WTB: 4th Gen - Advice?

[Theothertyler]

Hey everyone -

First off, it seems like there's a whole lot of knowledge here about 4runners that I'll hopefully be leveraging in the future! Everyone here seems to have a passion for trucks and helping people out.

Now that my Volvo has 230k mi on it, I think it's about time for me to treat myself to something new! My gf's family is all about Toyota, and the more I read and drive, the more I agree. I'm set on a 4th Gen due to a number of opinions read here and elsewhere.

My truck will mainly be a daily driver with some light towing duties and camping (read light trails) on the weekends. I plan on buying something used but nice, and driving it basically until the wheels fall off. I'm still trying to decide between 2WD and 4WD - I don't deal with any snow or ice here in FL, but we get monstrous rainstorms/hurricanes with the accompanying mud and nonsense that comes after. If anyone has opinions on this, please opine away!

A) Do the 4x4s generally speaking have a shorter lifespan than 4x2 counterparts and are there additional upkeep costs? (I've read through and am familiar with the mpg differences.)

A2) Same question for V6 vs V8 - lifespan, upkeep costs, etc.

B) Were there particularly buggy years for this generation? Typically I'd shy away from 1st year of a new gen but I was curious to know what your collective take is.

C) Are there any options that you have in your 4R that you couldn't live without or that you've seen and wish you had? (Helps me get an idea of what to shop for.)

D) Are you trying to sell yours or know a nice one that needs a good home?!

Thanks everyone in advance for your help. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

 

[A10MileHusker]

My truck will mainly be a daily driver with some light towing duties and camping (read light trails) on the weekends. I plan on buying something used but nice, and driving it basically until the wheels fall off. I'm still trying to decide between 2WD and 4WD - I don't deal with any snow or ice here in FL, but we get monstrous rainstorms/hurricanes with the accompanying mud and nonsense that comes after. If anyone has opinions on this, please opine away!

A) Do the 4x4s generally speaking have a shorter lifespan than 4x2 counterparts and are there additional upkeep costs? (I've read through and am familiar with the mpg differences.)

A2) Same question for V6 vs V8 - lifespan, upkeep costs, etc.

B) Were there particularly buggy years for this generation? Typically I'd shy away from 1st year of a new gen but I was curious to know what your collective take is.

C) Are there any options that you have in your 4R that you couldn't live without or that you've seen and wish you had? (Helps me get an idea of what to shop for.)

D) Are you trying to sell yours or know a nice one that needs a good home?!

Thanks everyone in advance for your help. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

I can't help on all the topics but I'll share what I know. :biggrin2:

I have a 2005 SE with the V8. The sports are going to be really helpful while towing. They come with larger brake rotors. I've hauled a couple boats with mine so far and loved how it handled. :bigok:

I love my 4WD! It feels completely glued to the ground in bad weather. I have never worried about driving in any condition.

For the options, I love what I have. I have the sport (hood scoop :bigok: ) but I dont have leather seats or seat heaters which is completely fine with me. My past experiences with seat heaters (not with T4R's) have been horrible - they have always stopped working at one point or another.

Good luck on your hunting! Hope you find what you're looking for!

Doug

 

[Theothertyler]

Found one...

Thanks Doug- I see a lot of views here but no responses, so I'll chalk that one up to inexperience... and the fact that there are probably thousands of these threads spread all around.

I was put in touch with a wholesaler who has an 04 Limited with about 45k on it. He took it in from a woman who bought it new and put much less than 10k/yr on it. Some specs below-

- 04 Limited 4Runner
- White
- V6
- 4WD
- One Owner
- Rear DVD (which I won't use now, but maybe in future)
- Very clean, leather needs a bit of cleaning/recon on the drivers seat but everywhere else looks pristine
- Everything works to the eye (sunroof, AC, radio, etc.)
- 50-60% tread life on tires
- Will sell to me for $16,500

It will be checked out by a mechanic tomorrow, but I think it's a very good price for the condition/mileage/age.

Questions? Thoughts? Concerns?

 

[4boer]

Seems a bit high to me, but my area has tons of T4rs. If nothing else hit them up for new tires and an extended warranty. Good luck.

 

[A10MileHusker]

Re: Found one...

Thanks Doug- I see a lot of views here but no responses, so I'll chalk that one up to inexperience... and the fact that there are probably thousands of these threads spread all around.

