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

[NJshadow93]

I'm not trying to start any debates here, but the 4th gen is definitely a better option for towing. I have no problem with any other generations of 4Runners (originally wanted a 3rd gen but fell in love with the 4th gen when looking to buy). I have seen many threads of 3rd gen owners making the jump to 4th gens for the purpose of towing. Although the 3.4L is tough, people think it lacks in power when towing at times, especially when going up hills or travelling further distances. Like I said, OP, just a heads up. I don't tow anything so I can't comment on that personally, but I'm hoping some people who have made that jump would be able to chime in with their reasoning. Good luck, but whichever 4Runner you get, I'm sure you would love it!

 

[CT-Scott]

Thanks for the latest comments.

flnycus, I will keep you in mind. Why are you thinking of selling yours?

NJshadow93, I realize that the 4th gen 6-cyl engine is an upgrade over the previous one, but if I'm towing something on the lower end of weight (3000 lbs), I'm wondering if that would be a problem. Other than the engine itself, does anyone know if anything else about the 4th-gens makes them better for towing compared to the 3rd-gens?

Yesterday I was planning on bringing my wife to a local dealer to check out a 4Runner (the particular one they had probably isn't on my short list, but they're close by so it would have been easy to get an initial feel for them). Unfortunately, we were late to get going and then a brutal storm came through, so we stayed home. Today we're planning on hitting the closest CarMax. No 4Runners there but they have several of the other vehicles on my list, so it will be a good way to take a closer look at them all at a single location. While I'm there we can get a quote on one of our cars to see how bad the dealers will be looking to insult us on that.

They have an '08 Highlander and an '05 Acura MDX there, and I'm worried that my wife and daughter will fall for that. For some reason, my daughter thinks the 3rd row seats are great, even though it would be a rare scenario where we're bringing others in our car and she would need to sit back there. But the reliability issues I've read about with the MDX will probably keep us steered away from that. They also have an '07 FJ Cruiser, but as much as I love the styling of it, it seems a bit less practical than the 4Runner (it will be interesting to see what my wife and daughter's take on it will be once they see it up close and sit in it). I suspect that the Highlander will provide the stiffest competition for the 4Runner, since it looks like it will offer a more spacious interior.

They also have an '09 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X (4-door) which I'd like to take a close look at (this wasn't on my list and I've done no research on those yet), an '06 Honda Pilot (not sure if those suffer from the same mechanical issues as the MDX's - this one's newer so maybe not - but I don't care for the styling), an '07 BMW X5, and an '06 Mercedes ML350. We definitely won't be test driving them all, and probably won't even have enough time to *look* at them all. The list order I mentioned is pretty close to the order in which I'll want to look at them.

 

[vipergrhd]

buy it

Just get your self a nice 4runner and have fun.

 

[NJshadow93]

If you're worried about reliability, stay as far away as possible for anything that says "Jeep" on it; or anything American in general, lol. As for towing, the 4th gen has a slightly longer wheelbase and a stronger frame than the 3rd gens. The V8, when properly equipped is rated at 7000lb. Many people have stated that it barely feels like you're towing anything when you're towing with the V8. Again, I have no experience with towing, but when fully loaded with 5 adults and a trunk full of gear, I feel no difference in power, just the handling.

 

[vipergrhd]

$7900

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).

I think this would be a steal as long the car is in very good shape,don't let good looks alone fool you bring a flash light and old blanket to crawl underneath and check for signs of damages and possible overspray,oil leaks etc.use this as bargaining factor if you could drop the price another 1k your in great shape.check body gaps and paint for signs of recent body work and when you test drive feel the car as it moves listen for things that are out of the ordinary go through the whole car inside and outside bring the family to see if they like it.hope this helps.

 

[flnycus]

The only reason im selling it is because im thinking of getting a new limited 4runner to be honest. The reason i havent advertised it yet is because i know what a fantastic vehicle i have and deep down i shouldnt sell it but ive got the urge for a change. I'll take some pictures when the weather is nice and see whos interested and just go from there. Im not going to sell it to anyone, only someone who would look after it lol.

 

[CT-Scott]

Quick report on our CarMax experience...

