Drove a '03 v8, talk me out of it...

[madbomber08]

So today I drove this...

4runner by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

4runner4 by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

4runner3 by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

4runner2 by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

It is an '03 v8 limited, one owner and only has 98k miles. EDIT: They are asking $11,100 for it. The dealer gave me the Autocheck today but I am going to try and get the service records (hoping there is some) from them tomorrow. The truck was bought brand new from the dealer that's selling it now. I also managed to get the original owners name, found him in the phonebook, and am planning to give him a call tomorrow. The dealer also offered if i was serious about buying, I could take it for a day just to get a better feel for it.

As far as the overall shape of the truck, it's in pretty good shape for being 15 years old. It has a few paint scuffs on the bumpers, which if you look closely you can see. Also, the inner CV boots are ripped and there's grease thrown everywhere, that's a concern. As far as the roof and condition of the headlights, I would assume it's been in the garage its entire life. I would say the frame is in better than average condition, with the welds having a bit more than surface rust but nothing to be concerned about. As far as the interior, the driver seat has a small tear on the upright bolstering and the armrest has a quarter size hole on the driver side. Otherwise the interior is in good condition. I did not however get a real good look at the dash.

I definitely don't need another 4runner, and my current one would have to go if I bought this one. It would be very tough to part with my 1997 but the way this one drove felt less like a truck and more like a car, which I like. Mind you, I'd plan to ditch the XREAS on the '03 and lift it.

Sorry for seeming to ramble, I'm distracted by thinking about the 4th gen. Kind of torn on what to do. Love my 3rd gen but there's something about that v8. There's also a reason I posted this in the 3rd gen section....


Here's a picture from about 5 years ago.

IMG_20130606_200415_906_zpseae8bb79 by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

Here's a picture from earlier this year. 225k miles on my 3rd gen!!!

IMG_0799 by Clint Albracht, on Flickr

 

[Roamed YT]

As an owner of both a 3rd gen and a V6 4th gen, as well as having worked at a Toyota dealer when 4th gens were brand new...

If your 3rd gen is clean, well maintained and large enough for your lifestyle, keep it.

I like my 4th gen: It reminds me of my 2nd gen Tacoma, it's significantly larger and the V6 has lots of jam.

That said, it just feels cheaply built. My '99 is built like a vault. The '03 squeaks and rattles and I just don't have the same smile on my face when I drive it.

Being a V8, it will have plenty of jam. However, expect even worse fuel economy. It has the same A340F so the lack of a 5th gear doesn't help. Also expect to do a timing belt and deal with leaking XREAS sooner rather than later

The UZ is one of the most beautiful, but freaking complicated engines you will ever work on.

If you can pick up the 4th gen and get out of your 3rd gen while breaking even or even coming out ahead you may have the motivation to do it! My personal belief is that resale on 3rd gen 4Runners has finally peaked... but I've been wrong before.

I wish you luck!

 

[unrealii]

There was a recall for the dash cracking. Definitely make sure that is done.
I would jump on a 4th gen if it was 4wd...But 2003 seems too old. The later years had improvements.

 

[RunningForNow]

Strictly a personal opinion, but I don’t like the 4th gen bodystyle at all. It looks very disproportionate, as the front looks too long for the rest of the car. The back doesn’t look half bad. Keep in mind, I’m partial to the 3rd gen. I love the 1st gen, but it’s not practical for a family with a child seat. The 2nd gen for sale are all thrashed, and the V6 has a lot of scary stories. 5th gen looks awesome, but it’s too much truck for me.

My best advice is to evaluate what you really need and go from there. If that’s what you want, and you can afford to buy and upkeep it, then go for it.

 

[Ed_C]

I was in the same predicament, luckily I was able to keep the 3rd-gen...for now at least.

Take the dealer's offer and drive it for a day. Sign up on the Toyota Owners (the link is on Toyota's site) site and enter the VIN. If there's any dealer service history it will be listed.

UZ engines aren't that complicated, I'll take working on those (even the ones with VVTI and air injection) over the current Toyota/Lexus timing chain V6 and V8 engines.

 

[LittleCaesar]

I love the 2uz. Around here during peak traffic hours I feel that the 5vz is taxed. New CVs and a recoving of the seat would fix the problems right away.

If it hasn’t had a TB/H20 replacement, I would get such done before buying.

Good luck. For the right price it would be mine quickly.

 

[madbomber08]

As an owner of both a 3rd gen and a V6 4th gen, as well as having worked at a Toyota dealer when 4th gens were brand new...

If your 3rd gen is clean, well maintained and large enough for your lifestyle, keep it.

I like my 4th gen: It reminds me of my 2nd gen Tacoma, it's significantly larger and the V6 has lots of jam.

That said, it just feels cheaply built. My '99 is built like a vault. The '03 squeaks and rattles and I just don't have the same smile on my face when I drive it.