I was put in touch with a wholesaler who has an 04 Limited with about 45k on it. He took it in from a woman who bought it new and put much less than 10k/yr on it. Some specs below-

- 04 Limited 4Runner
- White
- V6
- 4WD
- One Owner
- Rear DVD (which I won't use now, but maybe in future)
- Very clean, leather needs a bit of cleaning/recon on the drivers seat but everywhere else looks pristine
- Everything works to the eye (sunroof, AC, radio, etc.)
- 50-60% tread life on tires
- Will sell to me for $16,500

It will be checked out by a mechanic tomorrow, but I think it's a very good price for the condition/mileage/age.

Questions? Thoughts? Concerns?

I think that seems like a pretty good deal. I got my 2005 4R V8 SE with 27k for $20,200. It was originally going for $27,500. And it sounds like a great car.
IMHO, its a good deal.

 

[Theothertyler]

Thanks guys. I'll let you know what the mechanic finds today or tomorrow.

 

[RickC]

That's probably not too bad. I just bought an 03 Sport V6 4x4 for 13,500. Mine has leather and sunroof and 58k miles.

My wants were sunroof, 4x4, and sport. The rest didn't matter to me. It didn't matter to much about V6 or V8, but I really wanted the V6. But I only drive 8-10k a year, and I figured the gas at 10k miles a year at 4.00 a gal was only about 300.00 difference in annual fuel cost between the V6 and V8. That was using Toyota's referenced mpg.

I first bought a gen3 which I liked everything but the ride quality. So I turned around and sold it after about 3 months and bought the 4th gen which the ride is much better.

You will like the Toyota brand. I switched back in 04 after buying a Lexus RX330 new, keeping it 2 years and putting 20k miles on it, then trading it to a Toyota dealer for a new Sequoia. That dealer put it on the lot for 6k less than I paid for it and had it sold in a week. Now that's resale!

Been buying Toyota ever since. This 4runner is my 5th Toyota.

 

[SLED]

Hey everyone . . . I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

Lots of good advice so far. This is how I would lay it out for you:

The 4Runner 4x2 or 4x4 and V6 or V8 should last well forever depending on your maitenance and driving style. Cost difference over the long haul - not worth worrying about.

So you say you want a long-runner, only light towing and no snow/off-roading? ---> Pick A. or B.:

A. Frugal choice:
Save your money, get a 4x2, and get the V6 because it's timing chain driven for longevity and is lighter and gets up to 10% better mileage, unlike the V8 (heavier and needs timing belt changes).

B. Doesn't matter if pay a bit more up front and long-term:
Just get the V8 4x4, tow whatever in the future and go off-roading/move north when you have to and not worry about it.

Style considerations:

Go for 05 or later if you want the 5sp auto transm. and/or increased V8 power.
Go for 04-05 (not the the 03 if you follow the avoid 1st year rule) if you prefer the 'smoother' fenders and front end styling.
Go for 06 or later if you prefer the more aggressive fenders and front end stying and updated front and rear lights.

Options: This comes down to the SR5 or Sport Edition or Limited - these are extensively covered in multiple threads - just read up. For particular rants on features and options, see: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45470

Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[kaiser]

This may be a little thread stealing ;P, but I'm looking at buying a 4th gen what is the difference (all of them if anyone has the patience) between the sport V8 and the limited V8.

 

[RickC]

Sport has the same interior, cloth, unless it was upgraded to leather. If upgraded to leather, they are not heated.
Limited has leather seating that is heated.

Sport has the hood scoop.
Limited does not.

Sport has the X-REAS suspension meaning the shocks are tied together in a "cross" pattern which minimizes body roll during turns.
Limited does not unless it was added as an option.

Sport doesn't have sunroof unless it was added as an option.
Limited doesn't have a sunroof unless it was added as an option, but 95% of them have it.

Sport does not have the additional luxuries such as lighted vanity mirrors, homelink, power inverter for 120v output, etc.
Limited does.

Sport has a specially designed wheel.
Limited has the standard "wide blade" wheel.

These are the things I learned from researching and shopping around when I was trying to decide. There are other differences between the Sport/Limited and the SR5. For example, the SR5 doesn't have paint matched mirrors, where the Sport and Limiteds do.

Hope this helps.

 

[Theothertyler]

Re: Found one...

