Thinking about getting a used 4Runner - talk me in/out of it

[CT-Scott]

Hello all, I've got a 4Runner on my short-list of SUV replacements. We currently have an '07 Mazda CX-7 which is OK, but it's a turbo 4-cyl with no real towing capability, and a few weeks back I got the crazy notion of getting a boat. I've pushed off any serious plans for that until next year (if it happens at all) partially because I quickly realized that my CX-7 wasn't up to the task of towing a boat, and I figured I should get that sorted out first. If nothing else, I do want to get a kayak rack since my wife and I both enjoy that, kayaking would be a lot cheaper, and there are closer rivers for kayaking anyway (but I could always keep my CX-7 and buy a roof rack if that's all I wanted to do - so let's pretend a motor boat is a real possibility in the future ).

I honestly haven't loved the CX-7 anyway. It's my wife's car (she prefers SUVs, but I prefer more of a sports car lower/closer to the road). Right now I drive an '02 Lexus SC-430 which is OK (got that used when I had the idea that I wanted a convertible - it's been very reliable but it doesn't handle like a sports car - the Mazda RX-8 I had before it was probably my favorite vehicle to drive). I mention all this, though, because I've thought about getting rid of the Lexus, too, so it's possible that we might trade the Lexus in or the CX-7. And in the course of looking into replacement vehicles I got myself interested in possibly being the main driver of the new vehicle. I used to own an '89 (I think) Jeep Cherokee Limited 2-door. It was my first and only truck experience. But I've also always admired the 4Runner. As part of my recent research, I'm also admiring the FJ Cruiser. I was able to take a quick test drive of one recently and, with the suicide doors, it sort of reminded me of my old Jeep Cherokee.

Anyways, I'm probably rambling too much.

So here's my short list:
- Toyota 4runner - V6 or V8
- Toyota FJ Cruiser (I love the style, but it's probably the least practical since I'm sure I won't do any hard-core off-roading, and the rear seats will probably be the least comfortable of all my options)
- Acura MDX ('02-06 because I like the style better and would like to keep price down) - worried about transmission issues I read about, plus the cost of repairs.
- Nissan Pathfinder (pre-'05 because I hear '05+ have transmission issues)
- Lexus 400h - Even if we do get a boat, the vast majority of time we won't be towing it, so the 400h's great gas mileage would be appreciated.

I'd really like to get something for under $16K, and am using $24K as an absolute max. I've always liked the style of the '02-06 Acura MDX, but I'm worried about the costly repairs (especially transmission issues) that I seem to see a lot of postings about. Yet if I do a search on cars.com across the entire country, I see plenty of 150K+ mileage MDX's (and several over 200K). Right now there's a local used car dealer that has an '02 Touring with about 95K miles and they're asking $11K for it.

As for 4Runners, there's an '06 V6 w/81K miles for a bit less than $14K, and an '03 V8 w/128K miles for about $9400. There are several others out there near me, but those two appealed to me for different reasons.

There's an '07 FJ Cruiser w/78K miles for $19K.

Pathfinder's are cheapest (e.g., an '03 w/91K miles for $7500).

The Lexus 400h would be the most expensive (prob over $20K easily) and the least competent for towing, but does have the Toyota quality and highest gas mileage.

I've also read good things about the BMW X5 for towing and driving fun, and have found some sub-$20K deals on those, but I worry about it having lots of little problems that will be pricey to fix.

I should mention that I have no ability to work on cars, so I'd be taking anything I buy to experts to fix. I do avoid stealerships and have a mechanic I've used for a while that I consider very good for basic stuff.

Obviously, this is a Toyota 4Runner forum, but I may repost this on other forums, too, and since the 4Runner is probably #1 on my list right now, I'm very interested in hearing everyone's thoughts here.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Check the 4Runners for sticking/ frozen calipers (when you hit the bbreaks it will pull to whatever sideboard frozen).

On the V8 check for cracked exhaust manifolds (ticking at cold startup)

On the V6 check for a bad headgasket.

