V8 4WD in Hawaii?

[hawaiian05]

My wife and I are pre-planning for our move to Honolulu in the next year or so and I'm stuck on the subject of whether or not to ship my 4runner over. I'm from Honolulu so I know how gas prices are higher than the mainland, making the V8 4WD combo not the most economical option of all. I also know that I have a solid rig that will last for many years to come, making it a tougher decision.

I'm curious how many people in Hawaii (any island) have a V8 4WD model, or a V8 Lexus GX. I know it wasn't a top seller in Hawaii when they came out, mainly because of the reduced fuel economy, making it tougher to sell of I chose to ship it and eventually changed my mind (and decided to sell it there). Obviously these are some pretty solid and reliable rigs and getting over the not so great fuel economy may not be too hard, but with the price of gas being higher I'd hate to invest in shipping it just to learn a hard lesson.

Any advice or feedback welcomed, especially from anyone back home with this vehicle. Much mahaloz!

 

[JEL]

I have family there, one has a rig like yours (v8 4x4) and has no regrets. IMO if you have a solid rig, no reason not to ship it. Keep something you know you can depend on, AWD is always nice to have "just incase" anyway. Imagine pulling down on the beach in sand, or heading out on the west side up some of those trails which require 4wd, or driving on the windward side up some muddy road after a sudden downpour, AWD could potentially come in handy at times.

Another thing to note, he CONSTANTLY has people "offering" to buy his 4wd rig, but you know how that goes as most probably aren't sincere in their offers. Still, I suspect since they're so rare you'd have NO problem selling it there should you decide to do so.

BTW, you're lucky you're moving there, it's something I am planning on doing as soon as I can get into a position here which allows me to telecommute. Seattle weather/traffic/COL/people are getting real old, real fast!

 

[madeinhb]

Traffic is insane in Hawaii so the t4r could use a lot. Now once there- if you get a little commuter with good mpg then keep t4r for play

 

[hawaiian05]

I have family there, one has a rig like yours (v8 4x4) and has no regrets. IMO if you have a solid rig, no reason not to ship it. Keep something you know you can depend on, AWD is always nice to have "just incase" anyway. Imagine pulling down on the beach in sand, or heading out on the west side up some of those trails which require 4wd, or driving on the windward side up some muddy road after a sudden downpour, AWD could potentially come in handy at times.

Another thing to note, he CONSTANTLY has people "offering" to buy his 4wd rig, but you know how that goes as most probably aren't sincere in their offers. Still, I suspect since they're so rare you'd have NO problem selling it there should you decide to do so.

BTW, you're lucky you're moving there, it's something I am planning on doing as soon as I can get into a position here which allows me to telecommute. Seattle weather/traffic/COL/people are getting real old, real fast!

I definitely agree with the whole having a dependable rig, and I know I can put the 4wd to use if I had it. I also know I can get by without 4wd since I grew up without it, but of course it opens up more options for accessibility to certain places.

I suppose it the uniqueness of the a vehicle like this in HI could make it somewhat attractive to buy, though I don't wanna bank on the idea of selling it there. But ya I've been away for too long now (9 yrs) so its feeling like I'm overdue to move back. My wife isn't from there but loves it and is open to the move. Plus with a newborn, it's gonna be nice to have grandparents near by.

 

[hawaiian05]

Traffic is insane in Hawaii so the t4r could use a lot. Now once there- if you get a little commuter with good mpg then keep t4r for play

Yes it is! But ya depending on where we work/live, and of course our financial situation, I may buy a DD. I currently have the same setup where I use the 4runner as my weekend vehicle/ baby mobile, but have a beater Camry for daily mileage.

 

[madeinhb]

Yes it is! But ya depending on where we work/live, and of course our financial situation, I may buy a DD. I currently have the same setup where I use the 4runner as my weekend vehicle/ baby mobile, but have a beater Camry for daily mileage.

Exactly what I would do. I would love to move there. Just too pricey for me.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Ship that shit

 

[robtmc]

Ship it over. If I could have found a 4WD V8, would have snapped it up instantly if the condition was decent.

As you noted, the 2WD V8 is the norm, making yours a much sought after vehicle. Just get a beater that is good on gas if you end up with a miserable commute in Honolulu.

I know, I know, what commute in Honolulu is not miserable?

 

[YotaDriver]

It's funny you posted this today because I was driving on Route 89 just south of Concord, NH today when I passed a 4Runner with Hawaii plates on it. I was thinking that a) it was bizarre to see any vehicle with Hawaii plates in New Hampshire, and b) that the guy driving it was probably excited to have some actual snow to drive through.

Not that this story will influence your decision of whether or not to bring your runner with you, but it seemed germane nonetheless.

 

[JEL]

I definitely agree with the whole having a dependable rig, and I know I can put the 4wd to use if I had it. I also know I can get by without 4wd since I grew up without it, but of course it opens up more options for accessibility to certain places.

I suppose it the uniqueness of the a vehicle like this in HI could make it somewhat attractive to buy, though I don't wanna bank on the idea of selling it there. But ya I've been away for too long now (9 yrs) so its feeling like I'm overdue to move back. My wife isn't from there but loves it and is open to the move. Plus with a newborn, it's gonna be nice to have grandparents near by.

Be sure to post pics when you get there, so we can vicariously live through you.:rofl:

If/when we move over, I'll definitely be shipping my 4th gen over and leave the 3rd gen behind at our house in Mill Creek. As the old saying goes: "it's better to have it and not need it...." We'd probably be shipping mine and my woman's Mercedes over, so it'll be spendy, but worth it, I think Pasha has a covered ship and it's only about $1100 per vehicle if you drop it in San Diego, I read reviews of people who used one of the others (Matson) and they had an open deck boat so their cars arrived covered in salt water and rust.

