Noob looking at a 2011 SR5

[Lear45]

Hey there everyone,

I'm new to the forum as I just found it while researching different 4Runner models. I found a 2011 SR5 (Premium I'm guessing as it has leather) at a local dealership and we stopped to look at it Thursday night. It seemed to be in really nice shape, but I really don't know much about 4Runners at this point. Didn't have time for a test drive.

In our family it's my wife and I and our two kids, 8 & 5, and a 60 lb (and growing) German Shepherd; we're coming from an '06 Saturn Vue. This 4Runner has 3rd row seats, which is something that we're looking for though we will only use them when friends/family come into town...kids will get the boot to the back.

Anyway, they've got the truck listed at $30,490 and it has 31,707 miles on it (4x4). The Carfax shows a clean history and it seems to have been serviced regularly. I wouldn't know what to look for or be concerned with otherwise, so this is where I see your expertise!

Does that price seem decent for all it's equipped with? I'll include the link at the bottom. We weren't planning to buy until Sept/Oct, but then this popped up. We were looking at a new SR5 with 3rd row, but sheesh, they're around $37k. Our other option is probably a new Ford Exploder XLT for $30k (family friend is a manager there and can work a deal). I've always wanted a 4Runner though!

2011 Toyota 4Runner | Vehicle | Inventory | Mazda | Davis-Moore

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jack19]

After having completed, recently, a similar search, I bought a very low mileage 2010 SR5; here's my advice. (I looked at a lot of them and mention the following for a reason.)

Know what, in a used vehicle, you can live with, and what you cannot. It's a personal decision.

Find an easily used urban runner, make it your own, and do mods that make it functional for your family.

Buy a good flashlight. Something that will light up what you're inspecting even in the middle of the day.

Inspect every square inch of the exterior and interior (including the headliner for evidence of leaks.)

If you can get it to your own mechanic prior to purchase, great, but, probably, unlikely. Still, push for it. After you buy, have your mechanic go over it with a fine tooth comb. Return it if there are problems you're not willing to fix.

If it's been off-roaded, skip it. Look for dirt, and rust, everywhere, including the interior.

Research and ID vehicles that have come from areas where flooding has occurred.

If there are dents in the under body, skip it.

If the engine compartment is full of/caked with dirt (no matter how well the dealership has cleaned the outside,) skip it.

If the wheels have damage, skip it.

If there is evidence of modifications that have been removed, holes on the interior where switches had been placed but are now missing, holes in the exterior trim where lighting may have been placed, stock wheels and tires but evidence of mods to the wheel wells, etc., skip it.

If the exterior trim and fenders have dents or are cracked, or broken, skip it.

Run it through the gears. Do the appropriate lights come on, on the dash?

Drive it and run it through 2W and 4WD, pay attention to noises; some of which will be completely normal and do not indicate anything wrong with the vehicle.

Drive it under the conditions you will use the vehicle. A lot of dealers have a test drive route they always follow, with every customer and every car. It may be meaningless to you.

Get the VIN and go here:

Service History Online - Toyota Owners

That said, generally speaking, a good used 4R will be a much more reliable vehicle when compared with current, and even new, Ford Explorers. (I drove a 98 V8 AWD Explorer for 16 years, it was a great and reliable vehicle, but times have changed.)

Just my 2 cents...and pretty much worth what you paid for the advice.

 

[wfo9]

Price seems fair.

3rd row in a 4runner seems like a joke to me. Maybe a dog could sit there, but they don't need a seat. If you really need a 3rd row you probably need a different vehicle.

I still think used 4runners are a bit overpriced in general, but the market supply/demand pretty much sets the price.

I think the best words to describe the 4runner are basic, capable, and rugged. Nothing fancy and nothing cutting edge about it. Powertrain is a bit outdated and the transmission really feels like it is missing a gear at times. Toyota tends to stick with what works and lag behind a bit. Interior quality is meh. Reliability is good and offroad capability is great. They generally run forever and can take a beating.

Not the best value for a family transporter, but everyone has different priorities.

I really like the 2011 that I have.

 

[Lear45]

Thank you both for the thoughtful replies!

Jack, that's a great list! I will definitely look it over closely in each of those areas. I hadn't even thought of some of the things you've mentioned, but I've never looked at a vehicle like this either. Unfortunately, if/when I go through the 4WD paces I won't even know what to look for. I think I need to read up a bit here first. :dizzy:

wfo9, you're right about the 3rd row. It's cramped for a larger person. I think we figured we'd go with a 3rd row just for the rare occasions we'd have someone else ride with us and then our kids would sit there. We wouldn't be making any long trips with someone crammed back there, that's for sure. But the massive amount of space with the seats down is really appealing. That would benefit us quite a bit.

We're not really a fancy family and don't need all the extras found on most cars. We usually buy the base model of everything. This would be the "fanciest" purchase we'd make so we're pretty excited about the extras it would have vs. our current vehicles. As soon as I mentioned "leather" and "heated seats" to my wife she perked up like a dog smelling a steak, lol! :becky: