what's the best year for the 4th gen V8?

[gshadow325]

i've found an 03 that i'm interested in. it's an sr5. i know i don't want the XREAS that comes with the limited models. and i'm planning on swapping my shrockworks bumper and wmw roof rack, so i want to be able to do that.

03 can be found easiest. sr5 is probably the most plentiful version. i got lucky and found a sr5 with aftermarket leather and aftermarket sunroof. both things i used as a negative to drive the price of truck down

becareful of trucks that didnt get timing belt service. this service is pricey.

I agree with you about all of this. And a lot of those newer amenities, I.e. Projector headlights, led tails, etc etc are all direct swaps to the early 4th gens if I so decided to down the road for some easy weekend mods. I also like that if I choose to at some point, I have the option to supercharge the 03-04 V8, which if I'm not mistaken, can't be done with the 2005+ VVT-i V8's.

i'd do projector retrofit on 03/04 and buy some led tails. supercharger is a rare needle in a haystack. you can click on the link in my sig to see how my truck progressed to its current state.

 

[Dylan]

becareful of trucks that didnt get timing belt service. this service is pricey.

x2 on this, it's a 90k mile service so if you see any runners being sold around or after this mileage you'll want to ensure the t-belt/water pump service has been done. If you can get the VIN of the vehicle, you can run it on Toyota's website to view the service history for any Toyota dealer for free. If it hasn't been done (like mine when I bought it) it's a bargaining chip to lower the asking price by at least $1000. Moreover, if you're mechanically inclined, you can save yourself some more coin by doing the service yourself, there's some good write ups on this site and it should only cost you about 1/3 the price.

 

[Sungod]

You will find more 03 and 04s because that was before the economy tanked and people stopped buying gas guzzlers. There hasn't been anything negative about vvti, but as I see it as another unnecessary complexity and an opportunity for something to go wrong with very little benefit. The gas mileage saving and extra power is minimal. Price on 03s and 04s are a lot less as well for essentially the same vehicle.

 

[KBToys]

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the 09 4runner the only one with a factory switch to disable the VSC?

 

[jsmith21]

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the 09 4runner the only one with a factory switch to disable the VSC?

My 08 has it. But it's also a v6. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

 

[poncharello]

My 08 has it. But it's also a v6. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

I have the V8 08 limited and it also has the traction control disable button.

EDIT: A little side note, did you know that one press of the button disables VSC, but if you hold down that button for about 10 seconds it disables the rest of the traction nannies? The more you know...

 

[AARONR]

Depends if you're looking at limiteds or not, but I'd say 06-09

09's seemed to have extra options that earlier years didn't

^^ What he said! The 06+ has VVT-I, higher towing capacity, and 5-speed trans. (and better styling in my opinion).

 

[97BlackAckCL]

He is a smart guy...

 

[NJshadow93]

I may be the only one who had this impression, but my 06 SR5 V8 seems much more solid/better built than my previous 03 SR5 V8 (that had less miles). The 06-09 V8 SR5 also comes standard with power seats, and the gauge cluster has a better layout (turn signals and some emergency lights are positioned differently). I'd shoot for an 06+

 

[Tommy4Runner]

When I was in the market for a 4th Gen. 4Runner it had to be first off a V8 for towing the boat, then really like the updates the later 06+ for cosmetic updates as well as VVT in 05+. Either way these 4.7 V8's are bulletproof motors and you really cannot go wrong with any of them! I ended up with an 08 V8 Limited and could not be happier with it!!

 

[Dylan]

^^ What he said! The 06+ has VVT-I, higher towing capacity, and 5-speed trans. (and better styling in my opinion).

Edmunds lists the 2004 V8 and the 2006 V8 (with vvti) both at 7,000 lbs towing capacity. Also, every V8 has the 5 speed automatic. I don't know that vvti really is much of a difference, aside from maybe increasing price a little and adding extra mechanics that could go wrong eventually.

 

[V8Man]

I like the 2003’s. My dad has a 2008 Limited. The SR5 and Sport Editions have the unpainted plastic flares, the 2004 are painted. The older transmissions are still have a dipstick and are easier to service. The vvti also have the air pump that appears to be a problem at some time on a lot of guy’s trucks.

 

[JB.]

Not much difference between the two V8s in most daily driving.

There is one reasonably common scenario, though, where the difference is substantial.

Passing at high speed in 3rd gear. The vvti winds up much better in that situation.

 

[progress4m]

Not much difference between the two V8s in most daily driving.

There is one reasonably common scenario, though, where the difference is substantial.

Passing at high speed in 3rd gear. The vvti winds up much better in that situation.

Agreed!

Another scenario would be if you are racing Chevy (truck or SUV) with 5.3 L and you want to smoke them… LOL…VVTi will help you with that… :thumb:
BTW the looks on Chevy owner’s faces :jaw::crybaby:are priceless at that point.. LOL
:lmao:


To OP: mechanically: 2003-2004 V8 without VVTi, 2005-2009 V8 with VVTi; everything else is options and appearance (based on year and trim level); I am partial to 2003-2005 syle as they have smaller bumpers (better approach angel and looks better IMO) and wheel well fenders flares are skinnier which makes truck looks better (again IMO) because wheels less “tacked in”