$7000 for which 4Runner?!

[UTEP]

Hi All,

I'm new here and have a budget of $7000 for a used 4Runner. I guess I could drop it on a dealer and assume a small payment on a certified Toyota but would prefer to be free of more debt.

Here's the deal; I am a geologist and have projects in the Mojave and Death Valley. I live in El Paso and will log some hwy miles as well. I'm not too concerned about mileage but hwy "comfort" a plus. By comfort I mean a little speed so I'm blown away by semi's. I looked at some older Land Cruisers at my price point and gathered they are slow...(Is that so?)

I want a 6 cyl. I've heard some years are to be avoided

While on the topic I have seen some LC's for $7K and similar miles to 4R's. Any serious reason to pick one over another? How about a Tacoma? DO they share the same drive train/suspension?

So far I am seeing mid to late 1990's models with ~190K miles on them for $5000-$8000.

Any help very much appreciated.

UTEP
aka
Warren

 

[the great him]

tacomas and 4runners share much of the same drive train especially in the 3rd gen 4runner and 1st gen taco, they are identical except for the body and the rear suspension. older land cruisers like the fj60 and older are gonna be slow, unless they have had some major mods like a 5spd trans installed or a v8 ect. the fj80 land cruisers are nice and have more power and higher cruising and top speed, but they are gas hogs and will only get like 13-14mpg. not a good commute vehicle if you ask me, but they are a great overland vehicle(extended stay camping) -a lot of guys will take these rigs and build them up mildly and do week(s) long trips with these things self sustained... then there is the 100 series land cruisers they are the best bang for the buck imo- have a v8 so power is no issue, and being as they have gobs of power they also get good mileage for a full size suv. they drive wonderfully, they have nice amenities inside. but that all comes with a little higher price than you want to pay typically. -they are more in the $10k+range so that might not be something you want. but the LCs will go anywere you want them to go and have room to spare, and you wont have to worry as they have toyota reliability. land cruiser owners typically take very good care of their vehicles, so older ones are still in great shape.

now back to the 4runners, the v6s to watch out for are the late 80s to early 90s 3.0l - '88-'95. they are called the 3.blow, or 3.slow. they dont really make any more power than the 4cyl trucks and what little extra power they make is eaten up in the extra weight of the v6 motor... the motors are notorious for blowing headgaskets, and toyota even issued a recall for them. they are not worth the hassle in my opinion, and most toyota guys dont like them either. in '96 toyota came out with the 3.4l and it was a vast improvement, night and day better. so if you want the v6 id look at a 3rd gen 4runner '96-'02. they have a lot of nice amenities as well, not quite as nice as the 100 series LCs but nicer than the 80 series, and better on gas as well(about the same as the 100, but less power).
the other 4runner i would look at is a 4th gen, but they are new enough that you will probably only be able to touch the lower end ones and not get as nice of a 4runner with them. if i was to buy a 4th gen it would have to be a v8(same motor as the 100 series LC) but then again they are about the same price as the LC, but the LC is much nicer so id go with the 100 series even though it is a couple years older, if i could afford the extra cost.

as far as the 1st gen tacomas '95.5-'04 with the 3.4l yeah they are great trucks and you can get the double cab(4door) in the later years, tacomas seam to demand a much higher price(almost on par with the 100 series again), i dont really know why but resale on them is high -especially the double cabs. they are great trucks though and workhorses at that. i would not hesitate to buy one of those either. but i think they might be priced out of your range unless you get an earlier one like a 98 or older one... idk personally id go with a 3rd gen 4runner as they seam to be the best bang for the buck you get the good of everything and really no bad(unless you just have to have a pickup bed).

 

[deverlow]

Basically everything the kid just said. 3rd Gens can be found very reasonably priced and you can use some of that left over cash to do some functional mods/upgrades to better suit your needs. Suspension, tires, tune up, etc. Very, very resilient vehicles.

 

[UTEP]

Thanks!

Very cool!

Thanks much! I will keep you all posted on my search and log back in for more advice.

W

 

[boondoggle]

Good question. The Kid put it pretty well.

Here are a few quick pros/cons on the ones I'd personally narrow it down to.

In addition, here is a good guide to the 80/100 series Land Cruisers.

Slee - 80 Series Land Cruiser Newbie Guide

LC 80 series:

Pros: good reliability. Lots of storage. Tough, go anywhere construction. Plenty of power from the inline 6 motor. Lots of parts availability. You should be able to get one in good shape for ~7k

Cons. crappy gas mileage.

LC 100 series:

Pros: sames as above. An arguably better V8 4.7L engine than the 80 Series' 4.5L inline 6. I know you want a V6, but this V8 gets better gas mileage than the V6 in the LC 80 and similar to the MPG in a 3rd Gen 4Runner, with more HP/Torque - and reliability. There are 80 series fans that would disagree with me on this for various reasons. It depends on what's important to you. You won't be in central america so, I'd go for the V8.

