My '86 Runner finally bit the big one at the start of the year after ~400K miles and 26 years of ownership. I've been truckless since and am starting to get the itch to buy another. In the decades since I last truck shopped the options have grown much wider and I just haven't kept up. So I'm soliciting opinions: What truck do I want?
I really don't know the relative merits of the drivetrain options offered in the last few generations of 4Runner, so my uninformed initial idea of just looking for a relatively new 5th Gen may be off base.
Please bear with me while I blather about what I'm looking for....
1. I've been happy with various Toyota trucks/cars over the years and know how to work on them so will limit mysearch to Toyota/Lexus. Though I have a long favorable relationship with 4Runners I'm not married to the model - Sequoias, LandCrushers are also a possibility, but are probably larger than I need.
2. The vehicle will spend probably 90% of its life with me on decent roads, 8% on 2W driveable dirt (crappy washboard, but passable) and maybe 2% on steep stuff and sand (things the family Subaru Forester can't manage). In other words, I suspect most stock 4Runners will have sufficient off road capabilities for my needs so my interest in mod-ability is limited.
3. I did lots of work on my '86 (swapped motors, pulled trannies, etc) so I'm capable enough, but I'm an old guy now and would rather not be crawling under the truck every other week. So a drivetrain with high reliability/longevity is a big plus. I know I can't expect another 400K like with the 22RE, but if some generation of Runner motors like to blow up at 150K that's a big minus. In fact I'd want to know if any of the motors had "issues". Even with its deserved rep for reliability the 22RE always had a tendency to develop a leaky front oil seal and was often hell to pass CA-SMOG. I'd prefer to avoid as much of this drama this time as possible.
4. Money isn't a huge factor, but I'd like to get something relatively new (say under 80K miles) which realistically probably limits me to 4th or 5th generation 4Runners. I know the cost between these options varies a lot and would expect to cough up near $30K for a newer 5th Gen, but if an older model does everything I want for half the price I'd be happy to go that way.
4. This will be my retirement play/truck. So I'll be driving it all around North America (and maybe beyond). Most often it'll just be me or my wife and I in the truck. So comfort is a priority almost as high as reliability, but rear seat comfort for passengers I'll rarely have matters less. I probably will want to shove my 6'1" carcass in back and sleep in it now and then - so really short beds are a negative.
5. I don't really expect to tow so power isn't much of an issue - though I'd rather not repeat the utter gutlessness of the 2.4L of the '86. Mileage matters, but the difference between 18, 20 and 22 mpg is of secondary concern to reliability/comfort/off-road-ability.
Thanks for reading my ruminations and let me know what you think.
I really don't know the relative merits of the drivetrain options offered in the last few generations of 4Runner, so my uninformed initial idea of just looking for a relatively new 5th Gen may be off base.
Please bear with me while I blather about what I'm looking for....
1. I've been happy with various Toyota trucks/cars over the years and know how to work on them so will limit mysearch to Toyota/Lexus. Though I have a long favorable relationship with 4Runners I'm not married to the model - Sequoias, LandCrushers are also a possibility, but are probably larger than I need.
2. The vehicle will spend probably 90% of its life with me on decent roads, 8% on 2W driveable dirt (crappy washboard, but passable) and maybe 2% on steep stuff and sand (things the family Subaru Forester can't manage). In other words, I suspect most stock 4Runners will have sufficient off road capabilities for my needs so my interest in mod-ability is limited.
3. I did lots of work on my '86 (swapped motors, pulled trannies, etc) so I'm capable enough, but I'm an old guy now and would rather not be crawling under the truck every other week. So a drivetrain with high reliability/longevity is a big plus. I know I can't expect another 400K like with the 22RE, but if some generation of Runner motors like to blow up at 150K that's a big minus. In fact I'd want to know if any of the motors had "issues". Even with its deserved rep for reliability the 22RE always had a tendency to develop a leaky front oil seal and was often hell to pass CA-SMOG. I'd prefer to avoid as much of this drama this time as possible.
4. Money isn't a huge factor, but I'd like to get something relatively new (say under 80K miles) which realistically probably limits me to 4th or 5th generation 4Runners. I know the cost between these options varies a lot and would expect to cough up near $30K for a newer 5th Gen, but if an older model does everything I want for half the price I'd be happy to go that way.
4. This will be my retirement play/truck. So I'll be driving it all around North America (and maybe beyond). Most often it'll just be me or my wife and I in the truck. So comfort is a priority almost as high as reliability, but rear seat comfort for passengers I'll rarely have matters less. I probably will want to shove my 6'1" carcass in back and sleep in it now and then - so really short beds are a negative.
5. I don't really expect to tow so power isn't much of an issue - though I'd rather not repeat the utter gutlessness of the 2.4L of the '86. Mileage matters, but the difference between 18, 20 and 22 mpg is of secondary concern to reliability/comfort/off-road-ability.
Thanks for reading my ruminations and let me know what you think.
