Other SUVs you've owned compared to your 4runner
- Thread starter bigskyeric
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Martinjmpr
New member
Is there a prize for who owned the oldest 4x4 SUV?
Because if there is, I think I'm a contender.
My first vehicle:
That's a 1957 International Harvester Travelall. 240ci I-6, 4 speed tranny with granny low and a two-stick T-case. It looked like a forest growing out of the floor! (Transmission lever, two t-case levers and the parking brake.)
Purchased in 1979 when I was 17.
Next vehicle, also a 4x4, also an IHC Travelall, this was a '67. 345 V8 with no smog controls, 4 speed and, somewhat inexplicably, manual steering (which made it a PITA to park.)
Next vehicle was a 71 Blazer with a 350 and a 4 speed. Looked great but had a lot of problems: Clutch, rear axle, T-case, etc.
Sold it to buy my first Toyota, an 85 4x4 truck. My first new vehicle, ever.
My next 4x4 and the first "modern" SUV I've owned was a 1990 Montero:
Then a 2wd truck, an AWD wagon, a 4wd Tacoma and finally in 2009 I got back into the SUV game with my first 4runner, a 1999 with the 3.4, auto and e-locker.
As far as comparisons, seems to me it's not really logical to compare a 4th gen 4runner to something that was designed and built more than a decade before. There has been a generational improvement in both power and features since then. For example, my Montero had a 3.0l V6, which felt pretty powerful to me coming from a very slow Mazda pickup.
Yet, that 3.0 put out a little under 150hp, which by today's standards would be considered pathetic if it came from a 4 cyl! It also had no air bags, no AC, manual windows and doors and no keyless entry. All those things have become more or less standard on all vehicles by now, even entry level.
So, in a sense, comparing a 4th gen 4runner to an early 90's Pathy or Explorer is a little unfair. :shrug:
Because if there is, I think I'm a contender.
My first vehicle:
That's a 1957 International Harvester Travelall. 240ci I-6, 4 speed tranny with granny low and a two-stick T-case. It looked like a forest growing out of the floor! (Transmission lever, two t-case levers and the parking brake.)
Purchased in 1979 when I was 17.
Next vehicle, also a 4x4, also an IHC Travelall, this was a '67. 345 V8 with no smog controls, 4 speed and, somewhat inexplicably, manual steering (which made it a PITA to park.)
Next vehicle was a 71 Blazer with a 350 and a 4 speed. Looked great but had a lot of problems: Clutch, rear axle, T-case, etc.
Sold it to buy my first Toyota, an 85 4x4 truck. My first new vehicle, ever.
My next 4x4 and the first "modern" SUV I've owned was a 1990 Montero:
Then a 2wd truck, an AWD wagon, a 4wd Tacoma and finally in 2009 I got back into the SUV game with my first 4runner, a 1999 with the 3.4, auto and e-locker.
As far as comparisons, seems to me it's not really logical to compare a 4th gen 4runner to something that was designed and built more than a decade before. There has been a generational improvement in both power and features since then. For example, my Montero had a 3.0l V6, which felt pretty powerful to me coming from a very slow Mazda pickup.
Yet, that 3.0 put out a little under 150hp, which by today's standards would be considered pathetic if it came from a 4 cyl! It also had no air bags, no AC, manual windows and doors and no keyless entry. All those things have become more or less standard on all vehicles by now, even entry level.
So, in a sense, comparing a 4th gen 4runner to an early 90's Pathy or Explorer is a little unfair. :shrug:
HOJeepster
New member
2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: Absolute beast, absolute blast to drive, custom interior with engine mods...but the gas milage was terrible at 10 mpgs, and the car was very unreliable, and the AWD sucked in snow.
Still, the nicest and fastest machine I've ever owned.
Still, the nicest and fastest machine I've ever owned.
Martinjmpr
New member
Actually, though...