 

[CT-Scott]

Thanks for the reply! As I think I mentioned, I'm not in any way capable of diagnosing any of that, but my plan is to bring whatever I plan to buy to my local mechanic or a Toyota dealership and have them look things over, so I'll make note of those specific things. Thanks again!

 

[poleclimber63]

I just bought a 4Runner for towing my boat....

I just downsized from a Chevy Suburban (terrible gas mileage among other problems) and I wanted the smallest SUV that would do the job. I did lots of research and my short list was somewhat similar to yours minus the BMW and Lexus as my budget was somewhat less. What I discovered was the Nissan Pathfinder has some issues around suspension, brakes, transmission... if its the cheapest there's a reason! Acura, not sure, but if it drives like a car it probably doesn't have a frame... which I would doubt would be any good for towing, as the uni-body(integrated chassis/body) may not have the rigidity or strength in the rear chassis.... check into this.... if you're towing anything near 5000lbs or more, a truck or SUV with a frame is essential. If its a uni-body, its probably a crossover(glorified car). FJ is great but the 4runner is cheaper and will be more "comfortable"... comfy seats... more luxurious! Get the V8 as it has significantly more torque for towing. As the previous post mentions, check brakes and manifold. These SUV's have, IMO, the best drivetrains in this size range of truck/SUV. ALWAYS get a mechanical inspection no matter what vehicle you buy. I bought a 4Runner slightly older (smaller) than what you're looking at, but all of them are durable, comfortable and reliable! You won't be disappointed. Check out my albums as I have pics with my 4Runner hitched to my 17.5' MAXUM sportboat... my 4runner is a v6 but it still has enough power to do the job. Still, if you're looking post05', get a V8. eace:

 

[CT-Scott]

Acura, not sure, but if it drives like a car it probably doesn't have a frame... which I would doubt would be any good for towing, as the uni-body(integrated chassis/body) may not have the rigidity or strength in the rear chassis.... check into this.... if you're towing anything near 5000lbs or more, a truck or SUV with a frame is essential. If its a uni-body, its probably a crossover(glorified car).

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Acura MDX (and Lexus 400h) are built on unibody frames. The boat I had my eye on was a 19' Yamaha jet boat, which is about 3000lbs (including trailer), and the MDX is rated for 4500lbs towing (the 400h is the least capable at a rated 3500lbs).

FJ is great but the 4runner is cheaper and will be more "comfortable"... comfy seats... more luxurious!

If it was just me driving it, I wouldn't worry about the FJ's lack of comfortability (I test drove one and liked it) but I do worry if my wife is going to drive it how she'll feel about the blind spots and I can pretty much guarantee that my daughter will complain about the back seat area lacking in some way (but she's 14-years-old so she'll complain about everything).

Get the V8 as it has significantly more torque for towing...I bought a 4Runner slightly older (smaller) than what you're looking at, but all of them are durable, comfortable and reliable!

I'm open to hear more about the older models, too. One idea I had was to buy an older (and cheaper) model without trading in one of our current cars. I don't really want to have 3 cars around (we only have a 2-car garage and our town hits us up for very inflated property taxes) but as a temporary situation, I could be open to it. My brother thinks I should keep my Lexus SC430 (since it's paid off) and just get a beater for the winter, so buying a cheaper/older 4Runner could allow me to do that.

 

[LittleCaesar]

If the price of gas is not an overwhelming concern for MPGs, I'd also consider a Lexus GX 470. Great SUV. The Lexus dealers around here in VA falsely assume that since you drive one, they can bend you over for repair costs.

My sister had an Acura MDX. 04 I think. Great SUV, but it is not a tow vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. Pulling a jet ski was not an easy task for the MDX.

If you decide on a 4th gen 4runner (03-09, for you 05-09), get the V8. Along with the manifold problem you do have to take into account the cost of a timing belt change. But with care it will last you a long time.