 

[robtmc]

I read reviews of people who used one of the others (Matson) and they had an open deck boat so their cars arrived covered in salt water and rust.

Do not recall who we shipped our car and 4Runner over from Long Beach with, but they were in covered containers. My WRX had some scratches from handling that pissed me off, but the shipper paid me for damages.

No salt or anything, just some rough handling. Wife's 2001 4Runner came through untouched. maybe because it was a lot bigger.

 

[JEL]

Do not recall who we shipped our car and 4Runner over from Long Beach with, but they were in covered containers. My WRX had some scratches from handling that pissed me off, but the shipper paid me for damages.

No salt or anything, just some rough handling. Wife's 2001 4Runner came through untouched. maybe because it was a lot bigger.

Man that sucks about the WRX, I know it was only one of the big shipping companies who people complained about leaving their cars exposed above deck, perhaps they just selected the cheaper shipping option or something. Either way, I see no reason not to bring my 4x4 over if/when we move. In all likelihood we'd just live there part-time, Seattle has GREAT summers after all.

All this Hawaii talk is making me jealous, I'm sitting here in Seattle and it's windy, 36*f, and mixed snow and FREEZING rain (aka big problems in the morning). I'd kill to be hanging out at Duke's with a Blonde Ale and some Hula Pie!:banana:

 

[hawaiian05]

Some good feedback. And ya, shipping cost/type is another thing to consider. I quoted freight to the shipping dock + actual shipping for $1700/each vehicle. We're definitely gonna ship my wife's car since its new and financed, but 2 vehicles would be roughly $3400...damn! And I think that wasn't in closed containers.. I've heard horror stories bout open deck vehicles arriving with surface rust, though I'd definitely wax da shit outta my rig before I shipped it.

 

[TRDCal]

You never know when you'll need 4x4 and you'll be pissed if you need it and don't have it. That's the way I see it and I pay 5$ a gallon. Think of the miles of beach you'll want to explore or that slippery boat launch

 

[guardsred944s]

I brought my V6 4WD out to Oahu and back. Honestly there were only a few places where I "needed" the 4WD, (and I was looking for trouble). With the tires I have now I probably could have done all of that offloading in 2WD.

There are spots all over to wheel, and people do, but I tried being responsible so as not to go on land that was private property "just because everyone else does". I think the big argument for having a 4 wheeler is mainly gone now that the ferries don't run off island, but that does not stop people from having big lifted vehicles. The most popular by far seems to be the 2WD taco with the bracket 6" lift.

If your company is paying for the shipment I say ship it.. if you are paying (especially if you might ship it back again), I would weigh the options. When I talk to folks going out there, the biggest reservation is that they don't want to have to worry about finding a beater when they arrive. There are tons of beaters, they're cheap, and although its hard to find a 4WD 4runner there are tons of wranglers under 8k. (Its about 3-5k to ship car to Oahu and back IIRC).

 

[hawaiian05]

The most popular by far seems to be the 2WD taco with the bracket 6" lift.

If your company is paying for the shipment I say ship it..

Tell me about it! I can't stand drop bracket lifts, let alone on a 2wd.. Hawaii has its own style of trucks in a sense cuz lot of people love over lifting their trucks and putting "skateboard" tires on, but I'm jus not into that..

You're right about moving costs though- if my wife and I get moving expenses paid somehow then we'll definitely take advantage of that option. But our move will definitely be for the long run since all my family is there and that's where we ultimately wanna end up so I'm not worries about return shipping.

On a side note, how much household items did you ship, or did you jus sell all and repurchase there?

 

[robtmc]

I brought my V6 4WD out to Oahu and back. Honestly there were only a few places where I "needed" the 4WD, (and I was looking for trouble). With the tires I have now I probably could have done all of that offloading in 2WD.

I managed to get my wife's 2WD 2001 stuck in the sand at Bellows beach. Just goofed and got off the grassy areas.

Might have gotten out if I had understood the TRAC functioning a bit better. Gave the brahs hanging around a good laugh "Hey man, just put it in 4WD!"

They helped push us out, but I got leery of where I drive 2WD after that. Some roads near beaches do have soft sand spots.

 

[hawaiian05]

I managed to get my wife's 2WD 2001 stuck in the sand at Bellows beach. Just goofed and got off the grassy areas.

That's classic cuz I remember when I was in high school I got my Honda crx stuck at bellows while camping. For into some soft sand while parking so had to push out.. So ya I'm definitely aware of how deceiving the sand can be while driving on it.
Been looking up beater cars on Oahu to see how much I'd need to spend if I did ship it and chose to have a commuter..

 

[Staceman]

My wife insisted on the V8 when we bought ours new in 2007. Window stickers between the V8 and the V6 was a difference of 1 MPG. Wife didn't care about the small advertised difference. I'm glad we got the V8 afterall.

 

[hawaiian05]

My wife insisted on the V8 when we bought ours new in 2007. Window stickers between the V8 and the V6 was a difference of 1 MPG. Wife didn't care about the small advertised difference. I'm glad we got the V8 afterall.

One of the many reasons I got the V8 over the V6. The minimal difference in the fuel economy was not enough to justify the lesser engine for me. Unfortunately, though, it's not great.

I've ran it by a couple of my friends back home and I've received mix answers regarding whether or not to ship it, mainly due to not so great fuel economy... I'm crossing my fingers that either my wife or myself receive paid relocation costs, but we'll see.