There is a valid comparison I can make: From 2008 to 2012 my wife owned a Suzuki Grand Vitara. V6, 4x4, Xsport package, all the options except leather. Since the new generation of the GV was introduced in 2006 that makes it a contemporary with the 4th gen (introduced in 2003.) So here's what I'll say about the GV, + and -:
+ Peppy and fun to drive
+ An absolute beast in the snow (full time 4wd)
+ Well equipped for a "budget brand" car (5 speed auto, alloy wheels, 6 speaker stereo with in-dash CD changer, steering wheel controls and automatic climate control.)
+ Handling was pretty decent for an SUV (it had 4 wheel independent suspension and no, we didn't take it off road!)
- MPG was sub-par for such a small vehicle (I blame the full time 4wd and the fact that the little 2.7 V6 had to run at pretty high speeds to move it around.) Around town it rarely broke 14 and even on the highway 18 was a stretch. By contrast I can hit 20 pretty easily on the highway in my much larger, more powerful 4runner.
- Very noisy!
- Size wise, a little bit cramped. Minimal cargo storage and the "fold and tumble" seats intruded into the storage area as well.
- In addition to the noise, it just felt a little bit "crude" on the inside.
Overall it was a good vehicle but I'm glad we sold it a few weeks before Suzuki announced they were withdrawing from the US car market.
There is a valid comparison I can make: From 2008 to 2012 my wife owned a Suzuki Grand Vitara. V6, 4x4, Xsport package, all the options except leather. Since the new generation of the GV was introduced in 2006 that makes it a contemporary with the 4th gen (introduced in 2003.) So here's what I'll say about the GV, + and -:
+ Peppy and fun to drive
+ An absolute beast in the snow (full time 4wd)
+ Well equipped for a "budget brand" car (5 speed auto, alloy wheels, 6 speaker stereo with in-dash CD changer, steering wheel controls and automatic climate control.)
+ Handling was pretty decent for an SUV (it had 4 wheel independent suspension and no, we didn't take it off road!)
- MPG was sub-par for such a small vehicle (I blame the full time 4wd and the fact that the little 2.7 V6 had to run at pretty high speeds to move it around.) Around town it rarely broke 14 and even on the highway 18 was a stretch. By contrast I can hit 20 pretty easily on the highway in my much larger, more powerful 4runner.
- Very noisy!
- Size wise, a little bit cramped. Minimal cargo storage and the "fold and tumble" seats intruded into the storage area as well.
- In addition to the noise, it just felt a little bit "crude" on the inside.
Overall it was a good vehicle but I'm glad we sold it a few weeks before Suzuki announced they were withdrawing from the US car market.
Can't claim to own a couple since they were technically my parents as I was growing up.
1964 International Travelall/1968 International Travelall - At the time, I didn't like these two. They were hard to work on, since IH seemed to have a habit of buying parts for their passenger vehicles from a variety of suppliers, and just hacking things together to make them work. I remember buying a cooling system hose that shouldn't have existed at all with just a little bit of proper engineering. But, in retrospect, they were workhorses, and I have, in the last couple of years, been looking for one for fun. I just missed out on a IH truck earlier this year. We will see.
1979 Jeep CJ7 - Lots of fun as a teenager. We once packed 16 people into it to go to lunch. I didn't say being a teenager was about intelligence! Beat that thing, and ended up rolling it, breaking my foot when it fell out the open door. But, we had a lot of fun with it anyway. Lots of clutch problems, but I attribute that to the repeated burnouts that we practiced regularly.
1974 Chevy K5 Blazer - Loved this one. The fully removable hard top is something that I always enjoyed. Big, and at the time, I didn't care about the price of gas, so the 350 didn't bother me at all. I managed to catch this one on fire after letting my brother put tranny fluid in it, which he poured down the exhaust manifold. Oops. Managed to find a very, very nice Les Schwab who let me borrow some tools in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday evening a couple hundred miles from home.