 

[Mark86]

If you are towing, V8 4Runner is the way to go. You could probably get an 03 V8 SR5 to fit your budget although you may have to search deep. Just a few comments about your list:

RX400h- not the best option to tow. They are plush and quick but far from a truck.
MDX- not much experience with the 1st gen but our 07 is fun to drive but can't accelerate out of it's own way. I can imagine the 1st gen would be slower and even less fun to drive. Wouldn't even think of towing!

4Runner 4Runner 4Runner!!

 

[poleclimber63]

3rd gen 4runner....

I'm open to hear more about the older models, too. One idea I had was to buy an older (and cheaper) model without trading in one of our current cars. I don't really want to have 3 cars around (we only have a 2-car garage and our town hits us up for very inflated property taxes) but as a temporary situation, I could be open to it. My brother thinks I should keep my Lexus SC430 (since it's paid off) and just get a beater for the winter, so buying a cheaper/older 4Runner could allow me to do that.[/QUOTE]

I bought a 1998 SR5 4x4 V6 auto(3rd gen: 96-02)... $7500 CDN in near perfect condition. If you're on the East Coast USA, you will have to check for rust as well as brakes, head gaskets... of course a mech. inspection will check this... One of our forum members here just bought a 99' in VA for $3500US, I'm not sure if this $$ is typical there...

but if you're interested in this option... the V6 is tough... the whole drive-train on these trucks are durable, as long as they've been maintained and not abused. It has enough power... enough to tow. The 3rd gen is a good SUV to drive, responsive, comfortable well laid out inside and out and has excellent 4x4 ability. An 03' (4th Gen) with a V8 would still be the best option for pure towing but they're more $$$... If this(3rd gen) is the choice, then this is what I'm going to do with mine:
complete maintenance make over (all fuilds, belts or check, filters, ignition tune up--replace or check, tires, brakes etc. --- done
wiring mod for trailer brake/lamps ----done
tranny cooler- transmission temp gauge--- done
anti-rust treatment- either Rust Bullet or POR15--- TBA
new rear coils- OME 906's, shocks--YTBD--- future
Tundra brake upgrade --- future
eLocker upgrade, if $$$ permit --- future
some cosmetic upgrades--- TBA
Finally, I just love my 4runner, I'm going to keep this truck on the road until I die or it does!
:lol:

 

[CT-Scott]

If the price of gas is not an overwhelming concern for MPGs, I'd also consider a Lexus GX 470. Great SUV. The Lexus dealers around here in VA falsely assume that since you drive one, they can bend you over for repair costs.

Yeah, the GX 470 is probably also on my top-10 list. I like the styling of it, and my wife would probably like the richer interior.

The 4Runner/GX470 3rd row design just seems awful to me (suitable only for legless people, they leave you with little space for even groceries, and putting them "out of the way" still keeps them largely "in the way"), so I suspect that I'd end up pulling them out completely and putting them in storage.

I also don't care for the sideways-opening hatch (can someone tell me if there are any advantages to that design vs the 4Runners lift-hatch?).

I also worry a bit that it would cost more to repair things compared to its 4Runner equivalent, but hopefully most of the parts are exactly the same and I could bring it to a regular mechanic rather than deal with a Lexus dealer.

Lastly, they seem to sell at a premium over their 4Runner equivalents. A local used car dealer has an '04 w/89K miles for $19K. There aren't a lot of V8 4Runners coming up in my search, so maybe much of that is due to the V8 engines commanding a premium? Of course, the GX470 sells for a lot when new, so that $19K is a sizeable depreciation and the level of depreciation going forward would be significantly less, so it could still be a good deal.

Back to some 4Runner questions...

Based on a Google search I did, it sounds like not all 4Runners with leather seats have heated seats. My wife stated heated seats as a requirement (if we get leather). Is this correct? On the models that do have heated seats, where are the controls for that located? (in case I can spot them when viewing online photos from various dealers)

Oh, and another new one to add to the list...the Toyota Sequoia. The big plus for this one I guess would be a more useful 3rd row design. Downsides would be that it sounds like it drives less sporty than the 4Runner, and it's heavier so gas mileage will be even worse. As I think I already mentioned, I don't really *need* 3rd row seating anyway, but I suppose it could come in handy on occasion.

