vanion2
New member
Let me preface this by saying I love my 3rd Gen. I put a lot of upgrades into it and it never let me down. The only problem is the power it has for towing. 4 speed automatic on the 3.4L V6 was no fun when hauling a 3800# PUP. On up hill climbs I was either running less than 40 mph or dogging it to get it up to 50 mph. This is kind of scary when you are on a 75 mph highway so I decided it was time to look for a V8. I considered the 1st gen Sequoias, Tundras, and of course the 05+ 4th gen 4Runners.
Most were severely over priced here where I live at the dealerships so I decided to bide my time until next summer but on a whim I did a search earlier this week and found my latest Toyota addition. A 2006 SR5 with towing package. 2WD, base setup with just enough goodies to make it perfect for what I was looking for. White even, one of my favorite colors on a vehicle. The dealership priced it at $13900 with 132K miles on it. Clean car fax with no accidents and only 2 owners from northern Texas. I test drove it and the suspension was smooth, transmission shifts unnoticeable, and the V8 had no problem getting up to speed by the time I was merging into traffic. Prepurchase inspection at the Toyota dealership (not the place that was selling the 4Runner) found a dirty air filter and low coolant level. The place I bought it from had just replaced the timing belt and water pump, did an oil change and topped off all the fluids. I take it in next week so their PDR person can fix the hail damage I pointed out on the hood. They took my 3rd Gen on $3k in trade and then gave me a 2.25% interest rate (seriously!) for 6 years (I plan on paying it off before then but wanted the payments low for now).
I spent most of last night and today ordering parts I need to get it setup similar to my 3rd gen. Window visors, sun blocker, Prodigy P2 brake connector (love the fact that I won't have to wire up yet another vehicle for towing), new dash kit and wiring harness for the Pioneer HU I am going to swap the stock out with for now, dog cover for the back (came with 3rd row seats but I took those out), and the Firestone Coil-rite Air helpers for the back springs to help with towing.
So to compare them directly here are some of the things I think the 3rd gen did better than the 4th:
And now the things I think the 4th Gen does better than the 3rd:
Some more finishing touches include a DD head unit, back up camera, full window tint all the way around, DVD entertainment center for the mid row and some better tires when these wear out. For now I have 2 weeks to get the 4th gen ready to tow on our next camping trip.
Sorry for the crappy phone pics but I have been sick most of the week. I plan on taking better ones later.
Most were severely over priced here where I live at the dealerships so I decided to bide my time until next summer but on a whim I did a search earlier this week and found my latest Toyota addition. A 2006 SR5 with towing package. 2WD, base setup with just enough goodies to make it perfect for what I was looking for. White even, one of my favorite colors on a vehicle. The dealership priced it at $13900 with 132K miles on it. Clean car fax with no accidents and only 2 owners from northern Texas. I test drove it and the suspension was smooth, transmission shifts unnoticeable, and the V8 had no problem getting up to speed by the time I was merging into traffic. Prepurchase inspection at the Toyota dealership (not the place that was selling the 4Runner) found a dirty air filter and low coolant level. The place I bought it from had just replaced the timing belt and water pump, did an oil change and topped off all the fluids. I take it in next week so their PDR person can fix the hail damage I pointed out on the hood. They took my 3rd Gen on $3k in trade and then gave me a 2.25% interest rate (seriously!) for 6 years (I plan on paying it off before then but wanted the payments low for now).
I spent most of last night and today ordering parts I need to get it setup similar to my 3rd gen. Window visors, sun blocker, Prodigy P2 brake connector (love the fact that I won't have to wire up yet another vehicle for towing), new dash kit and wiring harness for the Pioneer HU I am going to swap the stock out with for now, dog cover for the back (came with 3rd row seats but I took those out), and the Firestone Coil-rite Air helpers for the back springs to help with towing.
So to compare them directly here are some of the things I think the 3rd gen did better than the 4th:
- 4 x 12V sockets (3 in the front one in the rear). Going to miss that when trying to run a Garmin and charge my phone at the same time up front.
- Auto windows on both fronts versus the driver's side only on the 4th.
- Not auto window on the rear. Every time I try to open it just a bit for venting the 4th gen keeps rolling the window all the down or up.
- 4x4. Going to miss that feature when it snows but to be honest it's only a handful of days a year and I rarely did any off roading that required 4wd.
- No power seats. I constantly have to readjust to unlock my kid and the 4th gen power seats are sloooooow.
- Lift gate latch is a real latch. Not the silly, sticky electronic one the 4th gen has.
And now the things I think the 4th Gen does better than the 3rd:
- HUGE glove box and arm rest. Seriously, everything I moved over from the 3rd gen doesn't even fill either half way full.
- Cup holders all over the place. Front, mid, and rear.
- V8 power with 5 speed automatic. When I go in tow mode I will have 4 gears to use and more power for up hills so I won't feel so bad.
- Bigger. The 4th gen is wider so more space to spread out.
- Nicer seats. They still have padding.
- Smoother ride. At highway speeds the 3rd felt jittery on uneven surfaces even on new struts and tires.
- Grey interior. Not a fan of tan interiors so really digging the color change.
- White exterior. I live in a desert and Emprial Jade Mica = hot as F' in the summer time.
- A real towing package. I had to add an external transmission cooler, new radiator, wire up the 7 pin harness and brake controller, and add a stage 3 hitch to the 3rd gen to do what came with the 4th gen. All I had to do was order a connector harness for the brake controller. Yay!
- Frosty cold AC! Yes, my 3rd gen had cold AC but the one on the 4th gen will give you frost bite in the summer and the mid row vents actually blow cold air so we won't have to aim the 2 mid vents back on the kid. 3rd Gen only did heat.
- Much better range with the factory alarm remote.
- Projector lens and LED brake lights. I had to retro fit the 3rd to get decent lighting. I do plan on upgrading the lens and move to HID bulbs but for now the stock is more than good enough.
Some more finishing touches include a DD head unit, back up camera, full window tint all the way around, DVD entertainment center for the mid row and some better tires when these wear out. For now I have 2 weeks to get the 4th gen ready to tow on our next camping trip.
Sorry for the crappy phone pics but I have been sick most of the week. I plan on taking better ones later.