1985 Chevy S10 Blazer - Hated this one, through and through. My wife really wanted it, so we bought it, but it wasn't fun to drive, was very underpowered, it was the two-door, so it didn't have much useful space.
1989 Jeep Cherokee XJ - Replacement for the POS S10. Loved this ride. Beat it and beat it and abused it, and it still took care of me. Taught my daughter to drive in this ride, and it just always did good. Developed a main seal oil leak, and work was freaking out about how much oil I was leaving in the garage, so I traded it in on
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ - One of my all time favorites. V8, 5-speed auto, with almost all the options. Comfortable, lots of power, good space. Unfortunately, a large chunk of tree fell on it late last year, which lead me to
2004 Toyota 4Runner - Mostly love it. The driver's headroom isn't quite adequate, and there isn't quite as much sleeping room in the back as there was in my Grand, but that's mostly me nitpicking. The V8 does well, although I haven't towed my trailer with it yet. But, the ergonomics are pretty good, and I expect the engine and tranny to keep going for a couple hundred more miles.
Gosh. I hope I didn't miss any in there.
1964 International Travelall/1968 International Travelall - At the time, I didn't like these two. They were hard to work on, since IH seemed to have a habit of buying parts for their passenger vehicles from a variety of suppliers, and just hacking things together to make them work. I remember buying a cooling system hose that shouldn't have existed at all with just a little bit of proper engineering. But, in retrospect, they were workhorses, and I have, in the last couple of years, been looking for one for fun. I just missed out on a IH truck earlier this year. We will see.
1979 Jeep CJ7 - Lots of fun as a teenager. We once packed 16 people into it to go to lunch. I didn't say being a teenager was about intelligence! Beat that thing, and ended up rolling it, breaking my foot when it fell out the open door. But, we had a lot of fun with it anyway. Lots of clutch problems, but I attribute that to the repeated burnouts that we practiced regularly.
1974 Chevy K5 Blazer - Loved this one. The fully removable hard top is something that I always enjoyed. Big, and at the time, I didn't care about the price of gas, so the 350 didn't bother me at all. I managed to catch this one on fire after letting my brother put tranny fluid in it, which he poured down the exhaust manifold. Oops. Managed to find a very, very nice Les Schwab who let me borrow some tools in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday evening a couple hundred miles from home.
1985 Chevy S10 Blazer - Hated this one, through and through. My wife really wanted it, so we bought it, but it wasn't fun to drive, was very underpowered, it was the two-door, so it didn't have much useful space.
1989 Jeep Cherokee XJ - Replacement for the POS S10. Loved this ride. Beat it and beat it and abused it, and it still took care of me. Taught my daughter to drive in this ride, and it just always did good. Developed a main seal oil leak, and work was freaking out about how much oil I was leaving in the garage, so I traded it in on
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ - One of my all time favorites. V8, 5-speed auto, with almost all the options. Comfortable, lots of power, good space. Unfortunately, a large chunk of tree fell on it late last year, which lead me to
2004 Toyota 4Runner - Mostly love it. The driver's headroom isn't quite adequate, and there isn't quite as much sleeping room in the back as there was in my Grand, but that's mostly me nitpicking. The V8 does well, although I haven't towed my trailer with it yet. But, the ergonomics are pretty good, and I expect the engine and tranny to keep going for a couple hundred more miles.
Gosh. I hope I didn't miss any in there.
Chihlidog
New member
I'll play.
First vehicle was an 82 Bronco. 302. Talk about a tank! It was wrecked 4 times (like I said...first vehicle. I was 19). Barely a scratch, even when it totaled a full size Caprice. It was OK off road but obviously very heavy and was prone to sliding into big mud puddles where a lighter 4x4 could have ridden on the banks around them. Still, was fun to drive that thing in mud up to the bottom of the doors. I ended up losing that one when the water pump went and I couldnt repair it and didnt have the money to pay someone else to.
