Thinking about selling 2004

[eschnabs]

Anytime I need advice, I know I can come here and search or ask questions. You guys have been great. So, I am thinking about selling my 04 and getting an FJ or even a 5th generation, so I am trying to get a feeler of what others may think my truck is worth. I have looked at KBB, NADA and Edmunds and all say between $15,000-$18,000 depending if I trade it or sell private party. I, personally, think it is worth more. Below are the details, what do you think?

2004 4Runner LTD - 71,000 miles
V8
XREAS - just replaced the entire system in October to the tune of $1,500
New front brakes
New Michelin Cross Terrains
Rear Air Suspension
JBL
Basically everything but NAV. There are no dings, etc. and the leather is in great condition.

I am thinking I can easily get $20,000 due to new XREAS, brakes and tires and the condition of the car(I am pretty OCD when it comes to taking care of cars). I know some will say I am stupid for even entertaining this, but just kind of thinking out loud here.

 

[DC runner]

You won't get 20k. It will be hard to use fixing XREAS as a reason to charge 1500 dollars more. Doesn't work that way. While a damaged factory component will very much hurt the selling price, fixing a factory component does not move the value higher. Make sense?


While your truck sounds in good condition, I don't see 20k. I bought a 2005 v8 for 12.4 6 months ago and it was in excellent condition. There is no way you get to 20k on a 2004 year model truck.

Things like tires might help, but it is hard to quantify that for people. Normally you can't just go "X is what I put in, therefore I expect X out".

The dealer put new AT tires on when I bought mine. New brakes. He didn't get 1 extra cent from me. I almost always expect new tires to be an out the door mover for me. I don't allow the price to inch up.


Edit: I pulled the NADA and it is giving dealer as 15. Trade in as 10.


I don't see 18k. KBB always seems off to me. Not sure where they get their figures. If you are thinking private party, I say 13. Trade in, less.

 

[alaskaman]

I can't see the upside to an FJ unless you want a vehicle which can do more things off pavement. IMO the 5th gen is weak. sorry :sobbing: can't get behind it...

Keep your '04 have it detailed and take a road trip.

Keep you $ in the bank.

 

[T4Rget]

I was actually thinking about selling mine recently but I figured that since it has had no problems, still in great condition, and excellent in snow and off-road I should keep it. That and the fact that mine is completely paid off and I can still get at least 100k more miles out of it. I still have and use the original battery that came with the car when I bought it in 04. Seems like a great investment to me . Instead of buying a new car you should just spend some money doing some upgrades instead; like this past Summer I bought and installed the new Magnaflow Cat-Back.

 

[zimdba]

My cube-neighbor had a 4th Gen briefly, and now has a 5th Gen. He wishes he still had the old one. V8 was one reason. It was difficult for him to articulate other reasons for prefering the 4th Gen (non-English speaker), so I didn't press him on it.

I'm taking the same approach as T4Rget - it's mechanically sound, paid off, and in reasonable shape - so why not throw a few $$ here and there - lighting, stereo, etc. Cheaper than a new vehicle.

 

[TSO]

If you want to find out what dealers will offer you on a trade, go to Autotrader.com and use their marketplace formula. It's practically the same program the dealers will use to formulate your trade-in price. When I just traded in my Tundra, 5 out of 5 dealers were within $200 of the AutoTrader trade-in price.

 

[Bax467]

Anytime I need advice, I know I can come here and search or ask questions. You guys have been great. So, I am thinking about selling my 04 and getting an FJ or even a 5th generation, so I am trying to get a feeler of what others may think my truck is worth. I have looked at KBB, NADA and Edmunds and all say between $15,000-$18,000 depending if I trade it or sell private party. I, personally, think it is worth more. Below are the details, what do you think?

2004 4Runner LTD - 71,000 miles
V8
XREAS - just replaced the entire system in October to the tune of $1,500
New front brakes
New Michelin Cross Terrains
Rear Air Suspension
JBL
Basically everything but NAV. There are no dings, etc. and the leather is in great condition.

I am thinking I can easily get $20,000 due to new XREAS, brakes and tires and the condition of the car(I am pretty OCD when it comes to taking care of cars). I know some will say I am stupid for even entertaining this, but just kind of thinking out loud here.

I'm guess you are bored, I feel ya. But like others have said try and think of some serious upgrades you can make. Lift, tires, and bumpers can make it like a new vehicle everytime you climb in.

Getting back you your post, and as a current shopper for t4r's, you are dreaming on price. Probably 15k max where I live....

 

[Colemanfu]

I bet $13000. See what the dealership offers.

I am keeping my 04. 66k and got it just how I want it.

But if you find a dealer offering 20 for your rig let me know :wink2:.

 

[ClockWork]

$20k? Notsureifserious.

 

[eschnabs]

All valid points. It is paid off, in unbelievable shape, and a great truck. I was just thinking about something new. I guess I value my truck more than the market does. I was serious on $20,000. Based on the market in STL, I have seen some 04 and 05 selling for $15,000 with more miles, etc. I figured I had added value with a basically new suspension, etc. So, I have my answer, keep it and do some mods.

 

[DC runner]

All vehicle owners over estimate their vehicle's worth. You are not alone. People always want to expect the most from their particular car and are always disappointed when they are hit with reality and discover that their vehicle is indeed special, like all the others.


