8MoreMiles
New member
Cup holders
If you remove the cup holder liner you can fit a nalgene bottle.
If you remove the cup holder liner you can fit a nalgene bottle.
Why did you buy your 4 Runner?
- Thread starter Bay33saw
- Start date
My reasons were probably very similar to others here.
My previous vehicle was a RAV4 V6. It was a great vehicle but very basic. I loved the zip and handling of it, but it just did not do well in our New England winters, in spite of its AWD setup. It also lacked some of the creature conforts and inside tech I desired. I'm a programmer, so I have to have my tech!
While overkill for just winter driving since I've never been wheeling, I'm sort of at a phase in my life where I'm experimenting and trying new things. I can be comfortable and confident in that if I ever do decide to go wheeling I will have a vehicle that excels at that.
Ultimately my reasons for getting my Runner are:
1) This thing is a beast in the snow
2) More cargo room than my old RAV4. I can't count the number of times I was disappointed by what I couldn't fit in my RAV4. I just miss the storage under the cargo deck of the RAV4...
3) Gizmos! In all honesty I never expected a vehicle this rugged to have such a nice feature set on the inside
4) Reliability
5) Economy. Yes, it's the lowest MPG of any vehicle I owned. But then, everything I've owned before were simply cars that lack the capabilities of this truck. For what it is, averaging 20MPG is nothing to sneeze at.
6) I know that this beast can tackle almost anything that gets in its way and so I feel very safe
7) In spite of its huge size and weight it handles incredibly well. In fact (largely because of KDSS) I can take corners at the same speed I did in the RAV4 with less body lean and be more surefooted.
8) Looks. This is no grannymobile or soccer-mom mall crawler. It is rugged and tough and very much looks the part.
9) It is actually small enough and nimble enough to maneuver in the parking spots I need it to. I was also considering a Tacoma but I would never be able to fit it in my garage or the garage at work. As is, I barely have 1' clearance in the back when I park in my garage.
My previous vehicle was a RAV4 V6. It was a great vehicle but very basic. I loved the zip and handling of it, but it just did not do well in our New England winters, in spite of its AWD setup. It also lacked some of the creature conforts and inside tech I desired. I'm a programmer, so I have to have my tech!
While overkill for just winter driving since I've never been wheeling, I'm sort of at a phase in my life where I'm experimenting and trying new things. I can be comfortable and confident in that if I ever do decide to go wheeling I will have a vehicle that excels at that.
Ultimately my reasons for getting my Runner are:
1) This thing is a beast in the snow
2) More cargo room than my old RAV4. I can't count the number of times I was disappointed by what I couldn't fit in my RAV4. I just miss the storage under the cargo deck of the RAV4...
3) Gizmos! In all honesty I never expected a vehicle this rugged to have such a nice feature set on the inside
4) Reliability
5) Economy. Yes, it's the lowest MPG of any vehicle I owned. But then, everything I've owned before were simply cars that lack the capabilities of this truck. For what it is, averaging 20MPG is nothing to sneeze at.
6) I know that this beast can tackle almost anything that gets in its way and so I feel very safe
7) In spite of its huge size and weight it handles incredibly well. In fact (largely because of KDSS) I can take corners at the same speed I did in the RAV4 with less body lean and be more surefooted.
8) Looks. This is no grannymobile or soccer-mom mall crawler. It is rugged and tough and very much looks the part.
9) It is actually small enough and nimble enough to maneuver in the parking spots I need it to. I was also considering a Tacoma but I would never be able to fit it in my garage or the garage at work. As is, I barely have 1' clearance in the back when I park in my garage.
Dexter Morgan
New member
Yes you can, a 4th gen. And for those that came from a 4th gen, you don't find the 5th gen to be way down on quality, particularly on the interior? It all felt so cheap and scaled down when I test drove one compared to the 4th gen. And that noisy V6, oh dear...it was quite evident to me where Toyota has been putting its SUV money the last 5 years and it is NOT in the 4runner!
