sure what trim level he has. He has a newer BMW and an diesel Benz in Greece, so the trim level on his 9 year old truck doesn't really matter to him.

.

I'd say he's just mistaken on the trim level, and has one like mine with the fender flares but not the door cladding. I actually thought mine was a Limited when I bought it (I didn't do a huge amount of research on the trim, only the mechanical stuff which is all the same) until the leather seat thing came up here on the forum one day and I realized it didn't say "Limited" on it anywhere. :crazy:

To be honest, I prefer the cloth seats anyway. They hold up a lot better as the vehicle ages. Mine still look really good except for a couple of very light stains from the previous owner.

 

[jeremyc74]

Who are the morons paying all that money for 2WD?

That's not all that uncommon in urban areas down south where snow isn't a concern. Lots of people are going for the room and reliability and don't care about going off road.

 

[Scramble]

That's not all that uncommon in urban areas down south where snow isn't a concern. Lots of people are going for the room and reliability and don't care about going off road.

That's fine and all but I'd still want it for rain/flooding, camping, beach etc. And I wouldn't pay a premium because I know they have no resale value. It's like buying a house with only 2 bedrooms, they're very hard to sell.

 

[Scramble]

To be honest, I prefer the cloth seats anyway. They hold up a lot better as the vehicle ages. Mine still look really good except for a couple of very light stains from the previous owner.

I loved the leather seats in all of my previous Caddy's. But after seeing what time does to T4R leather I'm glad I have cloth. My seats are in mint condition because I always had covers on them but they are base model seats without the lumbar support & aren't that comfortable. I'm always on the look out for 01-02 sport seats in mint condition.