Am I crazy to want to trade my 4runner?

[Jeeves]

Hi all,

Here's the deal, I have a beautiful 09 Limited V8 with 40K on the clock, AND i still own my rusty, trusty '94 Toyota 4x4 truck. With my wife's car, that's three vehicles.

Right now, there's a '12 Tundra Rock Warrior (extended cab, not crew) edition on my local craigslist. I'm thinking I might be able to consolidate my vehicles from two to one. That's attractive, but I lose a lot of the luxury appointments on the 4runner. I don't mind that as much.

The question is whether or not I'd be getting "less" of a vehicle quality wise. I know that Toyota has been forced to do things to keep pricing down, etc. I just want a bullet-proof vehicle that'll last me a long time (I am the original owner of the '94).

Thank in advance for your opinions.
-Raj
:vader:

 

[superman3043]

Trading your truck and 4Runner for a Tundra doesn't sound crazy to me. If a big truck is what you want, then get one. If I could afford to feed a new Tundra and had the driveway space for one, I might entertain the idea.

As far as how dependable the new ones are, I really can't speak to that. A few of my friends own them and love them. I had one trade his SR5 ext cab in for a Limited crew max, so he must like them. I've heard and read a lot of things about Toyota cutting corners and costs, but I don't think they'd do it at the cost of making a lesser vehicle by cutting corners where it counts. I'm sure they're solid.

 

[Gecko123]

Hi all,

Here's the deal, I have a beautiful 09 Limited V8 with 40K on the clock, AND i still own my rusty, trusty '94 Toyota 4x4 truck. With my wife's car, that's three vehicles.

Right now, there's a '12 Tundra Rock Warrior (extended cab, not crew) edition on my local craigslist. I'm thinking I might be able to consolidate my vehicles from two to one. That's attractive, but I lose a lot of the luxury appointments on the 4runner. I don't mind that as much.

The question is whether or not I'd be getting "less" of a vehicle quality wise. I know that Toyota has been forced to do things to keep pricing down, etc. I just want a bullet-proof vehicle that'll last me a long time (I am the original owner of the '94).

Thank in advance for your opinions.
-Raj
:vader:

my personal opinion would be that is crazy but i am bias of course and most folks here with 4runners will be too. you are so luck to have the 09 and a LIMITED too which in my opinion the best 4th gen 4runner. If the '12 Tundra is anything like the 2012 4runner, they would have cheaped out on a lot of things.

But only you can answer your question, do you need a truck or an SUV? If not, then stick with the 4runner. It also makes more financial sense, with only 40K miles, the Turnda wont really have a huge advantage lasting longer.

Also, do you need to shell out more money for this trade-in, if yes, I would say walk away. not a good deal.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

I traded my toyota for another toyota, as long as it's a tundra I think you're ok

 

[Erich_121]

To answer your questions I don't think you will getting any less of a quality vehicle.

I actually went from a tundra to a 4runner because I used the bed of the truck maybe 20% of the time. With the 4runner and a trailer I can do much more then the truck, and I can fit my dogs and future kids.

And not that it's any of my business but those trucks cost a lot. I think that you get a better value for a used Toyota.

 

[iand1821]

I bought my '05 limited 4runner just two months ago, and in order to pay for it I sold my Tundra.

Granted, my tundra was a 2001, not a 2012. I absolutely love my 4runner.

I initially bought the tundra for a new line of work, but I ended up only staying in that job about 6 months and when I went back to my old job I stopped using the bed space in the tundra. I find the tr4 to be much more usable, more comfortable, more refined, etc. I like it more in probably every category.

A 2012 tundra is for sure going to be a different animal than my old '01, but if it were me I would ask myself 1) which is more practical for my needs, 2) is the tundra far and away a better fit for me, and if yes to 2, 3) is the hassle of swapping vehicles (and maybe getting rid of another vehicle) worth the gain?

my $0.02

Ian

 

[hgill]

In terms of reliability I dont think you will have a problem at all, its a Toyota. It really depends on how much use you are going to have of the bed. It would be nice to just have one vehicle, but I dont think you will really save any money as your 94 is probably paid off and the 4runner is probably way less than the 2012 tundra.

 

[LuckyStrike]

The service manager at my local dealer tried to get me to sell him mine yesterday. I said no. Then he tells me its the most trouble free vehicle they deal with. Just sayin.

 

[Gecko123]

The service manager at my local dealer tried to get me to sell him mine yesterday. I said no. Then he tells me its the most trouble free vehicle they deal with. Just sayin.

Yup. If you check Consumer Reports its bunch of red dots for the 4runner from year 1999 to about 2009 or so. Even in comparison to other Toyota models you see so many red dots for the 4runners.