Fast forward a bit. Bought an '01 Cherokee in '03. I love it. It's an old design and it shows though. It's rather crude. It's bouncy. It's a little rough. Noisy. I go through brake pads like crazy. The speakers and the windows have electrical gremlins. Dumb little problems like that. But the engine and tranny are great. MPG sucks, but aside from that I dont think anyone could talk trash on the 4.0. Lots of torque in a light vehicle like that makes it fun and its of course very capable off road and in snow. I havent shoveled my driveway in years. :biggrin1:
Having said that, due to the infamous low oil pressure when hot, I just did the oil pump and since I was in there we pulled the engine and did the bottom end. New bearings, rear main, oil pickup, pump, new gasket sets on the top, etc.
It is definitely showing its age, but its a good vehicle. I'll never get rid of it and my wife loves it even more than I do.
Now to the 4runner I just bought today. 04 V6 with 109k that feels brand new. It feels SO much more refined than the Jeep. Little touches that Toyota adds are great. Electronic toys, the 4Runner embroidery in the trunk, the leather owner's case. On road feel is more confident. Still feels like a capable truck, but it's relaxing to drive it. The Jeep is NOT a cruiser. This 4Runner can be. They're incredibly different vehicles. I love my Jeep, but to live with on a day to day basis, yeah, I'll keep the 4runner. It's only 3 years newer than my XJ, but feels worlds more modern.
First vehicle was an 82 Bronco. 302. Talk about a tank! It was wrecked 4 times (like I said...first vehicle. I was 19). Barely a scratch, even when it totaled a full size Caprice. It was OK off road but obviously very heavy and was prone to sliding into big mud puddles where a lighter 4x4 could have ridden on the banks around them. Still, was fun to drive that thing in mud up to the bottom of the doors. I ended up losing that one when the water pump went and I couldnt repair it and didnt have the money to pay someone else to.
Fast forward a bit. Bought an '01 Cherokee in '03. I love it. It's an old design and it shows though. It's rather crude. It's bouncy. It's a little rough. Noisy. I go through brake pads like crazy. The speakers and the windows have electrical gremlins. Dumb little problems like that. But the engine and tranny are great. MPG sucks, but aside from that I dont think anyone could talk trash on the 4.0. Lots of torque in a light vehicle like that makes it fun and its of course very capable off road and in snow. I havent shoveled my driveway in years. :biggrin1:
Having said that, due to the infamous low oil pressure when hot, I just did the oil pump and since I was in there we pulled the engine and did the bottom end. New bearings, rear main, oil pickup, pump, new gasket sets on the top, etc.
It is definitely showing its age, but its a good vehicle. I'll never get rid of it and my wife loves it even more than I do.
Now to the 4runner I just bought today. 04 V6 with 109k that feels brand new. It feels SO much more refined than the Jeep. Little touches that Toyota adds are great. Electronic toys, the 4Runner embroidery in the trunk, the leather owner's case. On road feel is more confident. Still feels like a capable truck, but it's relaxing to drive it. The Jeep is NOT a cruiser. This 4Runner can be. They're incredibly different vehicles. I love my Jeep, but to live with on a day to day basis, yeah, I'll keep the 4runner. It's only 3 years newer than my XJ, but feels worlds more modern.
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I have owned a few SUV that we're not 4runner
1999 RX300 (better)
2005 Jeep liberty (worse)
2005 Jeep Rubicon (more fun, worse ride)
2009 Jeep Unlimited (worse, and needed an acre to u-turn)
2004 Sequoia (better, more room, better ride)
1998 Rav4 (NEVER AGAIN.. Nothing good about it but MPG)
1999 RX300 (better)
2005 Jeep liberty (worse)
2005 Jeep Rubicon (more fun, worse ride)
2009 Jeep Unlimited (worse, and needed an acre to u-turn)
2004 Sequoia (better, more room, better ride)
1998 Rav4 (NEVER AGAIN.. Nothing good about it but MPG)
04 grand cherokee
I can attest to the front end collision part being really friggin good. 75+ cut off by a car at the last minute swerved dead center into the concrete barrier. Realizing it was coming i actually leaned over in the passenger seat to avoid the air bags.
