Is Craigslist really the best place to find a used T4R??

[njfastlife]

reason i ask is almost all that i find there are either:

a) clapped out

b) tons of miles

c) rust buckets

d) a combination of the above 3

e) scams

it seems like *maybe* one clean 4Runner pops up per month within a ~200mi. radius of my area (NYC) and it's gone within 2 days.

goddamn this is hard.

 

[BOFFROAD]

Thats how the search was for me. It took me 9 months to find one.

 

[having fun]

Consider CarMax or similar. Enterprise rental, where I got mine.

 

[T5RUNNER]

It is unless you are willing to pay the premium to buy one at a dealer. It took me 6 months to find each of mine and I had to do some driving to get them.

 

[yosh2000]

found a great deal on a 1 owner, babied '05 on CL. It was an older ladies that she used to tow her kayak to the mtns. then bought a prius for a DD. did over $2k of maintenance at the deal 6k miles before i bought it, including timing belt. yes, there are a lot of trash out there, but there are some good ones! like others have said, it may take some time...

 

[mizak82]

my main option so far... i check auto trader.. most of the ones on cars.com are dealerships..

Ive been searching for 5 months.. I've seen 9.. the couple on craigslist so far have been nice, but with unreasonable owners trying to get dealership out the door prices for them..


the search is annoying.. least i got a solid car at the moment.. tough to get in one of these in a pinch, takes some scouting it seems to land a good one..

 

[Inv4drZm]

and it's gone within 2 days.

You have to be fast!! I found mine on craigslist about 260mi away and jumped on it quick, but I got lucky.

 

[DallasSR5]

Determine what you want first. I found mine at autotrader at a dealership. It was AWD with V8 at 126k or so with the TB change and other current maintenance. Six months later, I'm still happy.

 

[aude311]

I think speed is a big deal, I looked at 3 runners in one day put a deposit down on the v8 4x4 ended up being the one

 

[hobosapien]

I got really, really lucky with mine surprisingly. Totaled my 2004 Double Cab Tacoma (my child), and found my current one within a week. I think it was all timing. 104k miles, nothing majorly wrong it either. This was 2 years ago, however, so there were a lot more on the market.

 

[wadle5]

Consider CarMax or similar. Enterprise rental, where I got mine.

Glad you got a deal, unfortunately the majority of CarMax cars and individuals who have dealt with them they have been not the best. CarMax is known for bidding up prices at used cars auctions just because. Then when they go to sell on the lot they can say you are only paying a little more than the dealership did. The problem is they are drastically inflating the price in the first place. Also several of my friends used them(with full knowledge) and have had to take their car continuously back for "problems" that they just keep masking or covering up only for it to return.
In regards to enterprise. . come on we all know what everyone does in a rental....
But really I looked for almost 12 months until I stumbled across a Craigslist ad from a dealership. I ended up having to drive 4 hours north into another state. I think the key will be be patience but also having to look out a wider radius. GOOD LUCK OP! They are out there, but a vehicle as rewarding/reliable as this you have to do a little digging.

 

[ben550]

What's wrong with this one?

2005 4Runner Sport V8 126k miles $10,000 obo

2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 - 126k Miles

 

[Bob22222]

What's wrong with this one?

2005 4Runner Sport V8 126k miles $10,000 obo

2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 - 126k Miles

12 year old east coast car? I wonder what it looks like underneath?

 

[CAMELPRO]

If you want to broaden your horizons, try SearchTempest. It compiles all CL listings for however far away you tell it to. I usually disable the "other results" such as ebay, oodle and whatever else it adds.

As has been said already, patience is your friend. Especially right now because it's tax time and that makes it exceedingly difficult to find a decent deal.

 

[njfastlife]

What's wrong with this one?

2005 4Runner Sport V8 126k miles $10,000 obo

2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 - 126k Miles

The minor accident scared me off

 

[wadle5]

What's wrong with this one?

2005 4Runner Sport V8 126k miles $10,000 obo

2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 - 126k Miles

Are you car savvy? I only ask because it has been in an accident and he is asking almost excellent condition pricing? Nope sorry salvage title possible underlying issues. Not worth 10k.

 

[having fun]

[MENTION=84680]wadle5[/MENTION] yep, I new the chances on the Enterprise purchase. 1.5 yr old @ 39k. I figured still low miles and had great service record. Besides, it was rust and damaged free.

 

[heiser]

I looked for for 5-6 months. I used craigslist and autotrader. There were only two good possibilities that were 2 hours away, but they sold before I could get down to see them (like less than 24 hours). I ended up Flying out to get one far because there just wasn't enough available in my state. Craigslist sucks but if you can stick with it, it can save you a lot.

 

[ben550]

12 year old east coast car? I wonder what it looks like underneath?

Yea most likely it is rusty underneath.

Are you car savvy? I only ask because it has been in an accident and he is asking almost excellent condition pricing? Nope sorry salvage title possible underlying issues. Not worth 10k.

Carfax only "finds" a % of all accidents... Just because it has a clean carfax does not mean it is accident free. Having an accident does not automatically make your car a "salvage" vehicle. A minor accident/fender bender is acceptable. A major accident with a salvage title is not acceptable. The accident provides negotiation power to the buyer. An honest ad with the accident disclosed is better than the "Awesome car" add with a hidden defect not listed... The baby seat in the truck shows its a family car so "hard wheeling" use can probably be ruled out. If I were looking for one, I'd check it out. Just because 10k is the asking price does not mean that is what would be offered. I usually look up the private party values, trade in values, and dealer resale values... I typically offer a thousand or so higher than the trade in value... Most times the seller accepts.

 

[amalik]

Yea most likely it is rusty underneath.



Carfax only "finds" a % of all accidents... Just because it has a clean carfax does not mean it is accident free. Having an accident does not automatically make your car a "salvage" vehicle. A minor accident/fender bender is acceptable. A major accident with a salvage title is not acceptable. The accident provides negotiation power to the buyer. An honest ad with the accident disclosed is better than the "Awesome car" add with a hidden defect not listed... The baby seat in the truck shows its a family car so "hard wheeling" use can probably be ruled out. If I were looking for one, I'd check it out. Just because 10k is the asking price does not mean that is what would be offered. I usually look up the private party values, trade in values, and dealer resale values... I typically offer a thousand or so higher than the trade in value... Most times the seller accepts.

On the flip side of your statement, a vehicle can be rendered to a salvage title WITHOUT major damage.

That is a good buy, IMO.