Being a V8, it will have plenty of jam. However, expect even worse fuel economy. It has the same A340F so the lack of a 5th gear doesn't help. Also expect to do a timing belt and deal with leaking XREAS sooner rather than later

The UZ is one of the most beautiful, but freaking complicated engines you will ever work on.

If you can pick up the 4th gen and get out of your 3rd gen while breaking even or even coming out ahead you may have the motivation to do it! My personal belief is that resale on 3rd gen 4Runners has finally peaked... but I've been wrong before.

I wish you luck!

I wouldn't even be close to breaking even. They're asking $11.1k for the '03 and I figure I'd probably be doing good to get $4500 out of mine at 225k miles with the condition its in. Thanks for the response!

There was a recall for the dash cracking. Definitely make sure that is done.
I would jump on a 4th gen if it was 4wd...But 2003 seems too old. The later years had improvements.

Will definitely take a better look at the dash if/when I go back to the dealer. I know that was a common issue on earlier years.

Strictly a personal opinion, but I don’t like the 4th gen bodystyle at all. It looks very disproportionate, as the front looks too long for the rest of the car. The back doesn’t look half bad. Keep in mind, I’m partial to the 3rd gen. I love the 1st gen, but it’s not practical for a family with a child seat. The 2nd gen for sale are all thrashed, and the V6 has a lot of scary stories. 5th gen looks awesome, but it’s too much truck for me.

My best advice is to evaluate what you really need and go from there. If that’s what you want, and you can afford to buy and upkeep it, then go for it.

I'm not thrilled how the 4th gens look stock. But I've seen some BA 4th gens on this forum which is why I like them in the first place. All in all I think I prefer the way the 3rd gens look over 4th gens.

I was in the same predicament, luckily I was able to keep the 3rd-gen...for now at least.

Take the dealer's offer and drive it for a day. Sign up on the Toyota Owners (the link is on Toyota's site) site and enter the VIN. If there's any dealer service history it will be listed.

UZ engines aren't that complicated, I'll take working on those (even the ones with VVTI and air injection) over the current Toyota/Lexus timing chain V6 and V8 engines.

I may have to take the dealer up on the "take it home for a day" offer. I did enter the VIN on the Toyota owners website and was underwhelmed at the service records listed. So I don't know if the old man who owned it didn't take it to the dealer for service or never had it serviced. Is the Toyota owners website an all inclusive list of service records or is there a possibility there's items that don't show up there that would show up on dealer records?

I love the 2uz. Around here during peak traffic hours I feel that the 5vz is taxed. New CVs and a recoving of the seat would fix the problems right away.

If it hasn’t had a TB/H20 replacement, I would get such done before buying.

Good luck. For the right price it would be mine quickly.

I've always always felt I've been dragging a boat anchor with the 5vz. I even have a 5 speed. And the other day I realized I have a rear brake that is seized or something so it really feels like it now. Definitely on the TB/WP, that's something I'll ask the PO about when I call him today.

In my opinion in the short experience I had with the '03, it felt much more refined than my '97. My 3rd gen feels much more crude, less comfortable, like an old truck while the 4th gen felt much more like a car, which I appreciate. While I feel like my 3rd gen could make a trip around the US without problem, I also feel the 4th gen could do it and be a hell of a lot less fatiguing. Things such as the suspension, steering, and controls felt more like I was in a car. I daily drive a '98 Camry (I love that car) and the 4th gen reminded me like I was in my Camry.

 

[Ed_C]

I may have to take the dealer up on the "take it home for a day" offer. I did enter the VIN on the Toyota owners website and was underwhelmed at the service records listed. So I don't know if the old man who owned it didn't take it to the dealer for service or never had it serviced. Is the Toyota owners website an all inclusive list of service records or is there a possibility there's items that don't show up there that would show up on dealer records?

As far as I know it's an inclusive list. My 4th-gen didn't have a lot of dealer service history but luckily the previous owners left receipts for oil changes, brakes, transmission services, etc. The only way I can think of items not showing up in the national history is a dealer did some "under the table" things and perhaps hand-wrote it in their printed records.

 

[absalom]

As an owner of both a 3rd gen and a V6 4th gen, as well as having worked at a Toyota dealer when 4th gens were brand new...

If your 3rd gen is clean, well maintained and large enough for your lifestyle, keep it.

I like my 4th gen: It reminds me of my 2nd gen Tacoma, it's significantly larger and the V6 has lots of jam.

That said, it just feels cheaply built. My '99 is built like a vault. The '03 squeaks and rattles and I just don't have the same smile on my face when I drive it.

Being a V8, it will have plenty of jam. However, expect even worse fuel economy. It has the same A340F so the lack of a 5th gear doesn't help. Also expect to do a timing belt and deal with leaking XREAS sooner rather than later

The UZ is one of the most beautiful, but freaking complicated engines you will ever work on.

