on the Hunt for a 4runner trophy...

SnowLizard

SnowLizard

New member
Hmm, how to explain without the boring parts...

wife wants a 7 seater 4runner, I don't want to spend 30k+ on a newer 5th gen...

she checked out a 05 w/ 3rd row last night, liked it but is adamate on looking for lower miles... and locally (AZ)

but we don't need the 7 seats 99% of the time, as we will have our 4 dogs back there... they fit fine in the 99 4runner (mine) and don't fit at all in her 07 hyundai tucson.

my other questions are engine v6 vs v8... I understand power, don't need it, it's a dog park run, long road trip drive, vehicle, minimal off road, but will see snow, so the AWD sounds great, good thing BOTH 4wd engines can do it.
So is there anything that different between the two? what would be less maintenance/more reliable? I'm leaning toward v6.


so for my Wife I see the following...

05-09 4runner
v6
4x4
3rd row
less than 100k miles??


I'm afraid to get the 5th gen due to price tag, besides it's not like she's going to fully use the 4th gen as is.

what other benefits are there to the 4th gen vs the 5th gen except price tag.
 
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Richard - I really liked the v6 4Runner. It Did everything I wanted with no issues. But given the residual value of the 4Runner it may be a good time to look for a lease return 5th gen. 4th gen 4Runners are still going for a decent price.

A 4th gen, 3rd row 4Runner in good shape with reasonable miles at a decent price will not be the easiest to find.
 
Both the V6 and V8 are very reliable motors. The V6 has a timing chain versus the V8 having a timing belt. Chain theoretically never needs replacement, the belt is supposed to be replaced every 90k. Earlier years of the V6 (2004-2006?) had some higher incidences of head gasket problems, but I believe it was resolved later on.

Power is similar between the two motors actually, but the V8 has better torque at lower rpm. If you load the vehicle up (whether with people, cargo, dogs, or towing), the V8 will handle it better. By no means is the V6 a slouch however. With that said, I'm very happy with the V8's performance in my 4Runner, and is a big part of what puts a smile on my face when driving it.

I hunted for one of the later 4th gen V8 3rd row models (2007 model year). Paid a bit of a premium, but it was in beautiful condition with low miles, and had some perks like remote start, power sunroof.

I've contemplated selling it, as I have had Tundra/Tacoma/FJ/Jeep JK urges, but I know that if I went with a pickup truck, I'd miss the SUV versatility. The FJ is nice from the standpoint of a more utilitarian interior. I've had dog fur, crumbs from the kids, transmission fluid and all sorts of mess in the back of mine that always make me cringe. Every time i see a nice FJ, I just think that visibility is poor and I wouldn't be able to roll the rear window down (sour grapes mentality).

As far as 5th gen, I much prefer the looks and interior of it to the 4th gen. There is no V8 option, and after driving one, it felt more sluggish than the 4th gen. Per wikipedia, the 5th gen is 200-500 lbs heavier than the 4th gen. While the third row option in either generation is pretty laughable, I believe it's even smaller in the 5th gen, but have no data to back that up. At least it hides away a bit better in the 5th gen. My interior comment, the 4th gen interior is very dated. Functions just fine, but I drool over the interior on some of the 5th gen models.

Also (I recommend some more research here), last i checked, the 5th gen quality wasn't quite up to snuff with the 3rd or 4th gen. Could have been new model year gripes, but worth looking into that.

So in short:
If budget is on your mind, shop for cheaper 4runners. Everything you've mentioned is of similar quality and experience.
If you want newer looks/interior, lower miles, you'll need to compromise and pay more.
If you want 3rd row, that search could get difficult and you might want to open up your search to larger geographical area.

Good luck with your shopping!
 
Heres a thought find a 4th gen V6 and then buy the 3rd row seats, they are out there in fact I just saw some on craigslist here in Seattle about 2 months ago.
 
BOSMECH said:
Heres a thought find a 4th gen V6 and then buy the 3rd row seats, they are out there in fact I just saw some on craigslist here in Seattle about 2 months ago.
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Problem is, the 2nd row seats are different between the 4R with factory 3rd row and 4R without. Plus, you'll need the 3rd row seat belts as well.
 