Cons: going to cost you more than an 80 series or a 4Runner. You might be able of find a 98 or 99 close to that, but probably a little more. For example, here's a nice one for 9k.

1998 Land cruiser

3rd Gen 4Runner

Pros: lots of bang for the buck. Solid reliability. Good compromise on power/mpg for the money. Lots of parts availability.

Cons: the least powerful among the LC 80/100 or 4Runner options.

4th Gen

Pros: same drivetrain as the LC 100 if you go with the V8 - which I would (and did) personally. It's a proven setup.

Cons: finding a good one at 7k is going to be near impossible.


Summary:

I think if you really want a V6, then an 80 series LC or 3rd Gen 4Runner are your best bets. I'd probably spring a little more for the 100 series w/V8 though.

 

[the great him]

Good question. The Kid put it pretty well.

Here are a few quick pros/cons on the ones I'd personally narrow it down to.

In addition, here is a good guide to the 80/100 series Land Cruisers.

Slee - 80 Series Land Cruiser Newbie Guide

LC 80 series:

Pros: good reliability. Lots of storage. Tough, go anywhere construction. Plenty of power from the inline 6 motor. Lots of parts availability. You should be able to get one in good shape for ~7k

Cons. crappy gas mileage.

LC 100 series:

Pros: sames as above. An arguably better V8 4.7L engine than the 80 Series' 4.5L inline 6. I know you want a V6, but this V8 gets better gas mileage than the V6 in the LC 80 and similar to the MPG in a 3rd Gen 4Runner, with more HP/Torque - and reliability. There are 80 series fans that would disagree with me on this for various reasons. It depends on what's important to you. You won't be in central america so, I'd go for the V8.

Cons: going to cost you more than an 80 series or a 4Runner. You might be able of find a 98 or 99 close to that, but probably a little more. For example, here's a nice one for 9k.

1998 Land cruiser

3rd Gen 4Runner

Pros: lots of bang for the buck. Solid reliability. Good compromise on power/mpg for the money. Lots of parts availability.

Cons: the least powerful among the LC 80/100 or 4Runner options.

4th Gen

Pros: same drivetrain as the LC 100 if you go with the V8 - which I would (and did) personally. It's a proven setup.

Cons: finding a good one at 7k is going to be near impossible.


Summary:

I think if you really want a V6, then an 80 series LC or 3rd Gen 4Runner are your best bets. I'd probably spring a little more for the 100 series w/V8 though.

the 80 series, in fact all land cruisers never came with a V6. and a 100 series is gonna be way more luxurious than any 4runner, you are gonna be looking at, and id put it up against the new 5th gens in terms of fit and finish and quality of craftsmanship and luxury. and 4th gen 4runners with the V8 are gonna be more than a 100 series all day long, cause people are gonna look at years and say the 4runner is new, which it is, but its not nicer. and while they share the same motor, they do not share the same drive train, the motor is the only thing the same, transmission maybe im not sure, but transfer case is different and axles are different. the best bang for the buck will be a toss up between a 3rd gen 4runner and a 100 series LC with the 4runner probably edging out the LC.

 

[paddlenbike]

Sounds like a fun job. I have a minor in Geology and have spent a fair bit of time in Death Valley, it's an amazing place.

I can't disagree with what anyone has said. I personally opted for the 3rd gen 4Runner and it has worked really well for me in the areas where you plan to go. It is a good all-around vehicle and very durable. I opted out of the 80-series LC mainly due to fuel consumption. The 1998+ Land Cruisers with the V8 are a little thirsty but not out of control, but they are bigger than I wanted for wheeling. They are extremely comfortable though.

You're on the right track and you can't really go wrong with any of these choices. One important distinction between the Tacoma and the 4Runner--the Tacoma is built in the US and uses the same company to build its frame as Jeep uses--Dana Corp, and that's a bad thing. There is a recall on the frames for rust issues, so you should be aware of that. 4Runners are built in Japan with a Japanese frame.

 

[UTEP]

Hi guys,

I had forgotten this thread as I used the information presented above to chose a 3rd gen 4R. I have been pestering the good people over there for the past week plus!

Actually the price point of $7 was the issue. I found a 2000 4R Limited with rear locker. I looked at a number of 4R's and Tacomas. Tacoma prices were nuts! A decent one was going to cost ~$10K! but I saw a number of quite cherried out examples at that price.

The rear locker was the selling point for me. I saw a few models that did not have it for closer to $5K with other issues and a few that did with major other issues.

Spent the weekend baselining it and already has more pep! Heck a K&N alone boosted HP!

Thanks for putting me on the right track!

Warren

Geology rocks! Best major, or minor, ever for a 4x4'r