StreetCreeper
New member
*******—RAMBLE ALERT—*******
There are plenty of threads about who has the highest miles on their trucks, but I'd like to see a thread about typical 3rd gen mileage in general.
I think the 3rd gen trucks might challenge our old-fashioned notions of just what a high mileage vehicle is.
There was a time I would have said most vehicles are wore out by 200,000 miles. But after owing my 3rd gen, I'm not convinced any more that vehicles have to be on their way out at 200k.
When I first got my truck, I'd never driven a Toyota before. So when I got in and saw how disgustingly filthy it was, and how many miles were on the truck (350k), I was not anticipating good things ahead.
Imagine my surprise when the tore up drivers seat...was friggin comfortable as hell. And before I even started the truck, I noticed how solid the steering wheel felt compared to my last vehicle (2010 Chrysler).
Once I fired it up and drove it, I could just tell it was quality despite it running horribly due to neglect. And a strange experience it was to drive a quality vehicle that was trashed and neglected. Instant love though, so like many of you, I went in search of info about how to fix all her ills — and landed here....and never left.
Fast forward to today and I can honestly say that it drives like a nearly new (or what I would assume to be new) truck. Every light, every button and every option that it left the factory with — still works perfectly 20 years later. Except for the fog lights, though teqnically it didn't leave the factory with them as they were a dealer install option.
Despite all the door panel and console push-pins that the previous owner managed to lose over the last 20 years, the truck interior still fits together perfectly and doesn't squeak except for the drivers side door lock bevel rattles sometimes.
My last car had more rattles at 34,000 miles than my 4Runner has at over 400K. If it weren't for my tires and Flowmaster exhaust, I'm sure it would ride pretty quiet.
Some might think I'm dumb for spending money on a truck with this kind of mileage, and they might be right. They might be wrong too though. The truth is we don't really know where the end of the road is for these trucks yet.
The 5vz engines came about in 95 on the T100 trucks I think and then 96 on the 4runners. If the average US driver drives approximately 15,000 miles a year, then the average 21 year old 5vz engine should only have about 315,000 miles.
So as an average, we don't really know where the end is for these engines; for all we know they might go on to average 500k or more. I think most 3rd gens are still on the road racking up the miles. I see them everywhere....everywhere but the goddamn moth@rfu€kin Pick & Pull junkyard...of course.
My engine is still going strong at over 400k, but I'm cognizant of the fact that it could grenade at any moment. I'm going to continue to keep watch over it like a hawk and do whatever I can to help it keep chugging along though.
I think the old adage about 'cheap, fast and reliable — pick only two', is appropriate with this engine. I'm guessing the designers of the 5vz engine picked cheap and reliable instead of fast and whatever. I don't mean cheap as is "cheaply made" but more as in simple no BS solid construction — not some fancy-pants engine with unproven engineering.
If I recall, these engines were built for industrial use initially, so simple and reliable were probably the goal all along. As you all know, "fast" is not a word anyone associates with these engines.
I think in a sense, these engines are overbuilt for the power they produce. To me this is good because it means my engine isn't working hard all the time. I think this engine could drag faster more powerful engines out into deep water and eventually drown them in a fight by simply out lasting them. Slow and easy wins the race they say..
Same could be said for the A340 I suppose. If not abused too much, these things seem to hold up well.
But the 4Runner is definitely more than the sum of its parts. It just has a classic look that is still strangely modern and just the right size for everything too. If the 4Runner was an athlete, it would be a fit trim MMA fighter. Welterweight if we want to be specific... yes I'm stoned
Anyways, I figured I'd start a poll that everyone with a 4Runner can vote in. Simply put: How many miles are on your truck?
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