IMO, I wouldn't let engine choice be the deciding factor. I looked for a V8, and found a bunch of them around the 100k mile mark had not had the timing belt/WP done. That's a decent chunk of change, or a good weekend of working on the rig plus about $400-500ish in OEM parts.

The V8 does have a small torque advantage over the V6 down low, but it's only a ~15% displacement change, so it's not that noticeable IMO, especially since the V6 comes back to making similar power.

I drove a few examples of both, and didn't really feel like there was half as much of an engine performance difference as people on this forum let on. Then again, maybe I'm just used to really quick cars so the difference between maybe a 16.0 and a 15.7 quarter mile time when getting on it just doesn't excite me.


I felt like there was more of a difference in handling from 2WD and 4WD, with the 2WD having a much lighter front end that will be more willing to change direction. But if you need 4WD, you need 4WD. Mine is a daily driver and tow vehicle, so that's how I ended up with a V6 2WD rig.
 
BTW - I also wouldn't buy on miles either. I looked at some lower mileage examples that had pretty beat interiors and obviously had never had any more maintenance than the occasional oil change and tires when they were bald.


My point is that I wouldn't let a mileage number stop me from buying a good condition vehicle. But you also have to pay a reasonable amount for the vehicle (i.e. if some guy with 140k miles wants KBB Excellent value for his 10 year old vehicle that's never going to be in excellent condition - don't feel bad about walking on that).
 
We purchased a 2003 V8 4x4 new. We drove it 100 k miles. 3 years ago the wife wanted to upgrade to the 5th gen. We sold her 2003 and purchased a 2102 SR5. We currently have 50k on the 5th gen. My son needed a go to college vehicle, so I purchased the cheapest 4th gen V8 that I could find. I actually prefer to drive my son's 4th gen. It has 177k miles, and had never had the timing belt replaced. I spent the day today changing out his belt.

I am a big fan of the V8, but either is a good choice. As others have said, condition and maintenance are key, not mileage.

Koyle
 
If its just a passenger carrying road trip type vehicle, why stick to 4runners? There's plenty of other 3 row SUVs that handle better and get better gas mileage.
 
4-Ripcord said:
If its just a passenger carrying road trip type vehicle, why stick to 4runners? There's plenty of other 3 row SUVs that handle better and get better gas mileage.
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I'd have to also agree with this. If I didn't need to tow, I would get a more comfortable SUV.

I honestly prefer driving my wife's '13 Pilot over my 4Runner. It has a better ride, handles better, and the shift logic is much better than the 4Runner.


A 4Runner is better if you go offroad, or tow more than most unibody SUVs can handle. It's not the best 100% mall cruiser IMO.
 
I understand the ?'s of get something else for a mall crusier...

we have a 500lbs trailer, loaded to 1500-2000 lbs max, we must have 4wd,

another factor is my wife gets car sick easily. most fords, gm, chevy's are no go due to wife gets sick quick... oh and sequoia we've triad 5 of them from 2004-2013 so far, all are no go's...

we want 'good' ground clearance, for off road. when we aren't taking the 99, or need the extra seating (like pulling a 6+ kayak trailer )

and the last bit, is my wife 'wants' a 4runner only, so gotta make her happy.
 
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The Grand Wazoo said:
buy a sequoia. they have more room for the 3rd row and can be found everywhere for a reasonable price.:thumb3:
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Another option would be a Lexus GX-470 which has the same chassis and drivetrain as a V8 4runner and every one I've seen has the flip down back seats. Also with the side opening back door its easier to get in and out. I had a Prado (Lexus GX470 with the tire on the door) in Kuwait and thought it was a very luxurious vehicle. I think the prices on 2004 - 2007 GX's are similar to 4runners. Just something to think about.
 