Paid vs. financed is a NO brainier. With an economy like this, and expected to be like this for the foreseeable future; free is better. The gotta have NEW car/house easy credit mentality is kinda what got us where we are today. The most fiscal sense is to run the car to the ground. Ever day past paid off you can drive your vehicle is a good day. One day, when the cost of repairing your truck outweighs a new loan or the hit to savings; then it makes fiscal sense to get a newer car. Until you get there, a free car trumps.

 

[JG1911]

I have a '03 V8 Limited, 160k on it... No way I'm getting rid of it, there is no truck/suv out there that I would like as much.

Chips in the paint, sunroof is broken (just broke a month ago, I used it 4-5 times a day), some rattles, CV boots are leaking, but I'm not getting rid of it. Thank god my GF works at a Toyota dealership and I'm going to get all that fixed on the cheap.

No offense to any 5th Gen owners, but the new 4Runner is nowhere near a 4th gen. If I could, I would go down a buy a brand new 4th Gen if they still sold them.

FWIW: Mine was the 2nd 4th gen in town, the 1st being the dealership model... No mechanical problems ever.

I love my 4Runner more than I like my 2011 BMW M3!

 

[zerowkul98]

Here's my 2 cents:

Ive had my 03 V8 Sport Edition since Nov. 2005. Got it for $20k w/ 0nly 16k on the odometer. In Aug 2010 we found we needed another ride along with the T4R (her car was dying, gave her the paid-off T4R).

I looked all over New England and couldnt find a 4th gen i liked, nor am i attracted to the 5th gen's AT ALL! So my dealer i use for all the maintaining on the 03 got a visit from me and they found a 2010 Sequoia SR5 with what i want and even the color i like. It was on the lot for almost a year and they were discounting it a lot, so i gave it a go. Amazing rig. 5.7 liter V8, lotsa standard bells n whistles....but I wasnt thrilled with it. I missed my T4R. I found one in Cape Cod, so i drove down and when the dealer saw the Sequoia i brought in, they said they can get me top dollar on it. Of course, i had the "year, right" attitude cuz i hate salesmen and i know their games they like to play. However, he came back with a number $3200 OVER what i thought i could safely ask for, so i pushed it to $4000 over and they took it! Typically people lose big time when they get rid of a new ride less that a year after purchase, but i broke even THANK GOD!

Now i got a 2008 V8 Sport Edition with my old 03 and things are good now.

Keep the Runner!!!!

 

[T4RUSAF]

I love my 4Runner more than I like my 2011 BMW M3!

Whoa.... that's just crazy talk! I can see myself easily loving on my M3 more than my 4runner, if I had one! LOL

 

[eschnabs]

Thanks guys. I just spent a week with my parents new X5 Xdrive35i and am now more convinced that I want to keep my truck. Ill admit the X5 was fun, but I missed my 4Runner everyday.

 

[ClockWork]

Whoa.... that's just crazy talk! I can see myself easily loving on my M3 more than my 4runner, if I had one! LOL

Not really. The editor of Car and Driver wrote an article about the car he loved the most. It wasn't the car that attracted the women, or the one that did a 9 second quarter mile. It wasn't even the Bugatti Veyron....it was his 4Runner.

He's seen more of the country and done more things in his 4Runner than any other vehicle he owned or has driven.

 

[T4RUSAF]

Thanks guys. I just spent a week with my parents new X5 Xdrive35i and am now more convinced that I want to keep my truck. Ill admit the X5 was fun, but I missed my 4Runner everyday.

Interesting, I've dabbled with the idea of trading in my 4runner for an X5. I would love to be able to drive one on more than just a test drive.. more like a week. At that point I'd be able to better gauge if the X5 fits my needs/style.

Not really. The editor of Car and Driver wrote an article about the car he loved the most. It wasn't the car that attracted the women, or the one that did a 9 second quarter mile. It wasn't even the Bugatti Veyron....it was his 4Runner.

He's seen more of the country and done more things in his 4Runner than any other vehicle he owned or has driven.

May not be crazy talk for you or the editor of Car and Driver, but to ME that's crazy talk. I whipped around in my buddy's M3 and fell in love. But, it's too much a polar opposite of the 4runner to be a suitable replacement. More like a supplement, but I can't afford $50K+

 

[zimdba]

Interesting, I've dabbled with the idea of trading in my 4runner for an X5. I would love to be able to drive one on more than just a test drive.. more like a week. At that point I'd be able to better gauge if the X5 fits my needs/style.



May not be crazy talk for you or the editor of Car and Driver, but to ME that's crazy talk. I whipped around in my buddy's M3 and fell in love. But, it's too much a polar opposite of the 4runner to be a suitable replacement. More like a supplement, but I can't afford $50K+

To me, they're different cars for different purposes. I love putting the top down in the M3 in the summer & cruising around, but it's definitely not a DD, and definitely not cut out for Colorado winters. For everyday use I love the 4Runner.

 

[eschnabs]

Interesting, I've dabbled with the idea of trading in my 4runner for an X5. I would love to be able to drive one on more than just a test drive.. more like a week. At that point I'd be able to better gauge if the X5 fits my needs/style.


Don't get me wrong, it's a nice "SAV" and they have had BMW's for a long time and had nothing but good luck with them, but I felt like I was in a "hot rod station wagon". Two totally different vehicles for different purposes. Call me old fashioned, but I still like the body on frame.