I walked away without a scratch. That was until the state tow truck tow my car and i was in another car behind it when it fell off the tow truck and we hit it giving me severe case of whiplash and a broken hand at only 30 miles an hour. What are the odds of being in a crash in my car then being in another and getting into a second one involving my own jeep
The state paid out the but for that one.
2005 hemi durango hated it most non fuel efficient truck ever
2014 jeep srt8 i can say nothing more than i love that truck. and it sits nicely next to the 2011 4runner and 05 mustang in the garage.
No more suv's for me next is pickups
I can attest to the front end collision part being really friggin good. 75+ cut off by a car at the last minute swerved dead center into the concrete barrier. Realizing it was coming i actually leaned over in the passenger seat to avoid the air bags.
I walked away without a scratch. That was until the state tow truck tow my car and i was in another car behind it when it fell off the tow truck and we hit it giving me severe case of whiplash and a broken hand at only 30 miles an hour. What are the odds of being in a crash in my car then being in another and getting into a second one involving my own jeep
The state paid out the but for that one.
2005 hemi durango hated it most non fuel efficient truck ever
2014 jeep srt8 i can say nothing more than i love that truck. and it sits nicely next to the 2011 4runner and 05 mustang in the garage.
No more suv's for me next is pickups
toyo
Member
Was yours a V6 or V8? They made the 4.3 in both for several years.
toyo
Member
My 1st SUV was a 1987 4Runner Turbo. 4WD SR5 in Silver. Hands down the best looking SUV I have ever had. That was one sharp SUV.
After I got married we purchased a 1993 Isuzu Rodeo. It was alright, but had a lot of drivetrain issues. Sold it pretty quick.
Bought a 1994 Toyota 4R, SR5 white in color. It was a nice nice 4R. Sold it in 1997 in need of a truck.
1999 Lexus RX300. One of the very 1st RX units on the road. My wife had really long commutes for work for many years. We drove this one for 78K in 2 years.
2001 Lexus RX300. We still have this one, son drives it now. It currently has 371K miles on it.
2004 4R Sport V8 AWD White. Simply awesome vehicle. The best looking SUV I have ever had.
I was really missing my 2004 so I set out to find another one. I ended up finding a 2008 4R V8 AWD White. This is my current 4Runner. It is really starting to grow on me. My build has begun. I ordered my Icon suspension yesterday, so here it goes!
To this day my wife still gives me hell for selling the 1994. She absolutely loved that thing. What made it worse was I sold it to get a T-100. I had it for 3 weeks and it was stolen..
After I got married we purchased a 1993 Isuzu Rodeo. It was alright, but had a lot of drivetrain issues. Sold it pretty quick.
Bought a 1994 Toyota 4R, SR5 white in color. It was a nice nice 4R. Sold it in 1997 in need of a truck.
1999 Lexus RX300. One of the very 1st RX units on the road. My wife had really long commutes for work for many years. We drove this one for 78K in 2 years.
2001 Lexus RX300. We still have this one, son drives it now. It currently has 371K miles on it.
2004 4R Sport V8 AWD White. Simply awesome vehicle. The best looking SUV I have ever had.
I was really missing my 2004 so I set out to find another one. I ended up finding a 2008 4R V8 AWD White. This is my current 4Runner. It is really starting to grow on me. My build has begun. I ordered my Icon suspension yesterday, so here it goes!
To this day my wife still gives me hell for selling the 1994. She absolutely loved that thing. What made it worse was I sold it to get a T-100. I had it for 3 weeks and it was stolen..
So which one is better looking :shrug:
toyo
Member
Sorry, my coffee has yet to kick in. I love the old styling of the 1987. To me they were so nice in a lot of different ways.
I owned two SUVs prior to my 05 4runner purchase.
1990 Nissan Pathfinder. Kept until just over 320k miles. Gave it to a nephew when he went to college. He drove it for 4 years..and sold it with over 450k miles. Very few repairs. Just normal maintenance.
1998 Nissan Pathfinder. I drove that until over 300k miles. Gave it to my Daughter when she was in her second year at MIT. She sold it to her ex boyfriend her first year of Graduate school at Harvard. Last I knew it was still running with close to 500k miles...Again very reliable..just normal maintenance and very few repairs.
1990 Nissan Pathfinder. Kept until just over 320k miles. Gave it to a nephew when he went to college. He drove it for 4 years..and sold it with over 450k miles. Very few repairs. Just normal maintenance.
1998 Nissan Pathfinder. I drove that until over 300k miles. Gave it to my Daughter when she was in her second year at MIT. She sold it to her ex boyfriend her first year of Graduate school at Harvard. Last I knew it was still running with close to 500k miles...Again very reliable..just normal maintenance and very few repairs.
Limbwalker
New member
06 TRD Taco with 2 1/2" daystar (miss this truck SOOOO much)
01 Ford Ranger with 4" proComp lift, detroit tru-trac, 255/85/16 BFG MTs and Warn XD9000 (miss this one too!)
84 Bronco. 6" ProComp, 351, 4.88s Detroit locker rear and tru-trac front, 36" super swampers and Warn XD9000 (miss 8mpg not so much)
Also had an 88 4runner, 80 Toy pickup, 84 blazer etc etc etc
01 Ford Ranger with 4" proComp lift, detroit tru-trac, 255/85/16 BFG MTs and Warn XD9000 (miss this one too!)
84 Bronco. 6" ProComp, 351, 4.88s Detroit locker rear and tru-trac front, 36" super swampers and Warn XD9000 (miss 8mpg not so much)
Also had an 88 4runner, 80 Toy pickup, 84 blazer etc etc etc
Attachments
Jeffrey_VB
New member
My first SUV was a 99 Montero Sport. Black with Gray interior. Big change from the 94 Toyota HiLux 4x4 that I had. Gave this to my wife and traded her 96 Blazer for my...
1999 Range Rover P38. I LOVED LOVED LOVED this car. As long as it wasn't at a gas station or repair shop. Great ride height. Comfortable seats. Tons of room. Flip down tailgate. Heated windshield. As she approached 100,000 miles, wife wanted the money pit gone. Traded it for the Runner, and lost my azz on the trade in value. I love my Runner, but I still miss my Rover.
1999 Range Rover P38. I LOVED LOVED LOVED this car. As long as it wasn't at a gas station or repair shop. Great ride height. Comfortable seats. Tons of room. Flip down tailgate. Heated windshield. As she approached 100,000 miles, wife wanted the money pit gone. Traded it for the Runner, and lost my azz on the trade in value. I love my Runner, but I still miss my Rover.
97BlackAckCL
Elite Member
My first SUV on the left, 03 V6 Sport Edition, my second SUV on the right, 08 V6 SR5
ddnww
New member
i owned a 78 gmc jimmy for a short period of time, the rear end fell apart, didnt want to put more money into it
i also owned a 2000 gmc jimmy with the 4.3... i bought it with low miles and in excellent condition.. this vehicle was a joke, engine was loud with no power and horrible fuel economy, suspension was very weak and felt like it would crumble at any given moment, the 4x4 system was a joke as well. sold it and used that for part of my down payment on my t4r.
i also owned a 2000 gmc jimmy with the 4.3... i bought it with low miles and in excellent condition.. this vehicle was a joke, engine was loud with no power and horrible fuel economy, suspension was very weak and felt like it would crumble at any given moment, the 4x4 system was a joke as well. sold it and used that for part of my down payment on my t4r.