I was put in touch with a wholesaler who has an 04 Limited with about 45k on it. He took it in from a woman who bought it new and put much less than 10k/yr on it. Some specs below-

- 04 Limited 4Runner
- White
- V6
- 4WD
- One Owner
- Rear DVD (which I won't use now, but maybe in future)
- Very clean, leather needs a bit of cleaning/recon on the drivers seat but everywhere else looks pristine
- Everything works to the eye (sunroof, AC, radio, etc.)
- 50-60% tread life on tires
- Will sell to me for $16,500

It will be checked out by a mechanic tomorrow, but I think it's a very good price for the condition/mileage/age.

Mechanic checked it out and said everything looked great. Only two things he'd recommend are new tires and a new battery. I spoke with the dealer and he said he'd try to get some better tires over the weekend and drop a new battery in.

Out the door price is 16,500 (plus tax). Includes all fees and documentation.

I told him I'd call him once I got the paperwork, but barring anything unforseen in the next few hours I'll be the owner of a new (to me) 4Runner!

Is there anyone in this forum who thinks that this poster and this car should not be wed? If so, speak now or just wait until I post a bunch of pictures next week!

 

[Will816]

A) Of course its POSSIBLE that, with more components and more moving parts, a 4x4 may wear out faster than a 2x4, but being a 4x4 will not make it fail any sooner. It just has more parts that COULD fail.

A2) I haven't really heard a lot about the V6, but the V8 has a huge following. I love mine. 120,000 miles with my lead foot constantly taxing it and not a single problem. A lot of people will tell you that the V6 has plenty of power, and it does, but the V8 has plenty MORE power. My 03 V8 with 235 HP kicks the crap out of my dad's 04 V6 with 45,000 miles and 245 HP. I pull ahead of him at any speed.

B) No buggy years that I am aware of. This is one of the few cars out that pretty much was a homerun from the get go. Consumer Reports gives 03 the highest possible mark for reliability as a used car.

One thing I would say is that the 5 speed tranny is a bullet proof set up, but if you get an 03 or 04 with a V6, it will have the older 4 speed. Nothing wrong with that one, its just that the 5 speed is known for its reliability. And 1st gear is lower on the 5 speed, so you get better acceleration.

C) My 2 things on it are 4WD and the V8. I trek up into the mountains on old mining and logging roads for hunting and backpacking, so 4WD is mandatory for me. The V8 is just nice.

Also, the V8 is smoother. Again, people may tell you how smooth the V6 is, but I am a mechanical engineer and I know that any quality 90* V8 is smoother than any quality 60* V6. It has to do with reciprocating masses. As a side note, flat 6's and inline 6's are the smoothest, they have no need for a balance shaft or anything.

D) There are tons of them on the market, and if you hurry you can snag an awesome deal on one.

Good luck with your search, I hope I helped you a bit.

 

[SLED]

This may be a little thread stealing ;P, but I'm looking at buying a 4th gen what is the difference (all of them if anyone has the patience) between the sport V8 and the limited V8.

Yes, you are thread jacking - not respectable.

Dude, check out trim levels at http://www.automotive.com/2005/43/toyota/4runner/reviews/lineup/index.html.
There's also a thread in here in the first 10 pages re. Sport vs. Limited - or just use the search.:zoom:

 

[Theothertyler]

Deposit is down. I'm going to pick up my 4r next week! Will post pics. Thanks everyone!

 

[Hustl504]

Re: Re: Found one...

Mechanic checked it out and said everything looked great. Only two things he'd recommend are new tires and a new battery. I spoke with the dealer and he said he'd try to get some better tires over the weekend and drop a new battery in.

Out the door price is 16,500 (plus tax). Includes all fees and documentation.

I told him I'd call him once I got the paperwork, but barring anything unforseen in the next few hours I'll be the owner of a new (to me) 4Runner!

Is there anyone in this forum who thinks that this poster and this car should not be wed? If so, speak now or just wait until I post a bunch of pictures next week!

Congratulations. I picked up an 04 V8 4WD SR5 w/ 38500 miles a few weeks back for 15000. So you're right in that range. I love it so far, I'm sure you will too.

 

[RickC]

Re: Re: Re: Found one...

Congratulations. I picked up an 04 V8 4WD SR5 w/ 38500 miles a few weeks back for 15000. So you're right in that range. I love it so far, I'm sure you will too.

That was a good price with that low miles.