 

[JET4]

I own a 07 4runner, my son owns a 01 4runner, my daughter owns a 99 4runner.I'm getting ready to buy my wife a 02 4runner, she likes that body style.We like 4runner's

 

[CT-Scott]

I edited my original post to remove the 05+ restriction on the 4Runner. I am open to getting an older model as well. I believe I read in other threads people recommending the 5-speed, which I know you could only get on the older models with the V8, but I'd be interested to hear from others if there's no reason why I should exclude an older 4-speed V6 from my list.

Jet4, to be honest, I think I might like the look of the 3rd-gens a bit better than the 4th-gens myself. I just checked the specs at Edmunds and it looks like those are still rated for 5000 lbs towing, but they have less torque than the 4th-gen V6's, so I'm not sure if I'd feel like it was lacking in power. Still, I'd be most likely looking at a smaller boat (3000 lbs w/trailer), so it would probably be fine. Older models mean lower prices, but often higher mileage and probably other potential issues that I (not knowing anything about mechanics) would probably not detect when shopping around.

 

[poleclimber63]

hello

sounds like JET4 is hooked... my wife also likes the 3rd gen styling... its smaller than the 4th gen (03-09) and in my opinion the most durable, as all 4runners were built in JAPAN until 04. (sorry, to post 3rd gen crowd) I probably would have succumbed to the allure of the V8 if I could have found an 03' that I was willing to pay for, but I will admit, they're hard to find. THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS, NO ONE WANTS TO PART WITH THEM!

As for the Lexus GX470..... if I remember correctly... I believe it has more in common with a Sequoia than a 4Runner. It is quite a bit bigger more luxurious, and I believe only V8... my brother had a Sequoia and he loved it! However, it is harder on gas and it's just more truck and more $$$! It's got more in common with BIG American trucks (sorry, Canadians generally don't have the same love affair with LARGE vehicles, we do have more Japanese, Korean and European vehicles here---- off track: the Hyundai Santa Fe is wildly successful here, but not a great towing vehicle). In Canada, Lexus in some cases is more $$$ than BMW ... gx470 would probably be $35K-40K+....

I did briefly look at a Sequoia but they were double the money...

It may take time to find the right one, but I imagine, in the USA you just have more to choose from... British Columbia, Canada has less than 4.5 million people.... California has more people than all of Canada..... definitely more trucks to choose from!
:lol:

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

sounds like JET4 is hooked... my wife also likes the 3rd gen styling... its smaller than the 4th gen (03-09) and in my opinion the most durable, as all 4runners were built in JAPAN until 04. (sorry, to post 3rd gen crowd) I probably would have succumbed to the allure of the V8 if I could have found an 03' that I was willing to pay for, but I will admit, they're hard to find. THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS, NO ONE WANTS TO PART WITH THEM!

As for the Lexus GX470..... if I remember correctly... I believe it has more in common with a Sequoia than a 4Runner. It is quite a bit bigger more luxurious, and I believe only V8... my brother had a Sequoia and he loved it! However, it is harder on gas and it's just more truck and more $$$! It's got more in common with BIG American trucks (sorry, Canadians generally don't have the same love affair with LARGE vehicles, we do have more Japanese, Korean and European vehicles here---- off track: the Hyundai Santa Fe is wildly successful here, but not a great towing vehicle). In Canada, Lexus in some cases is more $$$ than BMW ... gx470 would probably be $35K-40K+....

I did briefly look at a Sequoia but they were double the money...

It may take time to find the right one, but I imagine, in the USA you just have more to choose from... British Columbia, Canada has less than 4.5 million people.... California has more people than all of Canada..... definitely more trucks to choose from!
:lol:

No, all 4Runners are built in Japan to This day.

 

[CT-Scott]

So after doing more research today I just discovered that the 2008+ Toyota Highlanders can tow 5000 lbs. Not sure if I should tell my wife (she's always liked the Highlanders). That possibly sometimes useful 3rd row which folds flat, could be nice. Rated MPG doesn't seem much different than the V6 4Runner, but the admin at another Toyota forum who has one seems to report better than average MPG.

