4Runner Totaled...Looking at Replacement Options

J

jlseed

New member
My 2008 4Runner Sport V8 was recently totaled out when a 17 year old kid pulled out in front of me. Fortunately no one was injured, but I'm absolutely sick at the loss of my beloved 4Runner. I bought this car brand new and and it was in pristine condition up to the accident, with only 105,000 miles. Just installed new tires, Bilsteins, and lift kit the week before.
Anyway, it's gone so now I need to look for a replacement.
I'm thinking about a newer 4Runner like the Trail. Would love to have another one like before, but reluctant to buy something that old with the possibility of hidden surprises.
Anybody here had any experiences with the newer 4Runners, 2013 and up and would you recommend that as a suitable replacement?
Thanks!
 
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jlseed said:
My 2008 4Runner Sport V8 was recently totaled out when a 17 year old kid pulled out in front of me. Fortunately no one was injured, but I'm absolutely sick at the loss of my beloved 4Runner. I bought this car brand new and and it was in pristine condition up to the accident, with only 105,000 miles. Just installed new tires, Bilsteins, and lift kit the week before.
Anyway, it's gone so now I need to look for a replacement.
I'm thinking about a newer 4Runner like the Trail. Would love to have another one like before, but reluctant to buy something that old with the possibility of hidden surprises.
Anybody here had any experiences with the newer 4Runners, 2013 and up and would you recommend that as a suitable replacement?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Wow, that just sucks about your '08 V8! But thank God nobody was injured, or worse, killed. I know that [MENTION=33946]Shawk00[/MENTION] went from a 4th gen V8 to a 2015 TE so maybe he will have more insight on making that jump.
 
We went from two V8 4th gens to two 5th gens last year. I can tell you this for sure.....You will miss things about your 4th gen that you can do nothing about.

2010-2013 4Runners loose several cool (IMO) features. Projection Headlights, auto close rear hatch, V8, center diff lock, and a few other items.

if you can live with a few of the 5th gen downgrades, you are a candidate for an upgrade...lol

I like the look of my 5th gens. But I will tell you 100% if i could have bought a new 4th gen under warranty... I would have
 
There's a 1 owner 2008 2WD on Orlando Craigslist with 36,000 miles. Private Seller. I'd be happy to look at it for anyone interested as I live just a few minutes away.
 
I traded "up" from my 05 sport to a 14 TE a couple months ago. My dream truck was a 2008 sport v8 but after months of searching, I couldn't find one that met my criteria. I drove 500 miles round trip on the promise of a dealer having what I wanted only to find the condition was considerably worse than disclosed, very disappointing. I made the decision to start with a clean slate and put down the $$ for a new truck. One I would know everything about and in 10 years be confident in it and its history. The interior is lightyears ahead of the 4th gen. My 05 had a cassette deck... my parents' 198X toyota cressida had a tape deck when I was 6. The 14 has nav I can talk to and it listens to me. Sure, I could have put a new headunit in the 05 but my point is, the technology in the 05 pales in comparison and my guess is that the trend continues throughout the truck including the design aspects normally unappreciated by a consumer. The exterior is so subjective that it's almost irrelevant. In 2002, I REALLY wanted a black sport edition 4Runner.. SO BAD. Then the 03s came out with the V8. I hated the exterior of the 4th gen but really liked the idea of a toyota V8 in a small SUV. I went out and bought a brand new 2003 SE V8 - which I sold less than a year later. I'm an idiot. I missed it so much I picked up my 2005 to replace it. Then the 5th gens came out and my first thought was: F'ing gross, just like when the 4th gens first came out. Now I own one and love how it looks. I'm extremely happy with my purchase and in a few weeks, once I've installed the suspension and wheels/tires I have for it, I'll know a little more about its off-road capabilities.
 
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I posted this in another thread but here are some of my thoughts.

I own both so here is what I notice.

No soft close tail gate on the 5th gen.
No burger tray on 5th gen.
Pain in the ass to change oil on 5th gen compared to my V6 4th gen.
5th gen is heavier and actually feels a little slower.
Non matching spare wheel on 5th gen.


Much better ride from the factory on 5th gen vs 4th gen
Much better insolation from road noise on 5th gen.
Switches, instrument cluster and controls better lit on 5th gen.
The TE has a real transfer case shifter.
The interior is much nicer all around on my TE vs my 4th gen SR5
5th gen is a little bigger all around and feels like a bigger vehicle.

Those are just some things that come to my mind right now. There is probably much that I missed. Overall, I really like my TE. Since July I have put 10k miles on it. Very comfortable, even on long trips. I do wish my 5th gen had more power though. A V8 option or supercharger would be nice. That being said, the transmission does a good job of making up for the slight lack of engine power. This newer version of the 1GR-FE V6 in the 5th gen feels like it wants to stay at the upper end of the RPM specture much more than my 4th gen. On the freeways in CO, going through some mountain passes, my 5th gen had no trouble keeping speed though. I do get about the same mileage in both 4runners though, roughly 19 mpg.

I would say go for an extended test drive and see what you think. Also, the V6 feels sluggish for the first 1000 miles or so but after that feels better. If you can afford it, I would recommend buying new. 4runners don't lose their value like other vehicles so there is sometimes not much savings buying used.
 
people seriously use that pathetic burger tray? everyone mentions it like its a deal breaker.
 
TOY2G said:
We went from two V8 4th gens to two 5th gens last year. I can tell you this for sure.....You will miss things about your 4th gen that you can do nothing about.

2010-2013 4Runners loose several cool (IMO) features. Projection Headlights, auto close rear hatch, V8, center diff lock, and a few other items.

if you can live with a few of the 5th gen downgrades, you are a candidate for an upgrade...lol

I like the look of my 5th gens. But I will tell you 100% if i could have bought a new 4th gen under warranty... I would have
Click to expand...

That is insightful, wow. I keep going back and forth from my 4th to a 5th, but I do just love the little things the 4th does that they didn't carry over to a 5th.
 
Sorry to hear about your 4Runner... but like others posted, thrilled everyone walked away ok. :) You can do a search and you'll find a TON of info throughout the entire forum on the 4th vs 5th debate.

You'll see in my sig that I've owned 4 4runners... 04, 06, 11, & 15. IMO there is only 1 real "downgrade" with 5th Gens IMO and that's the multi select 4wd/awd only offered on the LE versions in the 5th Gen. I had it on my '11 LE but it clearly wasn't a deal breaker for me though as I now have a Trail that doesn't have it or I wouldn't own it. I've had my TP for about 6 wks now with 3500 miles already and absolutely love this thing as much as anything I've owned. The V8 is debatable... but I don't really miss mine. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it because I did. It was powerful, had a cool factor and certainly had a luxury feel to it. But in the end, my 5th Gen has plenty of power for me. If I had to have the v8 though, I would lean towards a clean used GX470. I almost did this and you would be surprised how close price wise they are to a 4Runner. Drive a 5th Gen at least before you buy... I LOVED my 4th Gens but haven't missed them once while driving my 5th Gens. I take that back.... I do miss the cash difference but I would do it again if I was starting fresh like you are. Best wishes with your search!
 
If I was in your shoes, I'd be shopping for a used gx470 (prado) or land cruiser.. both have v8's and just as big if not larger aftermarket parts available.
 
Sad for your loss! I often think what I'd buy next that could even come close to my 2008 Limited, White with grey interior V6.

You don't happen to have a like new, OLD style, winter floor mat for the drivers side do you? You know, the originals, before they recall and issue in the flimsy style. Black of course!
 
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