As soon as we walked in, they informed us that there would be about a 30 minute wait to see a salesperson. We told them that we also wanted to get an appraisal on our car and were told that that would also be done via the salesperson. Lame. During the first 15 minutes of waiting we walked the lot, saw all of the cars we were interested in, but had to look in from the outside, since they were all locked up. That 30 minutes of waiting turned into more like 1.5 hours. We were pretty much ready to leave and a salesman finally arrived. Not a great start, though.

By this point, we didn't have too much time left (we also needed to do some grocery shopping), so I was going to focus on the Highlander, FJ Cruiser, and Acura MDX (in that order). By the time the day was done, we didn't have time for the MDX, though.

We drove the Highlander first. It had a backup camera, which my wife thought was great. The ride was pretty soft, and the steering moreso. This would certainly be the more comfortable ride on a trip with the family. It seemed plenty clean to me, but I was later to learn that my wife and daughter were skeeved out in the backseat because there were some stains here and there. My wife and I switched places and she drove it a short distance and liked it.

Next was the FJ Cruiser. When we were walking through the lot (while waiting 1.5 hours for a salesman) we saw this and my wife immediately expressed her hatred for the color (this was a Blue one). Knowing how her stubborn mind works, I figured she wouldn't be able to see past the color and would dislike everything about it just because of the color. To make matters worse, the car had a huge CarMax sticker across the top of the front windshield, and an 8.5x11" info page on each of the front side windows. The car already has diminished visibility and this only made things worse. I drove it and liked the fact that the steering didn't have as much power-assist as the Highlander and I could feel the bumps in the road more. I had already driven one a week ago at a dealer nearby, so this wasn't news to me. To me, the FJ Cruiser was to SUVs like my old Mazda RX-8 was to cars - a sporty feel where I can feel the road (in a really good way). I then switched places with my wife. Much to my surprise, she really liked it. She said that she liked how it felt like she was driving a super-strong tank-like vehicle, and it reminded her of a '60's Chevy of her parents she drove as a kid. She liked being a bit higher up as well.

Not enough time left to test drive the MDX, but the dealer close to us that has a couple of 4Runners has a couple of MDXes as well, so we'll probably test that out there.

I should note that during the ride to/from CarMax I would point out whenever I saw a 4Runner on the road, so that I could gauge what she thought about the looks of them (she liked them).

I suspect that the 4Runner will drive/feel a lot like the FJ, so if she liked that, she'll probably like the 4Runner. Visibility will be better in the 4Runner. But I must admit that I didn't expect her to like the FJ as much as she did and I love the look of the FJ, so it may be hard to pick between the FJ and the 4Runner. The 4Runner is still probably the smarter choice: Visibility will be better, backseat will feel a bit plusher for my daughter, there's the V8 option, and the 4Runner has been out for forever while the FJ (with an '07 being a first-year model) may be more likely to have some first-run issues and higher repair costs, less add-on options, etc. But I do love the look of the FJ.

 

[poleclimber63]

progress...

I totally agree with NJshadow93! I'm sure the FJ would be a good choice, as well, but does it have a V8? For the money you're spending, and the boat you're towing--- get the V8. Chrysler, GM, Ford---- they're all the same: expensive gas guzzlers that will start nickel and diming you shortly after you take them home--- unless you get one new, with a warranty! Sorry, I'm biased, I've had all the previously mentioned.... as I said in earlier posts, in a money pinch, a 3rd gen V6 4runner will be fantastic to drive and sufficient to tow, but a 4th gen 4runner V8 will be perfect!

 

[chaz]

2008 Toyota Highlander - Preview 08+ highlanders dont just come in FWD, it also can be had with FT AWD that uses a 50/50 static torgue. it seems to have more cargo room & the 270hp 6 has more than enough power & get about the same mpg as my v8 4r, that said, it sure is no 4r. interior noise is much higher, the 2nd row seats dont fold anywhere near flat, etc. but it does have vsc off button, dac & snow buttons. all in all, it is better than previous years & as long as its not used for much more than dirt roads, snow,etc. & not over loaded cement blocks or the like, folks would be surprised at what can be done with it, but as i said before, it sure is no 4r, but since your considering other brands ,at least its still a toyota.