Martinjmpr said:
Another option would be a Lexus GX-470 which has the same chassis and drivetrain as a V8 4runner and every one I've seen has the flip down back seats. Also with the side opening back door its easier to get in and out. I had a Prado (Lexus GX470 with the tire on the door) in Kuwait and thought it was a very luxurious vehicle. I think the prices on 2004 - 2007 GX's are similar to 4runners. Just something to think about.
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i think the Lexus is a great idea, no doubt, but I'm really afraid of the higher price tag of repair costs WHEN something breaks.

mpg is 15/19 c/h seems low... for being close to the same... and being older it won't be getting that.

IDK, it's worth looking at, but I'm skiddish on repair cost on parts alone.
 
When I was first looking at 4th gens I was initially going to get a blue 6cyl with 3rd row. It sold while I hemmed and hawed. I ended up with a blue w/o 3rd row. I looked and looked. I just wanted to tip you not to put 3rd row in any search engines you use because I found a lot of dealers fail to enter it on the options list when they list them on line.

I found mine by checking AutoTrader and two other on line used car search engines every day until a blue one popped up. 3rd row is not so important anymore as my kids can now drive.

There's a good thread on the Toyota120 website on adding 3rd row. There are many little parts besides just the seats you need to obtain.
 
SnowLizard said:
i think the Lexus is a great idea, no doubt, but I'm really afraid of the higher price tag of repair costs WHEN something breaks.

mpg is 15/19 c/h seems low... for being close to the same... and being older it won't be getting that.

IDK, it's worth looking at, but I'm skiddish on repair cost on parts alone.
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MPG will be the same as a V8 4runner so it would seem that would cancel out. Consider also that being full time 4wd the Lexus has a more reliable 4wd system because unlike the V6 4runner it does not have ADD and ADD is a well known failure point on the 4th gens.

I guess it depends on how badly you need that 3rd row. I don't know what the numbers are but just from my seat of the pants guess I'd say not more than 5% of 4th gen T4Rs are going to have that 3rd row and those will be the later model years which means they'll be more expensive.

Not sure what "repair costs" you're worried about. It may say "Lexus" but in the rest of the world it's just a Toyota LC Prado. If you take it to the dealer of course you'll get raped but the answer there is - don't take it to the dealer. ;): Most cities have several independent Toyota shops that charge much less than the dealer, our closest one is less than a mile away.

Not trying to say the Lexus is the only solution (I like the Sequoia too) just saying that from what I've seen it will be much easier to find a Lexus with the 3rd row than it will be to find a 4runner with one.
 
Towing...

One more note: You mentioned getting in and out with a trailer. If you are thinking of pulling a trailer heavier than about 1500lbs I think you should hold out for a V8 of some kind. I am actually putting my V6 4runner up for sale next year because I feel it is inadequate as a tow vehicle for our 1800# travel trailer.

And that is based on about 6 months and ~7500 miles of towing this year.
 
Martinjmpr said:
I guess it depends on how badly you need that 3rd row. I don't know what the numbers are but just from my seat of the pants guess I'd say not more than 5% of 4th gen T4Rs are going to have that 3rd row and those will be the later model years which means they'll be more expensive.

Not sure what "repair costs" you're worried about. It may say "Lexus" but in the rest of the world it's just a Toyota LC Prado. If you take it to the dealer of course you'll get raped but the answer there is - don't take it to the dealer. ;): Most cities have several independent Toyota shops that charge much less than the dealer, our closest one is less than a mile away.
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:iagree: good suggestion on the gx and i think you're being generous with the 5%. my SO is wanting to trade in our 06 for a third row runner and we only found 2 within a 500 mile search.

i'm in the same boat as you, OP. right now we are looking at 4th gen. landcrusiers and sequoias :thumb:

i tried showing her the AWD sienna, but she wanted nothing to do with that.:shrug::pound:
 
Let me get this straight, if I shop 'lexus' it's $$$$ but if I shop 'prado' it's $$$ little less cause of the name? but in reality it's the SAME vehicle/parts? I'm learning as fast as I can but there is SO MUCH to take in.

For my trailer

I don't think I'll be more than 1500 lbs ever but it can be loaded to 2000 lbs max

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