Opinions...what year?

[T4RBoarder]

So I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and get a loan and go for a little nicer T4R(I gotta have all body colored). I have found three and I wanna know which would y'all pick? All are right around 14.5k

First is a 2003 SE 4WD V6 w/66k miles...nice but the four speed tranny gets me.

Second is a 2004 SE 4WD V8 w/64k

Last is an 05 SE 4WD V6 w/88k but with the 5spd auto

All are so similar it's just the little differences that make me contemplate which one to get.

 

[peter78]

Well, they all look like they are the Sport model and there all pretty good deals. I say the 03 would be my last choice. The 04 V8 has a five speed and a V8, good mileage and lets face it a fantastic color. If you like the V8, then that is it. BUT, you cannot go into 2WD, it will be full time 4WD and you will have to change the timing belt in 30,000 miles. The last one the 05 with the V6 has the most miles, but I would take it over the 03. Sure it has the 5 speed, but I don't think that is overly the deal here, I think the 4 speed is good for the car too, but face it, it is newer and it looks to be in good shape.

Overall, I would pick the last two. Gas is going up for sure. If you are uncomfortable with that, then get the V6. If it were me, if they are all the same price, more or less, the 2004 V8 would be my top choice.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Well, they all look like they are the Sport model and there all pretty good deals. I say the 03 would be my last choice. The 04 V8 has a five speed and a V8, good mileage and lets face it a fantastic color. If you like the V8, then that is it. BUT, you cannot go into 2WD, it will be full time 4WD and you will have to change the timing belt in 30,000 miles. The last one the 05 with the V6 has the most miles, but I would take it over the 03. Sure it has the 5 speed, but I don't think that is overly the deal here, I think the 4 speed is good for the car too, but face it, it is newer and it looks to be in good shape.

Overall, I would pick the last two. Gas is going up for sure. If you are uncomfortable with that, then get the V6. If it were me, if they are all the same price, more or less, the 2004 V8 would be my top choice.

:iagree: on the V8 one for all of the reasons Peter stated. I would add the following: White is the best to detail/touch up. If you get more than a foot from the repair you can't see it :bigok:

I would have to drive them but I might put the 4 speed V6 as second choice. The 4.0L V6 is pretty stout and I would suspect the difference between 4 and 5 speed isn't huge and a 4speed V6 would drive pretty good. I may be wrong. I have driven 3rd gens and my 4th gen; never a 4th gen 4speed so that's just a guess.

The mileage is kinda of high on the last one which brings me to a "heads-up" for all of them: The XREAS shocks on the Sports can leak and be very expensive to replace. Inspect the shocks very carefully. An alternate repair method is replace all 4 shocks with regular shocks and many have done that. They claim to not miss the XREAS. Even that cheap repair means you're on the hook for 4 shocks all at once. There's no replacing 1 or 2 shocks cheaply is my point.

Good luck!

:cheers:

 

[T4RBoarder]

I have been leaning towards the V8 too...the reason I was weird about the V6 4spd is because I have driven the V6 5spd and it was great but I had heard the 4spd unit was the same from the 3rd gen and I wasn't sure how well I would like those together.

I've heard about the XREAS problems before but I've got a friend who works at a Toyota dealership and would have him look at it beforehand.

peter, I LOVE the white, it just looks so good on them. I think I would actually like the Full-time 4WD for the most part except when I would wanna do a donut or two in the winter :satan:

 

[Uneek]

My choice would be: 2004 V8, 2005 V6 then the 2003 V6. The 2004 and 2003 are very close in mileage. The 2005 is a bit higher but has the 5 speed and thus I put it ahead of the 2003 V6.

Just a little FYI, in 2005 is when the 4Runner got powertrain upgrades. The V6 as you know, got a 5 speed auto. The V8 got VVT-i added. Under the old SAE ratings, it went from 235 to 270hp and 320 to 330ft-lb. of torque.

 

[Rowan611]

V8 ftw......better to have it and not need it, well you know. As for gas going up? It is? I saw 85 for $1.45 yesterday, isn't that a drop? Yes gas will eventually go up, but is 2 miles to the gallon that big a difference?

 

[T4RBoarder]

Just a little FYI, in 2005 is when the 4Runner got powertrain upgrades. The V6 as you know, got a 5 speed auto. The V8 got VVT-i added. Under the old SAE ratings, it went from 235 to 270hp and 320 to 330ft-lb. of torque.

I thought the I-force version meant it had VVT-i and thats why it was different than the unit in the Cruisers and LXs

 

[pipspeak]

V8 ftw......better to have it and not need it, well you know. As for gas going up? It is? I saw 85 for $1.45 yesterday, isn't that a drop? Yes gas will eventually go up, but is 2 miles to the gallon that big a difference?

Depends how many miles you drive a year. Gas is low now but this time next year as economies around the world bounce back I expect it will be far higher once again. Oil at $50 a barrel is about as cheap as it'll be for the rest of our lives IMO!

 

[progress4m]

V8 ftw......better to have it and not need it..

x2, V8 all the way.
That V8 is a amazing!

 

[peter78]

x2, V8 all the way.
That V8 is a amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShcbV31tcAk

 

[Uneek]

I thought the I-force version meant it had VVT-i and thats why it was different than the unit in the Cruisers and LXs

It's the same 4.7 V8 engine in the V8 4Runner, V8 Tundra, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Lexus GX and LX. I believe iForce is just a marketing name Toyota uses, kind of similar to how they label their old 3.0 V6's the 3000 and 2.2 4-cyl as 2200. IIRC, the VVT-i 4.7 V8 made it's appearance first in the 2005 4Runner and maybe the 2005 GX470. I know for other models the VVT-i version didn't appear until the 2006 MY.

IIRC, the name "iForce" was first used in 2000 when the first gen Tundra made it's debut, even the 4.7 V8 was first available in 1998 on the Land Crusier and LX470. The new 5.7 V8 is also called iForce.