 

[shadow247]

While the Highlander can tow 5000lbs, I am not that impressed with the idea of a FWD vehicle towing 5000lbs. I used to tow 1000lbs with my Ford Focus (yeah I know not even close) and it was just awful!!! The FWD really turns me off from any SUV, mainly because it makes it 10x harder to work on. I would stick to a 3rd Gen 4runner for your needs. I have a 3rd Gen with 34xxxx miles and would think it would have no problem towing a 3k lb boat. They are super reliable, not as big as a 4th gen, and parts are definitely cheaper than a 4th gen to maintain. Parts are plentiful, and there is enough experience out there on this forum to keep one running basically forever. If you don't plan to tow the boat across the country, then the 3rd gen Runner is the way to go!

 

[CT-Scott]

Thanks for the reply. You refer to the Highlander as FWD, but just to be clear, I'm talking about the AWD model. My guess is that you know this and are talking about the fact that the Highlander's AWD system runs as FWD except when it detects slippage and that this not as robust as the 4Runner's.

Regarding the 3rd gens...today I came across a private party (one town over) selling an '01 SR5 V6 w/leather, 123.5K miles, and was asking $7900. Pics looked super-clean. At that price I could possibly justify buying it and keeping our other two cars (until we started to feel comfortable that the 4Runner was reliable enough to sell one of the other two).

 

[shadow247]

Thanks for the reply. You refer to the Highlander as FWD, but just to be clear, I'm talking about the AWD model. My guess is that you know this and are talking about the fact that the Highlander's AWD system runs as FWD except when it detects slippage and that this not as robust as the 4Runner's.

Regarding the 3rd gens...today I came across a private party (one town over) selling an '01 SR5 V6 w/leather, 123.5K miles, and was asking $7900. Pics looked super-clean. At that price I could possibly justify buying it and keeping our other two cars (until we started to feel comfortable that the 4Runner was reliable enough to sell one of the other two).

Yes, even though the Highlander is AWD, it operates in FWD mode 90% of the time. It is also a Uni-Body vehicle, which for me is a no-go in an SUV. Keep in mind that AWD does not work the same as 4wd, it must detect slippage before delivering power to the rest of the wheels. A 4wd is "locked-in" and can send power to all 4 wheels all the time. I see AWD vehicles stuck at the beach all the time, and the only 4wd ones I see are people who have no clue how to drive them.

 

[poleclimber63]

No, all 4Runners are built in Japan to This day.

I just checked this and you're right, I stand corrected! I apologize!

I totally agree with shadow247, I towed my previous boat (smaller) with a Plymouth Voyager (I know, I know), I do realize its a long shot from a Highlander but the FWD thing was unpleasant to say the least.... If the ramp was just a little steep, I was in trouble without some finesse, and with the boat you're talking about, you could have a major problem without a perfect ramp....

I would consider GVWR, braking, traction..... hence a 4runner...:thumb3:

 

[flnycus]

Hey scott, i am also thinking what to do. I have a 2006 v8 4runner sport AWD and am thinking about selling it. Its grey, totally stock, just had the front calipers done and everything is working fine. Has 50,000 miles on it.pm if you interested in chatting. It's always waxed and in great condition, im a non-smoker. I bought it certified 3 years ago and did about 5,000 miles a year on it just going to and from work. Good luck with your search though (this blows a highlander out the water lol) its definitely the best vehicle i have ever owned! Im in Central NJ btw.

 

[jaybird93000]

The 4runner is very comfortable to drive and seats 5, possibly 8 with 3rd row option. The interiors of both 3rd and 4th generation are very comfortable. Highly modifiable if you get into it more at some point (and we all do ;-) ). Of your list, the runner is easily the most practical (good ground clearance, good towing capacity, strong engine options, comparable gas mileage to competitors). And on top of all that, you have a huge support group that comes with being on this website. Any questions or problems you have, the guys and gals on T4R never cease to amaze me as to the wealth o knowledge available. Good luck in your search!