Well it's a tough call. Seems you say both cost about the same I would assume you would be looking at a 99 and up Runner, so right off the bat you could get the Runner newer with fewer miles. The Cruiser years you give are varied, a 96 would have a SFA and 4.5 I6 while the 97 and up would have IFS and a V8, so which Cruiser were you thinking. If you want to use it to get to back country camping spots either rig would be fine, a 96 Cruiser locked front and rear would probably be best off road, then a rear locked 3rd gen and then a newer Cruiser. The newer Cruiser will ride better, the Runner will get better mileage, the Cruiser is way bigger. I guess it all depends on your needs.