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Someone seems rather defensive especially in the 5th Gen section... :violin:
DannyLlama
Elite Member
Really dude? You summoned energy to find this thread on the "5th Gen forum" titled " Why did you buy your 4 Runner", not Why to avoid buying a 5th gen so you can bash? :wacko:
God Bless your heart.
Dexter Morgan
New member
Let's hear the argument for why the 5th gen is better than the 4th gen. From personal experience, and then reading the thread, I wanted to contribute.
I found the 5th gen to be a disappointment to the 4runner name.
I found the 5th gen to be a disappointment to the 4runner name.
Fixed.
DannyLlama
Elite Member
1st off, no one here is arguing which is better. They both have PROS/CONS. I personally love the 4th Gen and might buy one down the line in ADDITION to my 5th Gen.. They are beautiful trucks. Both of them.
As someone else mentioned earlier, the cost difference between used and new isn't that big for these trucks, thus making the 5th Gen more desirable (new car smell).
2nd off - nice choice in rubber :driving:
scanny
Senior Member
Nah, 4Gens are all too expensive for used and you never know how they were used. So new 5 Gens is still best bang for the bucks believe.
Thanks for making it clear that you're a 4th gen driver... I think most of us in the 5th gens have plenty of respect for the 4th gen models, but also like to separate ourselves from people who can't understand that "why did you buy your 4runner" is not the same as "why I did not buy your 4runner."
Renegad44
New member
You do understand the title of this thread, not started by you, is "Why did you buy your 4 Runner?" And not why the 5th is better than the 4th.
But at any rate, I'll answer it again, I owned a 97, wrecked it in 2000, bought a new 2000, in 2000, kept it until 2011, wanted a NEW one, and I"d be damn if I was going to buy a 4th Gen when the 5th Gens were out.
So should I say good luck with your 4th, or do you own a 5th? I'm confused.
Bay33saw
New member
LMFAO.....so hard I had my water i was drinking as I was reading this come out of my nose....
Dexter Morgan
New member
I commented because someone stated that the 5th gen 4runner is the best bang for the buck and that's just not the case, not in the pre-owned or new market. A limited is still over 40k (as was the case for the 4th gen) and they've cut way back on the quality in addition to offering only one engine...and a noisy and unrefined one at that. They're charging too much for a vehicle they've clearly put at the back of their model lineup.
I was shocked when I test drove the '11 Limited as to how much they've cut, especially compared to my neighbors '12 Highlander Limited which despite how gay it is, has a very nice interior.
Believe me, I wanted to like the 5th gen, spec'd out with leather and 20" wheels but I was really disappointed.
I was shocked when I test drove the '11 Limited as to how much they've cut, especially compared to my neighbors '12 Highlander Limited which despite how gay it is, has a very nice interior.
Believe me, I wanted to like the 5th gen, spec'd out with leather and 20" wheels but I was really disappointed.
Are you familiar with the time value of money? Apparently not. Spending $40,000 in 2005 is roughly comparably to spending $48,000 in 2013. Thus, a $40,000 car in 2005 should be roughly a $48,000 car in 2013. In other words, a 5th gen is about 15-20% less expensive than a 4th gen in real dollars (not nominal dollars). That tends to cut against your position that you're paying the same but getting less with a 5th gen.
This all ignores the fact that your opinion on quality is worth exactly the same to me today as it was in 2013. (That'd be zero in case you're still hung up on the discount rate)
Fixed again...
1engineer
Moderator
Nice OPINION. You got any fact to go along with words like "Cut back on quality" and "noisy" and "unrefined" and "how much they cut" and "clearly put at the back." You must have stopped in english after learning how to use a modifier and before learning to cite you sources as legitimate and factual. Enjoy your 4th gen and I'll enjoy my TE. I'm "shocked" you think your opinion matters in this thread.
Intruder
New member
I seriously don't understand all the hate between the different gens on this forum. I'd gladly own any gen of 4Runner. Hell, I even love Tacomas, FJs, and LCs.
Anyhow, I bought mine primarily as a fishing vehicle to get to some of the more remote spots. I can easily fit all my gear and the dog in the back. Toyota reliability. Excellent capability. And it looks badass.
