Toyota 4Runner

[CradleRobber]

Who's got testimonials? Stories about your own going for more than 200,000 miles, etc...

Everyone always says they're overpriced and you're just paying for the 4Runner name, but I need to hear from some people who have driven or owned one.

 

[sportschick]

A co-worker of mine has one that's on its last legs, course it's also at least 10 years old and has 185,000 miles. He really loves it.

Other than that, I've got nothing.

 

[everybody duck]

i've got a '99. 5-speed, SR5 with 112,000 miles. it's bulletproof. just scheduled maintenance and new tires. best car i've ever owned and it's not even close

 

[Highway 101]

I drove an '08 around town last while my Camry was in the shop for the day getting serviced.

I didn't love it. I barely liked it. If I were test-driving it, I'd go back to the lot and try something else.

 

[JC]

My Father has had one for 15 years and has had no major problems with it. I would get one in a second if I had the chance

 

[User 1019]

Not a big fan, myself. I've driven my friend's a few times. Just didn't like the way it rode/drove.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I drove a 2006 across the country last summer, and I loved it.

Comfortable, safe and good-looking.

 

[CradleRobber]

You can buy a clean, '01 SR5 4x4 for $7,500 without going into any debt. It's got 139,000 miles (mostly highway), a brand new transmission built by AAMCO, a new timing belt, original owner and has had regular maintenance.

Worth it? Or too many miles?

 

[old_tony]

Sounds like a good deal to me. My brother drove his 4Runner for almost 300,000 miles.

I have a 1999 RAV4 that I bought new. It now has 171,000 miles on it and still drives like a new car. I'm expecting I should be able to get another 75,000 miles out of it. It is showing absolutely no signs of needing to be replaced.

I'm only on the second set of tires. I got 89,600 miles out of the first set of tires and wouldn't have had to get new tires if it wasn't winter. The next set of tires has just over 80,000 miles and I'm not in any need to replace them yet. Haven't even had to have any alignment done since about 75,000 miles.

 

[KG]

I had a 1995 4Runner, my first, and never had a single problem with it. I think it had close to 200,000 on it. I'd still be driving it but someone totaled it by driving through my house when it was parked safely in the garage. Now I have a 1998 4Runner with about 190,000 and still not a single problem. Only maintenance has been things like oil, brakes and tires. I use it for both of my jobs and don't have a single worry about its dependability. I highly reccomend them.

 

[Abe Froman]

have a 2000 4runner. got it in 2002 with 29,000 miles on it. has +/-228,000 now. big fan.

 

[Pastor]

You can buy a clean, '01 SR5 4x4 for $7,500 without going into any debt. It's got 139,000 miles (mostly highway), a brand new transmission built by AAMCO, a new timing belt, original owner and has had regular maintenance.

Worth it? Or too many miles?

I would say that there are too many miles. Also, the new transmission would worry me. Once one of those are replaced, it almost doesn't matter if the replacement is new or used, they end up being replaced again.

Also, you are in college, why the need for some big SUV? You are going to be stuck paying for the gas on this thing. The money you should save in gas will go towards what you really want, beer.

If you need the space, get a used Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix. They have good space and an impressive speaker system.

 

[CradleRobber]

You can buy a clean, '01 SR5 4x4 for $7,500 without going into any debt. It's got 139,000 miles (mostly highway), a brand new transmission built by AAMCO, a new timing belt, original owner and has had regular maintenance.

Worth it? Or too many miles?

I would say that there are too many miles. Also, the new transmission would worry me. Once one of those are replaced, it almost doesn't matter if the replacement is new or used, they end up being replaced again.

Also, you are in college, why the need for some big SUV? You are going to be stuck paying for the gas on this thing. The money you should save in gas will go towards what you really want, beer.

If you need the space, get a used Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix. They have good space and an impressive speaker system.

The transmission worries me more than anything, although the miles aren't necessarily low, either.

I've always wanted a 4Runner and now that my commute is half what it used to be, it finally makes sense. I snowboard between 25 and 40 days each winter, and I can only drive my little car when there's no snow on the ground. I rely on friends' 4-wheel drives the rest of the time.

I'm kinda sick of my car, too. The difference in gas mileage is around 10 miles per gallon, and it really wouldn't matter since much of the $250 in "gas money" I receive as part of my rents' monthly transfer goes to beer, anyway.

Buying a used Vibe or Matrix, even after getting over the ugly factor, would require some financing, whereas I could pay cash for the 4Runner today. I'm trying to graduate with zero debts or payments.

I'm going to test drive right now.

Thanks for the input, all.

 

[MacDaddy]

Keep in mind a 4Runner is essentially a truck. If that's what you want, great; if not, try to find something car-based.

Also make sure you fit; even though they're pretty big vehicles they're not that roomy.

 

[KG]

I think I get about 20 mpg (city) in mine. I rarely get the chance to check highway miles, but it's somewhere around 28.