If you can pick up the 4th gen and get out of your 3rd gen while breaking even or even coming out ahead you may have the motivation to do it! My personal belief is that resale on 3rd gen 4Runners has finally peaked... but I've been wrong before.

I wish you luck!

V8 was a 5 speed.

 

[thegipper]

I'm considering doing the same thing, selling my 3rd gen for a 4th gen with a V8. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my 3rd gen. It is a beast off road, its solid and has been very reliable (minus having to swap engines/trannies because of a previous pink milk shake). I've poured well over 100 hours of labor fixing/rebuilding it and more money than I probably should have.

The reason why I'm considering it is because the 3.4 just has no power. I tow my boat a lot with it and it's painfully under powered. Frankly, the 3.4 barely has enough oomph to move the truck by itself. I also need more room for family reasons (you know, kids and shit).

The 4th gens I've driven ride noticeably better than any 3rd gen I've driven. They are larger, more comfortable, have WAY more power (even the 4.0 v6), little details like keyless entry (my 97 doesn't) and so on.

For the amount of "off roading" I do, any 4th gen 4WD will be more than enough.

In a perfect world, I'd own both (its actually an option) but I also have a 2011 V6 Camry that only has 55k miles and looks brand new still. It has every single option you can could get from the factory (navigation, leather, etc etc) and it gets good gas mileage. Everything is paid off and has been for a few years now. Unfortunately, my camry and 3rd gen are too small for car seats and my fat ass. I need something bigger for the days I need to pick up my kids, a 4th gen would be perfect.

I think I'd rather keep the car and get a 4th gen than have two SUV's. I'm in no hurry so I'm waiting to find a well maintained 4th gen with a V8.

So....I'd say go for it if your needs are similar to mine.

 

[jgue467]

If you're going V8 on a 4runner, at least go 2005+, you'll get a much better V8.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_4Runner

:cowboy:

 

[LittleCaesar]

$11k is pricey for it, especially a soon to be 16 year old 4Runner. But they are rare.

If you get in touch with the PO, let us know what they have to say.

 

[madbomber08]

I was wrong about the service records. When I checked the Toyota owners website, I didn't see the "see all service records." As soon as I clicked that, several pages of information came up, dating back to '05. It looks like there's a lull of records from 0 to roughly 15k miles which is strange. But otherwise it looks like there's a once a year average service after that all the way up to '18.

I don't know how to embed pdfs since Flickr doesn't allow them so I'll attach the link. Check it out....

 

[madbomber08]

$11k is pricey for it, especially a soon to be 16 year old 4Runner. But they are rare.

If you get in touch with the PO, let us know what they have to say.

I agree, 11k is steep for a 15 y/o vehicle. And no record of TB done or the air pump thingy.

 

[absalom]

One thing that is annoying with the 4th gen V8 -- cracked exhaust manifolds. Super common on those motors, and makes them sound like a jalopy. Not cheap to fix, and no permanent fix either (that I know of.) That being said, still an amazing vehicle all around. And that 5 speed transmission, soooo good!

 

[Inv4drZm]

One thing that is annoying with the 4th gen V8 -- cracked exhaust manifolds. Super common on those motors, and makes them sound like a jalopy. Not cheap to fix, and no permanent fix either (that I know of.) That being said, still an amazing vehicle all around. And that 5 speed transmission, soooo good!

Doug Thorley came out with some short tube headers a couple years ago for the 03-04's and 05-09 V8's. Good power increase too but still not that cheap and they need welded on to the rest of the exhaust.

 

[LittleCaesar]

I agree, 11k is steep for a 15 y/o vehicle. And no record of TB done or the air pump thingy.

For all the few members who have upgraded from a 5vz to a 2uz, I haven’t heard of one regretting it. :first:

Good used trucks and SUVs are going for high $$$ at the moment, but I would want the TB/H20 pump and tensioner changed, or at least used as bargaining leverage.

Good luck.

 

[rideexileex]

IIRC, aren't the 03-04 motors the more desirable one's for adding a supercharger? Without the VVT?

 

[V8Man]

The 03 V8 is not that different than the 05-09 vvt engine. My dad has an 08 Limited. The 03 also has a dip stick on the transmission so it’s not the sealed one. Easy for fluid change. The 03-04 don’t have the air pump and none of mine have had the cracked exhaust. I think that happens when they get off-road a lot. This one looks like an in town truck. Check Craigslist in Oklahoma City. There are 3 4th gen with more mile but less price. This is a little high.

 

[Roamed YT]

V8 was a 5 speed.

...unless it was a 2WD.

I'm being pedantic, damnit!

(I misspoke. I blame it on the Fat Tug and scotch.):redface: