So I went to check out a 4runner today...

[bovine]

new guy here, 1st post.

i've been looking for a 4runner for about 2 months now. i think i've finally found a few that i'd like. please give me your thoughts on the choices.

#1 (private sale)
2004 limited, v8, black, 92xxx km (i am in Canada)
drove nice, no weird noises. smoker, since i still smell like those tree air fresheners, found tabbaco and ash in the car. no burn marks on the carpet, leather seats were in good condition. it has the double decker trunk. somewhat new michellin tires. has 3m clear film, but many rock chips on the hood. engine bay looked alright, and the radiator did not look ravaged by road debris like a few i've looked at. a few chips and chunks missing from the windshield but not cracked. sunroof works like it should. the tire pressure warning light was on the whole time, the guy claimed its because of the nitrogen in the tires. air suspension works as the guy demonstrated. its has an upwards deep gouge with other scratches on the driver side wheel molding. the rear hatch also has a few really deep gouges, looked like a garage door closed on it and started to rust. the guy wants 22000 CDN but i can talk him down.

#2 (dealer sale)
2004 limited v8, black, 82xxx km
near identical truck, toyota certified pre-own. did not test drive, will do so this weekend. no 3m clear film, clean interior with a few spots here and there. has the 3 row seat option. no rust on body and a few spots underneath. new tires still with stickers on (don't remember what kind). did not look inside the engine bay yet. here is the kicker, when i first checked out the truck last week they wanted 26999 CDN, a few days ago they called me and it was 24000, then it was 21900 and that's where its sitting right now. it's a dealer car so there will be fees and taxes added to the final price.

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i've looked at a few SR5's and V6's and decided that i wanted a limited for its equipment and v8 power. all 2005's are about 10k more money within 3 hours driving distance, and i've decided that VVT-i and the extra 35 ponies are not worth 10k. i can probably talk the private sale guy down to about 19000 since the body damage will cost some money to fix. i have no idea how much the dealer car will be since the price went down huge in just a week, maybe i can get more.

i would like advise for a few questions that i have,
-when is the timing belt done on the 4runner? is this an expense coming up real soon?
-is the air suspension standard on all limited models? it looks like to me to be just another thing to go wrong. the only other air ride suspension vehicle i've ever driven is the LAV-3 (Stryker) and that's really no comparison.
-how much would/did you pay for a 4runner in a similar setup? (this is more for the Canadian members, since we pay out the a$$ for cars up here)
-should i wait until the new gen comes out in force? maybe there'll be more selection and cheaper then?

that's all i have for now, please bear with me as i learn more and have more questions. any opinions and thoughts are welcome. thank you very much for your time and patience.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

new guy here, 1st post.

i've been looking for a 4runner for about 2 months now. i think i've finally found a few that i'd like. please give me your thoughts on the choices.

#1 (private sale)
2004 limited, v8, black, 92xxx km (i am in Canada)
drove nice, no weird noises. smoker, since i still smell like those tree air fresheners, found tabbaco and ash in the car. no burn marks on the carpet, leather seats were in good condition. it has the double decker trunk. somewhat new michellin tires. has 3m clear film, but many rock chips on the hood. engine bay looked alright, and the radiator did not look ravaged by road debris like a few i've looked at. a few chips and chunks missing from the windshield but not cracked. sunroof works like it should. the tire pressure warning light was on the whole time, the guy claimed its because of the nitrogen in the tires. air suspension works as the guy demonstrated. its has an upwards deep gouge with other scratches on the driver side wheel molding. the rear hatch also has a few really deep gouges, looked like a garage door closed on it and started to rust. the guy wants 22000 CDN but i can talk him down.

#2 (dealer sale)
2004 limited v8, black, 82xxx km
near identical truck, toyota certified pre-own. did not test drive, will do so this weekend. no 3m clear film, clean interior with a few spots here and there. has the 3 row seat option. no rust on body and a few spots underneath. new tires still with stickers on (don't remember what kind). did not look inside the engine bay yet. here is the kicker, when i first checked out the truck last week they wanted 26999 CDN, a few days ago they called me and it was 24000, then it was 21900 and that's where its sitting right now. it's a dealer car so there will be fees and taxes added to the final price.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

i've looked at a few SR5's and V6's and decided that i wanted a limited for its equipment and v8 power. all 2005's are about 10k more money within 3 hours driving distance, and i've decided that VVT-i and the extra 35 ponies are not worth 10k. i can probably talk the private sale guy down to about 19000 since the body damage will cost some money to fix. i have no idea how much the dealer car will be since the price went down huge in just a week, maybe i can get more.

i would like advise for a few questions that i have,
-when is the timing belt done on the 4runner? is this an expense coming up real soon? 90K miles or 9 years (approx 144k )
-is the air suspension standard on all limited models? it looks like to me to be just another thing to go wrong. the only other air ride suspension vehicle i've ever driven is the LAV-3 (Stryker) and that's really no comparison. Not on all Limited's. People who live where they clear roads with salt etc. some have issues with the height sensors.
-how much would/did you pay for a 4runner in a similar setup? (this is more for the Canadian members, since we pay out the a$$ for cars up here)
-should i wait until the new gen comes out in force? maybe there'll be more selection and cheaper then?

that's all i have for now, please bear with me as i learn more and have more questions. any opinions and thoughts are welcome. thank you very much for your time and patience.

It sounds like you might be able to work on the dealer a bit more and there's piece of mind with some warranty. It's cleaner and no body damage so in the end how much cheaper will the private sale be even if he goes down to $19.5 or so...


Good luck!

 

[jetboy1975]

Where in Canada are you? Those prices are WAY high even for here. 4Runners are tough to find around here but they can be found. V8's are more abundant and are usually pretty close to V6 prices.

As an example I purchased my V8 Limited in April from a dealer (had to drive to Ottawa from London for it) for $19.5 +tax. It was nearly showroom condition, dealer maintained, lady driven lease return with 75K on it. I paid $22.5 for an '03 limited V6 the year before.

Take your time and shop around. You should be able to find an '04 under $20k. You may have to go out of your way a bit but you can do way better price and condition wise. Several listed on kijiji and auto trader in Southern Ontario that I have seen.

 

[gptoy96]

Those are really high prices. Especially if they're not mint.

Not sure which part of Canada you're from but I picked up mine in Edmonton Alberta last year.

Mine was from a Toyota Dealer, certified pre-owned SE V8 4WD loaded, mint condition, non-smoker w/ only 65,000kms and paid $19,800 plus tax. This was a year and a half ago now so you're price seems really out of line.

I agree w/ jetboy1975, keep shopping, you'll find better trucks with lower prices out there.

Welcome aboard also!

 

[Scoobs]

Keep looking. From their descriptions I wouldn't take either of them, and they are over priced. There are good ones out there. Last time I looked at Ontario Autotrader there were @ 117 4Rs listed, @ 80 of which were 4th gens, with lots of Limited models.

My research showed that all Limited models sold in Canada by Toyota were equipped with X-Reas and Air Suspension. Be aware however that lots of the 4Rs showing up on Autotrader in Canada are actually US imports so you should check the equipment on those as they are not equipped the same as Toyota Canada 4Rs. They may not have x-Reas or Air Suspension. There are even 2WD US imports showing up on Autotrader.

If you pick up a 2005 or later V8 you will get a bit more power over the 2004 V8.

 

[paraordnance]

Way overpriced, even for Alberta used car market. A year ago I purchased 2004 Limited V8 CPO from Toyota dealer in absolutelly mint condition (non smoker, one local owner, meticulous service records since day one) with 90k on a clock and absolutelly nothing wrong with it, not even one bit (still drives perfect) was just serviced with new brakes/rotors, all fluids all around, spotless in/out, new winshield but original Cross Terains, fully loaded except Nav (I have X-REAS & rear air suspension). I paid $22,000. Shop around, there is a deals out there just need to be patient

 

[bovine]

i am in edmonton, alberta. i am going to see if the dealer car will be any cheaper with some aggresive offers (18k). i did not know t4r's can be had for under 20, so i guess i'll keep looking if it doesnt work out. if anyone finds a good one for sale please pm it to me if possible. thanks for your replies and keep em comin!

 

[JAC]

Mine is the basic 04 SR5 2WD and I just paid 17,000 certified.... can't recall exactly the milage right now but it was under 65k miles and that was 2 1/2 years ago!..

 

[jetboy1975]

Just checked Trader.ca in your neck of the woods. Seems like prices are a little higher in that end of the country. May be worth it to travel a little further to save a few thousand.

 

[smackitsakic]

Our T4R

We just bought our 4Runner (we live in Saskatchewan) and paid $25,700 for it.

It's on 07 SR5, V6, and had 55,000 kilometers on it. We were pretty satisfied with the deal - seemed significantly cheaper than the others on the market and I bought it off a buddy, which is always a bonus.

 

[bovine]

i will be checking out the dealer car again on monday with a test drive. i think i will offer them 18500 or 19000. with the 2010's coming out soon i think i'll be able to get it. any one know the canadian black book value of the 2004 limited model without nav? thanks.

 

[gptoy96]

I can't vouch for this but I just checked out the trade-in value based on the Canadian Black Book. The actual condition and what the dealer actually gave for trade will be different. The only option it let me pick was deletion of moonroof, no nav mentioned.
Their low was 16,975 and high was 18,650. Hope it helps.

 

[eikna]

hi guys my first post here. im from calgary
i paid 19k for mine 2004 sr5 in pvt..last year...66k km only
now i'm shopping for tires

 

[gptoy96]

i will be checking out the dealer car again on monday with a test drive. i think i will offer them 18500 or 19000. with the 2010's coming out soon i think i'll be able to get it. any one know the canadian black book value of the 2004 limited model without nav? thanks.

How'd the test drive go? Did you throw an offer at them?

 

[bovine]

How'd the test drive go? Did you throw an offer at them?

edmonton got DUMPED on over the weekend, 30 cm of snow or more. so saleslady canceled the test drive. i called her today but no answer. i did get the private sales guy down to 19.5k

 

[Tego]

Bought my '03 Sport V6 this past march for 16k with 83k on the odometer at the dealership, and one original owner! I was looking over his maintenance schedule and in Aug of '07 it had only 76k on it!

 

[gptoy96]

edmonton got DUMPED on over the weekend, 30 cm of snow or more. so saleslady canceled the test drive. i called her today but no answer. i did get the private sales guy down to 19.5k

We got a bit of that storm too, not as much as you guys though.

19.5 is better but still high to me after reading through the condition of that truck. The km's are good but sounds like the rest is less than ideal shape.

When I was shopping I checked out prices out east and they were routinely thousands less than what we are around here. From what people were telling me it was because they have more rust on their vehicles around there compared to here. I pulled the carfax on a few and alot of the ones here came from out east, the dealers here would buy them at auctions out east and ship them back to get more profit off of them.