 

[ridefast]

My dad has a 11 Tundra and that thing is rock solid! On the other hand 4th gen 4runners are awesome too! If it were me I would ditch the older 4runner and get a 1st gen Tacoma just for haulin stuff around. Unless you plan on pullin a trailer get the tundra.

 

[berettashot117]

the 5.7 is beast man. I'll make the switch one day just for that

 

[Druss]

'12 Rock Warrior "Check Engine" - TundraTalk.net - Toyota Tundra Discussion Forum

 

[Cali4Runnea]

We have the 5.7 V8 limited and it is a beast! I love that truck, not as much as my own of course, but it is really powerful and fun to drive. We bought it used, we're the 3rd owners with around 80k on it now and it has been issue free. Still wouldn't trade it for my Runner, but if you like big, powerful, reliable trucks, I say go for it.

 

[The Thomas J]

The service manager at my local dealer tried to get me to sell him mine yesterday. I said no. Then he tells me its the most trouble free vehicle they deal with. Just sayin.

I've been told the same thing as well from several diffrent people at the dealership level of Toyota.

 

[webby]

It depends on what you want to do with the Tundra. Last year, I looked seriously at the Tundra, as was thinking about a full size pickup. The ride and seats were good, but I found some downsides, depending on what you might use the truck for:

The gas tank is ridiculously small for a full size truck. It is only 26 gallons, not going to take you very far between gas stations if towing something. Most of the other full size trucks have 32 or 36 gallon tanks.

The payload capacity on the Tundra is the lowest amongst full size trucks. The Double cabs have about 1400-1500 pounds of payload and Crewmax 1200-1300. The final figure depends on options. There is usually a yellow sticker on a door jamb with actual payload for the vehicle. So if you have two people who weight 350 lbs total (and many weigh more), plus say a 50 lb. dog, plus supplies, luggage, food etc, say you are going camping or on a trip, you are going to eat up your payload quickly. I think the weight of gasoline may need to be deducted off the payload. So a full tank weighs something over 200 lbs -- deduct that from available payload. You're not left with much payload, and you can easily overload the truck, and if you hook a travel trailer or some other trailer, and say it has an 800 lb. tongue weight, you are going to be close to or over payload capacity.

Yeah, it's a nice truck, nice 5.7 motor, and it's a Toyota, so should be reliable, but I was about ready to pull the trigger on one, but just couldn't because of the very limited payload and the small gas tank. But if those factors aren't a concern for you, might be a good truck for you.

I am on my third Toyota, have owned a Highlander, and two different 4th Gen 4Runners. The Highlander was every bit as reliable as the two 4Runners, basically bulletproof, and uber reliable, all three of them. But I have decided if I move up to a truck, due to factors mentioned, it won't be a Tundra. Also, the Tundra should be do for a major refresh in either 2013 or 2014 model years, based on Toyota's history. Maybe they will address the few shortcomings that I mentioned at that time.

Good luck!

 

[JohnnyT]

You own one of the best and most versatile SUV's ever made that is of the highest quality and held to a high standard. It wil take very good care of you for many, many years.

Don't get rid of it unless you have a true need for a pickup.

 

[williamZ]

If you want a pickup, I'd do it. That's the one Tundra I'd want. If you have more use for an SUV definitely keep the 4Runner.

 

[Jeeves]

Thanks to all for your well-considered opinions, pro and con. You've convinced me of one thing: I want to keep my 4Runner. So now, I'm trying to decide whether I can get rid of my 94 truck and my wife's 2000 Passat wagon in exchange for the Tundra Rock Warrior.

Pros = 2 awesome rock-solid Toyotas is a pretty nice family fleet.
Con = 2 gas hogs (4runner is a V8, and the truck would be a 5.7L), AND 2 car payments. The old truck and the passat are paid off.

Here's the thing - RE gas mileage, we drive very little. I bet my wife does 12-15 miles round trip daily, and I usually ride my Vespa to work. Still, doubling one's gas cost regardless of the dollar amount is not great, and who knows what gas prices will be in a few years' time.

The guy selling the truck likes my 94 Toyota 4-banger. He's willing to sell me a 2012 Rock Warrior Tundra with 19K miles for $26K, with the 94 in trade. I think that's a pretty fair offer.

Finally, for a big truck, that Tundra is quite nimble! It was FUN to drive, and felt light and responsive. FAST, and it seemed to "dive" less into the turns than my 4Runner.

So tonight, I'll have the long hard look at the finances, and decide whether or not we need to big vehicles in the family. Wish me luck!

-R