Help me decide! 4th Gen or 5th Gen

[034RUNNER]

I would NOT get the 05. Newer is better for resale. I know these trucks can take a lot of beatings but still, I like to start off as fresh as I can. It'd be between the 09 or 5th gen for me. I think if the 5th gen was not an SR5 I would say go for that; but you probably should drive both and decide.

The 05 has way too many miles for the price.

 

[TheTuckerTaxi]

I would NOT get the 05. Newer is better for resale. I know these trucks can take a lot of beatings but still, I like to start off as fresh as I can. It'd be between the 09 or 5th gen for me. I think if the 5th gen was not an SR5 I would say go for that; but you probably should drive both and decide.

The 05 has way too many miles for the price.

I respectfully disagree, assuming you could have bought it new for around $32k depending on options, etc (MSRP $32,930), the 05 has already depreciated significantly so you have less to lose on depreciation.

Disclaimer: These numbers are BALLPARK figures to give you a rough idea. New prices can very greatly.

'05 $14,900 (New: $32,000 Depreciation so far: $17,100)

'09 $25,000 (New $32,000 Depreciation so far: $7,000)

'10 $28,000 (New $32,000? Depreciation so far $4,000)

IMO the 2010 worries me, a car 2 years old with scratches and is deeply discounted makes me wonder what else is wrong with the car. However, if you only plan to keep it for a couple years and you really like having a "new" car then you can probably enjoy a discount, get the littles things fixed and have a good ride if you get it thoroughly checked out by a 3rd party.

For the other two it really depends on what you prefer and what you want to get out of the car. If you are going to tow and plan on wheeling/modding it I would definitely get the '05, with 98k it's just getting warmed up. If you want peace of mind then go for the '09.

Whatever you do, let us know. :hungry:

 

[hamiltonj2w1]

Ok so here is my input I owned a 04 Sr5 V6 for 5 years loved every minute of ownership. Then jumped on the 5th Gen TE loved that but hated my car payment. So I went back to a used 4th Gen with a V8 and 99k miles and super cheap car payment which leaves me lots of extra money for mods and other toys I would say go for the 05 with the deal being timing belt water pump plugs and all the fluids changed and that would be a solid rig for another 100k

 

[Dougtoms01]

I just bought a SR5 V6, but I went with a 2008. According to Consumer Reports, it was a good rated year across the board. Seems to have plenty of power unless you're towing big stuff. The V6 also has a timing chain which is a plus to me. I would also agree with others about the 2010, too much indication of a bad PO. Scratches through the paint are hard to fix IMO and always worries me for rust forming and being a constant pain.

 

[rockwall]

I also say go for the V8. It is an awesome engine. Put the extra money into mods and any necessary maintenance/repairs. I don't like the 2010 redesign and if that was my only choice I would get a Tacoma.

 

[ddicosmo]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm leaning towards getting the 05. It will not be my daily driver due to the gas mileage. I have a VW Passat as my DD. My primary purpose for getting the 4R is to use on camping trips, towing a small trailer that I use to pull my ATV, go to HomeDepot runs, and pull my John Deere Lawn tractor with. I would also like to purchase a small boat in the future so I would like to plan for that as well. Given these requirements, the V6 would be more than sufficient. When I first started looking at 4Rs, I was looking only at the v6. What I live about the v6 is the timing chain, gas mileage and the ease of the oil filter access. I also think power wise, it is fine for what I would need. However, I stumbled on a 2005 v8 limited with 22k miles for 22k. I should have bought that one but it sold. I then stumbled on this v8. I live the color much better than the previous one (galactic grey vs. the gold) and I like the dealership that is selling it(I purchased a new car there and they were great). The only reservation I have about going with this one is that it is a 3 owner vehicle, HAS NOT had the timing belt done yet, and the miles are pretty high. Also, the rotors were turned and not replaced. Only the rear brake pads were replaced. I asked them to put new front rotors and pads but they told me that they think that the front rotors are not the originals as they were not too thin when they turned them. So I'm trying to get them to replace the front rotors and put new front pads on for that price. The vehicle looks to be in good shape and I trust this dealer as they have been good to me in the past. For the price, the dealer told me that they WILL do the timing belt, water pump and whatever else is required for a full timing belt job. They told me that they have already spent almost 2k on the vehicle and that they can't lower the price of the vehicle any more. Here is a list of what they have done so far:

Did the engine oil,
Oil filter,
Replace the engine air filter,
Replace the engine spark plugs,
Replace the passenger side front wheel bearing,
Replace the rear wiper insert and the wiper blades
Resurface the front brake and rotors,
Replace the rear brake pads and resurface the rear brake rotors,
Replace the oil pan cover,
Replace the exhaust pipe gaskets and verify no further leak,
Clean exterior, engine compartment, door jambs,wheels and tires.
Remove bugs, tar ECT.
Machine polish, hand wax, dress moldings, and rubber.
Vacuum upholstery, shampoo fabric, clean and dress vinyl and or leather.
There are some of the service records mentioned on the CarFax, and here is where you can have access to them: CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JTEBT14R158027162

I like this one but I feel that the price is still kind of high for the miles it has. However, it doesn't seem like I can get them to go down any more in price. Finally, I would like to make a decision and buy a 4R soon so I feel liike I need to act now.

Here is a link to the vehicle: Used 2005 Toyota 4runner SR5 in Nashua NH | JTEBT14R158027162

Here is al link to the carfax: CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JTEBT14R158027162

 

[MidwestT4R]

Get the 2005 V8. This site if full of stories about people who have 200K or more on their trucks. Save the extra ten grand for something else.

The fact that you are not going to use this as a daily driver really seals it. If you drive the car 7K per year you could use it for the next ten years and only have 170K in mileage on it. Why spend all that extra money for a car that won't really get used. If you get the 2005 you save the money and get a truck that perfectly fits your requirements

 

[gptoy96]

^I'm with Midwest, if it's not your daily driver save your cash and buy something cheaper.

The 05 will serve duty perfectly for years.

 

[CitizenX]

The V8 for sure. It's a solid truck and as others have stated, the engine is bulletproof. I have a 09 V8 and it is by far the smoothest engine I've ever had in a truck. It also has the higher towing capacity IIRC, perfect for towing a boat.

 

[Dkon82]

Is 14,900 a good price for an 05 V8 with almost 100k? Should I be able to get them down more? They are telling me that they can't go any lower. Also, what should I be prepared for (maintenance wise) at 100k if I do get the truck? Any problem areas I should be prepared for? I'm just a bit worried about paying almost 15k for a vehicle with 100k miles.

I bought my 04 v8 95k (4x4, sun roof, spoiler, nice aftermarket CD player and overall outstanding condition) for 14,200. The lady was asking 14,900, but after haggling on the price using the timing belt/water pump as leverage, I got her to go down 700.
I could not be more pleased with my decision. I also 100% agree with everyone who says how smooth and quiet the v8 is (SO impressive). I think the 4th gen v8 will definitely go down as a 4r hall of famer!!!
I am not biased either; I am a valet at the busiest casino in NM and I have driven them all from 100 to 250000k mi. Thats just my humble opinion.

 

[zerowkul98]

I bought my 03 V8 SE at the Nashua dealer when i used to live just over the MA/NH line. They were good to me too.

Have they checked the calipers for seizing issues? I want only Toyota parts on my Runners...they last longest IMO.

Arent all the V8' 4WD?

 

[ddicosmo]

I think I've found the one I'm looking for. The dealership is giving me a great deal on this one and I feel that I'm getting an almost new 4runner and not breaking the bank. Here are the details:

2008 SR5 V6 silver 25,500 miles $24,000 out the door. It has leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and a sun roof. There are a few little hairline scratches here and there and a bit of scuffing on the right front bumper (plastic). But otherwise, it looks and drives like new. It is a 1 owner lease vehicle. So it is between this and the 2005 V8 at $14,900. I think spending the extra $9k on this one seems worth it. It still has 2+ years of the factory powertrain warranty, no timing belt to deal with, better gas mileage and can tow anything I will need to tow in the furture. I've looked within 150 mile radius on autotrader.com and there is nothing out there that is a better deal than this. The dealer claims they are loosing money on the deal.

So its now down to these two:

2008 SR5 V6 Silver 4WD 26,500 miles $24,000
2005 SR5 V8 Grey AWD 98,500 miles $14,900

 

[deedst4r]

You will love whatever you get. I vote V6 cause it's newer and lower miles. Either one you will love though.