Looking to buy my first vehicle

[Devildriver]

I'm new to the forum but have been lurking here a while checking out the threads in different sections. I've been doing my hw to buy my first vehicle and am set on an 05 4runner. Problem is I've had a few things that I haven't been able to really determine. excuse me if anything sounds stupid, or I don't make sense; I don't know much about cars/trucks in general and am on here to learn in order to add my own armor/lifts and understand basic maintenance.

Does anyone think the V6 is underpowered at all, say for towing or anything of the sort? I know in 05 they increased the hp of both the V6 and V8 so I was hoping that wouldnt be a big concern since the V8's seem a lot harder to find in general. The only argument with this is that the V6 is aluminum so I don't want to overheat the engine or i will have issues with warping?

If I am looking to buy one with 80k-100k miles should i have concern for a need to replace water pumps or anything else?

last question - with that mileage range, and say the vehicle is in solid condition what price range do you guys think i should be looking for? i live in the chicago area and have been looking around. Something like this seems a good option (2005 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4) and may be able to talk the price down a little. I don't plan on buying a vehicle asap just yet, i might wait a few months to maybe build some more cash to buy armor and other things of the sort for my first toy. Any advice/opinions/thoughts would be very much appreciated and I hope to learn a lot from the forum!

 

[TRDCal]

I'd say it depends what your towing. In general the V6 is a very good engine and makes damn good power for its size. If your looking to constantly tow 5000lbs then you might want to consider the V8 but the V6 sure can hold it's own. I don't think overheating any engine is a good idea, maybe the aluminum components are a little more fragile but I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm not sure about the maintenance schedule on a V6 because I don't own one but I can't imagine replacing the water pump (there's only one ) at that mileage just for the heck of it. I could be wrong tho.

As far as price, up here in Canada you could expect to pay anywhere from 10-15k depending on condition, options, history etc.

 

[2007toyota4runners]

I live in the Chicago suburban area and I have had my truck appraised at 18k with 70k on the clock and that was without them looking at the truck due to it being in another state(just to give you and idea). But like TRDCal said if you are constantly towing a large load get the v8. But i have pulled many trees and such straight out of the ground and the v6 has more than enough grunt.And as for the overheating i wouldn't worry about that to much but if you are constantly towing I would recommend a transmission cooler.

Hope this helped

 

[Devildriver]

thanks fellas, very much appreciated. it looks like 10-15k is the average price around here as well.

as for towing i dont have a big trailer or anything that i plan to tow a lot, but just in case i wanted to make sure it is more than capable.

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

Devildriver (awesome name BTW - one of my favorite bands)
I went with the V6 because I didn't plan on towing much either. When I do tow, it is a small utility trailer or (one day) a pop up camper. I don't feel it is underpowered at all for my needs, but it is not my daily driver and I don't tow heavy loads.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

I bought my 03 SR5 V8 2WD in Oct 2011 For a little over 15.5 + TTL with 55,777 miles on the clock.

I recommend the V8, tons of power on tap, with slightly less MPG than the V6.

Either engine is great, but IMO the V8 tops the V6.

 

[Jeff S.]

To be honest, I'd look for a T4R in good condition at a good price more than I'd worry about which engine it has under the hood.

There is a lot of pissing in the wind regarding the two engine, but, in reality, the V6 will supply a little more fuel efficiency while the V8 will supply a little more power.

I wouldn't worry about engine overheating with either engine, but, if you're a worry nut like most of us, then run a high quality synthetic motor oil and flush the coolant to keep fresh juice in there.

Great choice. I have an '04 that has been flawless. If I had to replace it, I'd replace it with an '05 or '06.